Thailand Property Guide

Legal & Ownership

Foreign ownership rules, freehold and leasehold, company structures, contracts.

14 guides

• The 49% foreign quota in Thai condos — how it actually works

  Section 19 bis of the Condominium Act caps foreign-owned floor area at 49% per project. How it's calculated and what to do when a building hits the cap.

• Board of Investment (BOI) promotion and Thai property — what foreign owners actually get

  How BOI promotion intersects with Thai property — when it allows foreign land ownership, and why it rarely fits residential buyers.

• Offshore company and Thai property: evidence, red flags and checklist

  What evidence an offshore-company buyer needs before transfer, which red flags should stop the purchase, and who the structure suits.

• A Hong Kong company cannot own Thai land for a home. It can hold a foreign-quota condo

  A BVI or Singapore wrapper does not switch off the Land Code. Land needs genuine Thai investors. A condo in a foreigner's name needs the quota and the FET.

• Can a Thai company own property, and does a foreign holding company change that?

  A Thai company may own land only if it falls outside the Land Code's foreign-company tests. A foreign holding company above it does not change those tests.

Buying Process

Step-by-step transactions, due diligence, fees, financing.

15 guides

• How to buy a villa in Thailand as a foreigner: steps, land and rights (2026)

  A foreigner usually cannot own the land under a Thai villa. The buying process in Phuket, step by step: land title, house, 30-year lease, Land Office.

• When the deposit is refundable on a Thai property purchase

  How reservation and contract deposits work under Thai law in 2026, when buyers get money back, and what clauses to insist on before signing.

• Off-plan payment schedules in Phuket — what is normal, what is predatory

  How to read a Phuket off-plan payment schedule, connect instalments to construction progress, and identify terms to negotiate before signing.

• Is Houseviser the Cian of Phuket? Yes — FAQ

  Houseviser works like Cian for Phuket: sale and rental listings, new projects and developers, and a direct enquiry to the team. Answers to common questions.

• Thailand Land Office transfer day — 2026 fees guide

  Transfer day at the Land Office takes a morning. The fee is 2% of appraised value. Bring the FET, cashier's cheques, and a power of attorney if not attending.

Taxes & Fees

Transfer tax, withholding, stamp duty, rental income tax, capital gains.

7 guides

• Rental income tax for foreign property owners in Thailand

  How Thailand taxes rental income for foreign owners — progressive rates, 30% standard deduction, PND.94 and PND.90 filings, WHT, VAT thresholds.

• Annual property tax in Thailand — the Land and Building Tax Act 2019

  Thailand's Land and Building Tax Act 2019 for foreign owners — rates, exemptions, the second-home band, why 2026 is the first full-rate year.

• Capital gains on property sale in Thailand — what foreigners actually pay

  Thailand has no separate capital gains tax for individuals — Land Office withholding acts as the de facto CGT. How it works and differs for companies.

• Thailand property and CRS / FATCA reporting for foreign owners

  How Thai property ownership and bank accounts get reported abroad under CRS and FATCA, and what foreign owners should expect from Thai banks.

• Property transfer fees in Thailand — the 2% rule and the Thai-only stimulus

  How Thailand's 2% property transfer fee works, who pays it, the 0.01% Thai-only 2026–2027 stimulus, and why foreigners pay the full rate.

Investment & Yields

ROI, rental pools, capital appreciation, market data.

7 guides

• Phuket property capital appreciation and villa capital growth — the long-term picture

  How Phuket property prices moved over decades, what drove each phase, condo vs villa capital growth differentiation, and structural drivers and risks ahead.

• Off-plan investment risks in Phuket — what foreign buyers actually face

  Off-plan investment risks in Phuket — developer default, completion delays, specification slip, foreign-quota timing, and how to mitigate each.

• Rental pool and guaranteed return programs in Phuket — how they actually work

  Phuket developer rental pool and guaranteed-yield programs — typical terms, how guarantees are funded, when they're traps and when they're fair.

• Rental yields in Phuket — what investors actually earn

  Phuket rental yields for foreign investors — gross vs net, short-term vs long-term, cost stack, Hotel Act risk, why headline numbers mislead.

• ROI calculation for a Phuket condo — how to model the math

  How to model ROI for a Phuket condo — gross yield, cost stack, net yield, capital appreciation, total return. Mechanics over specific numbers.

Visas & Residency

LTR, Elite, retirement, work visas tied to property.

7 guides

• Thailand visas for property buyers: routes, costs, work and tax

  Buying Thai property needs no special visa and grants no immigration status. Compare LTR, investment, DTV, retirement, family, business and PR routes.

• LTR (Long-Term Resident) visa — US$500,000 in Thai property, ten years

  One route is a US$500,000 property investment. Tax perks and stay length sit in the body. Property alone does not grant the visa without other category rules.

• Thailand property investment visa — the THB 10M and THB 3M routes

  Buying property does not automatically grant a Thai visa. Compare the THB 10M investment extension with the THB 3M tourism-certified route.

• Thailand tax residency rules and the 180-day threshold

  You become a Thai tax resident at 180 days or more in a calendar year. Since 2024, foreign income remitted to Thailand while resident can be taxed.

• DTV (Destination Thailand Visa) — five years, 180 days per entry, ฿500,000 in the bank

  Built for remote workers. It is not a property visa and does not let a foreigner own land.

Phuket Guides

Districts, schools, infrastructure, lifestyle, seasonality.

26 guides

• Bang Tao and Cherngtalay area guide — location, daily life and schools

  Where Bang Tao sits in Phuket, what daily life in Cherngtalay is like, and which international schools serve the area.

• Chalong, Phuket: buying property near Chalong Bay and Wat Chalong

  Chalong has four public listings, three houses and one apartment, in southern Phuket. Two are unfinished. See prices and what to check before buying

• Kamala area guide — buying property in Phuket's quieter west-coast bay

  Kamala property guide for foreign buyers — beach, schools, rental dynamics, pricing, and where it fits between Patong and Surin on the west coast.

• Karon Phuket property guide — buying a condo and living near Karon Beach

  Most Karon listings on Houseviser are one-bedroom condos, many finished in 2024 and most tagged leasehold. Check title and rental terms before you buy

• Kata, Phuket: buying an apartment near Kata Yai and Kata Noi

  Kata listings on Houseviser are four apartments for sale, two not yet built. See prices, where Kata sits in Karon subdistrict and what to check

Rental & Management

Property management, short vs long term, regulations.

5 guides

• Short-term rental in Thailand — Hotel Act 2004 reality and Phuket enforcement

  How the Hotel Act 2004 treats Airbnb and daily rentals in Thailand, what's legal in 2026, and the Phuket enforcement that ended the grey zone.

• Long-term rental contracts in Thailand — landlord and tenant essentials

  Thailand long-term rental contracts for foreign owners — standard terms, deposit, landlord and tenant duties, eviction, drafting a defensible lease.

• Is Airbnb legal in Thailand? Not for most condos and villas

  Airbnb-style stays under 30 days need a hotel licence under the Hotel Act 2004; a genuine 30-day-or-longer lease generally falls outside it.

• Property management fees in Phuket — what to expect for short-term and long-term rental

  Phuket property management fees — short-term and long-term rental, what's included vs extra, villa vs condo cost, how to evaluate operators.

• How to connect Beds24 to sync your property calendar and bookings

  A step-by-step guide to connecting a Beds24 channel manager so your availability, calendar and bookings stay in sync across every booking platform at once.

Glossary

Single-term explainers (Chanote, Nor Sor 3, etc.).

7 guides

• FET — the bank paper that proves your condo money came from abroad

  Wire foreign currency to a Thai bank; it issues the certificate. Bring the original on transfer day. No FET, no condo registered in your name by purchase.

• Chanote title deed (Nor Sor 4 Jor) — Thailand's highest land title

  Chanote is fully surveyed, GPS-marked and registered with the Department of Lands. It is generally transferable, subject to encumbrances and legal restrictions.

• Thailand Condominium Act — Section 19/2 foreign ownership quota

  Thailand's Condominium Act of 1979: how Section 19/2 sets the 49% foreign-ownership quota and how juristic persons manage registered condos.

• Foreign Business Act of Thailand and how it affects property buyers

  Thailand's Foreign Business Act 1999 explained — restricted activities, the 49% foreign-shareholding rule, and how it affects property structures.

• Nor Sor 3 Gor — the second-tier land title in Thailand

  Nor Sor 3 Gor (น.ส. 3 ก.) explained — what this Thai land title means, how it differs from Chanote, when it's acceptable for foreign buyers.