In Thailand, the term "house" refers to three different types of properties: a townhouse in a row with shared walls, a detached house on its own plot of land, and a villa with a pool and garden. A foreigner can purchase a house in Thailand through one of two structures — taking ownership of the building while leasing the land beneath it under a registered 30-year lease, or completing the purchase through a Thai company. The main markets are Phuket, Pattaya, Samui, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai, and the Bangkok suburbs. The transaction proceeds in five steps: deposit, document verification, contract, payment, and registration at the Land Department. Below — regional price breakdown, analysis of the two structures, and the step‑by‑step transaction process.
| Region | Property types available here | Entry from | Typical budget | Best suited for | What the region offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phuket | Townhouses 90–150 m², houses 100–225 m², pool villas, branded residences | €49,700 townhouse, central island | Pool villa — from 11.7 million THB, branded managed residences — 258–450 million THB | Families with children and those with a dual‑home lifestyle | International schools, Bangkok Hospital Phuket, direct international flights, the widest selection of villas in the country |
| Pattaya and Na Kluea | Townhouses, detached houses 128–212 m², villas in gated communities in Huai Yai and Jomtien | €62,900 house 100 m² | Suburban house — 3.15–5 million THB, community villa — from 11.7 million THB | First purchase and relocation with a limited budget | Mainland and 1.5 hours to Bangkok, Russian‑speaking environment, the lowest entry threshold among resort areas |
| Samui | 2–3 bedroom pool villas, garden villas, hillside homes in Bophut and Lamai | 5 million THB simple villa inland | Three‑quarters of listings are above 10 million THB, 3‑bedroom villa — approximately 15 million THB, beachfront — from 60 million THB | Seasonal living with long‑term rental in the off‑season | A villa market, not condos: almost all supply consists of houses. Deals close at 7–12% below asking price, so negotiation should be factored into the budget |
| Hua Hin | Golf‑course pool villas, 3–4 bedroom community houses | 8 million THB mid‑range villa | 8–12 million THB for a villa, for 15 million THB — a 3–4 bedroom house with a pool | Permanent residence without tourist crowds | The most square meters for the money: the same 15 million THB in central Bangkok buys only an 80–90 m² condo |
| Chiang Mai | Detached houses, houses in gated communities | ≈5 million THB standard house | Approximately 25,000 THB per m² — the lowest level among major cities | Long‑term living and remote work | Mountain climate and cool season, a city without the sea: income only from long‑term rental |
| Bangkok | Houses and townhouses in the suburbs of Bang Kaeo, Bang Na, Bang Kapi; in the center — condominiums | 45 million THB house in a developer project | 15 million THB — an 80–90 m² condo in the center instead of a suburban house | Work, business, and children's education | BTS and MRT, international hospitals and schools. A house here always means the suburbs and a commute into the city |
Prices as of July 2026. The lower bounds for Phuket and Pattaya are from active listings on aggregators; for the other regions — from consolidated portal data and published developer starting prices. Exchange rates and availability are to be confirmed on the transaction date.
The lease is renewed by a new agreement, which the parties enter into closer to the end of the term. A promise to renew recorded in the original contract binds only the lessor who signed it and does not transfer to the new owner of the plot — on March 18, 2025, the Supreme Court, in its ruling 4655/2566, declared such pre‑signed renewals void. Therefore, listings with the wording "30+30+30" promise more than the law allows: only the first 30 years are legally guaranteed. Negotiations for renewal should typically begin 12–24 months before the end of the term, while there is still time to consider alternatives.
Long-term rental of 30 days or more is permitted without additional documentation. Daily rental is classified as hotel activity under the Hotel Act B.E. 2547: without a license or an exemption certificate, the penalty is 20,000 baht plus an additional 10,000 baht for each day the violation continues. An exemption certificate is available for properties with up to 8 rooms and up to 30 guests and is valid for five years. This matters when assessing yields: the figures in developer presentations are usually calculated at the daily rental rate — that is, under a regime that is illegal without such a document. A realistic calculation for a house without a license should be based on long-term rental.
No. Property ownership and immigration status in Thailand are not linked: a real estate transaction does not grant residency, an extended visa, or any basis for obtaining either. Long-term stay is arranged separately — through visa programs for retirees, wealthy residents, or employment. You cannot plan a move based solely on purchasing a house.
Yes, the remaining term is transferred to the new buyer, and the 1.1% registration fee is paid again — now calculated on the value of the remaining years. Because of this, a house on leased land depreciates by the calendar: in year ten, you are selling not 30 years but 20. The right of assignment must be expressly stated in the contract — without this clause, the lessor has the right to refuse to approve the transaction. Check this clause before paying the deposit, not after.
A villa gives you a plot of land, your own driveway, a pool, and a garden — things that no amount of money can buy in a condominium. A condominium gives you perpetual freehold ownership, inheritance rights, and a price that does not decrease with each passing year of the lease. If your priority is space and privacy for living, buy a house. If your priority is capital preservation and straightforward resale, buy a condominium within the foreign quota. The practical rule is: the longer your ownership horizon, the stronger the arguments in favor of an apartment.
The building and the land in Thailand are registered separately, and this determines the entire transaction. The foreigner acquires the house itself as freehold property without restrictions. The land beneath it — no: Article 86 of the Land Code prohibits foreign ownership of land. Therefore, the plot is taken on a 30‑year registered lease at the Land Department. Such a contract is entered into the Tor Dor 11 document and noted on the reverse side of the title deed, visible to any future buyer, and it protects you regardless of whom the land passes to later. An unregistered lease is valid for only three years, no matter how many years are stated in the text.
The second structure is a Thai company, where 51% of shares are held by Thai citizens. It provides full ownership of the land, but since 2026 it has become significantly riskier: DBD orders No. 2/2568 of January 1 and No. 1/2569 of April 1 require source‑of‑funds verification and signed investment confirmation letters, and the Land Department cross‑checks company owners against title deeds. A company makes sense only when a business is actually operated in Thailand; as a wrapper for a single house, it creates more problems than it solves. The third option for those who need perpetual rights is a condominium: the only type of property available to a foreigner in full freehold, within the 49% building‑area quota.
The transaction procedure is the same for new builds and the secondary market. The first step is a reservation deposit from 50,000 to 200,000 baht: the property is taken off the market. The second is document verification: a lawyer examines the land title (only Chanote is considered full title), the construction permit, the absence of encumbrances and debts, and for a condominium requests written confirmation of the remaining foreign quota. The third is the contract: a sale‑and‑purchase agreement for the building and a lease agreement for the plot, with an assignment clause included. The fourth is payment: funds are transferred from abroad in foreign currency to an account in a Thai bank, and the bank issues an FET certificate — without it, condominium registration cannot be completed, and repatriating proceeds after sale becomes more difficult. The fifth is registration at the Land Department.
At registration, costs arise in addition to the house price. A land lease costs 1.1% of the contract amount for the entire term: 1% duty and 0.1% stamp duty. Transfer of full ownership of a condominium is about 6% of the Land Department assessment: 2% duty, 3.3% specific business tax if the seller has held it for less than five years, or 0.5% stamp duty instead, plus withholding tax. The reduced rate of 0.01%, extended until June 30, 2027, applies only to buyers who are Thai nationals — a foreigner pays the full rate. On Phuket, costs are customarily split 50/50 between the parties — this is negotiable.
Ownership also costs money. 2026 is the first year that property tax is collected at the full rate: the rate for residential property is 0.02–0.1% of the assessed value. The owner of a house together with the land receives an exemption on the first 50 million baht, while the owner of only the building on a leased plot receives an exemption on the first 10 million — and only if their name is entered in the house book as of January 1.
This material covers what a foreigner is entitled to buy and under what terms, the three ownership structures and their costs, the step‑by‑step transaction procedure with timelines and documents, a fu...
