Buying a Condo in Thailand as a Foreigner: A Practical Checklist

You have found a condo you like. Before you negotiate the furniture or promise a transfer date, make sure you can buy that particular unit in the way it is being offered.

For a foreign buyer in Thailand, three questions come first: what rights are for sale, whether you are eligible to acquire them, and what evidence the Land Office will need. The attractive view comes later.

This guide follows a completed-condo purchase from the first enquiries to handover. It is a practical preparation guide, not a legal clearance for a property. Use an independent Thai property lawyer for your transaction and an inspector for physical condition.

1. Identify the unit and the rights being sold

Ask for the condominium's registered name, unit identification, title details and the seller's identity. An apartment described as a “condo” in an advertisement is not enough: have your lawyer establish its legal registration and the actual rights offered.

Check whether the offer is a freehold transfer, a lease, an assignment of an existing lease or something else. A key card, booking receipt or purchase agreement is not the same as registered ownership. Our freehold-versus-leasehold guide explains the distinction.

Ask early about your eligibility and the building's foreign ownership position. The government's registration-document guidance describes the general 49% limit by total unit area, not unit count. Obtain the relevant written confirmation; an agent's informal assurance should not be your final evidence.

2. Arrange advice before making a holding payment

Choose a lawyer who is acting for you and disclose any introduction or connection to the seller, developer or agent. Agree the scope: eligibility, title and registered burdens, seller authority, contract review, documents, payment arrangements and registration.

Ask which checks will be completed before a payment becomes non-refundable. If an agent proposes reserving the unit first, request the full reservation terms for review. Confirm the payee, refund conditions, deadlines and how the payment is credited to the price.

Do not infer that every deposit has the same amount or that a seller's withdrawal automatically produces compensation. Your documents and applicable law matter. Pressure to pay before receiving basic papers is a reason to pause.

3. Check both the unit and the building

A title check and a physical inspection answer different questions. Your lawyer examines the legal position. An independent inspector checks the agreed physical scope, including concerns inside the unit and relevant shared systems. A new finish does not remove the need for an inspection.

Ask building management for the common-fee schedule, the unit's outstanding charges, recent meeting minutes, planned major works and available budget information. Separate routine common fees from a reserve or sinking fund and any special assessment.

Visit at a normal busy time. Check noise, water supply, lift access, parking arrangements and the route to daily errands. Ask for written rules affecting pets, renovations and your intended letting use. Do not assume a freehold unit can be used without restrictions.

Our 47-point due-diligence checklist helps organise the questions. Keep a list of unresolved items, who must answer each one and what evidence you still need.

4. Build an itemised budget

Request estimates for the actual transaction, not a universal percentage added to the price. Identify the buyer-paid portion of taxes and registration charges, professional fees, banking and currency costs, inspection, initial repairs and setup.

Record the seller's and buyer's agreed responsibilities separately. A commission is not automatically payable by you merely because an agent is involved: ask who instructed the agent and what written fee arrangement applies.

If borrowing, obtain a written offer and the lender's conditions before promising an unconditional purchase. Ask what happens if finance is refused or arrives late. Developer instalments and a bank loan are different arrangements; neither should be assumed available on a standard rate or deposit.

For Hua Hin listings, our price-comparison guide separates asking prices from supported sales evidence. Avoid paying for forecast appreciation or an unverified “guaranteed” rental return.

5. Plan the funds route before transferring money

Ask your lawyer which eligibility route applies, and ask the receiving bank what documentation it can issue for that route. If you are relying on bringing foreign currency into Thailand, settle the transfer instructions and evidence before sending the money.

Confirm the beneficiary, buyer name, stated purpose, unit details and how bank charges or conversion could affect the available balance. Keep transfer instructions, bank confirmations and relevant exchange records. Do not assume a payment-service screenshot is sufficient evidence for registration.

Avoid both shortcuts: “any money in a Thai account is fine” and “every foreign buyer must use exactly the same overseas transfer”. Have the bank and lawyer verify your circumstances. Do not break payments into pieces to avoid documentation or reporting requirements.

Verify any changed payment instructions through a trusted contact method you already hold. An unexpected message with a new account number should be checked independently, not answered by simply sending the balance.

6. Turn the agreement into a clear closing plan

Before signing, confirm the exact unit, price, credited payments, completion conditions and responsibility for outstanding charges. Identify what happens if eligibility, quota, finance, title or documents prevent the proposed transfer. Understand deadlines and remedies rather than assuming a standard refund.

The Department of Lands' registration service checklist includes debt-free and foreign-ownership confirmation for relevant condominium transfers. Identity, authority, marital, corporate and other documents depend on the parties and transaction. Have the final list and acceptable originals checked in advance.

Agree with your lawyer how payments and registration will be coordinated, including any existing lender's discharge. Do not use this article as an instruction to release the entire balance before the agreed safeguards are satisfied. Keep your own receipts and final settlement statement.

If someone represents you, have the power of attorney and supporting documents checked for the intended transaction. Do not sign blank forms. There is no reliable universal promise that every purchase takes thirty days or every office visit takes one hour.

7. Treat handover as a separate job

Confirm vacant possession, the agreed furniture and appliances, repairs, meter readings, keys, cards and remotes. Record dated condition photographs and both parties' acknowledgements where possible. If a tenant remains, have the tenancy and deposit arrangements reviewed before completion.

Obtain the registered documents and check that the unit and owner details match. Keep the contract, payment receipts, bank evidence and handover record together. Notify building management and clarify the next common-fee payment.

Ask who manages electricity, water and internet accounts for this building rather than assuming every service transfers in the same way. Review the actual building insurance and your own cover needs; do not infer that shared insurance covers every private fitting, possession or liability.

When this guide is not the whole process

An unfinished project introduces construction, milestone, delay and developer risks. Use our off-plan purchase guide before applying a completed-home checklist to a sales launch.

If the offer involves land, a house or a company rather than direct condo ownership, read our guide to foreign property rights. First understand what you can acquire; then agree the process and price.

Frequently asked questions

Is the condominium foreign quota counted by the number of units?

No. The general 49% ceiling is measured by total unit area. Your eligibility and the relevant written quota confirmation still need checking for the proposed transfer.

Should I send the purchase money before speaking to the bank?

Settle the funds route and required evidence with the receiving bank and your lawyer first. Do not assume every transfer method or Thai-account payment meets your registration requirements.

Does signing the purchase agreement make me the registered owner?

No. The agreement and payments are not a substitute for the required registration. Have your lawyer explain the rights created at each stage and how payment and transfer will be coordinated.