Buying a condo in Thailand as a foreigner is more straightforward than most people fear — but the order of operations matters, and a few steps (the FET, the quota check, due diligence) are where mistakes get expensive. Here's the whole process, start to finish, in plain English. Unbiased, never paid placement.
Confirm the unit is a freehold condo inside the 49% foreign quota, bring your money in from abroad in foreign currency (you'll need the FET), reserve it, run due diligence with your own lawyer, sign the Sale & Purchase Agreement, then transfer at the Land Office where the title goes into your name. Plan for a cash purchase plus closing costs.
Living Summary
Where things stand for buyers right now
Editorial analysis compiled and periodically refreshed by BAANLYY’s research team — not a live data feed.
Has the 49% foreign-ownership quota changed?
No. As of July 2026 the core rule — foreigners may hold freehold title on up to 49% of a condo building's total floor area — is unchanged. A reduction to roughly 30–39% (with tighter caps of ~25% floated for high-demand markets like Phuket, Koh Samui and Pattaya) is under active discussion in parliament, but no amendment bill has passed. Expect late 2026 to early 2027 at the earliest if it moves.
Is enforcement getting tighter?
Yes. Thailand's 2026 nominee-ownership crackdown is now targeting 46,000+ companies suspected of holding land or condo quota space for foreigners through Thai proxies. Expect Land Offices to verify FET funding sources and true beneficial ownership more closely at transfer — a clean, well-documented FET matters more than ever.
What changed for reservation deposits?
Since January 31, 2025, the Office of the Consumer Protection Board's controlled reservation-contract rules standardize the Thai-language reservation form and ban unfair clauses (like forfeiting a deposit for minor buyer delays). This directly strengthens Step 04 of this guide — but always get your own lawyer to review the reservation agreement regardless.
Do 2026's reduced transfer fees apply to me?
No — don't budget around this. The 0.01% transfer/mortgage-fee discount running through June 30, 2026 applies only to Thai-national buyers on loans up to THB 7 million. Foreign buyers should still budget the standard ~2% transfer fee plus specific business tax or stamp duty and withholding tax outlined in Step 07.
Who is this guide best for?
Buyers who've already decided a freehold condo purchase makes sense and want the operational, step-by-step order of what happens next — funding, reservation, due diligence, contract, transfer. If you're still deciding whether you can or should buy at all, start with our foreign-ownership rules guide instead.
Buy now, or wait for quota reform to settle?
Buying now: any future quota change would apply to new transactions, not existing titles — Thailand has no precedent for retroactive property-law changes, so a completed purchase isn't put at risk by later reform. Waiting: could mean a tighter quota squeeze in high-demand markets if reform passes, but the legislative timeline isn't settled either way, so waiting buys certainty on rules, not necessarily on price or availability.
Analysis last reviewed July 2026.
01
Set your budget & confirm you can buy
Before anything else, confirm the property type. A foreigner can own a condominium unit freehold in their own name, provided the building is still within its 49% foreign-ownership quota. Land — and therefore most houses and villas — can't be owned directly by a foreigner; those need a registered long lease, a usufruct, or a properly structured Thai company. For the full rules and the villa workarounds, read Can foreigners buy property in Thailand? Then set a realistic budget that includes closing costs on top of the price — and assume a cash purchase unless you've pre-arranged a loan.
02
Get your funds ready abroad (the FET)
This is the step foreign buyers most often leave too late. To register foreign freehold ownership, the Land Office needs proof the money came into Thailand from abroad in foreign currency — the Foreign Exchange Transaction (FET) form. So transfer your purchase funds into Thailand in your home currency (not pre-converted to baht offshore), tell the receiving bank the purpose is to purchase a condominium, and ask them to issue the FET in the buyer's name. Start this early; international transfers and paperwork can take days to weeks.
03
Find the unit & confirm quota availability
Once you've chosen a unit, confirm with the building's juristic person (condo management) that there is still foreign-quota space for it — a building can be sold out on its 49% even if individual units are available. For new builds, also sanity-check the developer's track record, the construction permit and the EIA approval. Use the Neighborhood Finder and our area comparison and best-for-investment tools to pressure-test the location before you commit.
04
Reserve the unit
To take a unit off the market you pay a reservation deposit and sign a short reservation agreement, which fixes the price and a window to complete. Keep the deposit modest, get a receipt, and make sure the agreement says the deposit is refundable if due diligence uncovers a title or quota problem. Never send a reservation deposit for a unit — or to a person — you haven't verified.
05
Do due diligence
This is your real protection — Thailand has no US-style escrow. Engage your own independent Thai lawyer (not one the seller or agent provides) to verify, at the Land Office and in the building's records:
the title and that the seller is the registered owner
no mortgages, liens or court claims registered on the unit
foreign-quota availability confirmed in writing by the juristic person
the sinking fund and common-area-fee status, and no unpaid fees attached to the unit
for new builds, the construction permit, EIA and developer history
06
Sign the Sale & Purchase Agreement
With due diligence clean, you sign the Sale & Purchase Agreement (SPA). Make sure it states the price, deposit, completion date, exactly who pays which taxes and fees, what fixtures and furniture are included, and the consequences if either side pulls out. Have your lawyer review or draft it before you sign — the SPA, not goodwill, is what you can enforce later.
07
Transfer day at the Land Office
Ownership changes hands in a single appointment at the local Land Office, where both parties (or their authorised representatives) attend. You pay the balance and the parties settle the government charges. Typical charges:
What's payable at transfer
Transfer fee — 2% of the appraised value (often split 50/50)
Specific business tax 3.3% (seller held <5 yrs) OR stamp duty 0.5% (held 5+ yrs)
Withholding tax — 1% for a company seller, or a progressive calc for an individual
bring your passport, the FET form and the agreed payment (often a cashier's cheque)
The officer registers the unit in your name and you walk out with the title document. Estimate the all-in number first with our purchase-cost calculator.
08
After you buy
Keep your title deed and the FET somewhere safe — you'll need the FET again when you eventually sell and want to repatriate the proceeds. Transfer the utilities into your name, set up the common-area / sinking-fund payments, and register for the juristic person's resident records. If you're buying to let, check the 30-day Hotel Act rule (no nightly/Airbnb-style letting), run the numbers on our cap-rate calculator, and weigh the rent-vs-buy math for your situation.
09
Frequently asked
Can a foreigner actually buy property in Thailand?Yes — a foreigner can own a condominium unit outright (freehold) in their own name, as long as the building stays within its 49% foreign-ownership quota. Foreigners cannot own land directly, so houses and villas are usually held on a registered long lease, via usufruct/superficies, or through a properly structured Thai company. For most foreign buyers the clean, liquid route is a freehold condo. See our full Can foreigners buy property in Thailand? guide for the rules and the villa workarounds.
How long does buying a condo take?A resale condo can complete in as little as 2–6 weeks once you've found the unit, agreed terms and your funds are in place — the transfer itself happens in a single appointment at the Land Office. An off-plan/new-build purchase runs to the developer's construction timeline (often 1–3 years), with staged payments and transfer on completion. The most common delay for foreign buyers is getting funds remitted from abroad and the FET paperwork issued, so start that early.
What is the FET and why does it matter?The Foreign Exchange Transaction form (FET, formerly the Tor Tor 3) is the bank document proving your purchase money was brought into Thailand from abroad in foreign currency and converted to baht. The Land Office requires it to register foreign freehold ownership of a condo for purchases above a threshold amount. Practically: transfer the funds into Thailand in foreign currency, tell the bank the purpose is to buy a condominium, and ask them to issue the FET in the buyer's name. Don't convert to baht offshore first — that can break the requirement.
How much are the transfer fees and taxes?At transfer the typical government charges are: a 2% transfer fee on the appraised value; either specific business tax of 3.3% (if the seller has owned under 5 years) or stamp duty of 0.5% (if owned 5+ years); and withholding tax (1% for a company seller, or a progressive calculation for an individual). Who pays which is negotiable and must be written into the contract — a 50/50 split of the transfer fee is common. Budget separately for legal fees and, on new builds, a sinking-fund contribution and common-area fees. Use our purchase-cost calculator to estimate the all-in number.
Do I need a lawyer?It's strongly recommended, and inexpensive relative to the purchase. An independent Thai property lawyer (not one supplied by the seller or agent) will verify the title and the seller's ownership at the Land Office, check for mortgages, liens and unpaid fees, confirm foreign-quota availability, review or draft the Sale & Purchase Agreement, and represent you on transfer day. This is your main protection — Thailand has no US-style escrow.
Can I get a mortgage as a foreigner?Usually no — most Thai banks won't lend to non-resident foreigners for property, so the great majority of foreign condo purchases are cash. The realistic financing routes are international branches of Thai banks (e.g. in Singapore) that run foreign-buyer condo loan programmes, developer instalment plans on new units, or borrowing against assets in your home country. Plan on a cash purchase unless you've pre-arranged a loan in writing.
Primary and official sources are cited above. Government rules, fees and procedures in Thailand change over time and vary by office; always confirm current requirements with the relevant authority before relying on them. BAANLYY never takes paid placement in editorial content.
General information only — not legal, tax or financial advice, and Thai law, fees and thresholds change. Verify current rules with the Department of Lands and engage a licensed Thai lawyer and a qualified tax adviser before buying. BAANLYY never takes paid placement.