Commercial due diligence must reconcile three files: the official property and company records, the physical site and building, and the seller's financial and contract records. A clean-looking building or strong rent roll does not replace title, use, approval, liability and closing checks.
Who owns the property and can sell or lease it?
- current Land Office record;
- registered owner and authorized signatories;
- mortgages, registered rights and restrictions;
- company registration and resolutions;
- powers of attorney and required consents.
Do the land, boundaries and access match?
- title area and parcel identifiers;
- survey marks and occupied boundaries;
- public-road or registered access;
- encroachments and shared facilities;
- utilities crossing other land.
Do not treat fences, satellite maps or a broker plan as conclusive evidence of the legal parcel.
Is the intended use permitted?
- current comprehensive plan and parcel classification;
- permitted use and building-use approval;
- height, density, setback and open-space controls;
- parking, access and fire-safety requirements;
- licences needed for the proposed business.
Confirm the proposed use with the responsible planning and local authorities. Neighboring use does not prove that the same activity is permitted on the subject parcel.
What environmental approvals should be checked?
- whether an environmental assessment was required;
- approval status and conditions;
- monitoring and reporting obligations;
- changes from the approved design or use;
- location-specific environmental controls.
Use current ONEP and responsible-authority records for the project category, scale, location and proposed change rather than relying on a seller's summary.
How should the building be inspected?
- structure and building envelope;
- mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems;
- fire and life-safety systems;
- lifts, generators and specialist equipment;
- unapproved additions or changes of use;
- deferred maintenance and capital expenditure.
What should be checked in a tenanted asset?
- signed leases, amendments and side letters;
- rent, escalation and service charges;
- deposits and guarantees actually held;
- arrears, disputes and concessions;
- renewal, termination and assignment rights;
- tenant confirmations where appropriate.
Use the commercial lease-types guide to normalize occupancy costs before underwriting the rent roll.
Which financial and tax records matter?
- rent and operating-income evidence;
- utilities, maintenance and service contracts;
- land and building tax records;
- insurance and claims history;
- capital expenditure and warranties;
- company accounts and tax filings when shares are involved.
What changes in a company or share acquisition?
Buying shares can transfer liabilities that do not appear on the title. Review the company as a separate asset.
- shareholders and beneficial ownership;
- authority and corporate records;
- debts, guarantees and related-party transactions;
- employees, licences and material contracts;
- tax, litigation and regulatory history.
How should closing be controlled?
- List every condition precedent and required document.
- Re-check title, authority and company status near closing.
- Confirm payoff, tax, fee and payment instructions.
- Coordinate registration, possession and fund release.
- Record keys, meters, contracts, deposits and tenant notices.
- Retain official receipts and the complete closing file.
Where should you continue your research?
Cross-check the tenanted-asset findings above against the commercial lease due-diligence guide, confirm building insurance coverage with the commercial property insurance guide, and review how the delivery stage of a newer asset affects risk in real estate project delivery stages.
Explore commercial property, BAANLYY Learn and the professional directory.
Reconcile the official, physical and financial files.
Make title, use, approval, condition, income and liability findings explicit conditions of the transaction.
Explore commercial propertyFrequently asked questions
What should be checked before buying commercial property in Thailand?
Verify the current title, boundaries, access, zoning, permitted use, approvals, building condition, leases, income, taxes, liabilities, seller authority and ownership structure before committing funds.
Is the seller's title-deed copy enough?
No. Reconcile the copy to the current Land Office record and the physical property.
How should zoning be confirmed?
Confirm the current plan, parcel classification and intended use with the responsible planning or local authority. Do not infer permission from neighboring uses.
When should EIA status be checked?
Check it whenever the project category, scale, location or proposed change could trigger environmental assessment or approval requirements.
What changes when the property is held by a company?
Review the company, shareholders, authority, accounts, taxes, contracts, litigation and liabilities in addition to the land and building.
Sources & References
- Department of Lands
- Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning
- Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning
- Department of Business Development
- Revenue Department
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.
