Glossary · Ownership and rights
Freehold
In short
Full ownership with no end date, registered in your name on the title deed. For a foreign buyer in Thailand it is available for condominium units within the foreign quota, and for buildings, but not for land.
What it means
Freehold is ownership in the full sense: the property is yours until you sell it or leave it to someone. You can sell, let, mortgage or bequeath it, within the law and the building's regulations. Your name is entered on the title deed at the Land Office.
What a foreign buyer can own freehold
- A condominium unit, as long as foreign ownership in the building stays within 49 percent of the units' total floor area.
- A building, such as a house, separately from the land it stands on.
- Not land. With narrow exceptions, land in Thailand can be owned only by Thai nationals and Thai companies.
What registration requires
To register a condominium unit in a foreign buyer's name, the Land Office asks for proof that the purchase money came into Thailand from abroad as foreign currency, and for the juristic person's letter confirming that the foreign quota is not exceeded. Both are arranged before the day of transfer.