Glossary · Ownership and rights
Superficies
In short
A registered right to own a building on land that belongs to someone else, for up to 30 years or for a lifetime. Used with a land lease when a foreign buyer owns a villa.
What it means
Normally whatever is built on land belongs to the landowner. A right of superficies separates the two: its holder owns the buildings on the land without owning the land. It is registered on the land's title deed at the Land Office.
How it works
- It can be granted for a fixed period of up to 30 years, or for the life of the landowner or of the holder.
- Unless the agreement says otherwise, it can be transferred and inherited.
- It is often registered together with a lease: the lease gives the right to use the land, the superficies the ownership of the house.
What to keep in mind
The Land Office decides what it will register and may refuse a right it sees as a way around the rules on land ownership. Which combination of rights suits a purchase is a question for a Thai property lawyer.