Questions, answered

Freehold means you own the property outright, in your own name, the same as ownership works back home. Foreigners can own a condo freehold within a building's 49% foreign quota. Leasehold applies to land and houses, since foreigners can't own land directly; it's a registered lease capped at 30 years by law, with no enforceable guarantee of renewal beyond that. For most overseas buyers, a foreign-freehold condo is the simpler route.

Yes. A foreigner can own a condo freehold, in their own name, within the building's foreign quota. You own it outright, the same as you would back home, and it can be sold or passed on. Land and houses work differently.

Every condo building can sell up to 49% of its total floor area to foreigners on a freehold basis; the rest is Thai-owned or leasehold. On a new development the developer allocates that foreign quota, so your unit is sold to you as foreign freehold and your name goes on the title deed.

Not directly. Foreigners can't own land in their own name. Land, or a house with its land, is held on a registered lease, and Thai law caps that at 30 years. Only that first 30-year term is registered and legally protected. Be wary of the '30+30+30' deals that promise two further 30-year renewals: a 2025 Supreme Court ruling confirmed those pre-agreed renewals are not enforceable, so the registered 30 years is what you can really rely on. For most overseas buyers a foreign-freehold condo is the simpler, safer route, and it's what we focus on.

Yes. You can reserve a unit, sign and pay in stages from your home country. Your funds are remitted and documented on the Foreign Exchange Transaction form needed to register foreign freehold, and we handle the steps on the ground. Many of our buyers secure a unit before they ever visit.

No. Your funds are sent from your home bank and remitted into Thailand on a Foreign Exchange Transaction form, the same form used to register your foreign freehold. You don't need to open a Thai account first.

You pay a small reservation to hold the unit, then staged payments across the construction period rather than the full price up front. The schedule varies by project. It spreads the cost over the build and locks in launch pricing early.

It varies by project, but a typical structure is a small reservation, around ฿200,000, then roughly 30% on signing, staged payments through construction, and a final balance on completion. We'll confirm the exact schedule for the project you're looking at.

In Thailand, the payments you make during construction go directly toward funding the project. Every contract sets a clear completion date, and the developer is legally obliged to complete the build. The real protection is the developer you choose, which is why we only work with established builders that have strong, proven track records and many successful developments behind them. Throughout, your funds are remitted and documented properly on the Foreign Exchange Transaction form.

Rarely. Ordinary Thai banks seldom lend to foreigners, and the few international schemes that do carry very high rates, sometimes over 10%, with limited approval, especially for non-resident foreigners. In practice most overseas buyers purchase off-plan and pay in stages across construction. We'll talk through what fits your situation.

At transfer, budget for the transfer fee, around 2% of the appraised value and often split with the seller, plus, depending on the situation, stamp duty, specific business tax or withholding tax. On a new unit these are usually clear up front, and we set out the expected costs for your specific purchase.

Not on its own. There are visa routes that suit owners, retirement visas, the Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa and the Thailand Privilege visa, and some consider property among the criteria. But a qualifying property generally needs to be a completed unit of a set value, not an off-plan reservation. We can point you to the right advisers.

Yes. Foreign freehold ownership carries the same rights as any owner, including renting the unit out. Many overseas buyers use their unit as a part-time home and rent it out the rest of the year.

We're an independent agency, not a developer, so we work for you. We shortlist the projects that fit, give honest pros and cons, walk you through the paperwork and liaise with the developer, and stay with you well past the handover. Our after-care is where most agents disappear, and where we do our best work.

Generally well below most Western countries, and you can live at whatever level suits you. Everyday meals can be a few dollars, utilities are modest and getting around is cheap. It's one reason Pattaya works so well for part-time and retired owners.

Thailand has excellent private hospitals, especially around the cities, popular with expats and at a fraction of Western prices, with public hospitals available too. Pattaya is well served.

Tropical, with a hot season roughly March to May, a rainy season from June to October with intermittent rain, and a cooler, drier season from November to February that's the most pleasant. Many owners time longer stays for the cool season.