What does a title check actually reveal?

It confirms the registered owner, the plot or unit details and the area, and shows registered encumbrances such as mortgages, servitudes and usufructs, plus restrictions noted on the record. That is the information the land office will rely on at transfer, so it is checked before a deposit is paid.

Can a foreigner own land in Thailand?

Land ownership by foreigners is restricted. Condominium units can be owned in a foreign buyer's name subject to statutory conditions, and long leases are registrable. Structures created solely to work around the land rules carry legal risk, so take advice on what is available for your specific property.

Who pays the transfer fees and taxes?

That is a matter of agreement between the parties and should be written into the contract, because several items are involved and they are calculated on assessed or contract value, holding period and the seller's status. Calculate them before agreeing a price rather than at the land office.

How long can a lease be registered for?

Thai law caps the registrable term for a lease of immovable property, and anything beyond that term is not registrable as a single lease. Renewal promises are contractual and depend on their wording, so they need careful drafting rather than reliance on a marketing brochure.

The developer is late. What are my options?

Start with the contract: the delivery date, the delay provisions and the termination clause decide what you can claim. Keep every payment record and written exchange, because a claim or negotiation will rest on those documents.

Do I have to attend the land office in person?

Not necessarily. A properly drafted power of attorney can allow a representative to act, and one signed abroad usually needs certification and a certified Thai translation. Some steps still require the parties themselves, so confirm before booking travel.

What should be checked before buying off-plan?

The seller's title to the land, the project approvals, the payment schedule against construction progress, the specification and area tolerance, the delay and termination clauses, and what security exists for your payments. Reservation forms are usually drafted for the developer, not the buyer.

Is a spouse's consent needed to sell?

Where the property is marital property, the transaction generally requires the spouse's consent, and the land office will look for it. Marriage and divorce records therefore need to be consistent with the deed before the transfer date.

Property & Real Estate

Title checks, sale and purchase, leases and condominium transfers

Talk to a lawyer All practice areas

Property work covers checking title and encumbrances at the land office, drafting or reviewing sale, purchase and lease agreements, preparing the transfer documents, and attending the land office on the transfer day. For foreign buyers we confirm what form of ownership or lease is actually available for the property in question before any deposit is paid.

Who this page is for

Buyers who want title and encumbrances checked before paying a deposit
Foreign buyers of a condominium unit or a long lease
Sellers who need the transfer documents and taxes prepared correctly
Landlords and tenants entering a long-term lease
Owners in a dispute over boundaries, access or a developer's obligations

What the firm actually handles

Title and encumbrance searches at the land office
Reviewing developer contracts, reservation forms and payment schedules
Drafting sale, purchase and lease agreements
Advising on foreign ownership, leasehold and condominium rules
Preparing transfer documents and attending the land office
Disputes over boundaries, servitudes, access and construction defects

Matters clients bring us

A buyer wants the title deed verified before signing a reservation form
A condominium purchase requires the foreign-currency and quota conditions checked
A long lease needs drafting and registering at the land office
A developer is late and the buyer wants to know the contractual position
A seller needs the transfer taxes and fees calculated before agreeing a price
A neighbour blocks the access route to a plot

Documents to bring to the first meeting

Title deed or condominium unit title, front and back
ID card or passport of buyer and seller, plus house registration
Marriage or divorce records where relevant to consent
The reservation form, developer contract or draft sale agreement
Company affidavit and minutes where a company is a party
Evidence of funds and, for foreign condominium buyers, the transfer records

If some documents are missing, send what you have. The lawyer will tell you which office issues the remaining ones and which documents need certified translation before they can be used.

How the work proceeds

1Send the title deed and draft contract for review before you pay a deposit
2We search the title and encumbrances at the land office
3We report on what the title actually allows and what the contract commits you to
4We draft or amend the agreement and the transfer documents
5We calculate the fees and taxes payable on transfer
6We attend the land office and confirm the record after registration

Pitfalls and common misunderstandings

The deed and the contract must agree

Names, plot numbers, area and encumbrances on the deed regularly differ from the contract. The land office follows the deed and its records, so differences are resolved before transfer day, not on it.

Foreign ownership rules are property-specific

What is available depends on the type of property and the route used. Structures built to work around the rules create risk for the buyer, and we advise on what is actually possible instead.

Deposits paid before due diligence are hard to recover

Reservation forms often make the deposit non-refundable. Reviewing the title and the contract before payment costs far less than trying to unwind the transaction afterwards.

Condominium ownership, long lease and company holding

Foreign buyers usually compare these three routes. They differ in what you actually hold, what documents exist, and what happens at the end.

Point	Condominium unit ownership	Registered long lease	Holding through a company
What you hold	Unit title in your own name, subject to statutory conditions	Contractual right to use for the registered term	Shares in a company that owns the property
Registration	Registered at the land office in the buyer's name	Lease registered on the title for the agreed term	Property registered to the company, not to you
Key documents	Unit title, transfer records, condominium documents	Lease agreement and land-office registration	Company documents, minutes, and the property title
Ongoing obligations	Common-area fees and condominium rules	Rent and the lease terms	Company accounting, filings and annual meetings
Main risk to check	Conditions attached to foreign purchase, including transfer evidence	Terms on renewal, transfer and what happens on the owner's death	Structures created only to hold land can be challenged; take advice first

Which route is available depends on the specific property and on the buyer's circumstances. Confirm this before paying anything.

Hand the whole matter to the firm

The firm can handle the transaction end to end: the title search, the contract, the tax calculation, the transfer documents and attendance at the land office, plus certified translations or a power of attorney where the buyer or seller cannot attend.

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