Escrow for Property Purchases in Thailand
When you pay a deposit or large sum before transfer, you carry the risk if the seller or developer fails to deliver. Escrow lets a licensed intermediary hold the funds until the contract conditions are met.
- Years
- 7
- Languages
- 30+
- Countries
- 94
- Notaries
- 6
For: Condo and house buyers in Thailand, especially foreigners remitting from abroad
Reviewed by NYC legal team · บริษัท เอ็นวายซี วีซ่า แอนด์ ทรานสเลชั่น จำกัด
How does escrow protect property buyers in Thailand?
A licensed agent under the Escrow Act B.E. 2551 holds the buyer's funds and releases them to the seller only when conditions such as transfer of title are met, otherwise refunding per the contract.
- Law
- Escrow Act B.E. 2551
How it works
- Buyer pays into escrow
- Agent holds funds
- Released to seller on completion
- Refunded per contract if conditions fail
Foreign buyers
How we work
- 1
Due diligence
Title and encumbrances
- 2
Terms
Sale and escrow contracts
- 3
Open escrow
With a licensed provider
- 4
Transfer and release
At the Land Office
Indicative fees
Escrow fees are set by the provider
Contract review and due diligence quoted after seeing documents
Frequently asked questions
Is escrow mandatory?+
No, but it reduces risk when paying large sums before transfer, especially off-plan or with private sellers.
Do you hold the money?+
No. A licensed escrow provider holds it; we review contracts and coordinate.
📚 Official references
- Escrow business— Bank of Thailand
- Land registration— Department of Lands
Step-by-step preparation guide
รายการเอกสารที่ต้องเตรียม ขั้นตอนแปลและรับรอง พร้อมข้อควรระวังที่ทำให้เอกสารถูกตีกลับ
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Frequently asked questions
- What makes a Thai translation 'certified' and who is allowed to certify it?
- A certified translation is a translation issued with a signed certification statement from a translation agency or qualified translator confirming the text is a true and complete rendering of the original. Thailand has no single government translator register for general use, so acceptance depends on the receiving authority: the Department of Consular Affairs accepts translations submitted with the original document for legalization, embassies usually accept agency-certified translations, and some foreign authorities additionally require a sworn or NAATI translator. We confirm the receiving body's rule before translating so the document is not rejected later.
- Do I need the original document or is a scan enough for translation?
- A clear scan is enough to produce the translation, but the original is normally required for the legalization step that follows. The Department of Consular Affairs checks the translation against the original or a certified true copy issued by the responsible Thai authority, so if you plan to legalize, send us a high-resolution scan to start the translation and keep the original ready for submission.
- How should Thai names be spelled in an English translation?
- Always match the spelling printed in the passport, even when it differs from Royal Thai General System transliteration. Authorities compare the translation against the passport and treat any mismatch as a different person, which is one of the most common causes of rejection. If a name has been spelled differently on older documents, we add a spelling-variation note or arrange a name-consistency affidavit.
- How long does a certified translation take and can it be rushed?
- Standard civil documents such as an ID card, house registration, birth or marriage certificate are typically ready in one to two working days, while contracts, court judgments and academic transcripts take longer because of terminology checks. Same-day handling is possible for short standard documents if the scan arrives in the morning; rush handling does not shorten the separate MFA legalization queue.
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