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Real Estate Legal for Foreign Buyers
Condo purchase, 30-year lease, superficies, usufruct, and legitimate BOI/company structures — no nominees, no shortcuts.
Quick Answer
Foreigners may freehold condos (49% cap), lease land 30 years (renewable), or hold via legitimate BOI/company structures. Nominees are illegal. We handle due diligence, bilingual contracts, and Land Office registration from THB 25,000.
FAQ
- Can foreigners own property in Thailand?
- Condos: yes, up to 49% of the building's total floor area may be foreign-owned freehold. Land: generally no — foreigners cannot own land in their name, but may hold long-term leases (30 years renewable), or own through a properly-structured Thai company with legitimate Thai shareholders (never nominee).
- Is a Thai nominee company legal?
- No. Using Thai nominees to hold land for a foreigner violates the Land Code (Sec. 96 bis) and the Foreign Business Act. Penalties include forced sale, fines up to THB 1M, and 2-year imprisonment. We only structure legitimate ownership: personal condo, lease, superficies, usufruct, or BOI-approved company.
- What is superficies vs usufruct?
- Superficies (sitthi-nuea-phundin): right to own buildings on someone else's land, up to 30 years. Usufruct (sitthi-kep-kin): right to use/benefit from land for life. Both registered at the Land Office; foreigners commonly combine long-lease + superficies for house-on-leased-land.
- Rates for real-estate legal work?
- Due diligence (title search, encumbrances, zoning) THB 25,000–65,000 per plot. Sales/lease contract review or drafting THB 15,000–45,000. Full transaction (DD + contract + Land Office representation) THB 65,000–180,000.
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Contact: 083-249-4999 · LINE @NYC168 · contact@ilc.ltd