Buying a Condo in Thailand: A Foreign Buyer's Checklist

Before you put money down on a condo in Thailand, five things decide whether the purchase works out: whether you can legally own the unit as a foreigner, how you will pay and what it really costs, the location, the building and the unit itself, and the transfer process at the Land Office. Ownership rules come first because they can rule a unit out entirely, no matter how much you like it. The rest shapes how comfortable you will be living there and how easily you could resell. Talata brings new, resale, and rental condos together in one place, so once you know what to look for, you can filter, compare prices across areas, and contact the owner or seller directly.

What to check before buying a condo in Thailand

A condo purchase in Thailand splits into a few clear groups. Ownership eligibility sits at the top for anyone who isn't a Thai national, since it determines whether you can hold the unit in your own name at all. Money comes next: your budget, how you will fund the purchase, and the fees that land on top of the sticker price. Then come the parts that shape daily life and resale value, the location, the building and developer, and the unit itself. The buying process ties it together, from reservation to the day the title transfers.

One point worth knowing early: a condominium unit is the main type of property a foreigner can own freehold in Thailand. You get a unit title deed and a share of the common property, rather than the land underneath. That single fact is why condos, not houses, dominate the foreign-buyer market here.

Can foreigners buy a condo in Thailand?

Yes, with limits. Under Section 19 bis of the Condominium Act, foreigners can own units that add up to no more than 49% of the total unit floor area in any one building. The remaining 51% must stay in Thai hands. Once a building hits its foreign quota, no more units there can be registered to non-Thais until someone in the foreign portion sells to a Thai buyer. Before you commit, ask the developer or juristic person whether the foreign quota still has room, because a full quota can stall the whole deal.

There is a money-movement rule attached. To register freehold ownership as a foreigner, you generally need to bring the purchase funds into Thailand in foreign currency and convert them to baht. The receiving Thai bank issues a Foreign Exchange Transaction (FET) form or credit advice stating the funds came from abroad for a condo purchase, and the Land Office asks for it at transfer. Keep this in mind from the start, since remitting money the wrong way can hold up registration later.

If a unit sits in the Thai-owned 51%, some buyers look at a registered leasehold instead of freehold. Leasehold is a different arrangement with its own trade-offs on term length and resale, so treat it as a separate decision rather than an equivalent path.

Budget, financing, and the costs foreigners often miss

Sort out money before you fall for a show unit. For most foreign buyers, financing looks different from the local picture. Thai retail banks generally don't lend to non-resident foreigners for a condo, so the common routes are paying cash, using a developer's installment plan, or borrowing through a specialised lender or a Thai bank's overseas branch. If you plan to finance, confirm what you actually qualify for before you shortlist units, not after.

The price on the listing isn't the only cash you'll need on transfer day. The standard transfer fee is 2% of the appraised value, and mortgage registration, if you register a loan, is 1% of the loan amount. A government measure has cut both to 0.01% for homes priced and appraised at up to 7 million baht, running through 30 June 2027, though eligibility conditions apply, so confirm whether your purchase qualifies. Depending on the seller and how long they've held the unit, taxes such as specific business tax or withholding tax can also come into play, and buyer and seller often negotiate who pays what.

Then there are the running costs people forget. Common area fees are billed monthly or yearly based on unit size, and there's usually a one-time sinking fund contribution at handover. Add utilities, and furniture or appliances if the unit comes bare. Budgeting for these upfront keeps you from scrambling for cash the month you move in.

Location and getting around

Location is the one thing about a condo you can't change later. You can renovate a unit or swap the furniture, but the address stays fixed. Start with where you actually spend your time, work, school, or the places you visit often, and measure how easily the condo reaches them. Walking distance to a BTS or MRT station matters more than a listing's claim of being "near the train," since a five-minute walk and a motorbike-taxi hop are not the same thing.

Look at what surrounds the building too. Is there a market, a convenience store, a hospital, or green space nearby? Does the street feel safe at night, flood in the rainy season, or sit next to a noisy bar or main road? Walk the area yourself, in daylight and again in the evening, because the reality often differs from the brochure. If resale or rental is on your mind, proximity to transit and jobs is what keeps a unit in demand. On Talata you can line up condos across several areas in the same price range and see what your budget actually buys in each.

The project, developer, and building type

A great unit in a poorly run building is a hard place to live. At the project level, look at the building type, who built it, how the common areas are maintained, and whether the required approvals are in place.

High Rise or Low Rise

A High Rise runs above eight storeys; a Low Rise stays at eight or below. High Rise buildings tend to offer open views, fuller facilities, and more units, at the cost of density and waiting for the lift at rush hour. Low Rise buildings feel quieter and more private with fewer residents, though facilities may be simpler and, in prime areas, the price per square metre can run higher because land is expensive. Neither wins outright. Pick the one that fits how you want to live.

The developer's track record

The developer hands over your unit and runs the project in its early years. Before you buy, especially off-plan, look at what this developer has built before, whether they delivered on time, and how earlier projects held up in resident reviews. A completed building gives you an edge here: you can walk the actual unit, see the common areas, and talk to existing residents, instead of trusting a show unit and promises on paper.

What an EIA tells you

An EIA is an environmental impact assessment. In Thailand, a condo project with 80 units or more, or 4,000 square metres or more of usable area, must complete one before construction, to gauge how the project affects the environment and the surrounding community. For a buyer, a project that has cleared its EIA is a signal that it followed the proper process, which lowers the risk of complaints or a stop-work order down the line. If you're eyeing a project that hasn't broken ground, ask about its EIA status early.

The unit itself: direction, size, and furnishing

Once the building checks out, look hard at the unit you'll actually live in. Details at this level affect both your monthly bills and your day-to-day comfort, and some of them can't be changed after you buy.

Which direction stays cool

Thailand's sun is strong, so the way a unit faces changes both its temperature and your air-conditioning bill. North-facing units get the least direct sun and stay the most comfortable, which is why many buyers seek them out. South catches breeze but some afternoon sun. West runs hottest, taking the full afternoon glare, and west-facing units often price a little lower to compensate. East gets gentler morning light. Direction isn't everything, though. The view and whatever sits opposite your windows matter too; a north-facing unit boxed in by another tower can feel more closed-in than an east-facing one that opens up. Stand in the actual unit at the time of day you're usually home, and see whether the light, air, and view work for you.

Units per floor and lifts

Ask how many units share each floor and how many lifts serve the building. Put the two together and you get a sense of the morning crush. A building packed with units but short on lifts can mean several missed rides at peak hours. Units per floor also hints at density and privacy: a floor with only a few doors means fewer neighbours passing by, usually at a higher price than a densely packed building. Position on the floor counts as well. A corner unit gains privacy and often windows on two sides, while a unit next to the lift or rubbish chute can catch noise and smell.

Fully Fitted versus Fully Furnished

These two terms trip people up. Fully Fitted means the unit comes with basic built-ins, kitchen, wardrobes, bathroom fixtures, air conditioning, but no loose furniture like a bed, sofa, or table. Fully Furnished means move-in ready, with furniture and appliances included. Which one suits you depends on budget and purpose. A buyer who wants to decorate to their own taste often prefers Fully Fitted, since it costs less to start and leaves the styling to them. A buyer planning to rent the unit out, or to move in fast, usually leans Fully Furnished because it can be tenanted right away.

New versus resale condos

Most buyers picture a brand-new unit from a fresh project, but resale condos are an option many overlook even when they're the better fit. The main differences come down to price, location, and the condition of the unit.

Resale's biggest edge is location. Resale units in the city tend to sit in fully developed areas, close to transit that's already running, with amenities all around, the kind of spot where new projects have either priced out of reach or run out of land to build on. Price per square metre is often lower than a new unit in the same area, and you see the real thing: the unit, the view, and the state of the common areas, with no guessing from a show room. Some sellers will negotiate, too, if they want a quick sale.

The trade-off is a unit and building that have seen use. You may need to renovate or replace a few things, the common systems are older, and you'll want to confirm the unit is clear of any mortgage or unpaid common-area fees left by the previous owner. Weigh whether the price you save covers the repair budget you might take on. For resale in particular, ask for a debt-free letter from the juristic person confirming there are no outstanding fees, and check that the unit carries no encumbrance before you transfer.

Buying to live versus buying to rent out

Your goal changes how you pick a unit. A buyer who plans to live there chooses for their own comfort: the direction they like, a layout that suits them, a location near work. A buyer looking to rent it out thinks like an investor. The core question becomes how much the unit rents for each month against what it costs to own.

If renting out is the plan, units near transit, universities, or office districts fill faster and hold their rent. Compact layouts, a studio or one-bedroom, usually let more easily than large units because the tenant pool is wider, and a Fully Furnished unit has the edge since a tenant can move straight in. Before you buy, check what similar units in the same building or area actually rent for, then subtract common-area fees and upkeep before you work out the return. On Talata you can see both sale and rental listings in the same area, which helps you judge whether the unit you're eyeing has real rental demand behind it.

The buying process, from reservation to ownership transfer

Once you've found the right unit, the purchase follows a clear sequence. Knowing the order helps you line up funds and paperwork at each step.

You start by placing a reservation to hold the unit, then sign a sale and purchase agreement that sets the price, terms, and transfer date. Read it closely before you sign, especially the refund terms if financing falls through and, for off-plan, the completion date. For a foreign buyer, this is also when you plan the money: remit funds into Thailand in foreign currency and keep the FET form or credit advice from the receiving bank, since the Land Office needs it to register foreign ownership. If you're buying off-plan, down-payment installments usually follow until the balance is due.

Before you take handover, inspect the unit, often called a defect inspection. Walk the walls, floor, ceiling, electrics, plumbing, drainage, doors, windows, and any built-ins the project provides. Photograph anything that isn't right and have it fixed before transfer, rather than signing off and chasing repairs afterward. On transfer day, you settle the balance along with the transfer and mortgage fees at the Land Office and receive the unit title deed in your name. Fee rates and any current reduction are covered in the costs section above; confirm the latest figures with the Land Office before your appointment.

Why buy a condo through Talata

Once you know what to check, the next step is lining up real units to compare. Talata brings new, resale, and rental condos together in one place, so you can filter by area, price range, size, and number of bedrooms against the checklist you've set, compare several options in the same neighbourhood at once, and contact the owner or seller directly instead of hopping between sites.

If you have a condo to sell or rent out, you can list it yourself. Add photos, the price, the location, and full unit details, and buyers searching those filters will find and reach you more easily. When you find a unit that fits your checklist, start the conversation with the owner on Talata.

Frequently asked questions

Can foreigners get a mortgage to buy a condo in Thailand?

Usually not from a Thai retail bank, which generally lends to residents rather than non-resident foreigners. Most foreign buyers pay cash, use a developer's installment plan, or arrange financing through a specialised lender or a Thai bank's overseas branch. Confirm what you qualify for before you shortlist units.

Do foreigners own a Thai condo freehold or leasehold?

A condo unit within a building's 49% foreign quota can be held freehold in the foreigner's own name, with a unit title deed. If the unit sits in the Thai-owned 51%, a registered leasehold is the alternative, which is a different arrangement with its own terms on duration and resale.

What is the 49% foreign ownership quota?

Under Section 19 bis of the Condominium Act, foreigners can own up to 49% of the total unit floor area in any one condominium building; the rest stays Thai-owned. Before buying, check with the developer or juristic person that the building still has room in its foreign quota.

New or resale condo, which is better?

Resale often wins on location and price per square metre in developed city areas, and you see the real unit before buying. New units give you a fresh building, new facilities, and developer installment plans. If your budget is tight and you want a central location, resale tends to be better value, provided you budget for repairs and inspect carefully.

What should I inspect before the ownership transfer?

Run a defect inspection covering the walls, floor, ceiling, electrics, plumbing, doors, windows, and built-ins, and have any faults fixed before you sign off. For a resale unit, also ask for a debt-free letter from the juristic person and confirm the unit is clear of any mortgage or encumbrance.

Is buying a condo in Thailand to rent out worth it?

It depends on location and the price you pay in. Units near transit, universities, or office districts rent more easily and hold steadier rent. Compare what similar units in the area actually rent for, subtract common-area fees and upkeep, then weigh the return against your total cost before deciding.