Selling a House, Condo, or Land in Thailand: What Owners Need to Prepare

Selling a house, a condominium unit, or a plot of land in Thailand follows the same core sequence: set a price, gather documents, list the property, negotiate, sign a sale and purchase agreement, then transfer ownership at the Land Office. What changes between the three is the title document, what has to be cleared before transfer day, and which fee reductions the property qualifies for.

Talata is a Thai marketplace that brings houses for sale, condos, and land together in one place, so buyers can compare options in the same area on a single page and owners can reach people actively looking for that type of property.

How selling a house, a condo, and land differ

The order of steps is identical. The differences sit in the paperwork and in conditions that apply to one property type but not another.

The row owners most often miss is the fee reduction. The 0.01% measure covers land with structures and registered condominium units only, so vacant land pays the standard 2%. Sellers who budget from a headline about the measure usually get their numbers wrong from the start.

The selling process, from pricing to transfer day

1. Set an asking price using the official appraised value alongside actual sale prices in the area
2. Prepare the property, clean it, fix what is visible, photograph the real condition
3. Collect documents, both the title and the seller's personal papers
4. List the property with enough detail for a buyer to decide to contact you
5. Arrange viewings and negotiate
6. Take a deposit and sign the sale and purchase agreement, stating the transfer date and who pays which fee
7. Transfer ownership at the Land Office on the agreed date, paying fees and taxes that day

Steps 6 and 7 are where the money is actually decided. If the agreement does not say who pays what, both sides end up arguing at the counter on transfer day.

Where to check the official appraised value

The appraised value used to calculate the transfer fee can be checked free through the Treasury Department's land price search system. Parcel shape and deed information are available through the Land Department's LandsMaps system. Both are starting points; compare them against current asking prices for similar properties nearby.

The appraised value is not the market value and is normally lower than actual sale prices, so it should not be used to set an asking price. It is reliable for estimating the fees you need to set aside.

Where to list the property

Three channels reach three different groups. Property marketplaces reach people already searching and already filtered by budget and area. Social media groups reach people who happen to scroll past. A sign on the property reaches the immediate neighbourhood, which tends to decide quickly.

Whichever channel you use, what separates listings that get enquiries from listings that do not is usually the same: whether the photos show the real condition, whether size and location are stated clearly, and whether the price is published or held back.

Documents to prepare, by property type

Every seller needs a national ID card or passport, a house registration book where applicable, and the original title document.

If the property is marital property, the marriage certificate and the spouse's written consent are also required. Section 1476(1) of the Civil and Commercial Code requires spouses to act jointly, or with the other's consent, when selling, exchanging, or mortgaging immovable marital property. Without that consent the other spouse can apply to revoke the transaction under Section 1480, within one year of learning about it or ten years from the date of the act. Property that is personal property, acquired before the marriage or inherited individually, can be sold by the owner alone.

Houses and townhouses use the original land title deed, with no additional document.

Condominiums use the unit title, known as Or Chor 2, and require a debt-free certificate from the building's juristic person. Section 29 of the Condominium Act requires the seller to present the latest debt-free certificate before the Land Office will register the transfer, so without it registration simply does not proceed.

The same section gives the juristic person's manager 15 days to issue the certificate, counted from the date of the request once the owner has settled all common expenses. The certificate's validity period is not set by law, so each building sets its own, commonly somewhere between 7 and 30 days. Time the request to the transfer date: too early and it expires, too late and it will not arrive.

Vacant land uses the original title deed. What is worth preparing in addition is survey and access information, since those are the first two questions land buyers ask.

Costs on transfer day, and who pays what

Four items apply.

Transfer fee is 2% of the appraised value. The law does not assign it to either side. In practice buyers and sellers usually split it, but any arrangement works as long as it is written into the agreement.

Withholding tax is paid by the seller, calculated from the appraised value with a flat deduction based on how many years the property was held, under Section 48(4) of the Revenue Code. Longer ownership means a larger deduction.

Specific business tax is 3.3%, paid by the seller, calculated on the sale price or appraised value, whichever is higher.

Stamp duty is 0.5%, paid by the seller, on the same base.

Only one of the last two applies, never both. Selling within five years of acquiring ownership triggers specific business tax. Holding for more than five years, or selling a property that has been your principal residence with your name in the house registration for at least a year, exempts you from it and leaves stamp duty instead, which is considerably cheaper. On the same property that difference runs from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of baht.

The measure reducing transfer and mortgage registration fees to 0.01% runs until 30 June 2027, which is 2570 in the Buddhist calendar used on Thai documents. The sale price, the appraised value, and the mortgage amount must all be 7 million baht or under, the buyer must be a Thai national individual, and the property must be land with structures or a registered condominium unit. Vacant land does not qualify, and neither do foreign buyers, who pay the standard rate.

Selling yourself or through an agent

Selling yourself suits owners who can take calls, show the property, and negotiate directly. There is no commission, and buyers deal with the owner rather than an intermediary. The trade-off is screening enquiries yourself, which in the early weeks mixes serious buyers with casual questions.

Using an agent suits owners living in another province or overseas, or properties with conditions that take explaining. Commission is not fixed by law. It is whatever the agency agreement states, either as a fixed sum or as a share of the sale price. The figure quoted most often is 3% of the sale price, but treat that as market convention rather than a fixed rate, and read the agreement for what the percentage is calculated on, how withholding tax is handled, whether the listing is open or exclusive, and how many months it runs.

If mortgage payments have become difficult, that is a different situation from a normal sale. Speak to the lender first about the payoff amount and how the mortgage will be discharged on transfer day. Earlier conversations leave more options.

Selling as a foreign owner

A foreigner who legally holds a condominium unit can sell it like any other owner. The process and the costs are the same, and the debt-free certificate and title requirements apply identically.

The condition to watch is on the buyer's side. If the buyer is also foreign, the unit has to remain within the building's foreign quota of 49% of total unit floor area, and the juristic person issues the certificate confirming that ratio. If the quota is already full, the pool of eligible buyers is Thai only, which affects both pricing and time on market. Foreign buyers also sit outside the 0.01% fee reduction and pay the standard rate, so a Thai buyer at the same price walks away with a lower closing cost than a foreign one.

Houses and land cannot be held in a foreigner's personal name, so sales in those cases usually involve a long lease or a property held through a Thai company. Both follow different rules from an ordinary sale and are worth taking legal advice on before listing.

On taking the money out, non-residents can remit funds abroad through a commercial bank under the Bank of Thailand's foreign exchange rules, with supporting documents required above set thresholds. The practical step happens at purchase, not at sale: keep the evidence of the foreign currency you brought in, because that is the paperwork the bank uses when the money goes back out.

Whatever the property type, run through three things before agreeing terms with a buyer: the title is complete and in your name, everything that has to be cleared before transfer day is settled, and the agreed costs are written into the contract. These are where deals most often fall apart, and all three can be fixed before transfer day.

Why sell your house, condo, or land on Talata

For buyers, Talata gathers houses, condos for sale, and land listings in one place with filters for area, price range, and property type, so options in the same neighbourhood can be compared before anyone travels to a viewing, and the listing owner can be contacted directly.

For sellers, listing is something you do yourself. Add photos that show the real condition and state the size, location, and conditions clearly. Listings with complete information tend to attract better-targeted questions and filter out mismatches early. Once your documents are ready and you have a price in mind, you can put the listing up on Talata.

Frequently asked questions

Is selling a condo very different from selling a house?

The sequence is identical, from pricing through to transfer at the Land Office. The documents differ: houses use a land title deed, condos use a unit title plus a debt-free certificate from the juristic person. The juristic person has 15 days by law to issue that certificate, so request it early enough to reach the transfer date.

Can I sell without an agent?

Yes. Nothing in Thai law requires an agent. Owners can list, show, negotiate, and complete the transfer themselves. The cost is your own time on calls and viewings, and screening enquiries.

Can I sell a property I am still paying off?

Yes, but speak to your lender first to get the payoff figure and schedule the mortgage discharge for the same day as the transfer. The buyer's funds clear the loan first and the balance goes to you. If the sale price is below the outstanding loan, you need to cover the difference.

What taxes does a seller pay?

Withholding tax, plus one of either specific business tax at 3.3% or stamp duty at 0.5%, never both. Selling within five years of acquiring ownership means specific business tax. Holding longer than five years, or selling a principal residence with your name in the house registration for at least a year, means stamp duty instead.

Who pays the transfer fee?

The 2% transfer fee is not assigned by law. Splitting it is common practice, but either side can agree to pay all of it. Put it in the sale and purchase agreement when the deposit is paid, not at the Land Office counter.

Does my spouse have to sign?

If the property is marital property, yes. Section 1476 of the Civil and Commercial Code requires both spouses to act jointly or one to consent when immovable marital property is sold or mortgaged. Without that consent the other spouse can apply to revoke the sale later. Property owned before the marriage or inherited individually does not need it.

Can a foreigner sell a condo in Thailand?

Yes, on the same terms as a Thai seller. The condition to check is that if the buyer is also foreign, the unit must remain within the building's 49% foreign quota, certified by the juristic person.