How Many Types of Land Title Deed Does Thailand Have? Types, Online Checks and Spotting a Genuine Deed

Thailand has only one document that gives you full ownership of land: the Chanote (Nor Sor 4), marked with a red Garuda seal. Count everything people loosely call a "title", though, and there are several more — Nor Sor 3 Gor (green Garuda), Nor Sor 3 and Nor Sor 3 Khor (black Garuda), Sor Por Kor 4-01 (blue Garuda), down to papers that are not title documents at all, such as Por Bor Tor 5. Each carries very different rights to sell or transfer. This page compares every type, shows how to check a deed online, and explains how to spot a genuine one. Talata itself lists land of different locations and title types in one place, so you can filter by budget and area, compare, then contact the owner directly to ask about the deed and see the original.

What a land title deed is, and why the type matters

A land title deed is the document the Department of Lands issues under the Land Code to show ownership of a plot. It carries the key details — the owner's name, the deed number, the parcel number, survey page, location, area, a map of the plot, and the record of registered rights on the back. Whoever is named on a Chanote is the full legal owner and can sell, transfer, mortgage, or stop others from encroaching.

The catch is that the papers people group together as "the deed" do not grant the same rights. Some only certify that the holder has used the land. Some are state-allocated farming plots. A few are not title documents at all. That difference decides whether a plot can actually be transferred into your name, whether a bank will lend against it, and what risks come attached. The buyers who get burned are almost always the ones who could not tell the types apart.

How many types are there? Sort by level of right, then Garuda colour

The easiest way in is not to memorise every abbreviation. Look at the level of right a document grants, then use the colour of the Garuda seal at the top as a quick second check.

The four levels of right

Thai land documents fall into roughly four tiers. At the top is full ownership, the Chanote (Nor Sor 4), where the owner can do anything lawful with the land. Below that sit documents that grant only a possessory and usage right, such as Nor Sor 3 Gor and Nor Sor 3 — still sellable and transferable, but not full ownership. The third tier is land the state allocates for a specific group, such as Sor Por Kor 4-01 for farmers, with much tighter rules on use and transfer. The last tier is not a land-title document at all, such as Por Bor Tor 5 or Sor Kor 1, which cannot transfer ownership.

Reading the type from the Garuda colour

The Garuda seal at the top of the document is the shortcut most people use. A red Garuda is the Chanote (Nor Sor 4), full ownership. A green Garuda is Nor Sor 3 Gor, a use certificate with clear boundaries set from an aerial survey. A black Garuda is Nor Sor 3 and Nor Sor 3 Khor, the same kind of use certificate but without that aerial survey. A blue Garuda usually means Sor Por Kor 4-01, land allocated for agriculture.

Each colour has its own legal detail worth a closer look. Talata keeps dedicated articles on the red, green, black, and blue Garuda deeds if you want to go deeper on one. This page stays at the overview-and-comparison level.

Comparison table: rights, transfer and what to watch for

Use this to place the document you hold — or the one a seller shows you — at a glance, and to see how far it can be bought or transferred.

On losing land to someone else's occupation, the last column rests on two different laws. Land with a Chanote (full ownership) follows adverse possession under Civil and Commercial Code Section 1382: peaceful, open occupation with intent of ownership, continuously for 10 years. Land that carries only a possessory right, such as Nor Sor 3 Gor and Nor Sor 3, cannot be taken by adverse possession at all — instead it falls under dispossession in Section 1375, where the original holder has just 1 year to sue to recover it.

Note on Sor Por Kor 4-01: The Royal Gazette published rules in B.E. 2567 (2024), amended on 9 February B.E. 2568 (2025), letting farmers who have worked the land for at least five years apply to convert Sor Por Kor 4-01 into an "agricultural title deed". Even after conversion, it cannot change hands to the general public for the first five years, except a transfer to a spouse, child, relative, or heir — and beyond that period the recipient must still meet set qualifications. So it is still not land that trades freely like a red-Garuda Chanote, and issuance is rolling out parcel by parcel. Holders should check their eligibility and current status with the Agricultural Land Reform Office (ALRO) before any transaction.

Which deeds you can buy and transfer, and which you cannot

The question buyers ask most before paying is simple: can this plot actually be registered in my name? The answer depends on which of three groups the document sits in.

Freely transferable

The Chanote (red Garuda) is the most straightforward to buy, because it carries full ownership and banks accept it as collateral easily. Nor Sor 3 Gor (green Garuda) is a possessory right, but it registers at the Land Office right away thanks to its surveyed boundaries. These two are the safest to transact.

Transferable, with conditions

Nor Sor 3 and Nor Sor 3 Khor (black Garuda) can be transferred too, but with no aerial survey the boundaries are not fixed. Before a sale or mortgage, an official has to re-survey the plot and post a 30-day public notice for objections. If you are buying a black-Garuda plot, build that time into your plan and confirm the boundaries with the neighbours before any money moves.

Cannot be sold, or carry real legal risk

This is the group that costs people the most. Sor Por Kor 4-01 is state-allocated farmland and cannot be transferred to an ordinary buyer; a sale outside the rules is void. Por Bor Tor 5 is only a local land-tax receipt and certifies no ownership — anyone who "buys" Por Bor Tor 5 land is really just changing the name of the taxpayer, not becoming an owner, and the state can reclaim it at any time. The same caution applies to Sor Kor 1, which is only a notification of possession, and to Sor Tor Kor forest-use land that the Royal Forest Department permits temporarily and bars from transfer. When you see anything in this group, stop and verify with the Land Office first.

How to check a land title deed online for free

Before you arrange a site visit, a quick online check gives you a first read on the plot — its location, nearby area, and appraised value. Treat it as a preliminary look, not a full confirmation of the document.

LandsMaps (Department of Lands website)

LandsMaps is the go-to for looking up a plot from a deed number, parcel number, or location. It typically shows the plot's approximate position, shape, area, and government appraised value — handy for a first look before you commit to meeting a seller. If you want to check a deed number the seller gave you, cross-read it against the location and plot shape. If the details do not match, or nothing comes up, ask the seller for more or take it to the Land Office.

The SmartLands app

SmartLands is the mobile route, useful for checking basic plot information on the move or while you are standing on the land itself. It surfaces some plot data and Department of Lands services through the app, though the exact features change between versions, so check the current how-to before relying on it.

Limits of an online check

An online check shows you the outline, but it does not replace inspecting the real document at the Land Office. Online systems may not show everything — the latest encumbrances, certain registered entries, or transaction details that only appear on the physical deed. For a high-value plot, a complex document, or a seller who is vague with information, verify at the Land Office before you pay a deposit or sign anything.

How to inspect a genuine title deed before buying

Beyond the online check, looking at the physical deed matters just as much, because it reveals details the online system will not show and lowers the risk of a forged or altered document. There are only a few things to look at.

Check the watermark and Garuda seal

The clearest tell is the watermark. Hold the deed up to the light and you should see the Garuda watermark inside two concentric circles, with the text "Department of Lands, Ministry of Interior" beneath it. The Garuda seal at the top should be crisp and the right colour for its type. If a seller only sends a photo of the deed over chat, do not take it at face value — a picture makes a real deed and a fake one hard to tell apart, so ask to see the original or take the details to the Land Office.

Check the paper, stamps and the back of the deed

Genuine deed paper is a special stock with fibres set into it. The land official's signature is inked with a name stamp over it, not a colour photocopy, and the seal should be sharp rather than blurred. If you see erasures, scraping, or fields that are not clear, look closer. Read both the front and the back, because the back records transfers, mortgages, and other encumbrances. Use the deed number and parcel number to check the plot's status at the Land Office — whether it is mortgaged, frozen, or whether the registered owner really matches the seller. However convincing a document looks, the safer route is to take a copy yourself to the Land Office in the district where the land sits, especially for a large or high-value plot.

What to watch out for when buying land from online listings

Buying land from an online listing makes the search easier, but you often see only photos and whatever the seller typed in. Before you decide, run through these.

• Does the owner's name on the deed match the seller, or someone with authority to sell?
• What is the deed type (Nor Sor 4, Nor Sor 3 Gor, and so on), and is it actually transferable?
• Do the deed number and plot details match what the seller gave you?
• Are there encumbrances such as a mortgage, seizure, or dispute?
• Does the plot's location match the site you visited, and are the access road and utilities in place?
• Is the asking price close to market and to the government appraised value?
• The contract and transfer of ownership must happen at the Land Office — nowhere else.

If a seller will not show the original deed, will not give a deed number, or pushes you to pay before you can verify, treat it as a warning sign. Land is a high-value asset, and checking before you pay always matters more than moving fast.

How to list land for sale on Talata

If you own land and want to list it on Talata, filling in complete details up front helps buyers assess it and cuts down on repeat questions before they contact you.

1. Tap "Post listing" and choose the Real Estate or Land category
2. Write a clear title — plot size, location, and deed type
3. State the title-deed type, such as Nor Sor 4, Nor Sor 3 Gor, or another document
4. Add the area, address, province, district, subdistrict, and location details
5. Set the asking price, sale terms, and contact information
6. Upload real photos of the plot, the access road, and the surroundings
7. Add road, utilities, zoning, or land-use restrictions if there are any
8. Review everything before you publish

In the listing, state the deed information sensibly — deed type, area, and location. Treat the full deed number as private; share it with genuinely interested buyers or when you meet to check the documents together.

Why buy or sell land with Talata

When you are hunting for land, the headache is that listings are scattered and details are patchy. Talata pulls land listings across locations and title types into one place, so you can filter by budget and area, compare prices first, then contact the owner directly to ask about the deed type and see the original document — without a chain of middlemen.

If you own land to sell, you can list it on Talata yourself, and stating clearly whether it is a red-Garuda Chanote or another type helps serious buyers trust the listing and move faster. If you are about to buy or list land, start by browsing listings or posting your plot on Talata, and arrange to inspect the documents once you find the right one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which deed is the safest to buy?

The Nor Sor 4, or red-Garuda Chanote, is safest because it carries full ownership, transfers cleanly at the Land Office, and is easy to use as loan collateral. Next is Nor Sor 3 Gor (green Garuda), which has clear boundaries and registers immediately.

Can you buy Sor Por Kor 4-01 or Por Bor Tor 5 land?

As a rule, neither can be transferred to an ordinary buyer. Sor Por Kor 4-01 is state-allocated farmland, so a sale outside the rules is void. Por Bor Tor 5 is only a tax receipt and certifies no ownership, so "buying" it merely changes the taxpayer's name and carries very high risk.

Can a Nor Sor 3 Gor (green Garuda) be upgraded to a Chanote?

Yes. The holder can apply at the local Land Office to have a Chanote (Nor Sor 4) issued, and because the boundaries already come from an aerial survey, it is quicker than for documents without a fixed boundary.

Can you really check a title deed online with just the deed number?

Up to a point. You can use the deed or parcel number on LandsMaps or the SmartLands app to see the plot's location, shape, and area. But details like the latest encumbrances or certain registered entries need to be confirmed at the Land Office. Use the online check to screen, not to make the final call.

Can foreigners buy land in Thailand?

Generally no. Under the Land Code, foreigners cannot own land outright except in narrow, rarely used cases. The common routes are buying a condominium unit within the building's foreign-ownership quota, a long-term lease, or holding through a Thai-majority company. The deed type still matters in every case, and you should confirm the structure with a qualified Thai property lawyer.

Your title deed is lost — what should you do?

Bring your ID card and house registration with copies, plus two credible witnesses, and file for a replacement at the Land Office where the land sits. The office posts a 30-day public notice, and if no one objects it issues the replacement, taking around 42–45 days in total. If the deed was stolen, file a police report first and attach it to your application.