How Big Is 1 Rai? Thai Land Units Converted to Sqm, Acres and Wah

One rai equals 1,600 square meters, which works out to roughly 0.4 acres or 0.16 hectares. Rai is Thailand's main land unit, and it splits into 4 ngan or 400 square wah, where 1 square wah is 4 square meters. If you're weighing up a plot in Thailand, these numbers let you picture the size and compare prices fairly. Talata pulls land listings from across the country into one place, so you can filter by size and compare before contacting the owner.

How big is 1 rai?

A rai is a fixed area: 1,600 square meters, no matter where the plot sits or what shape it is. For anyone used to acres or hectares, 1 rai is a little under half an acre and about one-sixth of a hectare. Picture a square roughly 40 meters on each side and you have a rai.

1 rai in square meters

1 rai = 1,600 square meters. The math is simple once you know the chain: 1 rai is 400 square wah, and each square wah is 4 square meters, so 400 × 4 lands you at 1,600.

1 rai in acres and hectares

1 rai is about 0.395 acres, usually rounded to 0.4 acres. In metric terms it's 0.16 hectares. Flip those around and 1 acre is roughly 2.53 rai, while 1 hectare is 6.25 rai, or 6 rai and 1 ngan.

Thai land units explained: rai, ngan, wah

Thailand uses three traditional land units that nest inside each other, plus the square meter for an international reference point. Knowing which unit shows up where saves a lot of confusion when you read a listing or a deed.

Rai is the largest unit and the one people quote for a plot's overall size. Ngan is the middle step, used when an area runs over or under a full rai. Square wah (often written "wah" or "wa") is the smallest Thai unit and the one that matters most in deals, since land prices are usually quoted in baht per square wah. A small in-town plot might be listed at 16 to 20 square wah, while rural or farm land is talked about in rai. Three relationships carry all the conversions: 1 rai = 4 ngan, 1 ngan = 100 square wah, and 1 square wah = 4 square meters.

Thai land unit conversion table

This table covers the values people look up most, so you can read off an answer without doing the math.

Converting wah and ngan back to rai

Coming the other way is just as easy. 100 square wah is 1 ngan, or 0.25 rai. 200 square wah is half a rai. 400 square wah brings you back to a full rai. If a listing gives you square meters, divide by 1,600 to get rai, so a 4,000 sqm plot is 2.5 rai.

How to convert Thai land units (formula and example)

Work from the largest unit down to the smallest, one step at a time. Multiply rai by 4 for ngan, multiply ngan by 100 for square wah, and multiply square wah by 4 for square meters. To go the other way, divide by the same numbers.

Take a plot listed as 1 rai, 3 ngan, 47 square wah. Convert the rai and ngan to ngan first: 1 rai is 4 ngan, plus the 3 ngan already there makes 7 ngan. Turn 7 ngan into square wah and you get 700, then add the leftover 47 for a total of 747 square wah. When a result has a decimal in rai, multiply the decimal part by 4 to read it as ngan: 0.5 rai is 2 ngan, 0.25 rai is 1 ngan.

Rai vs acre, hectare and square mile

If you're comparing Thai land with property abroad, or sizing up a large farm, the international units are the ones to anchor on.

Hectare is the cleanest to remember, landing exactly on 6 rai and 1 ngan. Acre is close enough to think of as two-and-a-half rai for a quick estimate. Treat the decimals as approximate, and follow the rounding your paperwork uses for anything official.

Why land units matter when buying land in Thailand

These conversions aren't trivia. They decide whether a plot looks fairly priced or overpriced, and they let you talk to an owner or agent on the same terms.

Reading plot size on a title deed (chanote)

A Thai title deed lists area as a set of three numbers in rai-ngan-wah order. "2-1-30" means 2 rai, 1 ngan, 30 square wah. Listings vary: some quote pure square wah, others quote rai. Convert everything to one unit before you compare, so a "3 ngan" plot never gets mistaken for a "3 rai" plot, which is several times larger.

Price per square wah

Thai land prices are usually set in baht per square wah, so convert the whole plot to square wah first, then divide the asking price by that number. A 1 rai plot at 4 million baht works out to 10,000 baht per square wah. Whether that's reasonable depends on location, road frontage and zoning, so line up a few plots in the same area before drawing a conclusion.

Before you commit, check that the area on the title deed matches the listing, compare the price per square wah against nearby plots, and read the ownership and transfer terms in full. Once a plot's size and price line up, you can contact the owner through Talata to ask for the rest of the details.

Why buy and sell land with Talata

For buyers, Talata brings land listings from many areas and owners into one place. You can filter by size in rai or square wah, check the price per plot, and compare several options on a single page, then reach the owner directly without layers of middlemen.

For landowners selling or leasing, you can post a listing yourself, state the exact area, convert it to square wah using the method above, and add the location and photos. Buyers searching for that size will find your plot more easily. Start listing or searching for land on Talata whenever you're ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many square meters is 1 rai?

1 rai is 1,600 square meters. That comes from 400 square wah multiplied by 4, since each square wah is 4 square meters.

How many wah are in a rai?

1 rai is 400 square wah, which is also 4 ngan. One ngan holds 100 square wah.

What is 1 rai in acres?

1 rai is about 0.395 acres, usually rounded to 0.4 acres. Put another way, 1 acre is roughly 2.53 rai.

What is 1 rai in hectares?

1 rai is 0.16 hectares. Going the other way, 1 hectare equals 6.25 rai, or 6 rai and 1 ngan.

How big is half a rai?

Half a rai is 800 square meters, which is 200 square wah or 2 ngan.

What does "2-1-30" mean on a Thai title deed?

It reads as 2 rai, 1 ngan, 30 square wah. Thai deeds always list area in that rai-ngan-wah order, so converting it to square wah (2,130 wah here) makes plots easier to compare.

Can foreigners buy land in Thailand?

As a rule, foreigners cannot own land outright in their own name in Thailand. Common routes are buying a condominium unit in freehold within a building's foreign-ownership quota, taking a long-term lease, or holding land through a Thai-majority company, each with its own legal conditions. Rules change and carry risk, so confirm the current law with a Thai property lawyer and the Department of Lands before committing.