Buying an apartment · Pattaya
The short answer: a foreigner can hold a condominium unit in Pattaya in their own name, outright. Thai law allows it directly and no workaround structures are needed. But three things trip people up — the building quota, the form of ownership and where the money comes from.
What is allowed
Thailand's Condominium Act allows foreign nationals to own units in condominium buildings. Your name goes on the title document, and you deal with the property like any other owner: let it, sell it, pass it on.
Land is different. A foreigner cannot own land in Thailand on ordinary terms, so a house with a plot cannot be registered in your name. That is why the market for foreign buyers is built around condominiums.
Structures where a foreigner holds land through a Thai company with nominee partners do exist on the market. We do not use them and do not recommend them: it is a direct breach of Thai law and puts the asset at risk.
Building limit
No more than 49% of the residential floor area of any one condominium may be in foreign ownership. The rest is the Thai quota.
The limit applies to the building, not to you. So the first question about any unit is not what it costs but whether foreign quota is still available in that building. In popular projects it runs out quickly — fastest of all in completed buildings that let well.
If the quota is taken, the unit can still be bought, but under a long lease. The rights and the resale liquidity are different. On the tour we check the quota for every building we view; it takes a minute and saves months.
Forms of ownership
Freehold is outright ownership. Your name on the chanote, the unit is yours indefinitely, it passes to your heirs and sells without the developer's involvement.
Leasehold is a registered right of use for a long term, renewable afterwards. The agreement is registered with the Land Department, so it is a real right rather than a private understanding with the developer. But in scope of rights and in resale price, leasehold comes second.
The difference shows up when you exit. A freehold unit appeals to any buyer; a leasehold unit appeals to a narrower group, and the haggling is harder. If you are buying with resale in mind, factor that in from the start.
Money
Payment for the unit happens in Thailand, in Thai baht. But to register foreign ownership, the money must arrive from abroad in foreign currency and be converted here.
The receiving bank issues a supporting document — the FET. Without it the Land Department will not register ownership in a foreign name. This is where delays most often appear: the transfer was made the wrong way, the payment purpose was worded incorrectly, or the funds arrived already in baht.
The sequence that works:
Fees and taxes apply at registration and are revised from time to time, so current rates are always confirmed on the transaction date. Budget for them separately from the price of the unit.
After the purchase
Costs do not stop at the purchase. Building maintenance is charged monthly per square metre and varies noticeably between projects. New builds usually also carry a one-off payment into the sinking fund.
Then there is management. If the unit is bought to let, somebody has to find tenants, meet them, keep an eye on the condition and deal with day-to-day matters while you are in another country. That is a job in itself, and without it the unit simply sits empty.
After the sale, letting and management are handled by Apartwell — our partner company, registered with Thailand's Department of Business Development (reg. no. 0205567037811, registered capital THB 4,000,000) and a member of the Thai Real Estate Association under number 21/0479/69.
One thing to be clear about so we do not waste your time: we do not run a property catalogue. Golden Trip is a tour operator — we organise the trip on which you see units with your own eyes and get to know the market on the ground. Selection and transaction support are handled by our partners, Habita and Apartwell.
Questions and answers
Yes. The Condominium Act allows foreign nationals to own condominium units in their own name. The limit applies to the building: no more than 49% of its residential floor area may be in foreign hands.
A foreigner cannot own land in Thailand on ordinary terms, so a house with a plot cannot be registered in your name. Condominium units are available, as is a long-term lease.
It is the Thai title document. When you buy freehold, your name is entered on it and you become the full owner of the unit.
It confirms that the money for the unit came from abroad in foreign currency. Without it, the Land Department will not register ownership in a foreign buyer's name.
The transaction can be completed remotely. But a Thai bank account is opened in person, and seeing the property yourself usually changes your view of what you are buying.
Many developers offer interest-free instalments until construction is complete. Terms depend on the project and are agreed individually.
Theory helps, but decisions are made on the ground. On the investment tour you walk the whole path with people who do it every month.
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