ReThai

Can foreigners buy property in Thailand?

Yes, with limits. A foreigner can own a condominium unit in Thailand in their own name, as long as foreign owners together hold no more than 49% of the unit floor area of the building and the purchase money came into Thailand as foreign currency.

A foreigner cannot own land, with narrow exceptions. A foreigner can own a house as a building and can lease the land under it for up to 30 years.

Last reviewed · Sources

What a foreigner can and cannot own

PropertyOwnership by a foreignerConditions
Condominium unit Yes Within the 49% foreign quota of the building; money brought in as foreign currency. Condominium Act, sections 19 and 19 bis.
Land No, as a rule Two narrow routes need the Minister of Interior's permission: inheritance as a statutory heir, and an investment of at least 40 million baht for up to one rai of residential land. Land Code, sections 86, 93 and 96 bis.
House or villa (the building) Yes The building can be owned separately from the land. The land is then held under a registered lease or a superficies.
Lease of land or a house Yes (a lease is not ownership) Up to 30 years; registered at the Land Office if longer than three years. Civil and Commercial Code, sections 538 and 540.
Land held by a company No, if the company counts as foreign A company with more than 49% foreign capital, or with foreigners as more than half of its shareholders, is treated as a foreigner. Land Code, section 97.

Condominiums: the one property a foreigner can own outright

A condominium unit is registered in the buyer's name with its own unit title. The Condominium Act lists five categories of foreigner who may own a unit. Most buyers use the last one: a foreigner who brings foreign currency into Thailand to pay for the unit.

  • The quota. Foreigners and foreign companies together may own at most 49% of the total floor area of all units in the building. See the foreign quota and how it is checked.
  • The money. The buyer shows the Land Office evidence of foreign currency brought into Thailand of not less than the price of the unit. See the buying steps.

Land and houses

The Land Code allows a foreigner to acquire land only where a treaty provides for it, and with the Minister's permission. We found no official source listing a treaty that gives this right today, so do not count on it. In practice a foreigner who wants a house or a villa uses a registered right over the land instead of owning it.

  • Lease. Up to 30 years. A renewal is possible when the lease ends but is not guaranteed. See leasehold and freehold.
  • Superficies or usufruct. Registered rights to own buildings on, or to use, someone else's land, for up to 30 years or for life.
  • The building. A foreigner can own the house itself while the land stays with its Thai owner.

The options and their limits are set out in Can foreigners own land or a house in Thailand?

Companies and nominee shareholders

Buying land through a Thai company with Thai shareholders who only lend their names is not a lawful way around the rule. The Land Code treats the company as a foreigner if foreigners hold more than 49% of its capital or are more than half of its shareholders, and it punishes anyone who acquires land as an agent of a foreigner: a fine of up to 20,000 baht, up to two years in prison, or both. The Director-General of the Department of Lands can order the land sold.

This guide does not describe company structures for holding land.

Next steps

Questions

Can Americans, British or Australian citizens buy property in Thailand?
Yes, on the same terms as any other foreigner. The Condominium Act and the Land Code speak of foreigners in general and make no difference between nationalities: a condominium unit can be owned within the 49% quota, land cannot be owned except in the narrow cases the Land Code allows.
Can a foreigner own a condominium outright?
Yes. The unit is registered in the foreigner's own name at the Land Office. Two conditions apply: foreign owners together must not hold more than 49% of the unit floor area of the building, and the buyer must show that foreign currency of not less than the price of the unit was brought into Thailand.
Can a foreigner buy land through a Thai company?
A company is treated as a foreigner if foreigners hold more than 49% of its capital or are more than half of its shareholders. Using Thai shareholders who hold shares on a foreigner's behalf is an offence: the person holding the land for the foreigner risks a fine of up to 20,000 baht, up to two years in prison, or both, and the land can be ordered sold.
Can a foreigner inherit property in Thailand?
A condominium unit: a foreign heir who is not in one of the categories allowed to own a unit must tell the Land Office within 60 days and sell the unit within one year. Land: a foreigner who inherits as a statutory heir may be permitted by the Minister of Interior to keep it, within the limits of the Land Code. Permission is not automatic.
What can a foreigner do instead of owning land?
Lease it. A lease of land or a house can run up to 30 years and must be registered at the Land Office if it is longer than three years. A foreigner can also own the building itself, or hold a usufruct or a superficies over the land.

Sources

  1. Land ownership by foreigners in Thailand: acquisition of land Government Public Relations Department (thailand.go.th). Read 11 November 2026.
  2. Condominium Act B.E. 2522 (1979) as amended in 2008, sections 19 to 19/11 (English translation) Siam Legal law library. Read 11 November 2026.
  3. Condominium Act (No. 4) B.E. 2551 (2008), unofficial English translation S. Ratanarapee, ed. J. B. Fishback. Read 11 November 2026.
  4. Land Code B.E. 2497 (1954), chapter 8, sections 86 to 96 ter (Thai text with Council of State translation) ThaiLawOnline law library. Read 11 November 2026.
  5. Land Code, chapter 9, sections 97 to 100 (Council of State translation) ThaiLawOnline law library. Read 11 November 2026.
  6. Land Code, chapter 12, sections 111 to 113 (Council of State translation) ThaiLawOnline law library. Read 11 November 2026.
  7. Civil and Commercial Code, section 538 (written form and registration of leases) ThaiLawOnline law library (Thai text with English translation). Read 11 November 2026.
  8. Civil and Commercial Code, section 540 (thirty-year limit on leases), with Supreme Court decisions ThaiLawOnline law library (Thai text with English translation). Read 11 November 2026.
  9. Civil and Commercial Code, sections 1410 to 1413 (superficies) ThaiLawOnline law library. Read 11 November 2026.
  10. Real Estate 2026: Thailand, law and practice Chambers and Partners practice guides (Duensing Kippen). Read 12 November 2026.
  11. Buying a condo in Thailand: legal checks, fees and transfer ThaiLawOnline (Thai law firm). Read 11 November 2026.