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Condo and Apartment Ownership Options for Non-Thai Citizens

Condominiums in Thailand have a license that allows up to 49% of the living space to be owned by foreigners in a “freehold” deed. The remaining 51% of the condo living space may be owned by Thai Nationals, a Thai Company or may be leased to foreigners.

Apartments that do not have a “condominium license” may only be leased to foreigners with a 30 year rolling lease (allowing for two additional 30 year lease renewals – or a total of 90 years).

Property Ownership Options for Non-Thai Citizens

Currently Thai Law states that foreigners may own buildings but may not directly own land. While there are discussions that this will change in the near future, non-Thai Citizens have two basic options for owning a home and ensuring access to the land upon which the home is built:

1. Setup (or acquire) a carefully structured Thai Company to own the land “freehold” and have the company own the building on the land OR have the company lease the land to the foreigner who owns the building.
2. Have the foreigner lease the land for 90 years (30 year initial lease and 2 subsequent 30 year lease renewals) and own the building on the land.

Obviously this sounds complicated. However, it is relatively simple and has been done many times all over Thailand. We are here to help and have attorneys to structure your property ownership in whatever manner you want.