THAILAND

7 Pitfalls When Buying in Thailand

Check everything before the deposit
Each trap is defused by one or two simple actions
30
years — real leasehold
30+30+30 voided by the courts in 2025
49%
foreign quota
quota letter before any deposit
46,000+
companies under review
nominee schemes, since 01/2026
5
years to sell SBT-free
earlier — an extra 3.3%
Red flags
COMPANY
“We'll structure it via a Thai company”: nominee schemes are illegal and audited
99 YEARS
“The new lease law”: a draft bill sold as law
AIRBNB
A nightly-rental business case without a hotel licence is illegal
NO ESCROW
No mandatory escrow exists: pay on construction milestones only
Three buyer rules
1
Quota in writing
official letter before money moves
2
Money route first
plan the FET path before contracts
3
Lawyer before signing
title search, EIA, developer record
virtoproperty.com · Sources: Department of Lands, Bank of Thailand, Supreme Court ruling (03/2025) · June 2026
For information only — not legal, tax or investment advice.