Buying Land & Property in Thailand

Foreigners cannot own land outright in Thailand — that restriction is one of the more consistent facts in an area where the rules change often, and it shapes how nearly every foreign-Thai couple in these stories eventually approaches buying a home. In practice, that usually means the property is registered in the Thai partner's name, sometimes with a long-term lease or usufruct right for the foreigner, an arrangement that requires real legal trust since Thai law doesn't recognize a common informal workaround: simply putting the foreigner's name on the land title. A foreigner can, however, generally own a condominium unit outright, within a building where foreign ownership doesn't exceed a set percentage of total floor area. See our FAQ pages on buying land and owning a house for the specifics, and always confirm current rules with a Thai property lawyer before signing anything.