Buying a House or Land in Thailand

There are lots of farang folks living in Thailand who know a lot about real estate in general. And many who know about construction. Even a few know how to go about getting a house built in Thailand, and a tiny fraction who know how to get "Thai prices" for construction.

Unfortunately, too many of those in each category will be more than happy to rip you off. I honestly believe there is more farang-on-farang fraud than Thai-on-farang fraud in the real estate sector. So how does a potential investor, expat or second home buyer succeed by flying in to Thailand on holiday and grabbing that dream home .. at a reasonable price? You don't. Forget about it.

If you want to buy on holiday, you stand a very good chance of paying double .. or more. While condos may be a different animal, they represent a different set of dangers, especially when buying off plan.

Most things worth having in life take time to acquire. Friendships, relationships, trust, local knowledge, time, timing and a bit of luck are the tools to get you that dream home.

Houses in Thailand can be very difficult to resell .. especially those bought or built at inflated prices. If you make a bad buy, you are likely to be stuck with it. If you decide that you don't want to live there any longer, you might get a pittance for renting it out. You might simply have to walk away from it.

I won't walk into that jungle .. the ways you can and the ways you can't own property in Thailand just yet. That subject is written about .. and lied about .. ad nauseam. This article assumes that you have already figured out how you will "own" your property. If not, you may find something of interest in how to "own" land in Thailand

If you are smart, you will get a referral from your embassy for an attorney who is competent and honest. Start with a consultation, then follow his/her advice to the letter. Make sure that attorney sees every document and agreement related to land purchase.

Don't make a deposit on land unless your trusted attorney has recommended it. It is even a good idea to have that transaction take place in the attorney's presence.

The Thais have their own way of making transactions .. and very often it relies on verbal agreements. But remember, you are not Thai. Buying a House in Thailand - Know the Area
Buying a House in Thailand - Money Talks
"Owning" land in Thailand