Phuket property, underwritten to the number you actually keep

A condominium unit, yes, in full freehold ownership. But only while the building still has foreign quota: the Condominium Act allows no more than 49 percent of the total unit floor area to be sold to foreigners. Once the quota is full, the remaining units are offered on a lease rather than in ownership. We request the quota status in writing before you pay anything. Land itself cannot be owned by a foreigner in Thailand.

The building itself can be owned by a foreigner. The land is taken on a lease: under Section 540 of the Civil and Commercial Code the maximum lease term is thirty years, and anything longer is automatically reduced to thirty. The familiar 30 plus 30 plus 30 structure deserves a careful reading. In 2023 the Supreme Court of Thailand, in judgment 4655/2566, held that pre-agreed automatic renewals on identical terms are void. What does work is a lessee option over a further thirty-year term with revised economic terms, and we review that wording with a lawyer separately. Proposals to extend leases to 99 years and to raise the quota to 75 percent have been discussed for years and, as of September 2026, neither has become law.

It can be inherited, with a condition few people mention. A foreign heir who holds no Thai permanent residence and does not fall under investment promotion must notify the Land Department in writing within 60 days and dispose of the unit within one year of acquiring the right. Where the purchase was made through funds remitted from abroad, there is an argument for the heirs under Sections 1599 and 1600 of the Civil and Commercial Code. This is settled with a lawyer in advance, while the purchase is being structured, not afterwards. We raise it before the deposit, because the cost of getting it wrong is measured in years.

Between 6 and 8 percent net. That is after the management company's share, tax, building common fees and realistic vacancy. Anything higher is either a gross brochure figure or a different level of risk.

Yes, one in three of our clients does exactly that. The walkthrough is filmed by us, not by the developer. Documents are reviewed by our Thai lawyer before signing. Payment goes directly to the developer's account, never to ours, with the Foreign Exchange Transaction record you will need when you sell. Signing is done by power of attorney prepared in your country.

Almost never. The main instrument is the developer's interest free instalment plan: typically around 30 percent down and equal payments every six months over about two years. Some developers currently offer a 50/50 structure.

The developer. Our service costs the buyer nothing and your price is the same as at the sales office. That is why we have no reason to steer you toward any particular project.