Buying property in Thailand without flying in
Roughly every third deal I run happens without the buyer setting foot on the island. Some of my clients see their apartment for the first time with the keys already in their hand. That is not recklessness and it is not trust on faith - it is an order of operations. Here is what that order looks like, from the first call to handover.
Why remote works here
Nothing in a Phuket purchase requires your physical presence except one signature at the Land Department, and that signature can be given by a representative under a power of attorney. Everything else - viewing, checking, contracting, paying - is already done at a distance even by buyers who live here.
So the question is never can it be done remotely. The question is whether the sequence is right. When checks come before money, a lawyer sits on the contract, the power of attorney is prepared early and a bank document exists for every payment, the deal is no more exposed than one you attend in person. When that sequence slips, the deal is exposed whether you are in the room or not.
Steps 1 and 2. The brief, then the numbers
The brief, before any listings
Before I send a single unit I want to know what the property is for. Rental income, resale in three to five years, your own use, a family move with children? Each answer points to a different area, a different format and sometimes a different form of ownership.
A unit that performs beautifully on short-term rental can be a poor home for a family, and a family home can sit half-empty as an investment. Getting this wrong is far more expensive than any fee in the deal.
A short list with real numbers
Three to five properties with a full calculation each - not thirty links. For every one of them I show the price, the form of ownership, the total cost of entry including all fees and furniture, and the net yield after tax, management fee and realistic vacancy.
I also name the one thing about each property that I would want to know if I were buying it. There is always something. Realistic net returns on Phuket are 6-8%, and in Bang Tao and Laguna 4-6% net against 7-9% gross, with occupancy around 60-70%. If someone quotes you 10-15%, they are quoting gross and calling it net. I go through this in detail in net rental yields on Phuket.
Step 3. The online viewing
A live video call from the property. I walk the unit, the common areas, the road, the neighbourhood. I show you what a render cannot: the actual view from that window, the noise at that hour, the condition of the shared areas in a completed building by the same developer.
Steps 4 and 5. Reservation, then the contract
Reservation, after the checks
A reservation fixes the unit and the price for an agreed period. Before that deposit moves: the foreign freehold quota on that specific unit, the form of ownership, the developer's track record and the headline contract terms. The deposit goes in once those points are closed, not while they are still open.
The 49% foreign freehold quota is allocated unit by unit, not building-wide, so it is checked on your apartment specifically. My full pre-deposit list is in the condo due diligence checklist, and the developer side in how to check a Phuket developer.
The lawyer and the contract
A Thai lawyer reviews the documents and the contract: title to the land under the project, permits, handover dates, penalties for delay, the payment mechanics, refund conditions and the assignment clause. This is separate work and I bring in a lawyer for it - I do not review contracts myself. I am an investment strategist, legal review is a different profession and it should be done by someone who carries that responsibility.
The division is simple. I answer for whether the property is worth its price. The lawyer answers for whether you receive what you are paying for.
Step 6. The power of attorney
To sign and register without you present, a power of attorney is prepared: notarised in your country, translated, and in some cases legalised. Requirements differ by country, which is exactly why this is the single most common source of delay in a remote deal.
So I start it earlier than seems necessary. A power of attorney that is ready and sitting in a drawer costs nothing. A power of attorney that is three weeks behind the payment schedule costs you the reservation.
Step 7. The money
The payment route is agreed before the first transfer: which currency, who sends, who receives, what the payment reference says, and which bank document you receive for each payment. Funds must arrive in Thailand from abroad in foreign currency, and without that bank confirmation the Land Department will not register foreign freehold.
For buyers in India and Pakistan there is a second half to this: outbound remittance rules in your own country. These differ and they have their own paperwork and timing. I do not advise on them - that is for your own bank or adviser - but I do flag the timing early so it does not collide with the developer's payment schedule. The Thai side is covered in transferring money to Thailand.
Step 8. Registration and handover
Registration of title at the Land Department, then acceptance of the unit. Handover inspection can also be done remotely: a walkthrough on video, a written snag list to the developer, then follow-up until the items are closed. After that, utilities are connected and, if you want it, the unit goes into management.
What stays on your side
- The decision on the property, after you have the numbers and the viewing
- Signing the power of attorney in front of a notary in your country
- Transfers from your own account, in the agreed order and wording
- Your visa decision, if you need one - handled in parallel with the purchase, not after it
That is four things. Everything else runs here, and you see each stage on a video call as it happens.
Remote purchase is not a compromise version of the deal - for a third of my clients it is simply how the deal is done. The order is what protects you: checks before money, a lawyer on the contract, the power of attorney ready early, a bank document for every payment, and a video call at each stage so nothing is described to you second-hand. I have never had a client regret not flying in. I have had clients regret flying in for three days and deciding in a hurry.
- Projects I work with — developments where I hold direct terms from the developer
- Investment property selection — net yield calculated on specific units
Legal, visa and tax work is not mine — it belongs to partners I use constantly
I am an investment strategist: I select the property, calculate the net return, check the developer and run the transaction. Anything that needs a legal, immigration or tax qualification goes to specialists I have worked with for years.
- Thai lawyers — document and contract review, land title, registration at the Land Office, wills, powers of attorney, corporate questions
- Visa partners — choosing and filing the right route for your situation: investment-based, LTR, Thailand Privilege, retirement, DTV
- Tax specialists — reporting in your country of tax residence, treaty credit for Thai tax, declarations on foreign assets
- Company formation in Thailand — when a structure is genuinely needed and lawful
- Rental management and concierge — letting the property, transfers, yachts, events
I introduce partners personally, matched to your actual question, so that you speak to the specialist who handles it rather than to a general inbox. Message me and I will make the introduction.
Frequently asked
Can I buy an apartment in Thailand without travelling there?
How do I prepare a power of attorney for a Thai property purchase?
Who checks the documents in a remote purchase?
Lyubov Fortunova
Investment strategist and founder of Fortunova Capital Group. I have lived on Phuket for more than five years and run every deal myself: I select the property, calculate the net return, check the developer and hold the process together until the keys are handed over. Lawyers, visa and tax specialists come from my own circle.
“I count net, not dreams”
Could you walk me through how a remote purchase would work for my budget, and what exactly I would need to sign?
I answer personally, within the working day, in any time zone. No calls unless you want them. A question about the article is free and commits you to nothing.
