Condo Title Transfer at the Land Department: A Step-by-Step Checklist for Foreign Buyers

Documents to bring (and who brings what)

Both parties — or authorized representatives — must appear in person. Three buckets: buyer, seller, joint.

What you (buyer, foreign individual) bring

• Passport (original + two photocopies of bio page and current Thai entry stamp). On a long-stay visa (Elite, LTR, retirement), include a copy of the visa page.
• Foreign Exchange Transaction Form (FETF) — formerly the TT3 — from the Thai bank that received your incoming FX transfer. Must list (1) foreign currency amount, (2) THB equivalent at conversion rate, (3) purpose ("for purchase of condominium unit at [project name]"), and (4) your name as remitter. One FETF per ฿2,000,000 (or US$50,000 equivalent). Totals must equal or exceed the purchase price.
• Address declaration form — your current Thai address, or a notarized address abroad with apostille. Bring a utility bill or hotel booking to back up the stated address.
• Power of attorney if not attending in person. Notarized at a Thai embassy or signed at the Land Office before transfer. Names a specific Thai resident (usually your lawyer).
• Cashier's checks for purchase price + transfer fees. Cash above ฿2M triggers AMLO reporting. Typically one check to the seller for the net price, separate ones to the Land Office for taxes and fees.

What the seller brings

• The original chanote (title deed) — the blue document. If held as mortgage collateral, the seller arranges the mortgage release the same day with the bank present or pre-filed.
• Seller's national ID or passport, plus tabien baan (house registration book).
• Foreign-quota certificate (Lor Khor 7) from the building's juristic person, issued within 30 days, confirming the unit sits inside the 49% foreign quota.
• Debt-free certificate (Bai Plodd Pla) from the juristic person, confirming common-area fees, sinking fund, utilities, and fines are paid through transfer date.
• Tax invoice from the Revenue Department showing appraised value and any prior-period rental-income tax owed.

Joint documents (prepared by either lawyer in advance)

• Sale and purchase agreement in Thai (English translation for your records — only the Thai version is legally operative).
• Settlement statement with agreed price, fee split, and net amounts to each party.
• Receipt acknowledging the cashier's checks at the Land Office cashier window.

How transfer fees, SBT, withholding tax, and stamp duty split

Thai property transfer triggers four separate fees and taxes.

1. Transfer fee — 2% of appraised value (default)

Statutorily on the buyer, commonly split 50/50. The 2025-2026 reduced-fee window cuts this to 0.01% for properties ≤฿7M — only for Thai nationals and certain residency-permit holders. Foreign individual buyers pay the full 2%.

"Appraised value" is the Land Department's valuation, typically 30-50% below market in Bangkok and more in resort markets. Fees compute on appraised value, not contract price.

2. Specific Business Tax (SBT) — 3.3% of contract price

Applies if the seller has owned less than 5 years (limited exemptions). The 3.3% is 3% SBT + 0.3% local development surcharge. Paid by the seller, sometimes built into the asking price.

If owned 5+ years, SBT does not apply — a 0.5% stamp duty does instead.

3. Withholding tax — progressive, based on appraised value and ownership years

Section 50 of the Thai Revenue Code: the Land Office collects withholding tax at transfer, computed as if the gain were ordinary income to the seller:

• Take appraised value
• Apply the standard deduction by ownership years (50% at 1 year, down to 8% at 30+ years)
• Divide the remaining "income" by ownership years
• Apply progressive personal income tax brackets to the annualized figure
• Multiply by ownership years

Typically 1-3% of contract price. Paid by the seller. Corporate sellers: flat 1% of appraised value.

4. Stamp duty — 0.5% of contract price (or appraised value, whichever higher)

Applies only when SBT does not (seller held 5+ years). Paid by the seller.

Worked example — ฿8M condo, foreign buyer, seller held 7 years

• Appraised value (~70% of contract): ฿5,600,000
• Transfer fee (2% × appraised, no foreigner discount): ฿112,000 — split 50/50 = ฿56,000 each
• SBT: not applicable (>5 years)
• Stamp duty (0.5% × ฿8M): ฿40,000 — paid by seller
• Withholding tax: ~฿80,000-120,000 — paid by seller
• Buyer's Land Office cost: ~฿56,000 plus the ฿8M purchase price

If the seller had held 2 years, SBT (3.3% × ฿8M = ฿264,000) replaces stamp duty and hits the seller — the buyer's share is unchanged. Sellers within 5 years often price the SBT into the ask.

The reduced-fee window — and why foreigners don't qualify

The Royal Gazette notice of December 2024 extended the reduced fee structure into 2025-2026 for properties ≤฿7,000,000:

• Transfer fee: 0.01% instead of 2%
• Mortgage registration fee: 0.01% instead of 1%

Eligibility:

• Thai nationals buying primary residence
• Permanent residents and certain long-term-residency-permit holders
• Newly built properties sold by registered developers (primary sale, not resale)

Foreign individual buyers on a foreign passport are not eligible, regardless of visa status. Some Land Offices have applied the discount inconsistently to LTR holders, but that's not the formal rule.

One workaround exists: buying through a qualifying Thai limited company. The compliance burden is significant — discuss with a Thai-licensed lawyer if savings justify the overhead.

The FETF mechanics — your repatriation pathway

The FETF determines whether you can ever take your purchase price back out of Thailand. Bank of Thailand FX controls require:

1. Foreign currency entering Thailand for property purchase must be converted to THB at a Thai commercial bank, which issues a FETF documenting conversion, purpose, and remitter.
2. At resale, you can repatriate the original foreign currency value of the FETFs — only if they match the purchase. Without FETFs, proceeds are stuck in THB.

Skip the FETF — by bringing cash or routing through a Thai personal account — and you complete the purchase but cannot repatriate at sale.

In practice:

• Wire foreign currency directly to a Thai commercial bank in your name. Specify the funds are for property purchase and request FETF issuance.
• Each FETF covers up to ฿2,000,000 (or US$50,000 equivalent).
• Get the originals (not photocopies). Keep them with your chanote forever.
• Mismatches are flagged at the Land Office. Small overages are fine; shortages may block registration.

Day-of-transfer flow at the Land Office

1. Both parties arrive 30 minutes early to secure queue position.
2. Document review — clerk verifies passport copy, chanote, foreign-quota certificate, debt-free certificate, FETFs.
3. Cashier window — pay your share of transfer fee and other fees by cashier's check.
4. Settlement — exchange cashier's checks with the seller; seller's checks for SBT/withholding tax go to the Land Office cashier.
5. Title transfer signing — both parties sign the register; clerk endorses the chanote with the new owner's name.
6. Endorsed chanote handed to you. Do not lose it.
7. Total: 60-120 minutes if all in order. 4+ hours and a return trip if any document is missing.

What MangoGo shows you

Every Thailand condo listing carries the foreign-buyer transfer-fee estimate (full 2% on latest appraised value), the seller-paid SBT/stamp-duty estimate, the building's foreign-quota status (open / closed / waiting list), and a downloadable PDF checklist sized to the purchase. We don't replace your lawyer — but you won't arrive at the Land Office missing a FETF.

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Sources & further reading. Thai Condominium Act B.E. 2522 as amended (Department of Lands, dol.go.th); Land Code transfer procedure rules; Bank of Thailand Foreign Exchange regulation BE 2547 on FETF requirements; Royal Gazette Notification on Reduced Transfer Fees 2024 (extending the 0.01% rate to qualifying buyers). Companion reads: Leasehold vs Foreign Quota in Thailand for the structural basics; Thailand Rental Income Tax for Foreign Owners for what comes after closing if you rent the unit.