The first question every Thailand property buyer faces is ownership structure: leasehold vs freehold. Here is how both schemes work, their pros, limits and registration costs — and how leasehold vs freehold plays out for a Thailand villa or a leasehold property in Phuket.
What is leasehold property in Thailand?
Leasehold property in Thailand is a long-term registered lease of land or a unit — most commonly 30 years with contractual renewals (30+30+30). You hold registered rights to use, sell or assign the property for the lease term without owning the freehold title. For foreigners it is a legal, widely used route, especially for villas where land cannot be owned outright, and for leasehold property in Phuket it is often 5–10% cheaper than freehold.
Freehold — full ownership
A foreigner can own a condominium unit outright: the Condominium Act allows selling up to 49% of a project's area to foreigners. Rights are perpetual — the unit can be sold, gifted or inherited without restriction. The registration fee is ~2.2% of the appraised value, usually split 50/50 with the developer. Some projects price freehold separately: at AYANA Heights it is +10% over leasehold, at Bamboo Forest — ฿10,000 per m².
Leasehold — registered long lease
A 30-year registered lease with renewals (typically 30+30+30). Faster and cheaper to register: the fee is ~1.1% and the 49% quota does not apply. The lease is registered at the Land Office and can be sold or assigned. Downsides: renewals depend on the contract, banks rarely finance leasehold, and the resale audience is narrower.
Which to choose
- Investment and resale — freehold: better liquidity and exit price;
- Personal living on a budget — leasehold saves 5–10% of the price;
- Villas — land is structured via leasehold or a Thai company while the building can be foreign-owned; Qnity sells in a freehold structure.
The registration process
Reservation → sale and purchase agreement → staged payments → title registration at the Phuket Land Office on handover. Freehold requires the FET form from your bank confirming funds arrived from abroad in foreign currency. We support every step with documents in English and Russian. Pick a unit in the catalog and we will advise the optimal structure for your goal.