Thailand property transfer fees: what buying a condo really costs

Short answer

When you buy a condo in Thailand, the government charges a transfer fee of 2% of the official appraised value, according to the Thai government portal. Buyer and seller usually split it, although the contract decides. The seller also owes either specific business tax or stamp duty, plus withholding tax. On a new apartment bought from a developer, those seller taxes normally stay with the developer, but you should see that in writing.

You will also pay one-off charges at handover, your bank’s transfer charges and your lawyer’s fee.

Legal status as of 24 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Rates and exemptions change, so your lawyer should confirm each figure before the day of transfer.

All costs at a glance

How the transfer fee works

The transfer fee is the registration fee the Land Office charges when ownership of your unit is recorded in your name. The Land Office is the local office of the Department of Lands, and the fees and the seller’s taxes are paid there on transfer day. The rate is 2% of the appraised value, which is the official valuation of the unit used by the Land Office. It is not the price in your contract, and for new apartments it is often lower than that price.

For every THB 1,000,000 of appraised value, the fee is THB 20,000. With an equal split, the buyer’s share is THB 10,000.

Who pays the transfer fee?

No law says who must pay it. The split is agreed in the sale and purchase agreement (often shortened to SPA). Sharing it equally is common practice in new developments, and on resales it is open to negotiation. If the agreement says the buyer pays “all transfer costs”, that can include more than the transfer fee, so ask for a clear list.

Is there a reduced transfer fee in 2026?

There is a temporary reduction, but it is unlikely to help a foreign buyer. Ministry of Interior notifications published in the Royal Gazette on 1 July 2026 cut the transfer fee from 2% to 0.01% until 30 June 2027. According to Thai law firm summaries of those notifications, the reduced rate applies only when the buyer is an individual Thai national and the sale price and the appraised value each do not exceed THB 7,000,000. A separate cut to the mortgage registration fee applies only when a mortgage is registered at the same time as the transfer; it does not change the transfer fee for a foreign buyer. If you are buying as a foreigner, plan on the standard 2%.

Specific business tax or stamp duty

The seller pays one of these two taxes, never both.

Specific business tax applies when property is sold in a way the law treats as commercial or for profit. Royal Decree No. 342 sets out when that happens. It covers developers selling units in a condominium they registered, and an individual who sells within five years of acquiring the property. There are exceptions, for example property received by inheritance, or a home where the seller’s name has been in the house registration for at least one year. The Revenue Code sets the rate at 3% of gross receipts, paid when the sale is registered. The Thai government portal quotes 3.3%, which includes a local tax added on top, and applies it to the appraised value or the price, whichever is higher.

Stamp duty is 0.5%. The Revenue Department’s stamp duty schedule charges it on the receipt for a registered transfer of immovable property, and exempts that receipt when the seller owes specific business tax.

These are seller taxes. In a new development the seller is the developer, so you should not see them on your bill unless your contract moves them to you.

Withholding tax

When a property is sold, the Land Office collects income tax from the seller in advance. For an individual seller, it is worked out on the appraised value after a standard deduction that depends on how many years the seller held the property (Royal Decree No. 165), and then taxed at personal income tax rates. Different rules apply when the seller is a company.

It matters to you in two cases. On a resale, the seller may ask you to share it, which is open to negotiation. And when you sell one day, it will be your cost, so keep every purchase document.

Who pays what in a new development

In a new building you buy from the developer, and the transfer happens only at completion. Typically:

• the transfer fee is split as the SPA says;
• the developer, as the seller, carries specific business tax and withholding tax;
• you pay the one-off building charges at handover;
• you pay your own bank charges and lawyer.

Read the cost clauses with your lawyer before you sign. Check one thing: every cost on transfer day should be named in the contract, with who pays it.

Money from abroad: the usual route to foreign freehold

For freehold ownership within the foreign quota of the condominium (often called foreign freehold), Section 19 of the Condominium Act lists who qualifies. For most buyers from abroad, the route is bringing the purchase money into Thailand in a foreign currency. The Land Office asks for proof from the Thai bank that received it, usually a Foreign Exchange Transaction form, known as the FET form. Without that kind of evidence, the Land Office will normally not register the unit in your name as foreign freehold. Our guide to the FET form explains how to send each payment.

The Bank of Thailand sets the foreign exchange rules, and your receiving bank issues the document. Each transfer carries charges from your bank, sometimes from an intermediary bank, and a currency conversion margin. Ask both banks how they charge before your first payment, and send the money with a clear reference to the unit and the contract.

Leasehold: different fees

If you buy under a lease instead of freehold, the lease is registered at the Land Office. Under the Civil and Commercial Code, a lease longer than three years can be enforced for its full term only if it is registered, and the term cannot exceed 30 years. The registration fee is charged on the total rent for the whole lease term; Thai law firms commonly put it at 1%. Stamp duty on a lease is 0.1% of the total rent, according to the Revenue Department’s schedule. Ask your lawyer for the current registration fee before you compare the cost of freehold and leasehold.

One-off charges at handover

When a new condominium is handed over, the building’s juristic person (the owners’ management body set up under the Condominium Act) usually collects two things from each buyer: a contribution to the sinking fund, a reserve for future major repairs, and common area fees paid in advance. Both are calculated per square metre of your unit. They are not taxes, and the amounts differ from building to building.

After handover come the running costs: common area fees, utilities, insurance and the annual land and building tax. Those belong to the cost of owning rather than the cost of buying.

Lawyer and due diligence

An independent lawyer reads the reservation agreement and the SPA, checks the developer’s permits and the condominium registration, and can attend the transfer for you under a power of attorney. Fees vary by firm and by how much work the purchase needs, so ask for a written quote that lists what is included.

Costs at The Astra Samui

The figures below come from the developer’s FAQ for buyers. Your sale and purchase agreement is what binds both sides.

• Transfer fee: 2%, split equally (1% paid by the buyer)
• Sinking fund: THB 500 per m², one-off
• Common area fee: THB 50 per m² per month (12 months paid in advance)
• For foreign freehold, funds must come from abroad in a foreign currency (not Thai baht). The buyer pays any bank transfer charges.
• Changing the buyer’s name: THB 5,000 administrative fee, once the down payment is paid and the SPA signed.

The developer’s FAQ does not list any other tax at transfer. We read that as the seller’s taxes staying with the developer, and we ask for that to be confirmed in the contract for every buyer.

The Astra Samui is sold off-plan, so most of these costs fall due at handover. According to the developer: Payments: 30% by 22 December 2026 (less the reservation fee), 30% when the roof structure is complete (planned for February 2028), 40% at handover (planned for December 2028). The developer does not offer financing. Prices start from THB 3,687,000 (about €98,000, NBP average rate of 23 October 2026), and the price list page shows what is known about each apartment type.

If you want the full figures for a specific apartment, we at Varsovia Estate, the sales agent for The Astra Samui, can put them in writing for you. The how to buy guide explains the steps from reservation to transfer, and you can book a call with our team. Buyers also ask us about ownership, completion and the location, and we answer those questions in The Astra Samui: questions to ask before you buy.