The Real Cost of Buying a Condo in Thailand: Fees, Taxes, and the 49% Foreign Quota

The real cost of buying a condo in Thailand is the headline price plus roughly 3 to 6 percent in transaction costs for a foreign buyer, where the main line items are the transfer fee (2 percent of appraised value, usually split with the seller), legal and due-diligence fees, and the cost of bringing funds in from abroad. Foreign buyers must also fit inside the 49 percent foreign-ownership quota for the building, document their inbound funds with a Foreign Exchange Transaction (FET) form, and plan to pay largely in cash, because local mortgage financing for foreigners is limited. This guide breaks down every cost, the legal mechanics, and a worked total so you can budget accurately.

The headline price is never the total price. Budgeting only for the sticker number is the most common, and most expensive, planning mistake foreign buyers make.

The cost stack: what you actually pay

Thai property transaction costs are a stack of separate items, some statutory and some negotiable. Here is the full picture, then a note on who pays each.

Transfer fee: 2 percent of appraised value

The transfer fee is 2 percent of the government-appraised value, which is typically below the actual market price. By custom it is split equally between buyer and seller, so budget 1 percent on your side, though the split is negotiable and a hot or soft market shifts who absorbs it.

A critical 2026 caveat applies here. The Thai government has run a stimulus measure cutting the transfer fee from 2 percent to 0.01 percent, and the mortgage registration fee from 1 percent to 0.01 percent, for qualifying homes priced up to 7 million baht. This reduced rate is generally limited to Thai nationals and is in effect through 30 June 2026. Foreign buyers, and transactions above 7 million baht, stay on the standard 2 percent transfer fee. So if you are a foreign buyer, budget the full 2 percent and treat the stimulus as not applying to you unless your lawyer confirms otherwise.

Specific Business Tax (SBT): 3.3 percent

SBT is 3.3 percent of the appraised or actual sale value, whichever is higher, and it is the seller's liability when they have owned the property for less than five years. In a new developer sale, the developer absorbs it. In a resale within five years, it falls on the seller but can affect the price they will accept. It is not a direct buyer cost, but it shapes negotiation.

Stamp duty: 0.5 percent

Stamp duty is 0.5 percent, and it applies only when SBT is not charged. SBT and stamp duty are mutually exclusive: a seller who has held the property five years or more pays stamp duty instead of SBT. Again a seller-side item that affects negotiation rather than your direct outlay.

Withholding tax

Withholding tax is calculated on a graduated scale against the appraised value and is the seller's liability. It is not a buyer cost, but like SBT it affects seller motivation and the price they will accept.

Mortgage registration fee: 1 percent

If you finance the purchase, the mortgage registration fee is 1 percent of the mortgage amount. The same 2026 stimulus that cuts the transfer fee also cuts this to 0.01 percent for qualifying Thai-national purchases up to 7 million baht through 30 June 2026. Most foreign buyers pay cash, so this line is often zero for them, but factor it in if you are arranging financing.

Legal and due-diligence fees

A qualified Thai property lawyer to run title search, verify the foreign quota, review the sale agreement, and handle the transfer typically costs in the region of 30,000 to 60,000 baht for a standard condo purchase, more for complex cases. This is not optional for a foreign buyer. Skipping it to save a small fee is how buyers walk into quota problems and title disputes.

Agent commission

Agent commission, typically 3 to 5 percent of the sale price, is paid by the seller in most cases, and by the developer in new-launch sales. It is generally not a direct buyer cost in a standard transaction.

Total buyer-side cost in practice

For a foreign buyer in a straightforward resale, the realistic buyer-side transaction cost is roughly 3 to 6 percent on top of the purchase price, covering your share of the transfer fee, legal fees, and miscellaneous charges, plus the bank fees on bringing funds into Thailand. Budget 5 to 6 percent to be safe. The exact figure depends on how the transfer fee is split and whether you finance any part of the purchase.

The 49 percent foreign quota: the rule that gates the whole deal

Before any cost matters, you have to be allowed to own the unit. Under the Condominium Act, foreigners may collectively own up to 49 percent of the total registered floor area of a condominium building on freehold. The remaining 51 percent must be held by Thai nationals or Thai entities. This is a hard statutory limit, and it applies per building, by aggregate floor area, not per developer and not by unit count.

In practice, quota availability varies enormously between buildings. A project heavily marketed to overseas buyers may have exhausted its foreign quota entirely, in which case you cannot take freehold title there no matter how much you want the unit. A less internationally marketed building may have ample quota remaining. Verifying actual quota availability before you make an offer is the first thing you check, not the last. A unit you legally cannot own freehold is not a unit you are buying.

When you purchase within the quota, you receive a full freehold title (Chanote) in your own name, clean, transferable, and inheritable, with no Thai partner and no structural risk. That is the cleanest ownership path in Thailand, which is why most foreign buyers stick to it. For the full legal landscape, including leasehold and the risks of company structures, see our foreigner investment guide.

The FET form: how your money has to arrive

Thai law requires that funds used by a foreigner to buy a condominium be transferred into Thailand in foreign currency and converted to baht locally. The bank then issues a Foreign Exchange Transaction (FET) form documenting the inbound transfer, the buyer's name, and the purpose, which must state the purchase of a condominium unit.

The FET form is not paperwork you can skip. The Land Office requires it to register foreign ownership. Banks automatically issue it for inbound transfers at or above USD 50,000; for smaller amounts you request it. You need an FET covering the full purchase amount in foreign currency, so plan your transfers accordingly.

This rule surprises buyers who have lived in Thailand and accumulated baht locally. Local baht does not satisfy the requirement. The funds have to come in from abroad in foreign currency, with the FET to prove it. Get this wrong and you cannot complete the transfer of ownership, regardless of having the money.

Why Thailand purchases are cash-dominant for foreigners

Foreign buyers in Thailand are predominantly cash buyers, and the reason is structural, not preference. Local mortgage financing for non-residents is limited and tightly capped, with loan-to-value ratios well below what Thai nationals receive. Combined with the FET requirement to bring funds in from abroad, most foreigners simply pay the full amount in cash.

This contrasts sharply with the Thai mass market, which is heavily mortgage-dependent, and which is currently strained by tight lending and high mortgage rejection rates on lower-priced units. The two-sided effect is worth understanding as a buyer: the cash-backed foreign segment is far less exposed to Thai bank lending conditions, which is part of why the prime market holds firm while the mortgage-reliant mass market softens, a dynamic we cover in the 2026 price-trends analysis.

For you as a buyer, the practical takeaway is to plan your full liquidity up front. You will likely fund the whole purchase plus transaction costs in cash, transferred in from abroad, with the FET to document it.

A worked total-cost example

You are a foreign buyer purchasing a 5,000,000 baht resale condo within a building's available foreign quota.

Item	Basis	Your cost
Purchase price	Headline	5,000,000 THB
Transfer fee (your half of 2 percent)	On appraised value, often below 5M	~50,000 THB
Legal and due-diligence fees	Title search, quota check, transfer	~40,000 THB
Inbound transfer / bank fees	Bringing funds in for the FET	~15,000 to 30,000 THB
Miscellaneous (sinking fund, prepaid CAM)	Building-specific	~30,000 to 50,000 THB
Total cash needed		~5,135,000 to 5,170,000 THB

The transfer fee here is illustrative, calculated on the appraised value (typically below the 5M market price) and assuming a standard half-share split with the seller. Note the standard 2 percent applies because the buyer is foreign, so the 2026 reduced-fee stimulus does not help here. SBT, stamp duty, withholding tax, and agent commission sit on the seller side in this scenario and are not in your column, though they shape the price the seller will accept. The headline says 5 million. The real cash you need is closer to 5.15 million, before you have furnished anything.

FAQ

What are the total costs of buying a condo in Thailand as a foreigner?

Budget roughly 3 to 6 percent on top of the purchase price for a standard resale. The main buyer-side items are your share of the 2 percent transfer fee, legal and due-diligence fees, and bank fees on bringing funds into Thailand. Budget 5 to 6 percent to be safe.

Does the 2026 reduced transfer fee apply to foreign buyers?

Generally no. The 2026 stimulus cutting the transfer fee to 0.01 percent is limited to qualifying purchases up to 7 million baht and is generally restricted to Thai nationals, in effect through 30 June 2026. Foreign buyers should budget the standard 2 percent transfer fee and confirm with their lawyer.

What is the 49 percent foreign quota?

Under the Condominium Act, foreigners may collectively own up to 49 percent of a condominium building's total registered floor area on freehold. The remaining 51 percent must be Thai-owned. It is measured by aggregate floor area per building, and you must verify a building's available quota before making an offer.

Why do I need an FET form?

The FET (Foreign Exchange Transaction) form documents that you brought purchase funds into Thailand in foreign currency, as the law requires for foreign condo buyers. The Land Office needs it to register your ownership. Banks issue it automatically for inbound transfers of USD 50,000 or more.

Can foreigners get a mortgage in Thailand?

Local financing for foreigners is limited and tightly capped, so most foreign buyers pay cash. Plan your full liquidity, purchase price plus transaction costs, up front and transfer it in from abroad with the FET to document it.

---

Budgeting accurately starts with knowing the real market price of the unit, not the asking number. Vurel aggregates roughly 1.4 million cross-portal Thai listings across nine portals and 47 Bangkok zones, with per-zone medians, per-sqm pricing, and full asking-price history, so you can check whether a unit is fairly priced before you stack costs on top. Start at vurel.io or browse the zone overview.