What a purchase actually costs
Beyond the price of the property itself — the private service fees and the official state levies, separated clearly.
On this page
When you buy property in Thailand — particularly a house on leased land — the costs fall into two clearly separate groups: private service fees you pay to lawyers and agents, and official levies collected by the Land Office. Knowing which is which tells you what is negotiable and what is not.
Private service & deposit fees
These are commercial fees. The amounts vary between providers, and the terms are negotiable.
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Reservation deposit
Typically 50,000–100,000 THB, credited to the purchase price.
A reservation deposit takes the property off the market while the paperwork proceeds. It is usually 50,000–100,000 THB, or 1–2% of the property value. It is not an extra charge — it is deducted from the total purchase price at closing.
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Legal fees & contract review
Around 20,000–50,000 THB for independent legal protection.
Expect 20,000–50,000 THB depending on the firm. This covers the title deed search (Chanote verification), a background check on the seller, and drafting or reviewing the bilingual sale and lease contracts in Thai and English.
Developers often provide standard bilingual contracts free of charge. Engaging your own independent lawyer anyway is strongly recommended — their job is to protect your interests, not to close the sale.
Official Land Office levies
These are calculated as percentages of appraised or contract value, not fixed amounts — so they scale with the deal.
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Land lease registration
Total 1.10% of the full lease contract value.
Registering a land lease at the Land Office carries a registration fee of 1.00% plus stamp duty of 0.10% — a total levy of 1.10%, calculated on the cumulative value of the full 30-year lease, not on one year.
The split is typically 50/50 between the landowner and the lessee, as specified in the lease contract.
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Building / house registration
2.00% transfer fee on the appraised value of the structure.
Where the house is owned separately from the leased land, the transfer of the building is registered separately at the Land Office, at 2.00% of the government appraisal value of the structure.
To secure exclusive ownership of the house standing on leased land, the building permit transfer or sale of the structure must be registered in its own right — often alongside a registered Right of Superficies. The fee is officially split 50/50 between buyer and seller unless negotiated otherwise.
Transaction cost overview
| Fee item | Rate / cost | Calculated on | Who pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reservation deposit | 50,000 – 100,000 THB | Fixed deposit | Buyer — credited to price, non-refundable by default |
| Legal / attorney fee | 20,000 – 50,000 THB | Service fee | Buyer |
| Land lease registration | 1.10% (1.00% fee + 0.10% stamp duty) | Total 30-year lease value | Split 50/50 — lessor & lessee |
| Building transfer fee | 2.00% | Government appraisal value | Split 50/50 — seller & buyer |
Splits shown are the market standard and can be renegotiated in the purchase contract. Temporary government incentives occasionally reduce transfer rates for qualifying properties — worth checking at the time you buy.
And afterwards
One-time costs end at closing — then the annual ones begin.
Everything above is paid once, around the transaction itself. From the moment you own the property, a separate set of recurring costs applies: annual Land and Building Tax, and common area maintenance fees if you are in a condominium or gated community. Those are covered in the annual property tax article.
Want the numbers for a specific property?
Send us the property and we will break down what the purchase would actually cost you, line by line.