Thailand Property Fees and Taxes for Foreign Buyers 2026

What is the transfer fee and who pays it?

The transfer fee is 2 percent of the Land Office's appraised value of the property (which can differ from the agreed sale price). By custom it is often split 50/50 between buyer and seller, or paid by the buyer, but this is a negotiation point, not a rule. Make sure the split is written into the sale and purchase agreement. The government has periodically reduced this fee as a stimulus measure for lower-priced homes, so check whether any temporary reduction applies when you transfer.

When does stamp duty apply?

Stamp duty is 0.5 percent of the registered sale price or appraised value, whichever is higher. It applies only when specific business tax does not apply, which in practice means most resales where the seller has held the property long enough. Stamp duty is normally the seller's cost by custom, but again it can be negotiated.

What is specific business tax and when does it hit?

Specific business tax (SBT) is 3.3 percent (3 percent plus a 10 percent local surcharge) of the sale price or appraised value, whichever is higher. It generally applies when a property is sold within five years of acquisition, or when the sale is treated as a commercial sale. There is an exemption commonly used when the seller has had their name in the house registration for the property for at least one year. When SBT applies, stamp duty does not. This is normally the seller's cost, but confirm the split in writing.

How does withholding tax work on a condo sale?

Withholding tax is collected at transfer and is always the seller's side of the ledger. If the seller is a company, it is 1 percent of the sale price or appraised value, whichever is higher. If the seller is an individual, it is calculated on a progressive scale based on the appraised value with deductions that grow the longer the property was held. As a buyer you do not pay withholding tax, but you should understand it because sellers price it into negotiations and sometimes try to shift it.

What does a worked example look like for a foreign buyer?

Take a resale condo agreed at 7,000,000 THB with an appraised value of 6,800,000 THB, sold by an individual who has owned it for eight years, with costs split by common custom. Approximate numbers, rounded, for illustration only:

• Transfer fee: 2 percent x 6,800,000 = 136,000 THB. Split 50/50, buyer pays 68,000 THB.
• Stamp duty: 0.5 percent x 7,000,000 = 35,000 THB, seller side (no SBT because held over five years).
• Withholding tax (individual seller, long hold): often in the low tens of thousands of baht on this size of appraised value, seller side.
• Buyer cash needed at the Land Office: roughly 68,000 THB plus small admin charges.
• Total transaction taxes and fees on the deal: roughly 180,000 to 220,000 THB across both sides.

What other costs should foreign buyers budget for?

Beyond the Land Office charges, budget for your own lawyer (a fixed fee for title search and contract review is money well spent), the one-time sinking fund for new buildings (charged per square meter by the developer), the first common area fees, utility meter deposits, and bank charges on the international transfer and currency conversion. If you buy off-plan, also check who pays which transfer costs, because developer contracts often allocate more to the buyer than a resale would.

• Sinking fund on new builds: commonly a few hundred to over a thousand baht per square meter, one time.
• Common fees: charged per square meter per month, often payable a year in advance at handover.
• FX spread and wire fees on the purchase funds: often 0.5 to 1.5 percent of the amount moved, plan for it.

Do these rates change?

Yes. Thailand has repeatedly adjusted transfer fees and related rates as property stimulus measures, sometimes with price caps and expiry dates. The standard rates above are the default when no temporary measure applies. Always verify the rates in force during the month you actually transfer, and have your lawyer compute the exact figures for your unit before you commit to a cost split.

Frequently asked questions