New developments in Pattaya

Yes, freehold, within the foreign quota: foreigners together may own no more than 49% of the total saleable area of units in a building (it is counted by area, not by number of apartments). The purchase money must be brought into Thailand from abroad in foreign currency. Villas and houses on land are a different case - a foreigner cannot hold the land itself, so the ownership structure has to be agreed before booking.

Many developers price the same layout differently depending on the quota and give different payment schedules. Foreign quota units are usually more expensive and are limited, so ask the developer for written confirmation that the specific unit is in the foreign quota before you pay the booking fee.

It is a contractual schedule, not a law: a booking fee, a payment at signing the sale and purchase agreement, instalments during construction and the balance on transfer. Typical splits in Pattaya are 30/30/40 or 35/15/50 for the foreign quota. The exact schedule is an annex to the contract of the specific project.

Since early 2025 condo reservations in Thailand must use a standard form contract regulated by the Office of the Consumer Protection Board. The booking fee is not a deposit or a down payment; the buyer may cancel and get the money back within 15 days if the developer has not obtained permits, has not signed the sale agreement on time or changed the project without consent. Charging a fee for transferring a reservation is not allowed.

The transfer fee is 2% of the Land Office appraised value; who pays it is set by the contract and is often split 50/50. Specific business tax (3.3%) or stamp duty (0.5%) and withholding tax are normally paid by the seller. On top of that the buyer pays the one-off sinking fund and the first year of the maintenance fee. The reduced 0.01% transfer fee for units up to 7 million baht applies to Thai citizens only.

From abroad, in foreign currency, in the name of the buyer in the contract, with the purpose "purchase of a condominium unit". For amounts over USD 50,000 the bank issues a Foreign Exchange Transaction form; the original is needed at the Land Office.

The handover date and the consequences of delay (compensation, right to cancel) are set by the sale and purchase agreement of the specific project. Check that clause before booking and look at how the developer delivered its previous projects. On each project page we show whether the completion date is official or an agency estimate.

We look at the legal entity in the Thai DBD register (registration, capital, status and financial statements), whether the environmental impact assessment is approved rather than just filed, and how the developer delivered previous projects. Projects with unclear status are marked on their pages.