# Buying property in Thailand from Hong Kong

Source: https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/buyers/hong-kong
Updated: 2026-11-14
Publisher: Thailand Property Investor (Omnia Capital Group)

## The short answer

Hong Kong buyers can own a Thai condominium freehold in their own name, within the 49% foreign quota, and can hold a villa on a registered lease of up to 30 years. They cannot own land. Hong Kong passport holders enter visa-free for 30 days under a bilateral agreement, and buying property alone gives no right to stay. The price must be sent from abroad in foreign currency and documented by the Thai bank. Hong Kong taxes on a territorial basis, so the tax on Thai rent and gains is, in general, Thailand's.

## Key points

- Hong Kong buyers can own a condominium freehold but must lease, not own, the land under a villa.
- Hong Kong passport holders are admitted visa-free for 30 days under a bilateral agreement.
- Phuket is about three and a half hours from Hong Kong by direct flight, and Bangkok is closer.
- Hong Kong taxes on a territorial basis, so Thai rent and gains are generally taxed in Thailand only.
- Hong Kong is not on the list for the 10-year O-X retirement visa, but the other long-stay routes are open.

For a buyer in Hong Kong, Thailand offers two things the home market does not: space, and a freehold title. It is also close. Phuket is about three and a half hours away by direct flight, and Bangkok is nearer still.

## Why Hong Kong buyers choose Thailand, and where

The comparison with home is direct. Hong Kong property is, almost without exception, held on government leases. A Thai condominium bought within the foreign quota is freehold and registered in the buyer's own name. Transfers to foreign buyers by nationality are in our [foreign buyer data](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/data/foreign-buyers).

Where buyers from Hong Kong look:

- [Bangkok](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/areas/bangkok), for freehold condominiums on the mass transit lines, in [Sukhumvit](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/areas/bangkok/sukhumvit), [Sathorn and Silom](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/areas/bangkok/sathorn-silom) and along the [riverside](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/areas/bangkok/riverside).
- [Phuket](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/areas/phuket), for resort condominiums and leased villas, with direct flights.
- [Pattaya](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/areas/pattaya), for sea-view condominiums within reach of Bangkok's airports.
- [Chiang Mai](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/areas/chiang-mai), in the north, with direct flights from Hong Kong.

Our guide to [where to buy in Thailand](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/where-to-buy-in-thailand) compares them.

## Getting there

HK Express flies direct from Hong Kong to Phuket in about three and a half hours, and also to Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Cathay Pacific and other carriers operate on the Thai routes as well. Check the airlines' timetables for current operators and frequencies. See [flights and getting around](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/living/flights-and-getting-around).

## How long you can stay

Hong Kong is not on Thailand's general visa exemption list. Hong Kong passport holders are admitted under a separate bilateral agreement, which gives 30 days under the rules effective from 15 September 2026.

That covers viewing trips, the transfer at the Land Office and ordinary holiday use. Buying property alone gives no right to stay longer. For extended stays:

- The [Destination Thailand Visa](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/visas/destination-thailand-visa) gives 180 days per entry to remote workers.
- [Thailand Privilege](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/visas/thailand-privilege) is a paid membership of 5 to 20 years.
- The [retirement visa](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/visas/retirement-visa) is available from age 50, although not the 10-year O-X.
- The [Long-Term Resident visa](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/visas/long-term-resident-visa) can count a purchase of USD 500,000 or more in your own name.

## Moving the money

A foreign buyer of a freehold condominium must bring the price into Thailand as foreign currency.

1. Send Hong Kong dollars or US dollars from your own account to the Thai account named in the contract. Do not convert to baht before sending.
2. Give the purpose as the purchase of the specific unit.
3. The Thai bank converts the funds and issues a Foreign Exchange Transaction Form for each transfer worth USD 50,000 or more. Below that, it issues a letter confirming the inward transfer.
4. The Land Office asks for these at registration.

The name on the remittance should match the name going on the title. Where a spouse or a family company is paying, raise it with your lawyer before the first transfer, not at the Land Office. See [sending money to Thailand](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/sending-money-to-thailand).

## Tax in outline

Hong Kong taxes on a territorial basis. Its Inland Revenue Department taxes profits arising in or derived from Hong Kong, and treats profits from selling real property as taxable where the property is in Hong Kong. Rent and gains from a Thai property are therefore, in general, outside Hong Kong tax.

That leaves Thailand:

- Rent paid from Thailand to a non-resident owner has 15% withheld.
- On a sale, withholding tax and either specific business tax or stamp duty are collected at the Land Office.
- Land and building tax is charged annually on appraised value.

Hong Kong and Thailand signed a comprehensive double taxation agreement on 7 September 2005. It entered into force on 7 December 2005.

Two cautions. Buying and selling repeatedly as a business is a different matter from holding one home, in Hong Kong as elsewhere. And many Hong Kong residents remain taxable in another country by nationality or residence. Take advice, and read [rental income and tax](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/rental-income-and-tax) for the Thai side.

## A short buying checklist

1. Decide between a freehold condominium and a leasehold villa. Read [freehold vs leasehold](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/freehold-vs-leasehold).
2. For a condominium, obtain written confirmation that the unit is within the [foreign quota](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/condominium-foreign-quota).
3. Appoint an independent Thai lawyer and commission [title and due diligence checks](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/title-deeds-and-due-diligence).
4. If buying off-plan, read the [off-plan buying process](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/off-plan-buying-process) and check the developer's record.
5. Send foreign currency in the buyer's own name and keep the bank forms.
6. Budget for [property taxes and buying costs](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/property-taxes-and-buying-costs).
7. Decide how the property passes on death. See [inheritance and wills](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/inheritance-and-wills).

## Questions

### Does the visa exemption cover every Hong Kong resident?

The 30 days under the bilateral agreement attach to the Hong Kong passport. Residents who hold another passport are treated according to that nationality: British, Australian and Singapore passports, for example, are on Thailand's separate 30-day exemption list. Check the rule for the passport you travel on.

### Is a Thai condominium title like a Hong Kong flat?

It is a different kind of title. Hong Kong flats are held on government leases, while a Thai condominium unit bought within the foreign quota is freehold, with a title deed in the owner's name. Land and houses are different: a foreigner can only lease them, for up to 30 years.

### Do I pay Hong Kong stamp duty on a Thai purchase?

No. Hong Kong stamp duty applies to Hong Kong property. A Thai purchase bears Thai transfer costs, which are set out in our guide to property taxes and buying costs.

### Which long-stay visas can a Hong Kong passport holder use?

The Destination Thailand Visa, Thailand Privilege, the Non-Immigrant O and O-A retirement visas from age 50, and the Long-Term Resident visa. The O-X retirement visa is limited to 14 nationalities and Hong Kong is not among them.

## Sources

- [Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand: visa exemption schemes and bilateral agreements, effective 15 September 2026](https://image.mfa.go.th/mfa/0/TkZZJfspCP/Visa_Exemption_Scheme/PR-eng.pdf)
- [Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong: comprehensive double taxation agreements concluded](https://www.ird.gov.hk/eng/tax/dta_inc.htm)
- [Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong: territorial source principle of taxation](https://www.ird.gov.hk/eng/paf/bus_pft_tsp.htm)
- [HK Express: flights from Hong Kong to Phuket](https://www.hkexpress.com/en/Explore/Destinations/Phuket)
- [Siam Legal: foreign currency requirements for purchasing a condominium](https://www.siam-legal.com/thailand-law/foreign-currency-requirements-for-purchasing-a-condo/)
- [Siam Legal: Thailand approves end of 60-day visa-free stay (bilateral agreements listed)](https://siam-legal.com/travel-to-thailand/thailand-approves-end-of-60-day-visa-free-stay/)