# Thailand property buying costs: taxes, fees, who pays

Source: https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/data/buying-costs
Updated: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Thailand Property Investor (Omnia Capital Group)

A foreign buyer of a new condominium from a developer in Thailand usually pays 1% to 2% of the registered value in government charges: the 2% transfer fee, shared or paid in full depending on the contract. Specific business tax at 3.3% and withholding tax are the developer's. A villa on a registered lease carries a 1.1% registration charge on the total rent instead.

| Stage | Charge | Rate | Charged on | Usually paid by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| At transfer | Transfer fee | 2% | Land Department appraised value | Split by contract, often shared equally |
| At transfer | Specific business tax | 3.3% | Higher of appraised value or price; applies when the seller is a developer or has held under five years | Seller |
| At transfer | Stamp duty | 0.5% | Only where specific business tax does not apply | Seller |
| At transfer | Withholding tax | 1% for a company | Sliding scale for individual sellers | Seller |
| At transfer | Lease registration | 1.1% | Total rent over the lease term (1% fee plus 0.1% stamp duty) | Split by contract |
| While you own | Land and building tax | 0.02% to 0.1% | Appraised value of residential property that is not your main home, rising in bands above THB 50 million | Owner |
| While you own | Withholding on rent | 15% | Rent paid from Thailand to a non-resident owner | Owner, deducted by the tenant or manager |

## Notes

- Statutory headline rates. Who pays the transfer fee is set by the sale contract; developers often pass half or all of it to the buyer, so read the contract before you compare prices.
- Condominiums also charge a one-off sinking fund and a monthly common-area fee per square metre. These are building charges, not taxes, and vary by project.

## Download and cite

- CSV: https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/data/downloads/buying-costs.csv
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- Licence: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
- Citation: Thailand Property Investor, "Thailand property buying costs: taxes, fees, who pays", updated 2026-11-12. https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/data/buying-costs

## Questions

### How much are closing costs when buying property in Thailand?

On a new condominium bought from a developer, usually 1% to 2% of the registered value in government charges, plus the building's sinking fund and your lawyer's fee. Run your own figures in the purchase cost calculator.

### Who pays specific business tax?

The seller, by default: a developer always, and an individual who has owned for under five years. Contracts can shift costs, so check yours.

## Sources

- [Tilleke & Gibbins: Land and Building Tax Act](https://www.tilleke.com/insights/new-land-and-building-tax-act-thailand)
- [Forvis Mazars Thailand, taxes on selling properties in Thailand (transfer fee, SBT, stamp duty, withholding tax method, lease registration)](https://forvismazars.com/th/en/content/download/554264/file/Thailand%20Property%20Taxes%20-%202014.pdf)
- [Siam Legal, Thailand property taxes](https://www.siam-legal.com/realestate/thailand-property-taxes.php)
- [PwC Thailand tax summary, corporate other taxes (specific business tax, land and building tax), reviewed 24 August 2026](https://taxsummaries.pwc.com/thailand/corporate/other-taxes)
- [Forvis Mazars Thailand, Land and Building Tax Act rates and exemptions](https://forvismazars.com/th/en/insights/doing-business-in-thailand/tax/new-land-and-building-tax-act-in-2019)
- [Tilleke & Gibbins, land and building tax rates maintained since 2020](https://www.tilleke.com/insights/no-change-for-thailands-land-and-building-tax-rates-for-2022/10/)
- [ThaiLawOnline, transfer and mortgage fee reduction to 0.01% for Thai buyers to 30 June 2027](https://www.thailawonline.com/th/thailand-condo-foreign-ownership-quota/)