# Tax on rental income in Thailand for foreign owners

Source: https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/rental-income-and-tax
Updated: 2026-11-14
Publisher: Thailand Property Investor (Omnia Capital Group)

## The short answer

Rent from Thai property is Thai-source income and is taxable in Thailand wherever you live. If you are not a Thai tax resident, a payer in Thailand must withhold 15% of the rent. If you spend 180 days or more in Thailand in a calendar year you are a tax resident and pay progressive rates of 5% to 35% on the rent after a standard deduction of 30% for buildings. Since 1 January 2024 residents are also taxed on foreign income they bring into Thailand.

## Key points

- Rent from a Thai property is taxable in Thailand whether or not the owner lives there.
- Rent paid from Thailand to a non-resident owner is subject to 15% withholding under Section 50(3) of the Revenue Code.
- A person who spends 180 days or more in Thailand in a calendar year is a Thai tax resident for that year.
- Residents pay progressive personal income tax of up to 35% on rent, after a standard deduction of 30% for buildings or actual documented expenses.
- From 1 January 2024, a Thai tax resident is taxed on foreign-source income earned from that date when it is remitted to Thailand, in the same or a later year.
- A double taxation agreement normally stops the same rent being taxed twice in full, but it does not remove the Thai tax on Thai property.

Thailand taxes rent from Thai property at source. If you are not a Thai tax resident, 15% is withheld from rent paid to you from Thailand. If you are a resident, the rent goes on your annual return and is taxed at progressive rates after a standard deduction. Which of those applies depends on one count: the number of days you spend in the country in a calendar year.

## The residency test: 180 days

Section 41 of the Revenue Code treats anyone who stays in Thailand for a period or periods adding up to 180 days or more in a tax year as a resident. The tax year is the calendar year. The days are cumulative, the test is applied afresh each year, and your visa has no bearing on it. A [Long-Term Resident visa](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/visas/long-term-resident-visa) holder who spends 100 days in Thailand is a non-resident for tax. A tourist who spends 200 days is a resident. See [tax residency](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/glossary/tax-residency).

Residency changes two things. It moves your Thai rent from withholding to the progressive scale, and it brings foreign income that you remit to Thailand into the Thai tax net.

## Non-residents: 15% withholding

Rent is assessable income under Section 40(5) of the Revenue Code. Section 50(3) requires a payer in Thailand to withhold 15% when that income is paid to a person who is not resident. In practice the deduction is made by corporate tenants, hotel operators and rental managers, who then pay it to the Revenue Department and should give you a withholding certificate. See [withholding tax](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/glossary/withholding-tax).

Three points are often missed.

- The 15% is charged on the gross rent, before any expenses.
- If a private tenant pays you without deducting anything, the income has not become tax free. It remains Thai-source income that should be declared.
- Whether filing a Thai return then increases, reduces or simply confirms the bill depends on your figures. Take advice from a Thai tax adviser before treating the 15% as the end of the matter.

## Residents: the progressive scale

A resident adds rent to other assessable income on the annual return. For rent from a building the Revenue Department allows a standard deduction of 30%. Rent from land carries a lower standard deduction (20% for agricultural land, 15% for other land). You may claim actual, documented expenses instead. A personal allowance of THB 60,000 then applies, and the balance is taxed on this scale:

| Net income (THB) | Rate |
|---|---|
| 0 to 150,000 | Exempt |
| 150,001 to 300,000 | 5% |
| 300,001 to 500,000 | 10% |
| 500,001 to 750,000 | 15% |
| 750,001 to 1,000,000 | 20% |
| 1,000,001 to 2,000,000 | 25% |
| 2,000,001 to 5,000,000 | 30% |
| Over 5,000,000 | 35% |

### A worked example

Take a condominium let at THB 100,000 a month, or THB 1,200,000 a year, to an owner with no other Thai income.

| Step | Resident (THB) | Non-resident (THB) |
|---|---|---|
| Gross rent | 1,200,000 | 1,200,000 |
| Standard deduction, 30% | 360,000 | Not applied to withholding |
| Personal allowance | 60,000 | Not applied to withholding |
| Net income | 780,000 | |
| Tax | 71,000 | 180,000 withheld |
| Share of gross rent | 5.9% | 15% |

The resident's tax is THB 7,500 on the 5% band, THB 20,000 on the 10% band, THB 37,500 on the 15% band and THB 6,000 on the first THB 30,000 of the 20% band. The gap narrows as income rises: a resident with a large salary or several properties will find rent taxed at 25% to 35% at the margin.

Where the tenant is a Thai company, it withholds 5% from rent paid to a resident landlord, which is credited against the annual bill.

### Filing dates

The annual return is due by the end of March following the tax year. Rental income also triggers a half-year return, due by the end of September, covering the first six months. Put both dates in the diary when the first tenancy begins.


## The 2024 change: foreign income remitted by residents

Until the end of 2023, a Thai resident paid Thai tax on foreign income only if it was brought into Thailand in the year it was earned. Money remitted a year later escaped. That gap is now closed. A resident is taxed on foreign-source income earned in a tax year starting on or after 1 January 2024 when it is remitted to Thailand, wholly or partly, in the same year or any later one.

For a property buyer the consequences are practical.

- **Non-residents are not caught.** If you spend fewer than 180 days a year in Thailand, money you send to buy or maintain a property is not taxed by this rule.
- **Residents should plan remittances.** Rent from a house at home, dividends, pensions and gains earned from 2024 can be taxable in Thailand when brought in. Income earned before 2024 is outside the rule.
- **Keep the paper trail.** Bank statements that show when funds were earned are the evidence you will need. This sits alongside the foreign currency evidence required to register a freehold condominium, explained in [sending money to Thailand](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/sending-money-to-thailand).
- **Some visas may change the answer.** Check with the BOI whether your category of [Long-Term Resident visa](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/visas/long-term-resident-visa) carries any tax privilege.

The interaction between this rule and each treaty is still being worked through in practice. If you expect to be resident, take advice before the year in which you move, not after.

## Double taxation agreements in outline

Thailand has agreements with 61 jurisdictions. Three principles cover most property owners.

1. **Rent is taxed where the property is.** Treaties generally give the country where the land or building sits the first right to tax income from it. Your Thai rent stays taxable in Thailand.
2. **Your home country gives relief.** If you remain resident at home, you normally report the Thai rent there too and claim a credit for Thai tax paid, or an exemption, depending on the treaty and domestic law.
3. **A treaty decides residence when two countries claim you.** If both treat you as resident, the tie-breaker tests in the treaty settle which one prevails for treaty purposes.

A treaty does not reduce Thai tax on Thai rent to nil, and the detail differs country by country. Our pages for buyers from the [United Kingdom](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/buyers/united-kingdom), the [United States](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/buyers/united-states), [Australia](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/buyers/australia) and [Singapore](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/buyers/singapore) summarise each position. See also [double taxation agreement](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/glossary/double-taxation-agreement).

## Short lets and operator-run schemes

Tax follows the legal form of the letting. A lease of 30 days or more is ordinary rent. Nightly and weekly lets are accommodation services that need a [hotel licence](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/glossary/hotel-licence), and accommodation services attract 7% VAT once turnover passes THB 1.8 million a year. In a hotel-managed scheme the operator usually handles withholding and reports your share. Ask for the tax treatment in writing before you join. See [short-term rental rules](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/short-term-rental-rules) and [hotel-managed and rental pool schemes](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/hotel-managed-and-rental-pool-schemes).

## What tax does to your return

Income tax is one of several deductions between the advertised yield and the money you keep. On the worked example it takes 5.9% of the rent for a resident and 15% for a non-resident, before common-area fees, management and vacancy. [Rental yields in Thailand](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/rental-yields-in-thailand) puts the pieces together, and [property taxes and buying costs](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/property-taxes-and-buying-costs) covers land and building tax.

Thai tax practice changes and individual facts matter. These are the rules in force in November 2026. Take independent advice from a Thai tax adviser, and from one in your home country, before you rely on these figures.

## Questions

### I live abroad and let my Bangkok condominium. Do I owe Thai tax?

Yes. The rent is Thai-source income. If the tenant or managing agent pays you from Thailand, 15% should be withheld and paid to the Revenue Department. If nobody withholds, the income is still taxable and should be declared on a Thai return. Take advice from a Thai tax adviser on filing, because the withholding and the final liability are not always the same figure.

### How is the 180 days counted?

It is the total number of days you are present in Thailand in a calendar year, added together across all visits. It is not 180 days in a row and it has nothing to do with your visa type. A buyer who winters in Phuket for five months and returns for six weeks in summer will pass the test.

### Can I deduct my actual costs instead of the 30%?

Yes. For rent from a building you may claim the standard 30% without receipts, or your actual and necessary expenses if you can document them. The standard deduction is simpler and usually sufficient for a condominium. Mortgage interest, common-area fees and agent commissions only help if you choose the actual-expenses route and keep the evidence.

### Will I pay tax twice, in Thailand and at home?

Usually not in full. Thailand has double taxation agreements with 61 jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Germany, France and the United Arab Emirates. They typically allow Thailand to tax rent from Thai property and require your home country to give credit or exemption. You still report the income in both places if your home country taxes worldwide income.

### Does the 2024 rule tax the money I bring in to buy a property?

The rule taxes foreign-source income earned from 1 January 2024 that a Thai tax resident remits to Thailand. Income earned before 2024 is outside it, and non-residents are not affected. Whether a particular transfer is income or capital is a question of fact, so keep bank records that show the origin of the funds and take advice before remitting if you expect to be resident.

## Sources

- [Revenue Department, Revenue Code English text, Sections 41, 48 and 50](https://www.rd.go.th/english/37749.html)
- [Revenue Department, personal income tax guide (deductions for letting property, filing dates)](https://www.rd.go.th/english/6045.html)
- [PwC Thailand tax summary, taxes on personal income, reviewed 24 August 2026](https://taxsummaries.pwc.com/thailand/individual/taxes-on-personal-income)
- [PwC Thailand tax summary, individual residence, reviewed 24 August 2026](https://taxsummaries.pwc.com/thailand/individual/residence)
- [PwC Thailand tax summary, individual deductions and allowances, reviewed 24 August 2026](https://taxsummaries.pwc.com/thailand/individual/deductions)
- [PwC Thailand tax summary, withholding taxes and treaty list, reviewed 24 August 2026](https://taxsummaries.pwc.com/thailand/corporate/withholding-taxes)
- [Juslaws & Consult, tax treatment of rental and accommodation income](https://www.juslaws.com/articles/airbnb-in-thailand-legal-framework)