Buying land here works differently than back home — foreigners usually can’t own land outright, plots are measured in rai and wah instead of acres, and the title deed decides how safe the buy is. Here’s what to know, what every land listing should tell you, and a converter to turn any plot size into units you understand. Unbiased information, not legal advice.
Type any plot size in the unit it’s quoted in and see it in every other unit, plus the official Rai–Ngan–Wah figure that appears on a Thai title deed.
This is the part that surprises most buyers. Under Thai law, a foreigner generally cannot own land in their own name. What they can do is control it legally in a few ways: sign a registered long-term lease (commonly 30 years), own through a genuinely Thai-majority company, qualify for a Board of Investment or treaty exception, or buy land in a Thai spouse’s name. You can also own the house on the land while leasing the land underneath it. Paper-only “nominee” Thai shareholders are illegal, so any structure must be set up properly by a licensed Thai lawyer.
Not all land papers are equal. A Chanote (Nor Sor 4 Jor) is the gold standard — a true ownership deed with GPS-surveyed boundaries, the safest to buy. Nor Sor 3 Gor confirms the land but with a looser survey; Nor Sor 3 is weaker again; and possessory papers like Sor Kor 1 are not ownership and are risky. Wherever you can, buy Chanote land, and always check the real deed in person at the Land Office before any money moves.
Forget acres. Thailand measures land in rai, ngan and talang wah. One rai is 1,600 m² (about 0.4 acre), made of 4 ngan; one ngan is 400 m² (100 wah); and a talang wah is just 4 m². Deeds show size as a Rai–Ngan–Wah number like “2-1-50”. City land is often priced per wah, rural land per rai — so a “price per wah” can be hard to picture. The converter above fixes that: put in the size and compare like with like.
A serious land listing should answer all of these before you ever visit. These are the attributes BAANLYY tracks on land we’re asked to market:
Verify the deed and owner at the Land Office; confirm the surveyed boundaries match the deed; make sure there is legal road access (landlocked plots are common and a headache); read the zoning colour to learn what you may build; look for registered leases, mortgages or rights of way; and check flood history and whether mains power and water reach the plot. Use your own independent, licensed Thai lawyer — not one the seller hands you — for due diligence.
Tell us the deed, size and area and we’ll help you read it straight — no pressure, no paid placement.
General information and a self-input converter only — not legal, tax or financial advice. Foreign land-ownership rules are strict and structures must be set up by a licensed Thai lawyer. Always verify the title deed and surveyed area at the Land Office before committing funds. BAANLYY is an information and tools platform and never takes paid placement.