۩ A condominium may only be registered upon and built on “Chanote” title.

۩ When land was first registered by Thais the registration typically related to a possessors right known as “Sor Kor 1” although there are other rarer types of title from which “Chanote” can originate. The documents relating to this original right are the key to confirming the legality of the title and should be checked by your lawyer.

۩ “Nor Sor 3 Gor” and “Nor Sor 3” land can be bought and sold without the strict need to upgrade to “Chanote”. “Chanote” means that the land is absolutely defined in terms of boundaries and size.

۩ A conclusive title report and legal opinion that the title is clear should be issued before committing large sums of money to a purchase.

OWNERSHIP METHODS

There are two types of land tenure in Thailand: Leasehold or Freehold. There are many questions asked, as to which method is best and for both cases there are relevant arguments made. Since foreigners cannot own land outright, registered Leaseholds with appropriate extensions are equivalent to Freehold. Registered Leaseholds are safe, uncomplicated and easy to setup.

Leasehold titles grants the lessee ownership rights to property, agriculture or other products on, under or from the land, but does not grant ownership of the land. Leasehold titles are granted for a maximum period of thirty (30) years and an option may allow the lease to be renewed for an additional 30 years. The property can be used for only the purpose stated in the lease, and the lessee cannot sublease or alter the property without the lessor´s consent. The lessee cannot sell or transfer their interest without prior consent from the lessor. In order to be enforceable, any lease for a period longer than three (3) years must be registered at the Land Department, which involves payment of a registration fee and stamp duty based on a percentage of the rental fee for the whole lease term. The original registered lease remains in force and effect even if the property is sold. Both parties can contractually agree on renewals, but this right cannot be registered at the Land Department.

This type of lease has become popular among foreigners to own or buy property. A foreigner is allowed to own a building distinct from the land, which coupled together with a renewable registered thirty (30) year lease is regarded by many as being good as owning the freehold.

For those of you who are not comfortable with Leaseholds, the Freehold method of ownership means that the Thai company which you control owns the property.

A Freehold title is the most popular type of land ownership. Purchase a direct foreign freehold condominium. This would fall within a quota of 49% of the total area of the condominium units which are permitted under Thai law to be sold directly to foreigners without forming a company.

A Freehold title gives ownership rights to the land and the property on or under it. The title may be sold, given as a gift or inherited. Freehold land title can be sold at any time and the new ownership comes into effect when the transfer fee and stamp duty are paid to the Land Department. Unlike land leases, the ownership is permanent as long as the company exists and does not sell or transfer the land. Forming a company may make more sense for people seeking to hold land for long-term or investment purposes, to provide for their future heirs or for those contemplating doing business in Thailand. Also, with ownership, it is possible to mortgage the land and subdivide the land for resale. - setting up a company

For those who are worried about Thai companies and their legitimacy when investing in property should bear in mind that Thai companies, as in other jurisdictions, should be compliant in respect of the accounting, tax and legal rules of Thailand. This carries an annual fee which, in proportion to the typical value of investment, is nominal. Leases must be scrutinized for security of investment: termination provisions, assignment and transfer provisions (resale ability), enforceability of renewals. Inheritance issues should also be considered and the most reliable way of avoiding such issues is to own a lease in a company so that the shares in the company which owns the lease will pass to beneficiaries, as opposed to your beneficiaries being required to attempt to re-register a lease in their name. Foreign exchange transaction forms should be obtained from the recipient bank account when transferring funds to purchase or invest in property in Thailand. Additionally, records of transfer from the source country should be retained and all transfers marked as being for the purpose of “investment in Thailand”. Provided the correct taxes and regulatory requirements are adhered to, monies can later be taken out of Thailand.

CONTRACTS AND LEGAL STRUCTURES

Initially, you should be presented with a reservation contract. Provided the terms are fair and the seller reputable, a small deposit is reasonable to secure a property subject to refund in the event the title of the property is not clear or reasonable terms of purchase cannot be agreed. Risk averse buyers can simply await due diligence and the outcome of negotiation without securing their desired property if preferred. In a standard conveyance, most purchasers expect to see one sales contract which in a premium development would be accompanied by rules and regulations of an estate and perhaps a share purchase agreement to subscribe to shares in an owner-controlled management company.

However, in a purchase in Thailand, you may expect to receive these documents but perhaps some other contracts: in a lease purchase, you may receive an agreement to purchase shares in a central land owning Thai company: in a purchase involving offshore entities providing services to the estate in which you are buying, you may receive a share purchase agreement relating to shares in an offshore entity; in a condominium purchase, you may receive a set of rules referred to as the “Condominium Rules” which are prescribed by law which may supplement the rules relating to the common areas (landscaped gardens, clubhouse, play area) surrounding the condominium used by other types of owners in the project such as villa owners. You may be presented with a master agreement, which links all of your contracts together and stipulates a timeframe under which certain key events in your purchase, especially in an “off-plan” purchase, should occur: staged payments, transfer of shares, transfer of legal title, registration of lease. Sometimes a master agreement can assist, if drafted succinctly in providing a purchaser with a clear overview of the transaction. If a management company is appointed in the first instance by a developer or seller, you may be supplied with the relevant contracts.

The importance of these contracts long term can be extremely important in investment and residential property as rising costs of management can erode into your project rental income returns or your disposable income. Rental pool schemes can vary in complexity and so can the contracts reflecting terms. At the sales process, the rental pool income guarantee (if one is provided) should be compared with the provisions in the contract to assess whether there are any potential deductions from the rental income profit which have not been identified. Exclusive resorts may make their rental pool schemes exclusive for a period of time which begs the question, what happens after the term of management of the scheme expires? Finally, if you are buying into a special class of development such as a marina development, golf-course development or exclusive resort style development there should be a set of membership rules and terms supplementing your purchase contracts. If this is the key reason for your purchase and/or a significant factor in relation to potential re-sale, scrutiny of the terms such as assign ability, change of control of management, exclusion/termination provisions should be conducted.

CONSTRUCTION AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT

In relation to off-plan purchases of purchase involving construction whether contracting directly with the construction company through the seller or with the assistance of a project manager, review of the contractual relationship risk and remedies for breach is necessary. Points some readers will be familiar with equally apply in Thailand: