Buying a House in Pattaya as a Foreigner: Why I'd Rent Instead

Can a foreigner own a house in Pattaya? Not the way most people mean it. Foreigners can't own land in Thailand. You can get ownership rights through a long lease, but freehold land is strictly off-limits. And after years in property here, my honest advice to anyone who wants a house rather than a condo is to rent.

Can a foreigner own land in Thailand?

No. Foreign ownership of land is prohibited. There are a few ways people try to work around it, and each comes with limits.

Owning the house but not the land. You can own a house in your own name, but not the land it's built on. That means whoever owns the land could, at any time, take it back and lock you out of your house.

Buying through a company. In the past, people bought land through a company. It can still be done with a genuinely trading company, but as a foreigner you can legally own only 49% of it, so you only ever hold a minority share of the land or property. The Thai shareholders have to be genuine, too: using nominees is illegal. If you go this way, have a Thai lawyer set it up properly.

How does a 30-year lease work?

A lease is actually very well protected in Thailand. You can take one for up to 30 years, and it's registered on the back of the title deed, known here as the Chanote. For those 30 years you have unrestricted use of the property. The lease can be inherited, and it can be transferred.

The catch is that it's only 30 years. You'll often hear about options to renew for a further 30, but I wouldn't count on them.

Can you buy a house in your Thai spouse's name?

Yes, that's fine, and it's one way of doing it. Usually, though, people would still set up a company so that there's something closer to a 50-50 share in the property.

If you're married to a Thai and you buy in their name, think hard about what happens if the marriage ends. When a Thai spouse buys land, both spouses have to confirm in writing at the Land Office that the money used is the Thai spouse's own personal property, which can leave you with little claim later. Get independent legal advice before you buy. Personally, I'd rent here too.

Why I recommend renting a house in Pattaya

I've always rented. (If it's a condo you're after, here's what I tell every condo renter.) If you want a house rather than a condo, renting avoids all of the ownership problems above. The only real downside is that you can't change the place much to suit yourself.

How much does it cost to rent a family house in Pattaya?

For a family home, you'd look in Jomtien, though most people live in East Pattaya. Roughly:

• With a pool: ฿40,000 to ฿50,000 a month.
• Without a pool: ฿30,000 to ฿40,000 a month.

For more on neighbourhoods, see the best area to live in Pattaya, and for what the rest of life here costs, Is Pattaya Expensive?

What's the biggest mistake foreigners make buying a house?

Getting bad advice, whether from an estate agent or sometimes even a lawyer. Then, years down the track, they find out the seller never really owned the property in the first place, or there was a debt against it, or what they thought was legitimate turned out not to be.

There are real risks. Get a second opinion, and don't assume that advice is sound just because it comes from a lawyer.

If you'd rather own something outright, a condo is the route the law allows foreigners. I've covered that in buying a condo in Pattaya as a foreigner. And if you're looking for a house to rent, East Coast Real Estate can show you what's available.