The 2% transfer fee, stamp duty or 3.3% business tax, withholding on a sale, the 2026 fee cut that foreigners cannot use, FET proof for money in and out, handover costs and inheritance tax.
Most guides to Thai property tell you the price and the visa. The costs that surprise buyers come later: at the land office on the day of transfer, at handover of a new unit, every year as a property tax, and again when you sell. This article lists them in that order and says plainly where we could not confirm a figure. It is general information, not tax advice. Thai rates, thresholds and rules change, so check each item with the Land Department, the Revenue Department and a Thai tax adviser before you rely on it. Quota, leasehold and rental income are covered in our other Thailand guides, which we link below.
The costs on the day of transfer
When a resale condo or house changes hands at the Land Department, several charges can apply at once.
- Transfer fee. The standard fee is 2% of the value. Sources do not agree on the base: some say the Land Department appraised value only, others say the agreed price or the appraised value, whichever is higher. Ask the land office which it will use. It is usually split 50/50 between buyer and seller, but that is a custom and not a legal rule, so write the split into the sale and purchase agreement.
- Specific Business Tax (SBT) or stamp duty. These are alternatives, never both. SBT of 3.3% usually applies when the seller has owned the property for less than five years; stamp duty of 0.5% usually applies otherwise. Sources describe a house-registration exemption for a principal residence held for at least a year. The seller normally pays, but price negotiations often settle who bears it in practice.
- Withholding income tax on the seller's gain. For a company seller it is 1%. For an individual it is calculated on the appraised value after a deduction that depends on the years of ownership, taxed on a progressive scale; one guide says the first THB 150,000 is taxed at 5%, but that source dates from 2014 and the current schedule was not available to us. We therefore give no figure and no worked example. Sources also differ on whether the buyer or the seller remits it. Ask for the exact calculation before you sign.
As a buyer on a resale, the cost you should plan for is your half of the 2% transfer fee, plus anything you agree to carry for the seller. The seller's taxes drive the seller's price, so they matter to you in negotiation.
The 2026 fee cut that foreigners cannot use
In 2026 Thailand again cut Land Department fees on residential property. According to summaries of the Cabinet decision of 30 June 2026 and the Ministry of Interior notifications published on 1 July 2026, the transfer fee falls from 2% to 0.01% and the mortgage registration fee from 1% to 0.01%, for homes with a price or appraised value up to THB 7 million, until 30 June 2027. The condition that matters here: the buyer must be a Thai national who is a natural person. A foreign buyer does not qualify. The cut also covers only Land Department fees; withholding tax, SBT and stamp duty still apply. If a seller or agent quotes you a 0.01% fee, ask in writing whether it applies to you.
Money in and money out: the FET
A foreign buyer of a condominium must show that foreign currency at least equal to the price was brought into Thailand. The Department of Lands says this follows from section 19 of the Condominium Act. In practice the bank issues a foreign exchange transaction form (FET) or an equivalent credit advice when the transfer arrives with the purpose stated as buying the unit. Guides most often give USD 50,000 as the line below which a bank letter is used instead. Three practical points from guides:
- The beneficiary name on the transfer must match the buyer's name in the contract. A small difference can lead the land office to refuse the document.
- Newer banks may issue a document with a different name. Confirm with the receiving bank what it will give you.
- Keep the original. Agent and law-firm guides say the bank asks for it, with the sale contract, tax receipt and title deed copy, before sending sale proceeds abroad. We did not find a Bank of Thailand text that spells out the rules for repatriation, so confirm them with your Thai bank before you buy, not when you sell. See also our guide to the condo quota and the FET and to sending money abroad from Poland.
Buying new from a developer
Buying off-plan or a new unit changes the list.
- VAT. VAT of 7% usually applies to a new unit from a VAT-registered developer and is normally included in the advertised price. Some smaller developers quote prices without it, so ask whether the price includes VAT. One commercial source says a foreign buyer cannot reclaim it.
- Sinking fund. A one-off contribution to the building's reserve fund is usually due at transfer. Sources give very different ranges, from about THB 300 to 1,500 per square metre, depending on the building. The developer's transfer schedule states the figure.
- Advance common fees. Many new projects require one to three years of management fees to be paid at transfer. This is the cash item buyers most often forget to budget.
- Monthly common fee afterwards. Ranges of THB 20 to 200 per square metre per month appear, with 30 to 150 as the most common figure in one guide. The building tells you its actual rate, and unpaid fees carry surcharges and must be cleared before a resale.
Our off-plan guide explains the developer checks and the payment schedule.
Every year: land and building tax
Thailand's Land and Building Tax applies to condo units too. The Act sets a ceiling of 0.3% for residential use, with the actual rate set locally. A law-firm summary says an individual who owns the land and the home and is named in the house registration gets relief on the first THB 50 million of the tax base, and THB 10 million for an owner of only the building, but we could not confirm how this works for a foreign condo owner. We also did not find any confirmed change to assessed values in 2025 or 2026. Ask your juristic person or the local authority for your bill, and see rental tax and land and building tax.
When you sell, and when you inherit
When you sell, expect these items: the seller's share of the transfer fee, SBT or stamp duty, withholding income tax, any outstanding common fees, and the cost of getting the proceeds out of Thailand with your FET. Check the holding period before you list the property: selling just before five years pass can mean SBT instead of the lower stamp duty.
For inheritance, Thailand has had an inheritance tax since 1 February 2016. It applies to a legacy above THB 100 million received from one person, at 5% for ascendants and descendants and 10% for others. A spouse's legacy is exempt, and a return is due within 150 days (PwC Tax Summaries, February 2026). One adviser's note gives a different threshold for non-direct heirs, which does not match the other sources, so we do not use it. Most buyers will not come near the threshold, but the Thai land office, the will and the foreign inheritance rules at home still matter. See inheritance and gift tax on property abroad.
Tax at home
Selling Thai property is taxed where the property is, and your home country then decides how to relieve it under a double tax treaty. Staying in Thailand for 180 days or more can make you a Thai tax resident; see our visa article. For Polish tax residents, see tax on foreign rental income for Polish residents. Before a purchase, check the whole chain in the due-diligence checklist and the prices and yields guide.
FAQ
Who pays the transfer fee in Thailand? By custom it is split 50/50, but the law does not fix it. Write the split into the sale and purchase agreement.
Does the 0.01% fee apply to me as a foreigner? According to the 2026 summaries, no: the buyer must be a Thai national who is a natural person.
Do I need the FET when I sell? Agent and law-firm guides say the bank asks for the original when you send proceeds abroad. Keep it and ask your bank what it will require.
What this means for a normal buyer
- Budget for the 2% transfer fee on your side of the split, and agree the split in writing.
- Ignore any 0.01% fee quote: in 2026 it is for Thai natural persons.
- Keep the original FET and a copy of every tax receipt: you will need them when you sell.
- Add the sinking fund and advance common fees to the cash you need on handover day.
- Before you sell, check the holding period and ask for the withholding calculation in advance.
An independent buyer-side adviser can help you compare costs and bring in a Thai lawyer and tax adviser. D.H. Realting works from Warsaw as an independent consultant; ask us how we are paid, as you would ask anyone.