Thailand or Bali: where to buy property

Thailand and Bali are often shortlisted together by people who want a warm place to winter, a villa-style life or a rental asset in Southeast Asia. The legal logic is different in each. In Thailand a foreigner can own a condominium unit outright within a quota. On Bali a foreigner cannot hold freehold at all and uses a lease, a right of use or a company. This article compares them criterion by criterion. It is not a verdict: the right choice depends on what you want to own and for how long. Figures are as of October 2026 and mostly come from agency, law-firm and platform summaries, which we label as reported.

Ownership: condo quota or lease

Thailand: a foreigner can own a condo unit in their own name as long as foreign-owned area in the building stays within 49% of the total saleable area. The quota is per building and counted by area, and the purchase money must come from abroad in foreign currency (the bank form usually called the FET). Land cannot be owned. A villa is normally held on a registered lease of up to 30 years, and the longer renewals sellers mention are a contractual promise. Nominee structures are now an enforcement target after Ministry of Interior guidelines in August 2026. See Thailand condo foreign quota 49% and leasehold and land in Thailand.

Bali: freehold (Hak Milik) is reserved for Indonesian citizens. The lawful routes are Hak Sewa (a notarised lease, typically reported at 25 to 30 years, not registered as a title at the land office), Hak Pakai (a right of use registered in your name, for residential property, needing a residence permit and a minimum price) and a foreign-owned company (PT PMA), which is a business structure. Nominee arrangements are void in Indonesia and were reported to be criminalised in Bali in 2026. See Bali: Hak Pakai, leasehold or PT PMA.

The practical difference: a Thai condo is an owned, registered unit with a title deed; a Bali villa is usually a time-limited right whose value falls as the term runs down. Compare the price per remaining year, not the headline.

Prices

Thailand: 2026 portal data give a Bangkok median of about 125,000 baht per m2 and a Phuket median of about 135,000 to 140,000 baht, with Pattaya and Chiang Mai cheaper. Convert at the current rate before comparing.

Bali: agent and portal guides give Canggu at about IDR 36 million per m2, two-bedroom villas from about USD 248,000, and Ubud three-bedroom villas around USD 250,000. Uluwatu villas are listed from about USD 277,000. Hak Pakai needs a minimum price that sources put at roughly IDR 2 to 5 billion; ask a notary for the current decision. These are asking prices from a non-official source. See buying property in Bali and Thailand: prices, yield and rules.

Buying costs and ongoing costs

Thailand: transfer fee of 2% of the appraised value and either 3.3% specific business tax (individual selling within five years) or 0.5% stamp duty, split by negotiation. Add lawyer, agent and, in a condo, monthly common-area fees.

Bali: agent and law-firm ranges, not official tariffs: acquisition tax of 5% above a regional threshold (reportedly not applicable to a lease), notary and legal fees about 1% to 2.5%, and total closing costs often quoted at 10% to 20% of the price. Villas also carry staff, pool and garden costs.

Rental income and the licence problem

Thailand: the national average gross yield was about 6.5% in the first quarter of 2026. Phuket and Pattaya are quoted at 8% to 10%, but under the Hotel Act a stay of less than 30 days is a hotel business needing a licence, and condominiums generally cannot let short. Long lets in Bangkok give about 4% to 6% gross. See renting out property in Thailand.

Bali: seller material shows 10% to 15% gross, while platform data point lower: AirDNA about USD 15,600 a year at 48% occupancy, Airbtics about USD 22,700 at 66%. On a USD 300,000 villa that is roughly 5% to 7.5% gross, and about 3% to 3.5% after management, running costs and tax in our illustration. A tourist villa needs a business registration, a building permit and an operating certificate, and authorities ordered platforms to remove unlicensed listings. Rates and occupancy were reported down about 10% in 2026 with listings sharply up. A Hak Pakai house is described as residential use only. See villa rental management and tax in Bali.

Taxes on rent

Thailand taxes rent from Thai property: 15% is often withheld from non-resident owners and is creditable when you file, and a 30% standard deduction is reported. Staying 180 days or more makes you a Thai tax resident, and since 2024 residents' foreign income is taxed when brought in.

Bali: rental tax is reported at 10% final for tax residents and 20% for non-residents unless a treaty reduces it. We could not confirm the rates on an official page. In both cases your home country may tax the same income, so ask a tax adviser in your country of residence.

Visas and residence

Thailand: a purchase gives no residence right. Visa-free entry for about 60 countries became 30 days on 15 September 2026, so check your passport. Options include the five-year Destination Thailand Visa (500,000 baht in an account, up to 180 days per entry), retirement visas from 50, and the Long-Term Resident visa with a property route of USD 500,000 or USD 250,000. See Thailand visas for property buyers.

Bali: Hak Pakai needs a KITAS or KITAP residence permit. The Second Home Visa is reported at five to ten years with proof of funds of about IDR 2 billion (USD 130,000), no right to work, and an online application reported as unavailable. Russian citizens are reported to get a 30-day visa on arrival, extendable once, which is for tourism, not for a purchase. Confirm everything with the Immigration Directorate.

Banks, money and compliance

For Thailand, bring the money in foreign currency into a Thai account in your name. For Bali, pay from an account in your own name in the EU with the purpose stated; notaries and banks run identity and anti-money-laundering checks. Russian-speaking buyers should prepare source-of-funds documents in advance and use regulated banks. We did not verify mortgage availability for foreigners in either country; most buyers pay cash.

Who should choose which

• If you want to own a registered unit that you can resell as freehold, and you accept a condo, lean to Thailand.
• If you want a standalone villa, are comfortable with a lease whose value declines each year and will use a notary and independent lawyer, Bali can fit, ideally for personal use rather than a promised return.
• If rental income is the main goal, model net numbers: both markets show high gross yields that depend on short-let licences and crowded supply.
• If you plan to stay months a year, compare the visas first: Thailand has more tested long-stay categories, Bali requires a residence permit for Hak Pakai.

FAQ

Can a foreigner own a villa in Thailand or Bali? Not the land in either country. In Thailand you hold a lease or buy a condo; in Bali a lease, Hak Pakai or a company.

Which has the safer legal structure? Thailand's condo freehold is a registered title. Bali's lease depends on the contract and the owner's clean title, so use an independent notary.

Is Bali yield higher? Seller figures say so; platform data point to about 5% to 7.5% gross on a mid-priced villa and less net. Ask for two years of audited bookings.

Is a company a good idea? A PT PMA is a business structure, and Bali reportedly closed new foreign-investment permits in several categories in May 2026, so check the current rules first.

How we help

We are a trilingual platform that finds properties and coordinates independent local lawyers, notaries and tax advisers in both countries. Compare other pairs on the country comparison page and model costs with the calculators. This text is informational and is not legal, tax or investment advice; rules and prices change, so verify current conditions with the Thai Land Department (dol.go.th) or the Indonesian land authority (atrbpn.go.id) and your advisers.