Government Urged to Tighten Foreign Condo Ownership Rules

4 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

buyers in Thailand face no residency requirement before purchasing a condominium

But they do if they want to rent that property out, so speculation is hardly a concern, especially with the real estate in this country being ridiculously overpriced. This is just a massive pump and dump. Can't blame the Thais for trying.

4 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Additional concerns relate to property speculation and short-term rentals. Sopon said Thailand permits foreign buyers to purchase condominiums for investment and resale, while enforcement against illegal daily rentals remains weak

Seems this would be the source of the immediate complaints. You buy a condo for your personal use and next door becomes a full timer party air BnB.

28 minutes ago, JerryM said:

Seems this would be the source of the immediate complaints. You buy a condo for your personal use and next door becomes a full timer party air BnB.

That's a problem all over the west. Especially with the lower priced city center condos. Cities have tried to control the scourge by requiring registration of short term rentals, restrictions to certain months and 30+day rentals.

full timer party air BnB

Thai People occasionally rent hotel rooms for massively way too loud parties.

Never met anyone on AirBnB who does that.

I just meet people who work online or maybe tourists in town for a few days who don't want to stay in overpriced hotel rooms.

How is that a problem? It's not. The only people who HATE short term Airbnb rentals

Are the short term hotel owners who can't rip you off anymore.

Case in point 25 years ago you could get a hotel room for $1-8* good luck on finding anything less than $15-20 today

It's the same hotels they haven't remodeled the rooms, still run down.

Greed 👍

*I traveled all over Thailand, Laos, Cambodia 25 years ago never paid more than $8 for a hotel room TRUTH ✅

The people that push prices up in the real-estate market.

are the Thais. not the foriginer.

5 minutes ago, SiSePuede419 said:

Never met anyone on AirBnB who does that.

So Dr Sopon Pornchokchai, president of the Agency for Real Estate Affairs (AREA) got it wrong.

I would think not many condo projects have reached their 49% quota, I know of one high end project there is still 20% available and that's here in Phuket,

1 hour ago, SiSePuede419 said:

Never met anyone on AirBnB who does that.

Foreigners warned over condo rentals

PUBLISHED : 1 Mar 2025

The government has issued a warning to foreigners who buy condominium units and rent them out as hotels that they are violating Thai law, deputy government spokesman Anukul Prueksanusak said on Friday.

The warning comes after the authorities learned about many cases of Chinese nationals renting out their condominium rooms to tourists via Airbnb.

The move stems from complaints by residents at some condominiums, mainly in the Sukhumvit area, about constant annoyance, including loud noise, cannabis smoking and damage to common property caused by short-term occupants and visitors.

Mr Anukul said that foreign investors' acquisition of condominium units and their attempts to offer rooms for daily rentals via Airbnb without legal permits violated the Hotel Act 2004.

bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2970558/foreigners-warned-over-condo-rentals

44 minutes ago, JerryM said:

Foreigners warned over condo rentals

PUBLISHED : 1 Mar 2025

The government has issued a warning to foreigners who buy condominium units and rent them out as hotels that they are violating Thai law, deputy government spokesman Anukul Prueksanusak said on Friday.

The warning comes after the authorities learned about many cases of Chinese nationals renting out their condominium rooms to tourists via Airbnb.

The move stems from complaints by residents at some condominiums, mainly in the Sukhumvit area, about constant annoyance, including loud noise, cannabis smoking and damage to common property caused by short-term occupants and visitors.

Mr Anukul said that foreign investors' acquisition of condominium units and their attempts to offer rooms for daily rentals via Airbnb without legal permits violated the Hotel Act 2004.

bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2970558/foreigners-warned-over-condo-rentals

They should also warn Thais about buying condos and renting them out, some well known condo projects here in Phuket is mostly Thai owners, apparently it's crazy to live there, Weed City was described to me in one of them,

My wife owns a condo on Sukhumvit Soi 8, as with most of them along there have signs saying "No Airbnb"

They can raise the foreign quota to 100%........as there are already 350,000 empty units, it will have no effect for the foreseeable.

4 hours ago, flaming dragon said:

buyers in Thailand face no residency requirement before purchasing a condominium

But they do if they want to rent that property out

Do they really, since when?

You're claiming the foreigners, legally entering the country, whether tourists or for business purposes are prevented by law from owning a condominium/condominiums for renting out? Interesting new aspect of the law.

3 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

... 25 years ago you could get a hotel room for $1-8* good luck on finding anything less than $15-20 today

It's the same hotels they haven't remodeled the rooms, still run down.

Greed 👍

*I traveled all over Thailand, Laos, Cambodia 25 years ago never paid more than $8 for a hotel room TRUTH ✅

What is the relevance of "25 years ago" prices. Is there anything, anywhere, in the hospitality industry or elsewhere that has not increased in price in the last 25 years? What makes that "greed"?"

3 hours ago, ChipButty said:

I would think not many condo projects have reached their 49% quota, I know of one high end project there is still 20% available and that's here in Phuket,

Funny, that's exactly what the OP is about and exactly what it stated!

There is “unsold inventory” because of the greed of developers. Why should govt have any interest in bailing them out.

There are plenty of condos for “overseas investment” without any change whatever.

The fact is, developers expected to gouge buyers and that didn’t quite work out.

Thais can basically only afford shoeboxes. Not enough room to swing a cat. While short-time rooms are in short supply.

I am firmly of the belief that Thailand is for Thais. Allow more foreign ownership, you take it away from Thais. Foreign interests should be grateful for 49%.

We should compare ourselves to China!?!

Kick the farang out of the condos....No reason the farang can't live on the beach...

This will do wonders for Thailand becoming a foreign investment HUB..

I'm confused by the alleged remarks by Dr Sopon Pornchokchai, president of the Agency for Real Estate Affairs (AREA). He wants to relax foreign ownership quota, or restrict it further, (with his many references to how lenient Thailand is compared to China)? Also, not clear why China is an example that should be held up as a comparison.

The property market in Bangkok and Thailand generally is massively oversupplied, and by deduction, overpriced, if the developers want to move their inventory. (Officially over 400,000 units countrywide, 220,000 in Bangkok; others suggest considerably more.) Some of the developers are very rich, so holding on is not of a concern. But it should be. If a condo has many unsold properties, the cashflow needed to fund the running of the place is severely restricted, and they (the developers will not fund it indefintely; the property therefore loses its attractiveness, when facilities are not maintained, (a further argument for a significant price reduction).

Furthermore, the majority of Thais cannot afford any of these high end properties because of the huge income and wealth inequality; in all likelihood they were built for foreign ownership, (albeit only 49% availability).

Even Thais who want to buy a more modestly priced property, (say below THB5m), are not able to get bank financing, because of the very high household debt, which is 86-89% of GDP.

11 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

full timer party air BnB

Thai People occasionally rent hotel rooms for massively way too loud parties.

Never met anyone on AirBnB who does that.

I just meet people who work online or maybe tourists in town for a few days who don't want to stay in overpriced hotel rooms.

How is that a problem? It's not. The only people who HATE short term Airbnb rentals

Are the short term hotel owners who can't rip you off anymore.

Case in point 25 years ago you could get a hotel room for $1-8* good luck on finding anything less than $15-20 today

It's the same hotels they haven't remodeled the rooms, still run down.

Greed 👍

*I traveled all over Thailand, Laos, Cambodia 25 years ago never paid more than $8 for a hotel room TRUTH ✅

Lot of peope who own or rent in a building that min rental per HOA and Thai law is supposed to be 30 days or more do not want to live in a hotel. Then GREEDY owners and property managers rent them out from lobby offices and online daily. Next thing you know you are living in a hotel with all sorts of people coming and going with luggage piled everywhere, elevators working overtime with all the coming and going, loud obnoxious drunks and their "friends" in the hallways at night, rooms designed for two or three people with 4 or 6 or more people clogging pools walkways elevators etc.

No hotel owners are not the only people who HATE short term renters. Many people who buy or rent a condo long term expecting the condo to enforce the min rentals rules aslo HATE them. One of major condos in center of pattaya has big signs in elevators outlining law against rentals less than 90 days along with fine list 10000 baht etc. Meantime the juristic is right next to elevators and you would have to be stupid and blind not to see the daily parade of short term rental arrivals and departures. Zero attempt at enforcement. The lobby is full of rental agents renting short term. Security guards hand out keys to people who arrive after offices close. You can google on internet and there are the ads for alls sorts of daily rentals. Not real hard to find violators if they cared.

Meantime I suspect there are some envelopes going from greedy short term rental owners to juristic etc to allow them to RUIN the entire building for those rightly expected the rules to be enforced. Owners who used to rent for 20 k a month decided to go short term and often get 1500-2000 ++ baht a night by breaking the rules and law

I gave up in a building that was once a pleasant place with very few if any short term rental violations and over three years it turned into a short time hotel as greed and corruption ruined the entire building.

If owners want to rent daily then buy units that have hotel license, pay the taxes and quit driving up rents and sale prices for long term renters and owners.

10 hours ago, MIke B Bad said:

They can raise the foreign quota to 100%........as there are already 350,000 empty units, it will have no effect for the foreseeable.

So true Mike, they could almost give away condo's and there still would be an oversaturation in the condo market. And the builders still keep building in this market, really crazy. Buying a condo in Thailand is a terrible investment as the Thai's do not maintain their buildings and let them become slums.

On 6/21/2026 at 2:32 AM, Georgealbert said:

Thailand is facing renewed calls to tighten regulations governing foreign condominium ownership as the government considers raising the foreign ownership quota in condominium projects to attract overseas investment and support a property market still struggling with a slowdown.

Get today's headlines by email

The proposal is viewed as a way to improve liquidity in the real estate sector and help developers clear unsold inventory. However, concerns have emerged over housing affordability for Thai citizens, property speculation and the long-term impact of increased foreign ownership.

Dr Sopon Pornchokchai, president of the Agency for Real Estate Affairs (AREA), said the debate should move beyond claims that Thailand is “selling the nation”. He noted that only a limited number of condominium projects have reached the current 49% foreign ownership quota and that foreign buyers accounted for less than 20% of total condominium purchases last year.

Sopon argued that Thailand’s rules are considerably more lenient than those in China. Foreign buyers in Thailand face no residency requirement before purchasing a condominium, whereas China generally requires foreigners to have lived in the country for around one to two years before becoming eligible to buy property.

He also highlighted the absence of a minimum purchase price in Thailand. AREA’s survey of foreign condominium purchases in Bangkok and surrounding provinces in 2025 found that around two-thirds of units purchased by foreigners were priced at 5 million baht or less. By comparison, foreigners purchasing condominiums in major Chinese cities typically face costs of around 10-20 million baht or more due to higher property values and larger unit sizes.

The number of units foreigners can purchase has also come under scrutiny. Thailand allows foreign buyers to acquire multiple units provided the building remains within the legal foreign ownership quota, while China generally limits foreign buyers to a single unit. Sopon also raised concerns about nominee ownership structures and claimed that foreign owners already play a significant role in the management of some condominium projects in Bangkok, Pattaya and Hua Hin.

Additional concerns relate to property speculation and short-term rentals. Sopon said Thailand permits foreign buyers to purchase condominiums for investment and resale, while enforcement against illegal daily rentals remains weak. He warned that some buildings could become dominated by owners from a single nationality, potentially creating foreign enclaves and affecting the hotel sector if units are used as unlicensed accommodation.

Sopon also criticised Thailand’s low property tax burden on foreign owners. He said annual property taxes, rental income taxes and capital gains taxes are significantly lower than those imposed in China, making Thailand particularly attractive for investment-focused buyers seeking returns rather than permanent residence.

The Nation reported that the government has yet to decide whether to increase the foreign ownership quota. Sopon said any expansion should be accompanied by stricter, more transparent regulations to balance foreign investment with the long-term interests of Thailand and its citizens.

Picture courtesy of The Nation

Join the discussion?

Already a member?

Adapted by ASEAN Now Nation 21 June 2026

View full article

And the consequences if you want to compare Thailand with China?

Make Thailand part of China. Officially ❗. 🤣

Government regulation always distorts the market. In the case of condos in Thailand it means that Foreign Quota units will always sell for a higher price than units reserved for Thais and the lack of Thais purchasing condos means that foreigners are bearing the majority of the expenses while being limited to a minority of the property.

I agree that short term rentals are a problem that is exacerbated by the lack of enforcement of existing laws. It is blatant and obvious that it is going on and yet law enforcement is doing noting the curb it, making it de facto legal.

slowdown ?

let me explain my point of view... the cheap condos around me, went up 25-35% in a few months for exactly the same piece of crap...

agents brainrotting the owners to increase the price , so their commission also rises

results, very few to zero units sold

bargaining is impossible as a few agents control the whole market

it does not matter I even show them proof I paid 25-35% a few months ago for similar units

I know this local market very well as ... I own a lot of those condos.

they are all rented out in a short time after a tenant leaves

full timer party air BnB

Thai People occasionally rent hotel rooms for massively way too loud parties.

Never met anyone on AirBnB who does that.

I just meet people who work online or maybe tourists in town for a few days who don't want to stay in overpriced hotel rooms.

How is that a problem? It's not. The only people who HATE short term Airbnb rentals

Are the short term hotel owners who can't rip you off anymore.

Case in point 25 years ago you could get a hotel room for $1-8* good luck on finding anything less than $15-20 today

It's the same hotels they haven't remodeled the rooms, still run down.

Greed 👍

*I traveled all over Thailand, Laos, Cambodia 25 years ago never paid more than $8 for a hotel room TRUTH ✅

Part of the explanation for the price increase, is contained in your post. You paid no more than 8 dollars 25 years ago.

There has been inflation between then and now.

oh, are you aware of the 0.01% transfer fee of Thai to Thai owners

but farangs of course don't get discount ... still 2% even with a 50/50 split

Thai owners complaining about high FARANG transfer fees, while it was always 2%, but Thais get the discount ...

more xenophobia coming to you soon

They say you do not need residency to own a condo, so why does a foreigner who inherits a condo, but does not live in Thailand have to sell it within a year of inheritance?

My man. This is Thailand. This is Not China. While I agree that maybe a few changes need to be made but be careful what you wish for.

Foreigners stop buying condos, stop visiting Thailand as much, stop spending and sending money to Thailand and your economy is going to feel it.

12.8 % of GDP and 20% of National Employment depends on Tourism

How much Debt is Thailand willing to shoulder when you mess up the economy for years and over those years automation, competition and possibly higher trade prices really inflict some pain.

5 minutes ago, J Branche said:

My man. This is Thailand. This is Not China. While I agree that maybe a few changes need to be made but be careful what you wish for.

Foreigners stop buying condos, stop visiting Thailand as much, stop spending and sending money to Thailand and your economy is going to feel it.

12.8 % of GDP and 20% of National Employment depends on Tourism

How much Debt is Thailand willing to shoulder when you mess up the economy for years and over those years automation, competition and possibly higher trade prices really inflict some pain.

I question the GDP number. It does not take into account the "informal" economy. There are a lot of cash only transactions that never make it into the government statistics. I think the actual numbers for how much tourists bring into Thailand are much higher.

Quote

"However, concerns have emerged over housing affordability for Thai citizens,"

What incentives do Developers have to build some boring Affordable Housing Project?

Are there reduced tax rates for X years, loan assistance programs, reduced transfer costs/taxes.

Are you going to build a model replica and put it in the Malls for Thai's to see.

Can you set requirements on Affordable Housing that they are only available for Thai Citizens as they may be subsidized.

I can tell you one thing. With approximately 5,000 Condo's hitting the market in Pattaya over the next two years the Developers may have some concerns about some of these changes.

14 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said:

They say you do not need residency to own a condo, so why does a foreigner who inherits a condo, but does not live in Thailand have to sell it within a year of inheritance?

that same foreigner, needs to bring it, the exact amount of the value of that condo, if he wants to inherit it, so he just send his own money to get a condo, that belonged to his mom/dad and in fact, inherited nothing, because he can only repatriate that amount that he sent...

or am I wrong... someone please tell me

On 6/21/2026 at 2:32 AM, Georgealbert said:

Sopon argued that Thailand’s rules are considerably more lenient than those in China.

Umm...so what? If he were comparing Thai policies to those in a number of nearby countries, that might be of interest, but why the single-minded obsession with China?

They did this for certain condos in Pattaya and BKK after Tom yum kung, then 5 years later referred back to 49/51...leaving people only able to sell their foreign bought condos to Thais only until the 49/51 was achieved