We're not married, been living defacto for past 13 years in a very close loving relationship. We live in my Thai partner's home in rural Korat. She owns the land, and house, all in her name. She's never been married, doesn't have any children. She made a will a few years ago at the local amphur which states that her sister's 2 daughters will inherit her property.

She's nearly 60, I'm in my late 70s, so in all likelihood I'll pass away before her. But, in the event that she passed before me (which I hope to God doesn't happen) I would like to legally remain living in this house for as long as I so desired, which at my age would not be such a long time. I wouldn't want her family to turf me out so they can get their hands on the property, I know wills and inheritances can bring out the worse in some people.

So what is the easiest way for my partner to make some arrangement so that in the event of her passing before me, I can legally remain living in this house?

Have a usufruct placed on the chanote at the land office allowing you to stay as long as you live.

8 hours ago, donx said:

Have a usufruct placed on the chanote at the land office allowing you to stay as long as you live.

Yes, thank you, that's what we will do. However I believe that along with copies of all the supporting documents we have to prepare at statement with all the particulars and conditions. Is there template available for this? Or does the land office give you a form to fill with these details?

2 minutes ago, grain said:

Yes, thank you, that's what we will do. However I believe that along with copies of all the supporting documents we have to prepare at statement with all the particulars and conditions. Is there template available for this? Or does the land office give you a form to fill with these details?

Land offices we used (Udon & Prachuap) have fill in the blanks form, actaully in the computer. You simply need IDs, chanote, and done. Cost less than 100 THB.

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Land offices we used (Udon & Prachuap) have fill in the blanks form, actaully in the computer. You simply need IDs, chanote, and done. Cost less than 100 THB.

Well that's excellent new LA, I guess we'll make copies of our docs + originals, then go see the land office. We'll do it next week.

57 minutes ago, grain said:

Well that's excellent new LA, I guess we'll make copies of our docs + originals, then go see the land office. We'll do it next week.

2 version 'use' & 'use & modify', which I always got the latter. Some will give for life, or 10-20-30 yrs, location dependent. Take chanote & house 'blue' book, along with IDs.

You could probably get yellow book afterwards at amphur office if wanting, along with Pink ID while at amphur office, if wanting, as usually one desk down.

With yellow house book, you'll probably not need any Cert or Residence, or leases in the future.

5 hours ago, KhunLA said:

2 version 'use' & 'use & modify', which I always got the latter. Some will give for life, or 10-20-30 yrs, location dependent. Take chanote & house 'blue' book, along with IDs.

You could probably get yellow book afterwards at amphur office if wanting, along with Pink ID while at amphur office, if wanting, as usually one desk down.

With yellow house book, you'll probably not need any Cert or Residence, or leases in the future.

Cheers LA. We'll get this usufruct sorted and then I'll approach them about the yellow book & the pink ID. We did enquire about getting the yellow book at Pakthong Chai amphur a few years ago, but some woman there said we had to be married, she told us to go get married then come back. Anyway, that's BS because I know a few guys who aren't married and they have the book & card. But we'll leave that for another day. First the usufruct.

12 hours ago, grain said:

Yes, thank you, that's what we will do. However I believe that along with copies of all the supporting documents we have to prepare at statement with all the particulars and conditions. Is there template available for this? Or does the land office give you a form to fill with these details?

If you just want a very basic usufruct then I believe there is a standard land office form that can be used.

If you want to detail any conditions like what happens if you split up etc then suggest you get it drafted by a lawyer.

Make sure the usufruct is detailed and stipulates that the land owners can’t use the land for anything else while you’re living on it as there have been cases where the land owners have forced the foreigner off the land by constant harassment. In one case which I read about the land owners started camping on the land and making the foreigners life unbearable to the point where they packed up and left so definitely use a lawyer in this case

I have an usufruct that states it is for life. The Land Department did it in 5 minutes. If the wife dies, it might be a good idea to have a will making it clear who gets it after you die so as to avoid arguments.

I have gone through this process and all the advice you have been given is correct.

However it might vary from province to province in terms of the time taken to get it all done.

You have to be patient and polite and let your wife do all the talking and paperwork.

You can offer a donation in the end. For me it was 1K baht but not in cash.

I bought them A4 paper for photocopying.

I also needed the Head of the Village to attend to sign a document. He did it without wanting anything but my wife slipped him 500 in an envelope.

You should get everything, Usufruct ; pink ID ; and Yellow book.

11 hours ago, topt said:

If you just want a very basic usufruct then I believe there is a standard land office form that can be used.

If you want to detail any conditions like what happens if you split up etc then suggest you get it drafted by a lawyer.

1 hour ago, Skeety65 said:

Make sure the usufruct is detailed and stipulates that the land owners can’t use the land for anything else while you’re living on it as there have been cases where the land owners have forced the foreigner off the land by constant harassment. In one case which I read about the land owners started camping on the land and making the foreigners life unbearable to the point where they packed up and left so definitely use a lawyer in this case

Good point, I'll mention this to my wife. We're going to the land office next Tuesday and she'll see if she can get this point added. Actually I may not want to live in the house for all that long. We're living out in the boonies, nothing but ricefields. The only reason I'm here and not in Pattaya or Hua Hin or Koh Samui is because my wife is from here and I followed her here. If my wife died I probably wouldn't want to live here all alone for a very long time. But there again maybe I would. So I want to keep my options open. And if I decided to move away elsewhere I'd want time to try and sell off things I've bought and wouldn't want to carry around with me. I really hope the situation never arises.

5 minutes ago, Tazmo said:

I have gone through this process and all the advice you have been given is correct.

However it might vary from province to province in terms of the time taken to get it all done.

You have to be patient and polite and let your wife do all the talking and paperwork.

You can offer a donation in the end. For me it was 1K baht but not in cash.

I bought them A4 paper for photocopying.

I also needed the Head of the Village to attend to sign a document. He did it without wanting anything but my wife slipped him 500 in an envelope.

You should get everything, Usufruct ; pink ID ; and Yellow book.

Thanks for this info, all very useful. BTW: when you say "You should get everything, Usufruct ; pink ID ; and Yellow book." Does having the Usufruct make it easier to makde the yellow book & pink ID card?

Edited September 11Sep 11 by grain

1 hour ago, Tazmo said:

let your wife do all the talking and paperwork.

Not married

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

Not married

Correct, however, I refer to her as "my wife" as we've been in a defacto relationship for 13 years. I don't like using the term "partner" as that can suggest same-sex relationship. 😁

On 9/6/2026 at 3:56 AM, grain said:

We're not married, been living defacto for past 13 years in a very close loving relationship. We live in my Thai partner's home in rural Korat. She owns the land, and house, all in her name. She's never been married, doesn't have any children. She made a will a few years ago at the local amphur which states that her sister's 2 daughters will inherit her property.

She's nearly 60, I'm in my late 70s, so in all likelihood I'll pass away before her. But, in the event that she passed before me (which I hope to God doesn't happen) I would like to legally remain living in this house for as long as I so desired, which at my age would not be such a long time. I wouldn't want her family to turf me out so they can get their hands on the property, I know wills and inheritances can bring out the worse in some people.

So what is the easiest way for my partner to make some arrangement so that in the event of her passing before me, I can legally remain living in this house?

Advertisement

You can use an 'habitation right' to be eligible to live in the house...

https://www.samuiforsale.com/real-rights/habitation-property-rights.html

Usufruct is another possibility, but that is merely 'the right to harvest the fruits of the land'...

https://www.samuiforsale.com/real-rights/usufruct-property-rights.html

Both servitudes registered at land office can last for a period of 30 years or until your death. Always be aware of the risk of being worth more dead than alive, and also that an unwilling family can make one wish to move out, no matter what registered rights one has.

Edited September 11Sep 11 by khunPer
typo

7 hours ago, Srikcir said:

Not married

Neither am I, but I mean your ‘ common law wife’, she can do it if she is literate, or they might help her?

8 hours ago, grain said:

Thanks for this info, all very useful. BTW: when you say "You should get everything, Usufruct ; pink ID ; and Yellow book." Does having the Usufruct make it easier to makde the yellow book & pink ID card?

Well, the Usufruct is for free. So you can apply for this separately if it suits you

. But I was thinking if you wanted to get the other two, then it could save you making several visits.

24 minutes ago, Tazmo said:

Well, the Usufruct is for free. So you can apply for this separately if it suits you

. But I was thinking if you wanted to get the other two, then it could save you making several visits.

Can you clarify if having the usufruct makes it easier to get the pink id and yellow house book?

I am in process of making a will, and simarly looking at usufruct

Our home does not have chanote and my wife says this can be sorted at the district office. !!

She has blue book I have yellow and pink card

Can anyone clarify the usufruct re no chanote

Thanks

14 hours ago, jojothai said:

Can you clarify if having the usufruct makes it easier to get the pink id and yellow house book?

It — usufruct — got nothing to do with house book.

A house-book is an address registration for the people that lives in the house. Each house has one, it is blue and only for Thai citizens and people with an official permanent residency. However, you can get a yellow coloured house-book for registration of aliens. House-book registration is in the tessa ban-office where building permissions and house numbers are issued. You need permission from the owner, or the house master, to be obtained in a house book. Often the procedure includes two Thai witnesses, a neighbour and an official employee, certified translation of one's passport's name page to Thai, and an interview. When registered in a house book you can apply for a pink ID-card in the amphor-office, you will need a letter from the tessa ban-office, when you apply. The procedure — as often in Thailand — can be slightly different in different provinces; so, check with your local tessa ban-office, what they require.

17 hours ago, jojothai said:

Can you clarify if having the usufruct makes it easier to get the pink id and yellow house book?

For me it felt easier only because it was the same person who dealt with it all, albeit on separate occasions.

But obtaining the yellow house book and pink ID card was longer in that I had to wait for months and asked to see the Head in charge, after which I got them both soon after.

2 hours ago, Tazmo said:

For me it felt easier only because it was the same person who dealt with it all, albeit on separate occasions.

But obtaining the yellow house book and pink ID card was longer in that I had to wait for months and asked to see the Head in charge, after which I got them both soon after.

I would have thought that the usufruct would be issued by the land office and house books and pink ID card by a completely separate tessabaan (municipal) official - or do they multi task where you are?

9 hours ago, topt said:

I would have thought that the usufruct would be issued by the land office and house books and pink ID card by a completely separate tessabaan (municipal) official - or do they multi task where you are?

Yes, you’re absolutely right.

I am so sorry for the confusion, totally my mistake.

I had to verify with the Missus, memory lapse!

But good luck,

Thanks everyone for all the recent input. I'll report back next week after we go to the land office.

On 9/11/2026 at 10:52 AM, Tazmo said:

I have gone through this process and all the advice you have been given is correct.

However it might vary from province to province in terms of the time taken to get it all done.

You have to be patient and polite and let your wife do all the talking and paperwork.

You can offer a donation in the end. For me it was 1K baht but not in cash.

I bought them A4 paper for photocopying.

I also needed the Head of the Village to attend to sign a document. He did it without wanting anything but my wife slipped him 500 in an envelope.

You should get everything, Usufruct ; pink ID ; and Yellow book.

Any information on what the color of the envelope

should be ?

Well we spent most of yesterday sorting this usufruct. All done now, and pinned to the chanote. The whole process wasn't quite as fast and easy as I first expected and my wife/partner had to leave the land office 3 times to take documents to the nearby amphur to be certified then brought back. Also the head of the land office needed to interview us to see that all was as it should be. I had actually gone outside to a small restaurant across the road and wife phoned and called me back saying "there's a problem with the dues". I was perplexed and didn't know what she was on about but she said the land office told her Thailand was having a problem with "the Jews". So we were interviewed by the big boss man who said that Thailand has been having too many problems with foreigners like the Jews and Indians getting control of Thai property through dubious means, so it was his job to suss us out. Anyway, I assured him that I definitely wasn't Jewish, and our 13-year long relationship was very genuine, so we passed the test and all was finalized. The whole thing took around 5 hours and cost just over 100bt. I'm pleased with the outcome, and thanks again to everyone who gave advice and suggestions.

Edited September 17Sep 17 by grain

5 hours ago, Jim Blue said:

Any information on what the color of the envelope

should be ?

My partner spoke to the Head of the Department, saying she would like to make a donation at the end and he suggested getting some photocopying paper, which we did at the end.