Foreigner Condo Ownership - Is There A Minimum Floor Requirement?

[vpi78]

I came across (I hope you are allowed to cite other websites) the StickmanBangkok.com website and in his page on describing Living and Working in Bangkok he mentions a requirement that Foreigner-owned Condos must be no lower than the 4th Floor of a building. Disregarding there are obviously buildings with fewer than 4 floors, that doesn't make a lot of sense to me and I have never seen that rule in any other article or posting about Foreigner-ownership of Thailand real estate. I do understand the maximum 49% foreigner ownership quota in a development and this floor restriction is unrelated.

I have searched the Thaivisa.com website for postings related to this restriction/rule but have not found any. Does anyone know about this restriction?

I ask because I am considering buying a unit in what I suppose is classified as a low-rise (8 floors) building in which the unit I am considering is on the 2nd floor per US numbering which the UK would number as the 1st floor since it is directly above the ground floor. All of the units on this floor are residential; i.e., non-commercial.

I understand the ground floors of many Condo developments contain lobbies, commercial areas such as restaurants, etc., and that some upper floors often have facilities such as gyms, etc., still this rule/restriction, i.e., that Foreigner-ownership is not allowed below the 4th floor doesn't seem credible.

Any help is appreciated.

[alantheembalmer]

I hope this helps. I bought my condo in Bangkok 2 years ago, and I engaged the services of a top end law firm, who did all the legal work for me, and the buying of the property was very straight-forward. The condo itself is on the first residential level of the building, with the lobby and gym being underneath me, and there was never any issue with the floor level, and I can assure you that I went over any legal restrictions that may apply to foreigners very thoroughly with my Thai attorney. I hope this helps.

[glyph]

"StickmanBangkok.com website mentions a requirement that Foreigner-owned Condos must be no lower than the 4th Floor of a building."

There is no such requirement.

[vpi78]

Thanks Alan and Glyph.

I will follow-up of course and obtain legal advice and will provide feedback to the forum if I learn any differently.

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

Have a friend who lives in the same condo as us and is on the second floor, has a chanote so think that is a lot of BS.

[steveromagnino]

Stickman is the passion project of a Kiwi english teacher and the insane incoherent ravings of his posse of sex crazed followers.

I would not exactly consider it a bastion of information for anything. Even for the skin trade.

no such requirement.

There isnt' even a minimum floor height AFAIK to define what is a condo.

[quiksilva]

Correct the guy doesnt know what's he's talking about.

[glyph]

"Stickman is the passion project of a Kiwi english teacher and the insane incoherent ravings of his posse of sex crazed followers."

You have shown much more restraint than I would.

[steveromagnino]

"Stickman is the passion project of a Kiwi english teacher and the insane incoherent ravings of his posse of sex crazed followers."

You have shown much more restraint than I would.

indeed :-)

[thaihome]

I think this is a similar urban myth to Thai women married to foreigners cannot own land.

TH

[sfokevin]

I think the restriction to above the 4th floor was put into place insure the foreigner does not survive the fall....

[corkscrew]

Or, perhaps a fear that foreigners would buy the first four floors and and set up a toll booth that Thais on the upper floors would have to pass through.

[Gary A]

I own, in my own name, a third floor unit in a five floor building. Don't believe everything you read or hear.