Buying a condo in Bangkok as a foreigner: what you can own, what it costs, and the steps.
// Short answer
Yes. A foreigner can own a Bangkok condo freehold, in their own name, as long as the building's foreign-owned area stays within 49% of its total unit area and the money arrives from abroad in foreign currency. A 1-bedroom near the BTS or MRT is listed for a median of ฿5.45 million (about $163,000). The land under the building cannot be owned.
Rules as of October 2026; prices are 2026 asking prices, not sale prices.
On this page
Can a foreigner buy a condo in Bangkok?
Yes, freehold. The Condominium Act lets foreigners own units as long as foreign ownership in the building stays within 49% of the total area of all its units (Section 19 bis). The title is a condominium unit deed in your own name. Land and houses are a different matter: a foreigner cannot own land.
Before a deposit, ask the building's juristic person for a dated letter showing the foreign-owned area against the 49% ceiling: the foreign quota letter. The statutory wording: Section 19 bis, the official text.
Sources
How much does a condo in Bangkok cost?
By median asking price near the BTS and MRT: ฿4.20 million for a studio, ฿5.45 million for a 1-bedroom and ฿8.24 million for a 2-bedroom. These are asking prices from 2026 listings, not sale prices.
| Unit | Median asking price | Median size | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | ฿4.20 million ($126,000) | 28 m² | 304 |
| 1 bedroom | ฿5.45 million ($163,000) | 36 m² | 3,728 |
| 2 bedrooms | ฿8.24 million ($247,000) | 61 m² | 1,165 |
A 1-bedroom's median runs from ฿3.80 million in Huai Khwang / Cultural Centre to ฿6.96 million in Asoke / Phrom Phong. By size, with the middle half of listings: Bangkok condo prices by size. Area by area, ranked: the best areas to buy in Bangkok. Dollars at the Bank of Thailand transfer buying rate of 30 September 2026, ฿33.39.
How does buying a Bangkok condo work, step by step?
Check the foreign quota, agree the price and sign the purchase agreement, send the money from abroad in foreign currency, then transfer at the Land Office, where the unit deed is registered in your name.
- Quota. A dated letter from the juristic person showing room under the 49%.
- Agreement. A reservation and a sale and purchase agreement that says who pays the transfer fee.
- Money in. The purchase money arrives from abroad in foreign currency, in your name, and the receiving bank issues the FET form (or a credit advice letter for transfers under USD 50,000): the FET guide. It is also what lets you send sale proceeds back out later.
- Debt-free letter. The juristic person confirms the seller owes no common fees.
- Land Office. Both sides register the transfer and the unit deed goes into your name.
What does it cost on top of the price?
At purchase, the 2% transfer fee on the registered value, often split between buyer and seller by agreement. Every year, the building's common-area fee and any sinking-fund calls. When you sell, the 2% fee again plus 3.3% Specific Business Tax within five years of buying, or 0.5% stamp duty after that, and a withholding tax.
Every line, with the rates: Bangkok condo buying costs. Common fees by city: Thailand condo maintenance fees.
How do you pick the right Bangkok condo?
Compare the unit's price per square metre with other units in the same building, check the quota and the building's fees, and think about who would buy it from you later.
Our Bangkok Condo Buyer's Guide names the buildings that pass these checks. If you are buying to live in it, the Home Shortlist picks five condos on your criteria and checks each one. If you are buying to let, the Custom Report ranks every listing in your budget: see a real report.
Free, before you sign
The Thailand condo breakdown
The 49% foreign-quota check, the full cost stack, and a worked case study of a unit I own in Chiang Mai. One email, instant download.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a foreigner buy a condo in Bangkok?
How much is a 1-bedroom condo in Bangkok?
Do I need to transfer the money from abroad?
Who pays the transfer fee in Bangkok?
Header photo: Sergei Gussev, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. All credits: image credits.