The Thailand property glossary.

The full land title deed issued by the Land Department, with surveyed boundaries. It is the strongest title, and the only one a buyer should normally accept.

A possessory right to land with mapped boundaries. It can be sold and mortgaged, and upgraded to a Chanote.

A weaker possessory right without an accurate survey. A transfer needs a 30-day public notice.

A notice of possession only. It gives no ownership right and cannot be validly transferred.

Under the Condominium Act, foreigners may own at most 49% of the total floor area of the units in one building. The quota is checked when the unit is registered, so confirm there is room for your unit before you pay.

How a foreigner holds a villa: a lease of the land registered at the Land Office, for at most 30 years. A lease over 3 years must be registered to be enforceable beyond 3 years, and renewals agreed in advance beyond 30 years were held void by the Supreme Court.

A registered right to use someone else's property and take its fruits, for up to 30 years or for life. It cannot be transferred and ends on the death of the holder.

A registered right to own a building on someone else's land, for up to 30 years or for a lifetime. It can be transferred and inherited unless the deed says otherwise.

A registered right over one plot for the benefit of another, such as access.

The local office of the Department of Lands, where every transfer, lease, usufruct and mortgage is registered and where the transfer fees and taxes are paid on the day.

The bank document, formerly called Tor Tor 3, proving that the money came from abroad in foreign currency. The Land Office needs it to register a condominium unit in a foreign name. Keep it: you will need it again when you sell.

A letter from the condominium's juristic person confirming that a unit can be registered to a foreigner within the quota.

The co-owners' legal entity that manages a condominium's common property and collects its fees, acting through a juristic person manager.

The juristic person's certificate that the seller owes no common fees, required before a condominium unit can be transferred.

A 3.3% tax on a sale within 5 years of acquisition, or by a company, charged on the higher of the price and the appraised value. When it applies, it replaces the 0.5% stamp duty.

The common area fee is the recurring charge paid to the juristic person for the upkeep of common property. The sinking fund is a one-off reserve payment that developers commonly collect at the first transfer; its amount is set per project.

1 rai = 4 ngan = 1,600 m²; 1 ngan = 100 square wah = 400 m²; 1 square wah = 4 m².

The blue house book (Tor Ror 14) records residence for Thais and permanent residents; the yellow book (Tor Ror 13) is the version for foreigners on a temporary stay, useful for ID, a driving licence and banking. Neither proves ownership.

A 10-year visa run by the Board of Investment. Its Wealthy Global Citizen category asks for US$1 million in assets and at least US$500,000 invested in Thailand, which can include Thai property.

The law requiring a licence for paid temporary accommodation. Stays charged monthly or longer fall outside it, and small places of up to 8 rooms and 30 guests notify the registrar instead of holding a licence.