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SUWANVARA LAWFIRM
Suwanvara Law Firm Co., Ltd.
SUWANVARA LAWFIRM
SUWANVARA LAWFIRM
Suwanvara Law Firm Co., Ltd.
Surat Thani

Property Lawyer in Surat Thani for Foreigners — Condominiums, 30-Year Leases, Villas, Due Diligence

Foreigners can own freehold condominiums in Thailand (subject to the 49% per-building foreign quota), can hold a 30-year registered lease on land or villas, and can hold land via a properly structured Thai company — but each route has trade-offs that need to be explained before any deposit is paid. We act for foreign buyers across the full transaction: title search, off-plan contract review, escrow and deposit safeguards, transfer at the Land Office, and the post-completion paperwork (FET, tax, foreign-quota letter).

Scope of property lawyer for foreigners work in Surat Thani

  • Condominium freehold — foreign quota verification, FET (Foreign Exchange Transaction) compliance
  • 30-year registered leases on land or houses, with renewal option drafting
  • Villa purchase via lease + corporate ownership — risk-mapped structuring
  • Title due diligence — Chanote/NS3K/NS3 verification, encumbrance check, boundary survey
  • Sale-and-purchase agreement review and negotiation
  • Off-plan project review — developer financial health, escrow protections, completion guarantees
  • Land Office transfer attendance and FET letter preparation

Process

  1. 1Initial consultation — confirm ownership route fits your visa, tax, and exit plans
  2. 2Title search and physical site verification (we visit, not just photos)
  3. 3Contract review and negotiation — deposit safeguards, completion conditions, penalties
  4. 4FET coordination with your bank if buying a condo (funds must arrive as foreign currency)
  5. 5Land Office attendance on transfer day — translation, signing, tax payment
  6. 6Post-transfer: foreign-quota letter, household registration, ongoing common-area fees setup

Documents to prepare

  • •Passport (signed pages + valid visa pages)
  • •Existing title deed and any prior sale-purchase contract
  • •Seller's ID and household registration (we collect on your behalf)
  • •Proof of funds and FET-eligible bank transfer slips (for condo purchases)
  • •Power of attorney if you can't attend the transfer in person

About our team in Surat Thani

Surat Thani is the largest province in the upper South, combining a mainland oil-palm and rubber base with Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao — tourism and property markets with a large foreign buyer and operator population, substantial enough that Koh Samui has its own provincial court. The caseload splits into two worlds: agriculture and industry on the mainland, and property, visas, and hospitality on the islands.

Island work usually turns on landholding, long leases, and joint ventures with Thai partners — arrangements that are common but that frequently do not survive being tested in court. We establish first how far the existing structure is actually enforceable. The team works in Thai, English, and Chinese, runs the file from our Khon Kaen head office and Bangkok branch, and travels to appear at the Surat Thani and Koh Samui Provincial Courts.

Courts we appear at in Surat Thani

  • •Surat Thani Provincial Court
  • •Koh Samui Provincial Court
  • •Surat Thani Juvenile and Family Court
  • •Region 8 Labor Court (Phuket)

Mueang Surat Thani, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Phunphin, Chaiya, Wiang Sa, and the areas continuing into Chumphon, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Krabi

Related services in Surat Thani

All Surat Thani attorneys/criminal/civil/labor/family/business/tax

Contact our Surat Thani attorneys

We serve clients across Thailand. Initial consultation.

ContactWhatsApp+66 92 254 2045

Further reading — related guide

Real Estate Guide
Buying Property in Thailand as a Foreigner 2026: Condos, Land Leases & the Purchase Process

Can foreigners buy property in Thailand? A clear guide to lawful condominium freehold, long-term leases for land and villas, the purchase process and title due-diligence, taxes, inheritance, and pitfalls like nominee ownership. Written by a 40-year Thai law firm.

11 min read
Read the guide

Frequently asked questions — property lawyer for foreigners in Surat Thani

3 questions answered

It's a hard statutory limit, enforced at the Land Office. If the foreign quota is already full, you cannot register a foreign freehold — you'd take a long lease instead (often 30 years + renewal, structured at the same building). Always verify the foreign quota status with a current letter from the juristic person before paying any deposit. Buying without this letter is the most common foreign-buyer mistake we see.
You can own a house through a properly structured Thai company that holds the land, but the structure is scrutinised. The Land Office and Department of Business Development have, in recent years, increased checks on companies that appear to be set up primarily to hold land for foreigners. We will not set up a structure that depends on nominee Thai shareholders — that's an offence under the Foreign Business Act and the Land Code. We will set up legitimate, operating Thai companies where land ownership is incidental, and we will say no when a structure isn't lawful. Other firms may say yes; ask why.
A condominium can pass to your heirs by will, but if the heir is also foreign, they must qualify for the foreign quota or sell within a reasonable period (commonly understood as one year). A leasehold transfers only if the lease contract was specifically drafted to allow assignment on death — most aren't. We prepare or review Thai wills for foreign property owners as a standard add-on; doing this *before* the purchase saves disputes after.