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Freehold or leasehold in Thailand: which to choose?
Answered by Sea Inside · checked 20.09.2026
Freehold is full ownership: the unit is registered to you indefinitely, and you can sell it, gift it or leave it to your heirs. Leasehold is a long lease, usually 30 years with a contractual right of renewal; it is how villas, land and units beyond the foreign quota are held. Freehold is more liquid and costs more; leasehold is cheaper, but a buyer from you inherits only the remaining term.
How they differ in practice
- Freehold is registered in your name at the Land Department, with no time limit, and inherited normally.
- Leasehold is a lease agreement registered at the same office. One registration runs for a maximum of 30 years; renewals are an obligation of the other party.
- On resale a freehold unit is worth more: the next buyer gets the property itself rather than the rest of a term.
When leasehold makes sense
- When the property is a villa or a house on land — there is no other route for a foreigner.
- When the foreign quota in a condominium is full and it is that particular unit you want.
- When your horizon is short: buy, let for a few years and exit.
What to look for in a lease
- How many renewals are written in, and who is obliged to provide them.
- What happens if the land changes hands or the developer goes under.
- Whether you may sublet and pass the lease to your heirs — this has to be stated explicitly.
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