Thailand Property Transfer Taxes and Conveyancing Fees

When ownership of real property in Thailand is transferred, the Land Office may collect several taxes and government fees. Depending on the transaction, these may include the transfer fee, specific business tax, stamp duty and withholding tax. The applicable charges differ according to the type of property, the seller and the period of ownership.

Last updated: July 2026

Property transfer fee

The transfer fee is a government registration fee charged on the sale and transfer of ownership of real property in Thailand, including land, houses, land with a house and condominium units. It is collected by the local Land Office when the transfer of ownership is registered.

The standard transfer fee is imposed at the rate of 2% of the official appraised value of the property.

The official appraised value, also referred to as the government-assessed value, is determined under the official property valuation system used by the Land Department and the Treasury Department. It is used by the Land Office to calculate the transfer fee and certain taxes payable upon registration.

The official appraised value is not necessarily the same as the agreed purchase price. The registered sale price is the actual price declared by the buyer and seller in the transfer documents. In many transactions, the official appraised value is lower than the market price or the agreed sale price, although this is not always the case.

Current Government Incentives

Specific Business Tax

Specific Business Tax (SBT) is generally payable when the seller is a company (unless a statutory exemption applies), or when the seller is an individual who transfers the property within five years of the date of acquisition.

Specific Business Tax is calculated on the registered sale price or the official appraised value of the property, whichever is higher. The tax rate is 3%, plus a municipal tax of 10% of the Specific Business Tax, resulting in a total effective rate of 3.3%.

An individual seller is generally exempt from Specific Business Tax in the following situations:

• The property has been owned for more than five years.
• The property has been used as the seller's principal residence and the seller's name has appeared in the house registration (tabien baan) for at least one year after acquiring the property.
• The property is transferred to a legal heir or a beneficiary under a valid will.
• The property is transferred to a legitimate child (excluding an adopted child).
• The property is transferred without consideration to a government agency.
• The property is transferred without consideration to a temple, church or mosque, subject to the statutory land area limitations.
• The property was acquired by inheritance and qualifies for the applicable exemption under the Revenue Code.

Specific Business Tax is governed by the Thailand Revenue Code. See also the relevant provisions in the Thailand Revenue Code.

Stamp Duty

Stamp duty is charged at the rate of 0.5% of the registered sale price or the official appraised value of the property, whichever is higher.

Stamp duty and Specific Business Tax are mutually exclusive. Where Specific Business Tax is payable, stamp duty is not charged. If stamp duty has been paid in error where Specific Business Tax applies, the seller may claim a refund within six months from the date of payment.

Withholding Tax

Personal income withholding tax

When an individual sells real property in Thailand, withholding tax must be paid at the Land Office before the transfer of ownership is registered. This also applies to foreign owners selling a condominium unit or other real property in Thailand.

For individuals, withholding tax is calculated using a progressive tax calculation based on the official appraised value of the property. The calculation takes into account the period of ownership and allows certain deductions prescribed by the Revenue Code. The amount therefore varies from case to case.

Following registration of the transfer, the Land Office issues a withholding tax receipt. This receipt may be required by a commercial bank when transferring the sale proceeds abroad, particularly where the funds are remitted to the seller's overseas bank account.

Personal income Withholding Tax Calculator

Corporate withholding tax

Where the seller is a company, withholding tax is generally calculated at the rate of 1% of the registered sale price or the official appraised value of the property, whichever is higher.

Sample tax calculation

The following simplified example illustrates the taxes and government fees payable at the Land Office upon the transfer of a condominium unit with a sale value of THB 5,000,000, owned by an individual seller for three years. The example assumes that Specific Business Tax applies.

1. Transfer fee (2%): THB 100,000
2. Specific Business Tax (3.3%): THB 165,000
3. Personal income withholding tax (approximate): THB 100,000
4. Application and miscellaneous Land Office fees (approximate): THB 300

Total amount payable at the Land Office (approximate): THB 365,300

Capital gains tax on the sale of property

Thailand does not levy a separate capital gains tax on the sale of real property by individuals. Instead, any taxable gain forms part of the seller's ordinary income and is subject to the applicable provisions of the Thailand Revenue Code. The withholding tax collected by the Land Office at the time of registration is calculated under these rules.

Related: Thailand Revenue Code – Personal and Corporate Income Tax.

Inheritance and transfer of ownership

The transfer of ownership of real property by inheritance is subject to different rules than an ordinary sale. Thailand introduced an Inheritance Tax Act in 2016, although inheritance tax applies only in limited circumstances and generally only to inheritances exceeding the statutory exemption thresholds.

Where inherited real property is subsequently sold, the sale may be subject to the normal transfer fees and taxes applicable at the time of registration, including withholding tax and, where applicable, Specific Business Tax or stamp duty. Gifts of real property may also be subject to transfer fees, stamp duty or other taxes depending on the circumstances.

Who pays the taxes and transfer fees?

There is no general legal rule determining whether the buyer or the seller must pay the transfer fees and taxes arising from the sale of real property in Thailand. Unless otherwise prescribed by law, the allocation of these costs is a matter of agreement between the parties and should be clearly stated in the sale and purchase agreement. In practice the allocation of taxes and transfer fees is often determined by negotiations between the parties and local market practice.

The most common allocation is:

• Transfer fee: shared equally by buyer and seller.
• Specific Business Tax: paid by the seller.
• Stamp duty: paid by the seller (where applicable).
• Withholding tax: paid by the seller.

Annual property tax

Thailand now levies an annual Land and Buildings Tax under the Land and Buildings Tax Act B.E. 2562 (2019), which replaced the former Building and Land Tax Act and the Local Development Tax Act. The tax is administered by local authorities and the applicable rates depend on the type and use of the property, such as owner-occupied residential property, other residential property, commercial property or agricultural land.

For many owner-occupied residential properties, little or no annual tax is payable because of the statutory exemptions and low tax rates.

Links in this page

• Thailand tax laws (revenue code) 
• tax calculator (revenue department)
• inheritance tax in Thailand
• building and land tax