1410-1416 Civil Law Right of Superficies

Thai Land Laws

Right of Superficies (part of Thailand property land laws) is a registered property right that separates ownership of the land and anything on or in the land (plantations and/or a structure). One person owns the land (cannot be a foreigner), another person owns everything on or in the land (can be a foreigner) but has no ownership rights in the land itself. In the French legal system superficies is called 'droit de superficie', in Germany 'Erbbaurecht' in the Netherlands 'recht van opstal'.

The superficies (สิทธิเหนือพื้นดิน) agreement in Thailand specifies the terms and conditions upon which the right of superficies is granted. A superficies is not complete until signed, witnessed and registered with the local branch or provincial land office where the land is located. By registration on the land title deed the right of superficies becomes a real right attached to the land, as opposed to a contractual right.

CHAPTER VI

SUPERFICIES

table of contents

ownership of a home in thailand

Buying a Thai Home
foreign ownership of a house

Foreigners cannot own land in Thailand but are allowed to lease land under a land lease agreement registered with the land department and own the structure built on leased land. Obtaining the correct legal ownership of the building upon the leased land greatly increases the land lessee's rights and long term interest in the property. The right to own a building upon another man's land however always relates to the right to use and possess the land, i.e the term of the land lease (and optional the term of an additional right of superficies).

Superficies

civil law legal term: the owner of a piece of land may create a right of superficies in favor of another person by giving him the right to own, upon or under the land, buildings, structures or plantations.