Land Code
Governs title documents, registration of rights and foreign land-holding restrictions.
Central Thailand — Bangkok
Land & Real Estate in Bangkok
Title due diligence, sale, lease and transfer at the Land Office
Why Bangkok matters are different
Bangkok concentrates the courts, central government departments, embassies and most corporate head offices in Thailand. A legal matter arising in Bangkok therefore usually touches several authorities at once — the court with territorial jurisdiction, the Department of Business Development, the district land offices, the Immigration Bureau and the Department of Consular Affairs. Sequencing the steps correctly from the start saves far more time than correcting them later.
End-to-end property legal work: title and encumbrance checks, drafting sale or lease agreements, attending the Land Office for transfer, and lawfully structuring foreign ownership.
- Bangkok cases require choosing the court by territorial jurisdiction — the defendant’s domicile or where the cause arose. Filing in the wrong court costs weeks.
- Documents for overseas use usually pass through the MFA and the relevant embassy, each with its own queue and requirements.
- Most companies are registered in Bangkok, so corporate searches and filings are typically faster here.
- Bangkok serves many foreign clients, so bilingual documents and interpreted appointments are routine.
Courts and authorities in Bangkok
Jurisdiction and filing requirements should be confirmed for each matter, because practice and required attachments differ between offices.
| Court / authority | What it handles |
|---|---|
| Civil Court, Criminal Court and Bangkok municipal courts | Hear civil and criminal cases according to territorial jurisdiction in Bangkok |
| Central Labour Court | Dismissal, severance and employment-contract disputes |
| Central Administrative Court | Challenges to state orders and administrative action |
| Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court | Trademark, copyright, patent and international trade cases |
| Central Bankruptcy Court | Bankruptcy and business rehabilitation |
| Legal Execution Department | Seizure, garnishment, auction and execution-stage mediation |
| Department of Business Development | Company registration and registered changes |
| Department of Consular Affairs, MFA | Legalisation of documents for overseas use |
| Immigration Bureau | Visas, extensions of stay and residence notification |
What we handle in Bangkok
- Title, servitude, mortgage and land-use restriction checks
- Drafting and reviewing sale and long-lease agreements
- Foreign condominium ownership and foreign quota
- Usufruct, habitation and other registrable rights
- Transfer at the Land Office and calculation of fees and taxes
- Land disputes, boundaries and survey issues
The local process, step by step
- 1Obtain the title deed and inspect the Land Office record
- 2Check encumbrances, zoning and legal access
- 3Draft the contract with safe deposit arrangements
- 4Schedule and complete the Land Office transfer
- 5Deliver title documents and summarise post-transfer tax duties
Documents to prepare
- Land title deed or condominium ownership certificate
- ID card, house registration or passport of the parties
- Marriage certificate or spousal consent where applicable
- Debt-free certificate from the condominium juristic person
- Foreign Exchange Transaction record for foreign condo buyers
Points to watch
- Foreigners generally cannot own land in Thailand; nominee company structures are unlawful.
- Never pay a deposit before verifying the title and encumbrances at the Land Office.
- Leases over three years must be registered or are enforceable for only three years.
Typical timeframe
Title due diligence usually takes a few business days; the Land Office transfer is generally completed in a single day when documents are complete.
Timeframes are indicative and depend on the court calendar and the authority handling the matter in Bangkok.
Areas of Bangkok we regularly serve
สาทรสีลมบางรักวัฒนาคลองเตยห้วยขวางจตุจักรลาดพร้าวบางนาพระโขนงดินแดงปทุมวันบางกะปิดอนเมืองมีนบุรี
Laws that govern this matter — Bangkok
Summarised for general understanding only. The application of each provision depends on the facts of your case.
Civil and Commercial Code
Covers sale, lease, hire-purchase, servitude, usufruct and mortgage.
Condominium Act B.E. 2522 (1979), as amended
Sets the foreign ownership quota in condominiums and the duties of the juristic person.
Example situations and how they are handled — Bangkok
These are constructed examples used to explain procedure. They are not client matters, and no outcome is implied or guaranteed.
Illustrative scenario: unclear access to the land
Situation: A buyer finds access crosses a neighbouring plot with no registered servitude.
Usual approach: Check the cadastral map and land office records before any deposit, and make registering a servitude a condition precedent. (Hypothetical.)
Advice for your specific situation — Bangkok
Buyers of land and houses
- Verify the title at the land office, not just the seller’s copy.
- State clearly in the contract who bears transfer fees and taxes.
Foreigners considering Thai property
- Foreign land ownership is tightly limited; nominee arrangements carry high legal risk.
- Long leases must be registered to bind beyond the statutory short term.
Every matter — what to do in the first 7 days
- Gather every original document in one place, keep scanned copies, and note the date you received each one.
- Write a dated timeline — the date you received a notice or learned of the event usually starts the limitation or appeal clock.
- Do not sign a settlement, debt acknowledgement or withdrawal before a lawyer reviews it — it may extinguish existing rights.
- Preserve digital evidence unaltered (full screenshots, original files, emails with headers) — edited files are easy to challenge.
Questions people in Bangkok ask
Which Bangkok court will hear my case?
It depends on the case type and territorial jurisdiction. General civil and criminal cases go to separate courts, while labour, administrative, IP and bankruptcy matters each have a specialised court. We verify jurisdiction from the parties’ domicile and the place of the events before filing.
I live upcountry but the case is in Bangkok — must I attend every hearing?
Not every hearing. With a proper appointment of counsel and power of attorney, your lawyer can act for you in many steps, but hearings where you must testify require your attendance. We tell you in advance which dates are mandatory.
Certifying a document in Bangkok for use abroad — what comes first?
Always start from the receiving authority’s requirement — it dictates whether you need signature certification, translation, MFA legalisation and embassy endorsement, and in what order. For Thailand, the Apostille Convention enters into force on 28 February 2027; until then MFA and embassy legalisation continues to apply.
Can a foreigner buy a condominium?
Yes, within the building’s foreign quota and with the required evidence of inbound foreign currency.
Must I attend the Land Office in person?
You may appoint us by power of attorney on the Land Department form, properly certified — and legalised if executed abroad.
Same service in other provinces
Land & Real Estate — Chiang MaiLand & Real Estate — PhuketLand & Real Estate — ChonburiLand & Real Estate — Khon KaenLand & Real Estate — Udon ThaniLand & Real Estate — Nakhon RatchasimaLand & Real Estate — SongkhlaLand & Real Estate — Surat ThaniLand & Real Estate — Chiang RaiLand & Real Estate — RayongLand & Real Estate — NonthaburiLand & Real Estate — nationwide
Other legal services in Bangkok
Litigation & Court Representation — BangkokCivil, criminal, labour, family, succession and land disputesCorporate & Commercial — BangkokIncorporation, contracts, foreign business, BOI and complianceImmigration & Foreign Nationals — BangkokVisas, work permits, residency and lawful statusIntellectual Property — BangkokTrademarks, copyright, patents and enforcementFamily & Succession — BangkokMarriage, divorce, custody, wills and estate administrationMediation, Arbitration & Enforcement — BangkokResolving disputes outside court and making awards effectiveNotarial Services & International Documents — BangkokSignature and document certification, translation, consular and embassy legalisationBOI Promotion & Foreign Business Licensing — BangkokStructuring foreign investment in Thailand correctly from day one.
Discuss your Bangkok matter with an attorney
Tell us the facts and we will explain which authority applies, what documents are needed and the realistic timeframe.