Dr.Sopon Pornchokchai, President, Agency for Real Estate Affairs and FIABCI-Thai (Intenational Real Estate Federation, Thailand’s Chapter) had a news issue in the Nation Review on “Thailand urged to tighten rules on foreign condo ownership” on Friday, June 19, 2026 as follows:

• A real estate expert argues that Thailand’s rules for foreign condo buyers are too lenient compared with those in countries such as China, where stricter conditions apply, including residency requirements and limits on the number of units foreigners can buy.
• Current Thai policies are criticized for lacking a minimum purchase price, allowing foreigners to compete with locals for lower-cost units and encouraging property speculation rather than residential ownership.
• The low tax rates on property, rental income, and capital gains for foreign owners in Thailand are highlighted as a key area needing reform to align with international standards and protect local interests.
• Lax enforcement on short-term rentals and the potential for foreign-dominated buildings are raising concerns about negative impacts on the hotel sector and the creation of foreign enclaves.
   

Thailand’s consideration of an expanded foreign ownership quota for condominium units is being viewed as a possible measure to attract overseas investment, support the property sector and improve liquidity in a market still facing a slowdown.
 

However, the proposal carries both opportunities and risks that require careful assessment, particularly over Thai people’s access to housing, property speculation and the long-term implications of foreign ownership.
 

If the government moves ahead with a higher foreign ownership quota for condominium units, the policy should be accompanied by stricter, more transparent and more effective regulatory measures. The aim should be to balance investment promotion with the long-term interests of Thailand and Thai citizens.
 

Debate should move beyond “selling the nation”

Dr Sopon Pornchokchai, president of the Agency for Real Estate Affairs (AREA), argued that the debate should not be framed simply as “selling the nation”.
 

He noted that only a limited number of condominium projects in Thailand have reached the full 49% foreign ownership quota. Other rights-based property arrangements may also remain available and are often attractive to foreign buyers.
 

Sopon also pointed out that low-priced condominiums are generally not the main target for foreign buyers, while foreign purchases accounted for less than 20% of total condominium purchases last year. Thai buyers still make up the majority of the market, he argued.
 

Foreign condo ownership needs different conditions

Sopon argued that Thailand and China may have similar condominium structures in some respects, but the conditions applied to foreign buyers differ sharply.
 

In Thailand, foreign buyers face no residency requirement before purchasing a condominium. In practice, he argued, they can arrive in the country and buy almost immediately. 
 

China applies much stricter rules, with foreign buyers generally required to have lived in the country for around one to two years before becoming eligible to purchase property.
 

Price conditions also differ. Thailand does not impose a minimum purchase price for foreign condominium buyers.

AREA’s survey of foreign condominium purchases in Bangkok and surrounding provinces in 2025 found that 14% of units were priced at no more than 2 million baht, 26% were in the 2–3 million baht range, and another 26% were priced between 3 million and 5 million baht. This means about two-thirds of foreign purchases were priced at no more than 5 million baht.
 

By comparison, Sopon noted that condominium prices in major Chinese cities can reach around 200,000–300,000 baht per square metre, with typical minimum unit sizes of about 50–60 square metres. This means units bought by foreigners in China are likely to cost roughly 10–20 million baht or more.
 

He added that some other countries impose minimum purchase prices, such as Kuala Lumpur at around 16 million baht and Indonesia at around 10 million baht.

 

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