A foreigner can sell a Thai condo to anyone allowed to buy it, and the seller normally pays three things at the land office: specific business tax or stamp duty, and withholding income tax. Who pays the 2% transfer fee is agreed between buyer and seller, and the Bank of Thailand allows non-residents to take the proceeds of their investment home (rules as of October 2026).
The sale is registered at the same land office where you bought. Our guide to buying a condo as a foreigner has the full table of transfer-day charges and explains the foreign quota; this page covers only what changes when you are the one selling: which tax applies to you, how the withholding tax is worked out, and what to keep so the money can leave Thailand.
We explain the Department of Lands and Bank of Thailand rules as published. This is not legal, tax or financial advice. Use your own licensed Thai lawyer, not the buyer's or the agent's, and ask a Thai accountant how the sale fits your own tax position.
The seller's side of a condo sale (October 2026)
- Transfer fee
- 2% of the official appraised value; who pays is agreed in the contract
- Specific business tax
- 3.3% of the appraised value or the price, whichever is higher, if you sell within 5 years
- No business tax if
- Your name has been in the unit's house registration for at least 1 year, or you inherited the unit
- Stamp duty
- 0.5% (1 baht per 200 baht), only when business tax is not due
- Withholding tax
- Individuals: a formula based on years owned; companies: 1%
- Money out
- Repatriation of a non-resident's investment is freely allowed (Bank of Thailand)
Five years or the house book: business tax or stamp duty
The biggest single difference in what a seller pays is whether specific business tax (SBT) applies. The Department of Lands charges SBT of 3.3% when a property is sold within five years of the date you acquired it. It is calculated on the appraised value or the sale price, whichever is higher, so a low official valuation does not help you here.
There are two ways out. SBT is not due if your name has been in the house registration (tabien baan) for that unit for at least one year, and it is not due on inherited property. Foreigners living in Thailand on a temporary stay can be listed in the yellow house book (Tor Ror 13); our guide to the yellow house book explains how. Whether a yellow-book entry for your unit meets the one-year condition at your land office is a question for your lawyer before you rely on it.
When SBT is not due, the seller pays stamp duty instead: 0.5% of the amount in the sale. You never pay both. On a sale soon after purchase, the gap between 3.3% and 0.5% can decide whether selling now or waiting a few months makes sense, so check your acquisition date on the title deed before you agree a price.
How withholding tax is calculated for an individual seller
The land office collects income tax from the seller at the time of transfer. For a company seller it is simple: 1% of the price or the appraised value, whichever is higher. For an individual, the Department of Lands sets out a formula:
- Start from the official appraised value, not the price you agreed.
- Deduct a flat expense allowance that depends on how many years you have owned the unit (see the table).
- Divide the rest by the number of years owned (a part year counts as a full year, and no more than 10 years are used).
- Apply the personal income tax rates to that figure.
- Multiply the result by the number of years owned.
| Years owned | Flat expense deducted |
|---|---|
| 2 | 84% |
| 3 | 77% |
| 4 | 71% |
| 5 | 65% |
| 6 | 60% |
| 7 | 55% |
| 8 or more | 50% |
We have left out the one-year row: the Department of Lands page shows a figure that looks like a typing error, so ask the land office for the current rate if you sell within the first year. For property that was inherited or received as a gift, the withholding tax is capped at 20% of the sale price. Spreading the gain over the years owned keeps the rate low for long-held units, which is one reason the tax on an older unit is often modest.
Whether this withholding is the end of your Thai tax on the sale, or whether you should also include it in an annual return, depends on your situation. Our guide to filing a Thai tax return explains the forms; an accountant can tell you which choice applies. Your home country may also tax the gain, and if you live in Thailand for 180 days or more a year, our page on tax residency explains how Thailand treats income from abroad.
Who pays what: put it in the contract
The law fixes who owes the taxes, but not who pays the 2% transfer fee. In general practice the seller bears specific business tax or stamp duty and the withholding tax, and the fee is split however the parties agree: half each, all by the buyer or all by the seller.
Ask the land office for the appraised value first. Every figure on transfer day except SBT starts from the government's appraised value of your unit. With that number in hand you can work out the fee, the stamp duty or SBT and the withholding before you sign, and you can negotiate the split of the fee on real numbers.
Write the split into the sale contract in plain words, and make sure the contract names the price that will be declared at the land office. Before transfer day, settle any common-fee arrears with the building's juristic person; buyers' lawyers will ask for a letter confirming the fees are paid.
Selling to a foreigner or to a Thai buyer
A Thai buyer can buy any unit without reference to the foreign quota. A foreign buyer can only take a unit in foreign name if the building's foreign ownership stays within 49% of the floor area, and must bring the purchase money from abroad in foreign currency. Both conditions are checked at the land office on the day, as the buying guide explains.
For a seller this matters in two ways. If the building's foreign quota is close to full, a foreign buyer may not be able to register, so ask the juristic person how much quota remains before you accept a foreign buyer's deposit. And a foreign buyer's money must arrive properly documented, which can add days to the timetable. A Thai buyer avoids both points but may need a bank mortgage, which brings its own delays.
Agents, commission and protecting the deposit
Many owners sell through an agent. There is no official commission rate in Thailand; it is a matter for you and the agent, so agree the percentage, who pays it and when it is due in writing before the agent markets the unit. Agree also whether the agent has an exclusive mandate or not.
When a buyer pays a deposit, have your lawyer draft or check the deposit agreement: the amount, the transfer date and what happens if either side pulls out. The buying guide notes that escrow is not compulsory but can be agreed. Our scams guide is worth reading before you accept a buyer you have only met online.
Taking the money home
The Bank of Thailand says that repatriation of investments by non-residents is freely allowed. In practice, the bank that sends the money abroad wants to see that the funds came from a legitimate source, and the cleanest proof is the paper trail from your purchase: the Foreign Exchange Transaction Form or credit advice your Thai bank issued when your purchase money arrived, plus the title deed and the sale documents.
Lost your purchase FET? Sort it out before the sale. The Bank of Thailand page does not name a form that must be shown to send sale proceeds abroad, but banks may ask for proof that the money first came in from abroad. If you no longer have the bank's evidence from your purchase, ask the bank that received the money for a copy while you still own the unit.
Other points from the Bank of Thailand rules:
- Every foreign-exchange transaction with an authorized bank is reported, and at USD 200,000 or more the bank must ask for supporting documents.
- A non-resident may hold foreign-currency accounts in Thai banks without limit, or a Non-resident Baht Account, which can help if the buyer pays in baht. Our guide to opening a Thai bank account covers what branches ask for.
- Do not take the proceeds out as cash: carrying more than 50,000 baht in Thai banknotes out of Thailand is restricted (2 million baht to neighboring countries, Vietnam and Yunnan).
Ask your bank which documents it wants for the outward transfer and how long it takes before the transfer day, so the money does not sit in a Thai account longer than you planned. Our page on sending money to Thailand covers transfer services and fees in the other direction.
Selling a condo from an estate
When the owner has died, the unit passes under Thai succession rules, and the heir or a court-appointed administrator handles the sale. Two seller rules help an estate: specific business tax is not due on inherited property, and the withholding tax is capped at 20% of the sale price. A clear will makes the process much shorter; our guide to making a will in Thailand explains how to name the unit and an administrator, and our page on when someone dies in Thailand covers the first steps for the family. A foreign heir who wants to keep the unit rather than sell it still needs room in the foreign quota, so ask a lawyer early. Other guides for property owners and long-stay residents are collected on our living in Thailand hub.
Frequently asked questions
What taxes does a foreigner pay when selling a condo in Thailand?
Either specific business tax of 3.3% (if sold within five years and not in the house registration for a year) or stamp duty of 0.5%, plus withholding income tax worked out from the appraised value and years owned. The 2% transfer fee is split as agreed with the buyer.
Can I take the money out of Thailand after selling my condo?
Yes. The Bank of Thailand says repatriation of investment by non-residents is freely allowed. Keep the bank's evidence from when your purchase money came in, because the bank sending the money abroad may ask for proof of where the funds came from.
Does the seller or the buyer pay the 2% transfer fee?
The Department of Lands rules do not decide this. The buyer and seller agree it in the contract, and splitting it evenly is one common arrangement. The taxes, specific business tax or stamp duty and withholding tax, are the seller's.
Can I sell my condo to a Thai buyer?
Yes. A Thai buyer is not limited by the foreign quota and does not need to bring money from abroad. A foreign buyer can only register the unit if the building's foreign ownership stays within 49% of the floor area.
Do heirs pay specific business tax when selling an inherited condo?
No. The Department of Lands says specific business tax is not due on inherited property, and the withholding tax for inherited or gifted property is capped at 20% of the sale price. Stamp duty applies instead of business tax.
Sources
- Department of Lands – Fees, taxes and duties for land registration (Thai) (checked October 2026)
- Bank of Thailand – Exchange control regulations (checked October 2026)
- Board of Investment, One Start One Stop – Property law and exchange control summary (checked October 2026)