Authored by the expert who managed and guided the team behind the Thailand Property Pack
Yes, the analysis of Bangkok's property market is included in our pack
When you buy property in Bangkok as a foreigner, the sticker price is never the full story because government fees, taxes, and professional services add a significant chunk on top.
This guide breaks down every cost you should expect in Bangkok in 2026, from transfer taxes at the Land Office to lawyer fees and ongoing ownership expenses.
We constantly update this blog post to reflect the latest rates and market conditions in Bangkok.
And if you're planning to buy a property in this place, you may want to download our pack covering the real estate market in Bangkok.
Overall, how much extra should I budget on top of the purchase price in Bangkok in 2026?
How much are total buyer closing costs in Bangkok in 2026?
As of early 2026, foreign buyers purchasing residential property in Bangkok should typically budget around 3% to 5% of the purchase price for total closing costs, which translates to roughly THB 300,000 to THB 500,000 (about $8,500 to $14,300 USD or €7,900 to €13,200 EUR) on a THB 10 million condo.
If you keep expenses to the bare legal minimum in Bangkok, the lowest possible closing cost budget is around 2% to 3% of the purchase price, which means approximately THB 200,000 to THB 300,000 ($5,700 to $8,500 USD or €5,300 to €7,900 EUR) on that same THB 10 million property.
On the high end, buyers in Bangkok should realistically plan for closing costs reaching 6% to 8% of the purchase price, or about THB 600,000 to THB 800,000 ($17,100 to $22,900 USD or €15,800 to €21,000 EUR), when accounting for shared taxes, stronger legal due diligence, and foreigner-specific paperwork.
The main factors that push your Bangkok closing costs toward the low or high end include how the transfer-day tax bill gets split with the seller, whether you need extensive document translations and notarization, and the complexity of your purchase structure such as freehold condo versus long lease.
What's the usual total % of fees and taxes over the purchase price in Bangkok?
The usual total percentage of fees and taxes over the purchase price for Bangkok residential property transactions typically falls between 2.5% and 6% of the official government-appraised value, not necessarily your negotiated contract price.
The realistic low-to-high percentage range that covers most standard Bangkok property transactions runs from about 2% for a very lean deal to around 8% when all possible fees and shared taxes are included.
Of that total percentage in Bangkok, government taxes and Land Office fees usually make up roughly 2% to 5.5%, while professional service fees like lawyers, translations, and valuations typically account for an additional 0.5% to 2%.
By the way, you will find much more detailed data in our property pack covering the real estate market in Bangkok.
What costs are always mandatory when buying in Bangkok in 2026?
As of early 2026, the mandatory costs when buying property in Bangkok include the Land Office transfer and registration fees, applicable transfer taxes such as the 2% transfer fee and either Specific Business Tax or stamp duty, and bank documentation charges if you are bringing foreign currency into Thailand.
Optional but highly recommended costs for Bangkok buyers include an independent lawyer for contract review and title verification, document translation services if you do not read Thai, and an independent property valuation to confirm you are paying a fair price.
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What taxes do I pay when buying a property in Bangkok in 2026?
What is the property transfer tax rate in Bangkok in 2026?
As of early 2026, the main property transfer tax in Bangkok is the transfer fee set at 2% of the government-appraised value, which is often shared or negotiated between buyer and seller.
There are no extra transfer taxes specifically for foreigners buying property in Bangkok, though foreign buyers face additional process costs like translations, interpreter support, and foreign exchange documentation fees from banks.
For most resale residential purchases in Bangkok, buyers typically do not pay VAT as a separate line item at the Land Office, though developers may embed VAT into new-build pricing rather than showing it as a transfer-day charge.
Buyers pay stamp duty in Bangkok at a rate of 0.5% when Specific Business Tax does not apply, meaning you pay one or the other depending on the seller's situation and holding period.
Are there tax exemptions or reduced rates for first-time buyers in Bangkok?
Thailand has periodically offered temporary reduced transfer and mortgage registration fees for certain buyer categories, but these programs typically target Thai citizens with price caps, so foreign first-time buyers in Bangkok should not count on exemptions unless a lawyer confirms eligibility.
If you buy property through a Thai company instead of as an individual in Bangkok, the tax mechanics can differ on the seller side, but you also introduce corporate compliance costs like accounting and annual filings that often outweigh any perceived transfer-day savings.
There is a practical tax difference between new-build and resale properties in Bangkok because developers often embed transfer costs into promotional packages, while resale transactions show the Land Office bill more visibly and make it more negotiable.
To qualify for any available exemptions in Bangkok, first-time buyers must typically provide documentation proving Thai citizenship, property value within program limits, and evidence of owner-occupation intent, which makes most programs unavailable to foreign purchasers.
We did some research and made this infographic to help you quickly compare rental yields of the major cities in Thailand versus those in neighboring countries. It provides a clear view of how this country positions itself as a real estate investment destination, which might interest you if you’re planning to invest there.
Which professional fees will I pay as a buyer in Bangkok in 2026?
How much does a notary or conveyancing lawyer cost in Bangkok in 2026?
As of early 2026, a conveyancing lawyer for a Bangkok property purchase typically costs between THB 30,000 and THB 120,000 ($850 to $3,400 USD or €790 to €3,150 EUR) depending on deal complexity, with straightforward condo purchases at the lower end and lease structures or complicated titles at the higher end.
Lawyer fees in Bangkok are typically charged as a flat rate for standard services rather than a percentage of the property price, though complex negotiations or extensive due diligence may increase the final bill.
Translation and interpreter services for foreign buyers in Bangkok generally cost THB 500 to THB 3,000 ($14 to $85 USD or €13 to €79 EUR) per document, with certified or sworn translations for official purposes running higher.
A tax advisor in Bangkok typically costs THB 10,000 to THB 40,000 ($285 to $1,140 USD or €260 to €1,050 EUR) for a basic consultation and filing guidance, and this service becomes essential if you plan to rent out your Bangkok property or have complex tax residency questions.
We have a whole part dedicated to these topics in our our real estate pack about Bangkok.
What's the typical real estate agent fee in Bangkok in 2026?
As of early 2026, the typical real estate agent fee in Bangkok residential sales is around 3% of the sale price, which on a THB 10 million condo equals roughly THB 300,000 ($8,500 USD or €7,900 EUR).
In Bangkok, the seller commonly pays the agent commission, and it is usually built into the listing price, meaning buyers do not typically pay a separate agent fee unless they engage a buyer's agent or encounter brokers who charge admin fees.
The realistic low-to-high range for agent fees in Bangkok runs from about 2% for straightforward deals to 5% or more on smaller transactions or specialized inventory where agents charge premium rates.
How much do legal checks cost (title, liens, permits) in Bangkok?
Legal checks including title search, liens verification, and permits review in Bangkok typically cost THB 10,000 to THB 40,000 ($285 to $1,140 USD or €260 to €1,050 EUR) when itemized separately, though many lawyers bundle these services into their overall fee.
A property valuation fee in Bangkok generally costs THB 5,000 to THB 20,000 ($140 to $570 USD or €130 to €530 EUR), with higher fees for complex properties or urgent turnaround requests.
The title and encumbrance check is the most critical legal verification in Bangkok that should never be skipped because it confirms the seller actually owns the property free of mortgages, disputes, or other claims that could derail your purchase.
Buying a property with hidden issues is something we mention in our list of risks and pitfalls people face when buying real estate in Bangkok.
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What hidden or surprise costs should I watch for in Bangkok right now?
What are the most common unexpected fees buyers discover in Bangkok?
The most common unexpected fees Bangkok buyers discover include the gap between the government-appraised value and the deal price affecting tax calculations, condo juristic person move-in charges and deposit top-ups, unpaid common area fees inherited from sellers, and translation or notarization costs for power of attorney if you cannot attend transfer day.
Yes, buyers in Bangkok can inherit unpaid property taxes or outstanding common fees if the seller has not cleared them, which is why your lawyer should always verify with the condo juristic person that there are no arrears before you complete the transfer.
Scams do occur in Bangkok real estate, particularly booking fees sent to personal accounts rather than company accounts, fake "Land Office fast-track fees," and sellers who lack true authority to sell the property, so always send money through traceable, contract-backed channels verified by your lawyer.
Fees usually not disclosed upfront by sellers or agents in Bangkok include juristic person admin charges and arrears, unit renovation compliance issues that become your problem after purchase, and short-term rental restrictions that can destroy your rental income plans.
In our property pack covering the property buying process in Bangkok, we go into details so you can avoid these pitfalls.
Are there extra fees if the property has a tenant in Bangkok?
If the Bangkok property you are buying has a tenant, expect extra costs of THB 10,000 to THB 50,000 ($285 to $1,430 USD or €260 to €1,300 EUR) or more for lease translation, contract handover, deposit transfer mechanics, and potential legal fees if the tenant situation becomes complicated.
When purchasing a tenanted property in Bangkok, the buyer inherits the existing lease agreement and must honor its terms until expiration, which means you become the new landlord with all the legal obligations that entails.
Terminating an existing lease immediately after purchase in Bangkok is generally not possible unless the lease contains an early termination clause or the tenant agrees to leave voluntarily, so review the lease carefully before you commit to buying.
A sitting tenant typically affects a Bangkok property's market value by reducing buyer demand, but it can also create negotiating leverage for you to secure a lower purchase price, especially if the tenant has a long remaining lease term.
If you want to optimize your rental strategy, you can read our complete guide on how to buy and rent out in Bangkok.
We have made this infographic to give you a quick and clear snapshot of the property market in Thailand. It highlights key facts like rental prices, yields, and property costs both in city centers and outside, so you can easily compare opportunities. We’ve done some research and also included useful insights about the country’s economy, like GDP, population, and interest rates, to help you understand the bigger picture.
Which fees are negotiable, and who really pays what in Bangkok?
Which closing costs are negotiable in Bangkok right now?
The most negotiable closing costs in Bangkok include who pays the 2% transfer fee, how to split Specific Business Tax or stamp duty impact, agent commission adjustments, and developer promotional packages on new-builds that may subsidize transfer-day expenses.
Closing costs fixed by law or regulation in Bangkok that cannot be negotiated include the actual tax and fee rates themselves, such as the 2% transfer fee rate and the 3.3% SBT rate, though you can negotiate who bears the cost burden.
Buyers in Bangkok can typically achieve a 20% to 50% reduction in their share of negotiable fees by successfully pushing for seller-pays-all arrangements or 50/50 splits instead of paying everything themselves.
Can I ask the seller to cover some closing costs in Bangkok?
Yes, asking sellers to cover closing costs is common and often successful in Bangkok, especially in the current condo market where supply is heavy and sellers need to attract buyers.
Sellers in Bangkok are most commonly willing to cover the seller-side taxes like Specific Business Tax, their half of the transfer fee in a 50/50 arrangement, and clearing any outstanding juristic person fees or common area arrears before transfer.
Sellers are more likely to accept covering closing costs in Bangkok when the property has been listed for a long time, when the building has high competing inventory, during market downturns, or when developers run promotional campaigns on new-build units.
Is price bargaining common in Bangkok in 2026?
As of early 2026, price bargaining is very common in Bangkok real estate, especially for condos where supply exceeds demand and developers offer promotional incentives to move inventory.
Buyers in Bangkok typically negotiate 3% to 8% below the asking price on resale condos, which means THB 300,000 to THB 800,000 ($8,500 to $22,900 USD or €7,900 to €21,000 EUR) off a THB 10 million listing, with even larger discounts possible on stale listings or buildings with high vacancy.
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What monthly, quarterly or annual costs will I pay as an owner in Bangkok?
What's the realistic monthly owner budget in Bangkok right now?
A realistic monthly owner budget for a Bangkok condo ranges from THB 4,000 to THB 15,000 ($115 to $430 USD or €105 to €395 EUR) depending on size and building quality, covering maintenance fees, utilities, and insurance contributions.
The main recurring expense categories in your Bangkok monthly budget include common area maintenance fees charged per square meter, electricity, water, internet, and periodic sinking fund or special assessment contributions.
The realistic low-to-high range for monthly owner costs in Bangkok runs from about THB 3,000 ($85 USD or €79 EUR) for a small unit in a basic building to THB 25,000 ($715 USD or €660 EUR) or more for a large unit in a luxury tower with premium amenities.
The monthly cost that varies most in Bangkok is electricity because air conditioning usage differs dramatically between owners, with heavy AC users paying several times more than those who use it sparingly.
You can see how this budget affect your gross and rental yields in Bangkok here.
What is the annual property tax amount in Bangkok in 2026?
As of early 2026, the annual property tax in Bangkok under the Land and Buildings Tax ranges from effectively zero for owner-occupied primary residences below certain value thresholds to a small percentage of assessed value for additional properties or rental units.
The realistic low-to-high range for annual property taxes in Bangkok runs from THB 0 for many owner-occupied condos to THB 5,000 to THB 50,000 ($140 to $1,430 USD or €130 to €1,300 EUR) or more for higher-value properties classified as non-primary residences or rental investments.
Property tax in Bangkok is calculated based on the official government-assessed value of your property multiplied by rates that vary according to usage classification, with owner-occupied, vacant, and rental properties taxed at different rates.
Exemptions and reductions in Bangkok exist for owner-occupied primary residences below certain value ceilings, and some categories of agricultural land also receive preferential treatment under the Land and Buildings Tax Act.
We created this infographic to give you a simple idea of how much it costs to buy property in different parts of Thailand. As you can see, it breaks down price ranges and property types for popular cities in the country. We hope this makes it easier to explore your options and understand the market.
If I rent it out, what extra taxes and fees apply in Bangkok in 2026?
What tax rate applies to rental income in Bangkok in 2026?
As of early 2026, rental income in Bangkok is taxed under Thailand's progressive personal income tax system at rates from 0% to 35% depending on your total income and tax residency status.
Yes, landlords in Bangkok can deduct expenses from rental income taxes, either by claiming a standard deduction of 30% of gross rent or by documenting actual expenses like repairs, maintenance, and management fees if those exceed the standard allowance.
The realistic effective tax rate after deductions for typical Bangkok landlords ranges from about 10% to 25% of net rental profit for tax residents, depending on their total income bracket and deduction strategy.
Foreign property owners who are non-residents of Thailand often face withholding-style treatment on Bangkok rental income, with a conservative planning estimate of around 15% of gross rent until a tax professional confirms their exact filing position.
Do I pay tax on short-term rentals in Bangkok in 2026?
As of early 2026, short-term rental income in Bangkok is taxable under the same personal income tax rules as long-term rental income, meaning you must report and pay tax on Airbnb or similar platform earnings.
Short-term rental income is not taxed differently than long-term rental income in Bangkok from a pure income tax perspective, but short-term rentals under 30 days can trigger Hotel Act licensing requirements that create additional compliance costs and legal risks if you operate without proper permits.
If you want to optimize your rental strategy, you can read our complete guide on how to buy and rent out in Bangkok.
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If I sell later, what taxes and fees will I pay in Bangkok in 2026?
What's the total cost of selling as a % of price in Bangkok in 2026?
As of early 2026, the total cost of selling a residential property in Bangkok typically ranges from 5% to 10% of the sale price or government-appraised value, depending on your holding period, tax situation, and agent commission.
The realistic low-to-high percentage range for total selling costs in Bangkok runs from about 4% if you avoid SBT and negotiate agent fees to around 12% or more in high-tax scenarios with full agent commission.
The specific cost categories that make up your Bangkok selling total include Specific Business Tax at 3.3% or stamp duty at 0.5%, withholding income tax based on assessed value and holding period, agent commission around 3%, and minor legal or document fees.
The single largest contributor to selling expenses in Bangkok is usually the agent commission at around 3% of the sale price, followed closely by Specific Business Tax at 3.3% if you sell within five years of purchase.
What capital gains tax applies when selling in Bangkok in 2026?
As of early 2026, Thailand does not have a separate capital gains tax for property sales but instead taxes gains through withholding income tax mechanisms at the Land Office, with rates depending on assessed value, holding period, and whether the seller is an individual or company.
Exemptions or reliefs from these taxes in Bangkok can apply depending on personal circumstances such as holding the property beyond five years to avoid SBT, using the property as your primary residence under certain conditions, or qualifying for other individual circumstances that a tax advisor can evaluate.
Foreigners do not pay an extra capital gains tax rate when selling property in Bangkok, but they may face more complexity around tax residency documentation, withholding calculations, and remittance planning for transferring sale proceeds out of Thailand.
The gain in Bangkok is typically calculated through the withholding tax formula using the government-assessed value, the number of years owned, and progressive rate tables rather than a simple sale-price-minus-purchase-price calculation, which is why consulting a tax professional before selling is worthwhile.
We made this infographic to show you how property prices in Thailand compare to other big cities across the region. It breaks down the average price per square meter in city centers, so you can see how cities stack up. It’s an easy way to spot where you might get the best value for your money. We hope you like it.
What sources have we used to write this blog article?
Whether it's in our blog articles or the market analyses included in our property pack about Bangkok, we always rely on the strongest methodology we can … and we don't throw out numbers at random.
We also aim to be fully transparent, so below we've listed the authoritative sources we used, and explained how we used them and the methods behind our estimates.
| Source | Why it's authoritative | How we used it |
|---|---|---|
| Thailand Revenue Department (Specific Business Tax) | It's the official Thai tax authority explaining tax rules in legal terms. | We used it to confirm that property sales fall under SBT rules. We then translated that into practical guidance on who typically pays it. |
| Thailand Revenue Department (Personal Income Tax) | It's the official PIT guidance from Thailand's tax authority. | We used it to anchor that rental income is taxed under Thailand's PIT system. We then built the rental tax section around it. |
| Treasury Department Appraisal Database | It's the official database for government-assessed property values. | We used it to explain why fees are based on appraised value, not your negotiated price. We applied that logic to every percentage estimate. |
| Fiscal Policy Office (Land and Buildings Tax Act) | It's a Thai government source distributing the official translated law. | We used it as the source of truth that Thailand's annual property tax exists. We then validated the practical rates with tax explainers. |
| Bank of Thailand (Exchange Control) | It's the central bank explaining foreign exchange regulations. | We used it to justify the foreign-buyer paperwork around bringing funds in. We then converted that into a checklist of likely bank fees. |
| PwC Tax Summaries (Thailand) | PwC is a top-tier global tax firm that updates country summaries. | We used it to validate current PIT rate bands for foreigners. We then simplified it into resident versus non-resident rental tax outcomes. |
| Lazudi | It's a large, established brokerage publishing consumer guidance. | We used it to triangulate typical agency commission norms in Bangkok. We then explained who usually pays the agent fee. |
| FazWaz | It's a major Thailand property portal with transparent buyer guidance. | We used it to cross-check whether buyers usually pay broker fees. We then used that to set realistic maximum budget scenarios. |
| Notary Public Thailand | It's a Bangkok-based notary publishing an explicit fee menu. | We used it to create a realistic translation and notary budget range. We then treated it as a market price anchor. |
| Bangkok Post | It's Thailand's leading English newspaper quoting major consultancies. | We used it to support the buyer leverage context for Bangkok negotiations. We then translated that into what's realistically negotiable. |
| Department of Provincial Administration (Hotel Act) | It's an official Thai government legal translation of the Hotel Act. | We used it to support the short-term rental compliance risk. We then turned it into practical advice for Airbnb-style renting. |
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