Buying a Condo in Pattaya Remotely: From First Inquiry to Chanote

The Seven Steps of the Deal

1. 1

   Choosing a Property and the Video Viewing

   Tell us what you're after — budget, area, property type, and whether you plan to live there, rent it out, or just invest. We'll pull together matching units from our catalogue, with prices, floor plans, and an estimated yield.

   Then comes the video viewing. One of our agents visits the property and walks you through it live over WhatsApp, Telegram, or Zoom, in English or Russian. Ask whatever you like — anything the photos don't show, from plumbing condition and the view at different hours to road noise, common areas, parking, or how the lifts run.

   We save every recording and send it your way — handy when you're weighing up different options later.

   Timeline: anywhere from a day to several weeks, depending on how fast you decide.

2. 2

   Reservation

   Once you've picked a unit, it needs to come off the market. Developers will usually hold one for 2–3 days without payment, giving you time to go through the paperwork. On the resale market, though, a reservation typically means paying a deposit right away.

   In Pattaya, reservation deposits usually run 50,000–100,000 THB, sometimes more for certain projects. That amount gets credited against the purchase price.

   Here's a rule we never break: contract payments go straight to the developer's or seller's bank account, not to us. The only exception is a small reservation fee our agent might pay on your behalf to hold a unit while your transfer is on its way — and that's always documented in writing.

   Before any deposit changes hands, you'll get the developer's or seller's documents, confirmation of foreign quota status, a draft contract, and transfer details.

3. 3

   The Contract

   The sale and purchase or reservation contract comes in two languages, English and Thai. The English version is legally binding for a foreign buyer, but where the two differ, Thai usually takes precedence — so we review both.

   It needs to spell out the price and currency, a payment schedule tied to dates or construction milestones, the handover date, the title type (foreign-quota freehold or leasehold), who covers the transfer fee and in what split, the deposit refund terms, and the developer's liability for delays.

   You sign, scan, and send it over. The original signed copies follow by courier — DHL, FedEx, or EMS, 5–10 days.

   We always recommend an independent legal review of the contract. We can point you to lawyers we've worked with before, but bringing your own is completely normal — it's not a sign of distrust.

4. 4

   Payment and Fund Transfer

   Funds arrive from abroad in a foreign currency — USD, EUR, or otherwise — and get converted into Thai baht at the receiving bank here.

   The payment purpose needs to state clearly that it's for a property purchase, including the address. We'll give you the exact wording beforehand, since it determines whether the bank issues the FET correctly.

   Here's the sequence: the developer or seller issues an invoice, you receive the original or scanned contract, you send the transfer from your bank, the receiving bank credits the funds and issues the FET, and we get a copy of the FET plus confirmation of the credit.

   SWIFT transfers usually take 2–10 business days, depending on the correspondent banks involved. Transfers from some jurisdictions face extra checks, which can stretch that out.

   Developer instalment plans are common on the primary market — a down payment, then instalments through to construction completion. Terms vary by project and get confirmed before you sign.

5. 5

   Registering Title at the Land Department

   If you can't be there in person, you'll need a power of attorney for our representative or your lawyer.

   Here's how that works: we draft the text, you get it notarized in your own country, then it goes through legalization — apostille or consular, depending on the country — and finally gets translated into Thai by a sworn translator.

   You'll also need a notarized copy of your passport.

   On registration day, our representative submits everything to the Land Department: the power of attorney, passport copy, FET, contract, the seller's documents, and proof that taxes and fees were paid. The Chanote — the title deed — then gets issued in your name.

   You'll get a scan of the Chanote the same day it's registered. The original is either couriered to you or kept at our office until you visit — your call.

   Timeline-wise, preparing and legalizing the power of attorney takes 2–4 weeks, depending on the country. Registration itself is done in one business day.

6. 6

   Handover Inspection and Keys

   On the primary market, there's an inspection between construction completion and handover. We take care of it on your behalf.

   We inspect the unit against the floor plan and contract specifications, test plumbing, electrics, air conditioning, windows, and doors, photograph and film any issues, and put together a snagging list for the developer to fix.

   You get a photo-and-video report that same day. We then chase up the fixes and re-inspect.

   Keys and documents stay at our office or go straight to your property manager — whichever you prefer.

7. 7

   Own and rent it out without ever being here

   Once you've bought the property, it can be managed entirely from a distance.

   Under a management agreement, we take care of everything: renting it out short- or long-term, guest check-in and check-out, cleaning and maintenance, utility and CAM payments, minor repairs, dealing with the building's management company, and a monthly income-and-expense report.

   Rental income goes straight to the account you choose. Management fees and terms are agreed separately and spelled out in a contract.

Ways to send money, compared

Here are the payment methods you'll come across in the market. We only work with bank wire transfers — it's the only one that produces an FET, and without an FET there's no freehold registration under the foreign quota, and no legal way to move the funds back out later.

If someone suggests a payment scheme without an FET and says they'll 'sort it out later' — stop and check things properly. An FET can't be issued after the fact.

FET / TT3

What a remote deal actually costs

Beyond the purchase price:

Tax and fee rates come from Thai law, and they do change from time to time. Before you sign anything, we'll give you a written calculation for your specific property.

We're not tax advisors, and we can't replace a lawyer. If you have questions about taxation in your home country, talk to your own tax advisor — plenty of jurisdictions require you to declare foreign-owned property.

The risks, and how we handle them

We'd rather spell out the risks than pretend they don't exist.

• Risk: your money ends up in the wrong place. How we handle it: contract payments go straight to the developer's or seller's account, and you check those details against the contract yourself. We never take contract payments into an agency account.
• Risk: the unit looks nothing like the photos. How we handle it: we do a live video viewing instead of sending a photo set, you keep the recording, and at handover we run an inspection with a snagging list and photo report.
• Risk: the developer never finishes the building. How we handle it: before we list any project, Thai and international lawyers check the construction permit, land rights, EIA where it's required, and how the project is financed. No amount of checking gives a 100% guarantee — even reputable developers in Thailand have had projects stall.
• Risk: the foreign ownership quota is already full. How we handle it: we get written confirmation of the quota status from building management before any deposit changes hands.
• Risk: you can't get your money out of the country when you sell. How we handle it: we check that the FET form is correct at the transfer stage.
• Risk: nominee company structures. Our position: we won't set up schemes with nominee Thai shareholders to dodge land-ownership rules. These structures draw scrutiny, and it's the buyer who pays the price.
• Risk: unrealistic yield promises. Our position: if a guaranteed yield sits above market rate, ask what's paying for it and what happens once the guarantee period runs out. We'll show you the calculation and the assumptions behind it, not just a headline number.

One more thing worth knowing: liquidity. Selling a place in Pattaya takes time — it's not a stock you can offload overnight. Plan your holding period with that in mind.

Documents

From you, we'll need: a scan of your passport (all filled pages); a notarized and legalized copy of it; a power of attorney for your representative, notarized with apostille or consular legalization plus a sworn Thai translation; proof of the source of funds if your bank asks for it; and your bank details for rental income (Step 7).

In return, you'll get: the sale and purchase contract in English and Thai; the FET from the Thai bank; receipts for taxes and fees paid; the Chanote registered in your name; a handover report with a photographed snagging list; and a management agreement, if you sign one.