A day at the Land Office: what happens when a deal is registered in Thailand

Until the Land Department officer stamps the title deed, nothing has legally changed hands. The Land Office registration day is the moment a signed agreement becomes a registered property right — and it runs to a predictable script. Both buyer and seller must appear in person, or send a holder of a properly executed power of attorney in their place.

Who needs to be there

• Buyer and seller — or each party's authorised representative. A representative needs a power of attorney signed by the principal, with a copy of the principal's Thai national ID (for Thai nationals) or passport (for foreigners). For a foreign buyer, the POA typically needs notarisation and, from Hague Convention countries, an apostille.
• Company sellers — an authorised director must attend and bring the company's corporate documents: a current affidavit from the Department of Business Development (DBD), a board resolution authorising the sale, and the list of authorised signatories.
• Lawyer or agent — often present as representative of one or both parties; the Land Office is comfortable with this arrangement and the process runs faster with a familiar face at the counter.

Documents to bring

• Original title deed (Chanote or Nor Sor 3 Gor) — the seller holds this and presents it on the day.
• Identification — Thai national ID for Thai nationals; passport with multiple copies for foreigners.
• Signed sale and purchase agreement — the contract signed at reservation stage.
• FET form (Foreign Exchange Transaction form) — for a foreign buyer of a condominium this is required by the Land Office to confirm foreign-sourced funds (part of the 49% foreign-quota check). For a leasehold villa the Land Office does not always require it for registration itself — but keep it regardless, since you need it to repatriate proceeds when you sell. See Costs, taxes and the FET form.
• Power of attorney with ID copy — if either party is using a representative rather than attending in person.
• Corporate documents — if buyer or seller is a company (DBD affidavit, board resolution, authorised signatory list).

What happens, step by step

• Take a queue number. Arrive early — the Koh Phangan Land Office does not always offer advance appointment booking, and morning slots go first. Your lawyer or agent usually handles the queue.
• ID and document check. When called, the officer verifies the identity of both parties and inspects the original title deed.
• Title verification. The officer checks the deed against the official Land Office record — confirms the seller's ownership, reveals any unresolved mortgages or encumbrances, and validates the right to transfer.
• Price declaration. Both parties declare the agreed sale price. The Land Office uses the higher of the declared price or the official government appraised value as the tax base.
• Tax calculation. The officer calculates all applicable taxes: transfer fee (2% of appraised value), Specific Business Tax if applicable (3.3%), or stamp duty (0.5% if held 5+ years), and withholding tax. The contract should have settled who pays what before this moment.
• Payment at the cashier. Fees are paid — in cash, by bank draft (cashier's cheque), or at many offices by bank transfer. Bring the agreed amounts ready; the full tax bill must be cleared before the transfer is processed.
• Signing. Both parties sign the Land Office's official transfer forms in front of the officer. For a leasehold, separate lease-registration forms are used.
• Endorsement on the deed. The transfer — or the lease — is recorded on the back of the title deed and in the official register. For a freehold transfer, the new owner's name is entered. For a lease, the lessee's name, the term and the registered rent are entered.
• Updated deed issued. For a freehold transfer, the deed is re-issued with the new owner's details. For a leasehold, the original deed stays with the landowner — your proof is the stamped registered lease copy.

Leasehold registration: how it differs

When you register a lease rather than a freehold transfer, the title deed does not change ownership — it stays in the landowner's name. What is registered on the back of the deed is the lessee's name, the term and the rental figure. The registration fee is 1% of the total rent payable over the registered term, plus 0.1% stamp duty — calculated on contracted rent, not market value.

You do not receive the title deed at the end of the day. The landowner keeps the original. Your documentary proof is the stamped copy of the registered lease contract. Store it as securely as you would a title deed.

One key limit: the maximum term registrable in a single lease instrument is 30 years. After the March 2025 Supreme Court ruling (Case No. 4655/2566), a pre-agreed renewal for further 30-year periods signed at the same time as the original lease is void for the renewal periods — only the initial registered term is enforceable as a property right. See Superficies, usufruct and lease: the three anchors for the legal background.

What you leave with

• For a freehold transfer: the updated title deed with your name on it.
• For a leasehold: the original registered lease contract stamped by the Land Office — this is your title document.
• Tax and fee receipts — keep these for accounting and future sale.
• The FET form from your original bank transfer — required to repatriate proceeds when you eventually sell.

From queue to completion, a clean day at the Land Office typically takes two to four hours — longer when documents are incomplete or a tax figure is disputed. The registration day itself is rarely the problem; issues that surface there usually have roots in the due diligence stage. Once the deed is endorsed, you hold what you bought. See How to buy property on Koh Phangan step by step for where this day fits in the full purchase timeline.