Before Completion: Checking Property Transfer Taxes and Fees in Thailand

Begin with the limits of the information

ThaiLawOnline’s guide, “Transferring Property in Thailand,” is the reference identified for this article. However, the supplied material contains only its title and link, not the underlying text or supporting official publications. It is therefore insufficient to establish a definitive schedule of transfer taxes, fees or concessions.

No rates or eligibility conditions are reproduced here. Any proposed calculation should be checked against the relevant Department of Lands and Revenue Department publications, as applicable, before it is treated as a reliable completion budget.

The practical task is to assemble a clear record: what each charge is, how it has been calculated, who is expected to bear it and what remains subject to confirmation.

Ask for an itemised completion estimate

Request a written estimate for the specific transaction before committing. A single total can obscure both the assumptions behind the calculation and the proposed division of costs.

Ask the person preparing the estimate to show:

• Each proposed tax or fee separately.
• The value or other basis used to calculate it.
• The rate applied and the official publication supporting it.
• The amount allocated to the buyer and to the seller.
• Any concession assumed in the calculation.
• The preparation date and any unresolved questions.

These are requested fields for checking an estimate, not a statement that every transaction attracts the same charges. Where an item is considered inapplicable, ask for the reason rather than accepting an unexplained omission.

Keep transfer-related charges separate from other quoted completion expenses. This makes it easier to see whether two estimates cover the same scope and whether a service charge has been grouped with an official fee.

Compare the estimate with the contract

The estimated amount and its contractual allocation are separate questions. A calculation may identify a cost without making clear which party has agreed to bear it.

Read the estimate alongside the draft contract. Ask your legal adviser to identify the wording that addresses each proposed charge and flag any difference between the written agreement and the cost summary.

Avoid relying on a broad description such as “transfer costs shared” without asking what it includes. The objective is an item-by-item understanding, not an assumption about the meaning of a general phrase.

If an allocation is still being discussed, mark it as unresolved. It should not appear in your working budget as an agreed buyer obligation until the documents have been reconciled.

Treat concessions as conditional until verified

An advertised reduction is not enough to establish that a particular transaction qualifies. Ask for the official publication behind any proposed concession and a written explanation of why it applies to your purchase.

The check should address the concession’s scope, eligibility requirements and effective period, using Department of Lands or Revenue Department material as applicable. Ask your adviser to explain which transaction details and dates matter under that publication rather than assuming that a reservation or contract date settles eligibility.

Until those checks are complete, label the reduced estimate as provisional. Request a separate calculation without the assumed concession so that the unresolved question remains visible in your budget.

Reconcile the figures before completion

Before the planned transfer, request an updated estimate and compare it with the earlier version. Ask for an explanation of any changed calculation, allocation or concession assumption.

Keep the contract, estimate, supporting official references and written clarifications together. The aim is to arrive at completion with a traceable calculation rather than a total whose basis is unclear.

For The Vista Hua Hin, payments are structured around construction milestones. Keep that payment schedule distinct from the transfer-cost estimate: the confirmed milestone arrangement does not, by itself, establish the amount or allocation of transfer taxes and fees.

Common questions

Does this guide establish the current transfer tax and fee rates?

No. The supplied reference does not include the source text or official publications needed to verify current rates and conditions. Those require confirmation against Department of Lands and Revenue Department publications, as applicable.

Can I assume an advertised concession applies to my purchase?

Not on the evidence supplied here. Keep any concession-based estimate provisional until its official terms have been checked against the particular transaction.

Do construction milestone payments establish who pays transfer charges?

The confirmed project facts for The Vista Hua Hin establish that payments are structured around construction milestones, but do not specify the allocation of transfer charges. Request a separate itemised estimate and have it checked against the contract.