Land in Thailand
Buying Land and owning land, or buying a house and owning a house in Udon Thani (and anywhere in Thailand) is an aspect of life that is almost certainly going to arise if you marry a Thai girl. The girl you meet, in all probability, will live in a house that you are I would not consider entirely suitable, and certainly very different from what we are used to. So we end up buying a plot of land and building a new family home (beware, house building in Thailand can be full of pitfalls). While building a new house has a great number of benefits, buying a house may be a better option, if you can find one that meets your needs. Houses in Udon Thani are changing from the older 50% - 100% timber constructions that you can see throughout the region, with blocks being used more commonly for the whole building (as wood is now too expensive).
If you are thinking of buying land, then read on..
If you are thinking of buying land, then read on..
Land
Land in rural areas of Issan is cheap, perhaps less than 50,000 baht for 1 Rai (1600 sq m) in the right area but around Udon Thani the prices are steadily creeping upward. Our Rai cost 600,000 baht in 2010 and would now sell in excess of 900,000 in today's market.
A lot of land for sale has been sitting fallow for many years or has been used to grow rice and normal practice is to raise the land to prevent flooding of your new home. If you are lucky you may find land for sale that has already been raised 1 metre or so, and if really lucky will have a brick wall surrounding it.
However, as a ferang, he/she cannot own land outright in Thailand but if you are married to a Thai you can still have a claim, should something happen that makes you need to leave (such as divorce for example), providing you have a legal agreement in place to that effect and you will need to consult a Thai law firm to get this arranged for you. All documentation can be translated if needed so you can check that what you have asked for to be included in the agreement is actually included.
A lot of land for sale has been sitting fallow for many years or has been used to grow rice and normal practice is to raise the land to prevent flooding of your new home. If you are lucky you may find land for sale that has already been raised 1 metre or so, and if really lucky will have a brick wall surrounding it.
However, as a ferang, he/she cannot own land outright in Thailand but if you are married to a Thai you can still have a claim, should something happen that makes you need to leave (such as divorce for example), providing you have a legal agreement in place to that effect and you will need to consult a Thai law firm to get this arranged for you. All documentation can be translated if needed so you can check that what you have asked for to be included in the agreement is actually included.
Title Deeds
There is 4 category of land title deeds in Thailand
Freehold (Chanote or Nor Sor 4) - Full rights are granted over the land and this is by far the best option if you buy land here.
Nor Sor 3 Gor - Land that is waiting for a full title deed to be granted. The boundaries are defined by the land department so the owner knows the exact boundary of the land. This land can be transferred, mortgaged or sold providing it is ready to become a full title dead plot of land. You can change the status of this land to Chanote by filing a petition at the land department and providing their is no one that opposes this change, the land department will probably change it to Chanote for you.
Nor Sor 3 - This is land that has not had the visit of the land department to measure it and define the boundaries. It is of course possible to change the status to Nor Sor 3 Gor and subsequently Chanote by approaching the land department.
Possessory Right - If possible avoid this type of land at all costs. This is land that the land department has not substantiated, it is however recognised by the local administrative office and tax payments.
If you have questions about obtaining land I would advise you to talk to someone from a firm of land lawyers but what I have written above are the basics you really need to know right from the start.
Freehold (Chanote or Nor Sor 4) - Full rights are granted over the land and this is by far the best option if you buy land here.
Nor Sor 3 Gor - Land that is waiting for a full title deed to be granted. The boundaries are defined by the land department so the owner knows the exact boundary of the land. This land can be transferred, mortgaged or sold providing it is ready to become a full title dead plot of land. You can change the status of this land to Chanote by filing a petition at the land department and providing their is no one that opposes this change, the land department will probably change it to Chanote for you.
Nor Sor 3 - This is land that has not had the visit of the land department to measure it and define the boundaries. It is of course possible to change the status to Nor Sor 3 Gor and subsequently Chanote by approaching the land department.
Possessory Right - If possible avoid this type of land at all costs. This is land that the land department has not substantiated, it is however recognised by the local administrative office and tax payments.
If you have questions about obtaining land I would advise you to talk to someone from a firm of land lawyers but what I have written above are the basics you really need to know right from the start.