How much deposit do I need for an off-plan condo in Bangkok?

Plan for a reservation fee of ฿50,000–100,000, then a contract deposit of roughly 10–15% within a month, then small installments totalling perhaps 10–20% during construction. The remaining 70–85% is due at transfer.

Can foreigners get a mortgage in Thailand?

Thai bank financing for non-resident foreigners is limited and restrictive, so most foreign buyers pay cash through the installment schedule. Some international and Singapore-based banks offer Thailand property loans to qualifying buyers, and a few developers offer short in-house payment-term extensions.

What is an FET form and when do I need it?

The Foreign Exchange Transaction form is your Thai bank's record that funds arrived from abroad in foreign currency. The Land Office requires this evidence to register foreign freehold ownership at transfer, and you will need it again to send proceeds home when you sell.

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BasicsJuly 11, 2026 · 6 min read

How Off-Plan Payment Plans Work in Thailand: From Reservation to Transfer

A Thai off-plan condo is paid in four stages over one to three years. Knowing the schedule — and the FET paperwork that must accompany it — lets you plan currency, cash flow and paperwork with no surprises.

The four stages at a glance

Thai developers use remarkably consistent payment structures, which makes planning straightforward once you know the pattern. The exact percentages vary by developer and project, but nearly every Bangkok off-plan purchase follows the same arc.

✓Reservation: a booking fee, commonly ฿50,000–100,000, holds your unit
✓Contract signing (typically 2–4 weeks later): a deposit of around 10–15% of the price
✓During construction: small monthly or milestone installments — the "down payment" phase
✓Transfer: the remaining balance, typically 70–85%, plus transfer-day fees

Stage 1: The reservation

The reservation fee takes the unit off the market while contracts are prepared. It is usually credited against the price, but read the reservation form: whether it is refundable if you walk away before signing varies by developer, and "refundable" often means "refundable only in specific cases". Never treat the reservation as trivial paperwork — it is the moment to state, in writing, that your purchase depends on foreign-quota freehold registration.

Stage 2: The contract deposit

Two to four weeks after reserving, you sign the sale-and-purchase agreement and pay the contract deposit. This is the largest sum you will commit before the building exists, which makes it the natural checkpoint for due diligence: your lawyer should have reviewed the contract, the land title and the developer before this payment, not after.

Stage 3: Construction installments

Between contract and completion, developers collect a series of small installments — some use fixed monthly amounts, others tie payments to construction milestones. For a typical Bangkok project this phase totals roughly 10–20% of the price spread over one to three years. The installments are defined in a schedule attached to your contract; keep every receipt matched against it.

For foreign buyers, each installment paid from abroad should arrive as foreign currency and be converted to baht in Thailand, with the project and unit number referenced in the transfer purpose — this builds the FET paper trail you will need at transfer.

Stage 4: Transfer day

When the building is complete and registered, the developer calls you (or your lawyer holding power of attorney) to the Land Office to pay the balance — typically 70–85% of the price — and register ownership. This is also when the one-time costs land: the 2% transfer fee (commonly split with the developer), the sinking fund, prepaid common-area fees and utility deposits. Model these before you buy, not the week before transfer; BaanScope's true-cost calculator itemises them for any unit price.

The FET rule every foreign buyer must know

To register a condo in a foreign name, the Land Office requires evidence that the purchase funds entered Thailand as foreign currency. Your Thai bank documents each qualifying inbound transfer with a Foreign Exchange Transaction (FET) form or credit advice. Transfers should be in your own name and in foreign currency — sending baht from an overseas baht account can disqualify the transfer as evidence.

Keep every FET document permanently. You need the full set at transfer, and you will want it again years later to repatriate your sale proceeds without friction.

✓Send in your name, in foreign currency, converted to THB in Thailand
✓Reference the project and unit number on every transfer
✓Keep all FET forms and credit advices — permanently

What if you stop paying?

Missing installments puts you in breach: standard contracts let the developer terminate and keep some or all of what you have paid after a cure period. If your circumstances change mid-construction, talk to the developer early — rescheduling or a resale of your contract (assignment) before completion is usually negotiable, and both beat forfeiting your deposit.

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Frequently asked questions

How much deposit do I need for an off-plan condo in Bangkok?: Plan for a reservation fee of ฿50,000–100,000, then a contract deposit of roughly 10–15% within a month, then small installments totalling perhaps 10–20% during construction. The remaining 70–85% is due at transfer.
Can foreigners get a mortgage in Thailand?: Thai bank financing for non-resident foreigners is limited and restrictive, so most foreign buyers pay cash through the installment schedule. Some international and Singapore-based banks offer Thailand property loans to qualifying buyers, and a few developers offer short in-house payment-term extensions.
What is an FET form and when do I need it?: The Foreign Exchange Transaction form is your Thai bank's record that funds arrived from abroad in foreign currency. The Land Office requires this evidence to register foreign freehold ownership at transfer, and you will need it again to send proceeds home when you sell.