How much are taxes and fees when buying a new condo in Bangkok?

For a new unit from a developer, plan for your share of the 2% transfer fee, a one-time sinking fund of about ฿500–800 per sqm, roughly a year of prepaid common fees, meter deposits and optional legal fees. Together these typically add low single-digit percent to the price.

Do foreigners pay extra tax when buying property in Thailand?

No — purchase taxes and transfer fees are the same for Thai and foreign buyers of condominium units. The foreign-specific requirements are procedural: funds must arrive from abroad in foreign currency with FET documentation.

Is there an annual property tax in Thailand?

Yes — the land and building tax applies to residential property, but rates for typical condos are very low (starting at a few hundredths of a percent of assessed value), so it is a minor line in most investors' budgets.

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Costs & taxesJuly 11, 2026 · 6 min read

The True Cost of Buying a Bangkok Condo: Taxes, Fees and What Nobody Mentions

The price on the brochure is not what you will pay. Between transfer-day fees, the sinking fund, prepaid common fees and furnishing, budget several percent on top — here is the full list.

Why the sticker price misleads

A Bangkok off-plan condo carries a cluster of one-time costs that all land on or around transfer day, plus recurring costs that determine your real rental return. None of them are hidden — they are just scattered across the contract, the juristic rules and Thai tax law. Assembled in one place, they typically add several percent to the purchase price up front. Model them before you reserve, not the week before transfer.

Transfer-day costs, itemised

For a new unit bought from a developer, these are the standard items due at the Land Office and to the juristic person on transfer day:

✓Transfer fee: 2% of the registered value — commonly split 50/50 with the developer, but confirm the split in your contract
✓Sinking fund: a one-time contribution to the building's capital reserve, typically ฿500–800 per sqm
✓Common-area fees: usually 12 months prepaid, at roughly ฿50–80 per sqm per month for mainstream buildings
✓Utility meter deposits and installation: a few thousand baht
✓Your lawyer's fee, if you use one (recommended for off-plan)

Costs specific to foreign buyers

Foreign buyers add a currency layer: international transfer fees and the exchange-rate spread on each installment, which across a multi-year payment schedule is worth planning deliberately (some buyers convert in tranches, others use forward contracts through their bank). Remember every purchase-related transfer must arrive as foreign currency with FET documentation — consolidating transfers into fewer, larger tranches also means fewer banking fees.

Furnishing: the forgotten line item

Thai condos hand over "fully fitted" — floors, bathrooms, kitchen, air conditioning, built-in wardrobes — but not furnished. For a rental unit, tenants expect furniture, curtains, lighting and appliances. A realistic furnishing budget for a one-bedroom aimed at the mainstream rental market runs from roughly ฿150,000 to ฿400,000 depending on standard. This is capital expenditure that belongs in your yield calculation from day one.

The recurring costs that shape your yield

Once you own the unit, the meaningful recurring items are: the monthly common-area fee (the largest, and payable whether the unit is rented or vacant); Thailand's land and building tax on residential property, which for a typical condo is small — its rates start at a few hundredths of a percent of assessed value; contents insurance; and, if you rent out, agent commissions — customarily one month's rent per one-year contract — plus periodic repainting and repairs between tenants.

Rental income is also taxable in Thailand. Withholding and personal income tax treatment depends on your residence status; a Thai accountant is inexpensive and worth it in the first year.

✓Common fee: the dominant recurring cost — vacancy does not pause it
✓Land & building tax: minor for residential condos, but real
✓Letting commission: ~1 month's rent per 1-year tenancy
✓Maintenance reserve: budget for turnover refresh every few years

Put numbers on it before you commit

Every figure above varies with unit size, price and building positioning, which is why averages mislead. BaanScope's true-cost calculator applies these fee schedules to your actual unit price and size, in your currency, and shows the complete cash-flow picture — transfer-day total, furnishing, and the recurring costs that turn gross yield into net.

Itemise your true cost with the calculator →

Frequently asked questions

How much are taxes and fees when buying a new condo in Bangkok?: For a new unit from a developer, plan for your share of the 2% transfer fee, a one-time sinking fund of about ฿500–800 per sqm, roughly a year of prepaid common fees, meter deposits and optional legal fees. Together these typically add low single-digit percent to the price.
Do foreigners pay extra tax when buying property in Thailand?: No — purchase taxes and transfer fees are the same for Thai and foreign buyers of condominium units. The foreign-specific requirements are procedural: funds must arrive from abroad in foreign currency with FET documentation.
Is there an annual property tax in Thailand?: Yes — the land and building tax applies to residential property, but rates for typical condos are very low (starting at a few hundredths of a percent of assessed value), so it is a minor line in most investors' budgets.