Before purchasing real property in Thailand such as land or condominium, it is recommended to conduct Title Search in Thailand. Title Search is the process of checking to the Land Office if the person selling you the property is the original property owner. It will also confirm that the property is free to be sold. It will also provide information if the property is under loan or mortgage.
Title Search is important because it will show you what you are purchasing.
Once title search has been completed, you should receive a full title search report which includes a specific description of the land or property that you are purchasing, specific dimensions of the land, the type of the title deed, and the title’s history for all previous and current owners. A copy of the title deed in the Thai language and also the English translation will be provided.
The title deed should contain accurate statistics. The title deed must contain the following information:
- Name of current owner
- Presence or absence of any endorsements
- Shape, area and orientation of property and borders to a public property
To establish a claim to a land, the following documents are issued by the Land Department Office in Thailand:
1. Or Chor 2 or Condominium Title establishes condominium ownership or the ownership of the condo unit, not the parcel of land. It shows the location and deed number of the plot of land the condominium is built on. The title also includes a sketch of the condo unit, its dimensions and area, and identifying information such as the unit name, number, floor, and building. This title also shows the ownership ratio of common property. Please note that the land the condo development is built on has its own separate title. Condominium titles are originally issued in the name of the property developer.
2. Por Tor Bor 5, Bai Jong (NS-2)
3. Sor Kor 1 (SK-1)
For the #2 and #3, they are just claim certificates. If only one of these 2 documents (NS-2 and SK-1) is present, a land cannot be leased or sold. But as the claim matures, the Land Department may eventually grant a real title to land based on these claim certificates.
The following are higher class of documents used for land claims that have been at least partially confirmed by the Land Department:
4. Nor Sor Sam (NS-3)
5. Nor Sor Sam Gor (NS-3K)
6. Chanote (NS-4)
Land parcels represented by these title documents (NS-3, NS-3K and NS-4) can be mortgaged, leased, and sold. The deed with the highest credibility is the Chanote.