Foreign Investment and Long-Term Leasehold Structures in Thailand

Under Section 86 of the Thailand Land Code, direct foreign freehold land ownership is generally restricted. However, sophisticated institutional investors, multinational corporations, and private buyers successfully deploy established legal frameworks to secure long-term land control and development rights.

The most widely utilized mechanism for residential and commercial projects is the 30-year registered leasehold under the Civil and Commercial Code. Registered directly at the local Land Department on the back of the Chanote title deed, a 30-year lease provides secure tenure, right of possession, and contractual options for successive lease extensions. When paired with ownership of the physical superstructure, leasehold structures offer substantial investment security.

For industrial and commercial ventures, the Board of Investment (BOI) grants qualified foreign-owned enterprises statutory permission to own freehold land for manufacturing operations. Similarly, enterprises established within estates managed by the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) enjoy direct freehold land ownership privileges alongside streamlined foreign labor permits and corporate tax exemptions.