Thai land title deeds: Chanote, Nor Sor 3 Gor, Nor Sor 3, Sor Kor 1

A Chanote (Nor Sor 4 Jor) is the highest land document in Thailand: it proves ownership after a GPS survey. Nor Sor 3 Gor and Nor Sor 3 record only a right of possession, and Sor Kor 1 and Por Bor Tor 5 give no title, so the Land Office does not register them. As a rule, a foreigner cannot hold a Chanote in their own name (Land Code s. 86), but still needs to read one: tenants, usufruct holders and condo buyers all depend on the title of the land. Rules are as of 6 October 2026.

In short

• Only a Chanote records absolute ownership, and its Garuda emblem is red.
• Nor Sor 3 Gor (green Garuda) and Nor Sor 3 (black) record possession. The first registers without notice and can be upgraded; the second needs a 30-day public notice before any registration.
• Sor Kor 1 and Por Bor Tor 5 give no title, so do not pay for them as if they were titled land.
• A condo unit has its own title deed, the Or Chor 2.
• A foreigner's lease, usufruct or superficies is recorded on the back of the Thai owner's Chanote.
• Check a title at the Land Office, not from the seller's copy.

What is a Chanote, and what other land title deeds exist in Thailand?

A Chanote proves ownership, Nor Sor 3 Gor and Nor Sor 3 prove possession, and Sor Kor 1 and Por Bor Tor 5 give no title. The Garuda colour and the survey method tell the groups apart, and the higher the document sits in this ladder, the safer the plot (ThaiLawOnline, 26 September 2026).

Document	Garuda	How the plot was surveyed	What it records	What you can do
Chanote (Nor Sor 4 Jor)	Red	GPS and concrete boundary posts	Ownership	Sell, mortgage, register a lease or usufruct, with no public notice
Nor Sor 3 Gor	Green	Aerial photographs	Possession	Register without notice, sell and mortgage (banks accept it less readily than a Chanote); upgrade to a Chanote by applying for a ground survey
Nor Sor 3	Black	Not surveyed	Possession	Register after a 30-day public notice
Sor Kor 1, Por Bor Tor 5	None	None	No title	The Land Office does not register them

The Garuda is the royal emblem and its colour hints at the document type, but the Land Office record decides. Banks lend most readily against a Chanote, and many refuse the lower documents: ThaiLawOnline (26 September 2026) says a Nor Sor 3 Gor can also be sold and mortgaged without public notice, but find out whether your bank will lend against it before you sign. A condo unit is different: each unit has its own title deed, the Or Chor 2, showing its area and your share of the common property (ThaiLawOnline, 6 October 2026). The land under a project is still checked against its Chanote, as in the Phuket condo buyer's checklist.

How do you read a Chanote?

A Chanote records the owner, the plot and survey numbers, the location (tambon, amphoe, province), the area and a plan with concrete boundary posts. The back page lists every sale, mortgage, lease over three years, usufruct and superficies in order (ThaiLawOnline, 26 September 2026). That back page shows what already burdens the plot.

Ownership passes only when the transfer is registered at the Land Office: a private sale contract does not move it. If the area, the numbers or the owner's name on your copy differ from the Land Office record, stop and ask for a written explanation. Thai area is written in rai, ngan and square wah, and a plot shown as 2-1-50 covers 2 rai, 1 ngan and 50 square wah, which is 3,800 square metres, about 0.94 acre.

Unit	Square metres	Acres	Hectares
1 rai (4 ngan, 400 square wah)	1,600	0.40	0.16
1 ngan (100 square wah)	400	0.10	0.04
1 square wah	4	43 square feet	about 0.0004

Can a foreigner hold a Chanote in their own name?

As a rule, no. Land Code s. 86 lets a foreigner acquire land only under a treaty, and none exists today, including with the US. So a Chanote is not issued to a foreign individual. A foreigner can hold a registered lease, usufruct or superficies, recorded on the back of the Thai owner's Chanote (ThaiLawOnline, 26 September 2026).

A narrow exception sits in Land Code s. 96 bis: up to 1 rai of residential land for a foreigner who invests at least THB 40 million (about USD 1.2 million) in approved assets, with the Interior Minister's approval. It is rarely used (ThaiLawOnline, 3 October 2026).

If someone offers you a "Chanote in your name", ask exactly what will be written on the document: it is either a nominee structure or a muddle of terms.

Which rights over Chanote land can a foreigner hold?

A foreigner can hold a lease, a usufruct or a superficies, and under the 2019 Act also a Sap Ing Sith right. All are registered at the Land Office, and a lease over three years must be. The term, the fate of the right when the holder dies and its transferability differ for each (ThaiLawOnline, September and October 2026).

Right	Term	When the holder dies	Transfer
Lease	Up to 30 years	Depends on the contract; sources disagree	Only if the lease allows it
Usufruct	Up to 30 years or for life	Ends (s. 1418); heirs receive nothing	The exercise of the right can be transferred, not the right itself (s. 1422)
Superficies	Up to 30 years or for life	Passes to heirs by default	Transferable by default (s. 1411)
Sap Ing Sith	Up to 30 years	Inherited	Transferable and mortgageable

On a Nor Sor 3 Gor, a lease or usufruct also registers without public notice, while on a Nor Sor 3 registration follows the 30-day notice (ThaiLawOnline, 26 September 2026). For the full comparison of ownership forms, see Freehold vs leasehold in Thailand.

How do you check a title before you pay?

Check the title at the Land Office. A copy from the seller will not do. Take the deed number, the land number and the location of the plot: the office confirms the owner, the area and every registered encumbrance (ThaiLawOnline, 26 September 2026). Then get a certified copy of the Chanote and have a lawyer check mortgages, seizures and disputes.

1. Get a certified copy of the Chanote from the Land Office and match the owner, the area and the numbers.
2. Look for encumbrances: mortgages, leases, usufruct, superficies, seizures and disputes.
3. Compare the front and back pages. The entries after earlier transactions must line up.
4. Hire a surveyor to match the concrete boundary posts on the ground to the plan.
5. Learn the zoning and the access, meaning what may be built and whether there is a lawful way to the road. For large projects, add the environmental impact assessment (EIA).
6. Confirm the signatory's authority. Check a developer company in the DBD DataWarehouse+ register.
7. Keep the bank documents for every payment and an explanation of the source of funds.

What if the land has no Chanote?

A Nor Sor 3 Gor can be upgraded to a Chanote by applying for a ground survey. For a Nor Sor 3, every registration follows a 30-day public notice. A Sor Kor 1 and a Por Bor Tor 5 give no title: do not pay for them as titled land (ThaiLawOnline, 26 September 2026).

Lawyers for Expats Thailand (April 2026) likewise says that without a Chanote there is no ownership, and it lists the Chanote and the Nor Sor 3 Gor as the deeds suited to a foreign buyer, calling the Nor Sor 3 Gor acceptable for residential purchases. It puts an upgrade to a Chanote at 3 to 12 months in most provinces. Ask the local office about its timing. In the contract, make the upgrade a condition of payment and split the price into stages. Escrow is optional by law, but you can agree it, and the money is then released after the transfer is registered.

How do you check a plot from abroad?

You instruct a Thai lawyer under a power of attorney. The lawyer obtains a certified copy at the Land Office, checks encumbrances and the seller's authority, and matches the boundary posts on the ground (Lawyers for Expats Thailand, 2026). A power of attorney signed in the UK, US or Australia passes notarisation, your foreign ministry and the Thai embassy.

From 28 February 2027 an apostille replaces the embassy step for states that do not object, and the objection window runs to about 30 December 2026 (HCCH, 6 October 2026). Do not build a closing date on the apostille yet.

What next

Before you pay, run the checks on Property due diligence in Phuket. If you are considering land, start with Buying land in Phuket as a foreigner and Freehold vs leasehold in Thailand. For a restructure of a nominee arrangement, see the case Villa on a nominee company: restructured before the DBD check. The deed number and a description of the plot can go through the form below, and a lawyer will tell you what to request at the Land Office.

Rules checked as of 6 October 2026. USD figures are rounded at about THB 33 per USD, the September 2026 average on x-rates.com; exchange rates move.