A Phuket property lawyer checks the title, the developer and the contract before you pay, works out taxes and fees, supports the payments and goes with you to register at the Land Department. At Lex Estate they are lawyers licensed by the Lawyers Council of Thailand, and the team works in English, Russian and Thai. We reply within 24 hours, and a 48-hour contract review is free.
In short
- We check title, encumbrances, the developer and the quota before you pay, not after (ThaiLawOnline; Lawyers for Expats Thailand, 2026; Palmora, 28 March 2026; as of 6 October 2026).
- You get a reply within 24 hours. The fee is fixed and agreed before work starts, and government fees are paid separately.
- Our lawyers are licensed by the Lawyers Council of Thailand and work in English, Russian and Thai. The contract is drafted in Thai.
- We set up no nominee structures and promise no outcome. If a deal is unsafe, we say so in writing.
What deals do we handle?
We handle condo, villa and land purchases in Phuket, checks on off-plan projects and the legal side of renting a property out. Each type of deal has its own main risk, listed in the table with the page where we cover it in detail. Limits and timings are current as of 6 October 2026.
| Deal | Main risk | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold condo | The 49% quota runs out between your check and registration | Freehold condo |
| Leasehold condo | 30 years at most; pre-agreed 30+30+30 renewals are void | Leasehold condo |
| Villa | A lease and superficies instead of land; nominee structures are not allowed | Leasehold villa, freehold villa |
| Land | Title type, source of funds, the ban on foreign ownership | Buying land |
| Off-plan project | An unchecked developer, payments not tied to milestones | Property due diligence |
| Renting out | Stays under 30 days need a hotel licence | Renting out legally |
What does a property lawyer check in a deal?
The checks depend on the property. For a condo they are the 49% quota, the condominium's juristic person and the bank document for the transfer. For a villa or land they are the title, encumbrances and the legality of the structure. For an off-plan project they are the developer, the permits and the payment schedule.
| Property | What we check | Document or register |
|---|---|---|
| Condo | Free quota by floor area, debts of the juristic person, the reservation contract | Juristic person's letter, Land Department, OCPB notification B.E. 2567 (since 31 January 2025) |
| Villa and land | Title type, mortgages, encumbrances, disputes, seizure, zoning, access, ownership structure | Certified copy of the Chanote |
| Off-plan project | Developer's registration and accounts, building permit, EIA on large projects, milestone or escrow payments | DBD DataWarehouse+ (the Department of Business Development's company register), project file |
| Money | A bank document for every transfer, source of funds | The bank; for land and villas, Department of Lands circulars of 15 May 2026 |
An OCPB notification has given condo reservations a standard Thai form since 31 January 2025, banning deposit forfeiture without buyer default and fees for assigning a reservation (Palmora, 28 March 2026). Our sources do not confirm the deposit cap or refund steps, so we read them in your form. See the condo buyer checklist.
How does a deal run, and how fast do you get an answer?
A deal runs in four stages. On day 0 you describe your situation, within 24 hours you get an assessment and a quote, then checks, contract and registration take 2 to 8 weeks with a report at every stage, and support continues after closing. Condos usually take 2 to 6 weeks and villas 4 to 8.
- Day 0. You describe your situation in the form, on Telegram or on WhatsApp, in English or Russian.
- 24 hours. We send an assessment: what to do, what it costs, how long it takes. If you already have a contract or reservation, a free written express review follows within 48 hours.
- 2 to 8 weeks. We check the property and the seller, draft the contract in Thai, handle the payments and register your rights at the Land Department.
- After closing. You receive the registered documents and support afterwards.
The fee is fixed and agreed before work starts, with no hidden charges, and government fees are paid separately; see pricing. A worked example: The 49% quota ran out a week before closing (a typical situation from practice).
Who works on your file, and in which languages?
Our lawyers are licensed by the Lawyers Council of Thailand, and the team works in English, Russian and Thai. We draft the contract in Thai and explain the findings and the risks in writing in your language. The office is on Phuket, near Cherngtalay in Thalang district. The address, messengers and reply times are on the contact page.
If you are buying from the UK, US or Australia
A US passport allows a Treaty of Amity certificate for running a business, but the treaty gives no right to land (ThaiLawOnline; as of 6 October 2026). Pay from your own USD or GBP account and keep a bank document for every transfer. A power of attorney signed at home goes through a notary, your foreign ministry and the Thai embassy (Bangkok Translation, 16 August 2026) until an apostille replaces that step on 28 February 2027 for states that do not object; the objection window runs to about 30 December 2026 (HCCH; Federal Apostille, 29 September 2026).
What will we tell you plainly?
We set up no nominee structures, promise no outcome and do not call a proposal a law. If a deal is unsafe, we tell you in writing before you pay. These points hold as of 6 October 2026: land, 99-year leases and nightly rentals.
A foreigner does not own land; the narrow s. 96 bis exception is covered in buying land. Nominee shareholders breach Foreign Business Act s. 36: up to three years in prison and/or a fine of THB 100,000 to 1,000,000 (ThaiLawOnline; Lex Bangkok, 2026). A 99-year lease and a 75% quota are proposals, and pre-agreed 30+30+30 renewals are void (Thaiger, 3 and 31 July 2026; Addleshaw Goddard, 2025).
Letting for under 30 days without a hotel licence is illegal, though sources disagree on a lighter regime for small properties (ThaiLawOnline; FOSR, 10 April 2026). The reform bills passed first reading on 8 July 2026 but are not law (ThaiLawOnline; Explera, 27 September 2026).
How do you choose a Phuket property lawyer?
Before you hire a property lawyer, check five things: the licence, a written quote, the language of the documents, the account your money goes into and whether the lawyer is independent of the seller. This applies to every firm, including ours. Get the answers in writing and compare several lawyers (as of 6 October 2026).
- Ask for the name of the lawyer handling your file and their Lawyers Council licence number.
- Ask for a written quote showing what is included and what is paid separately.
- Ask who reads the Thai-language contract and in which language you get the findings.
- Ask whose account the money goes into: the seller's or developer's by bank transfer, or a bank escrow, never an agent's or lawyer's personal account.
- Ask who pays the lawyer. If the seller or an agent does, their interests may differ from yours.
Describe your situation in the form below. Within 24 hours we will tell you what to check, what it costs and how long it takes. Attach the contract or reservation now: the 48-hour express review is free.
