Property Tax in Thailand: The Complete 2026 Guide to Land and Building Tax

What is Thailand's Land and Building Tax? 

The Land and Buildings Tax Act B.E. 2562 (2019) took effect on 1 January 2020, replacing two older systems: the House and Land Tax and the Local Development Tax. Under the old rules, the bill was tied to rental income or a locally set land price that rarely matched the real market. The Act ties it instead to the government's own appraised value of the land and any structure on it, reassessed on a running cycle by the Treasury Department, with collection handled by the local administrative organization, the municipality or Tambon Administrative Organization, where the property sits. 

Two goals sit behind the Act: widen the tax base so more owners contribute, and discourage sitting on undeveloped land purely as a speculative asset, which is why vacant land carries the steepest long-term penalty of any category. 

Who has to pay 

Anyone, individual or company, who owns or legally possesses land, a house, a condo unit, or another building in Thailand on 1 January of the tax year owes the tax for that year. There is no exemption or surcharge tied to nationality: a foreigner who owns a condo unit outright under the Condominium Act, typically within the 49% freehold foreign quota, pays exactly the same rate as a Thai national owning an identical unit. Where a foreigner owns a house or villa on leased land, the building is assessed separately from the land, which stays the landowner's liability. 

How the tax is calculated 

The bill is based on the appraised value the Treasury Department assigns to the land and any structure on it, not the price you paid and not a private valuer's market estimate. This appraised value is set on a province-wide revaluation cycle and is usually lower than open-market price, which is one reason the effective tax burden on most homes and condos stays modest even at the higher 2026 rates. You can check your property's current appraised value directly, without going through an agent or lawyer. The Treasury Department's D-Value service at assessprice.treasury.go.th issues a free, digitally signed valuation certificate by email within minutes, using either the title deed number or the land parcel number. It is worth doing this before the annual assessment notice arrives, so any dispute over the figure can be raised early.

Buying or already own in Phuket? Our team checks the assessed value and exemption status on any listing before you sign. See the Complete Phuket Property Due Diligence Checklist or get in touch directly.

2026 land and building tax rates by property type 

Thailand's Land and Building Tax is not one flat percentage. The Act sets a ceiling rate for four categories (agricultural, residential, commercial or other use, and vacant land), and the actual annual rate within that ceiling is fixed by ministerial regulation, rising in steps as the assessed value climbs. The tables below set out the bands confirmed for tax year 2569 (2026). Rates are reviewed most years, so confirm the current figure with your local Land Office or a licensed tax advisor before paying. 

Primary home: land and building owned together 

For an individual who owns both the land and the house, uses it as their main residence, and has their name in the house registration (tabien baan) on 1 January.

Land + house, primary residence

Primary home: building only (condos and leasehold houses) 

For an owner who holds only the building, most commonly a condo unit or a house on leased land, registered as their main residence.

Land + house, primary residence

Second homes and buy-to-let condos 

Any residential property that is not the owner's registered primary residence, including most foreign-owned investment condos in Phuket, is taxed from the first baht of assessed value. There is no exempt band.

Not a primary residence

Commercial and other use property 

Covers shophouses, hotels, retail units, and any land or building used for business rather than as a home.

Commercial / other use

Agricultural land 

Individual owners get an exemption on the first 50 million baht of agricultural land value within a single province; companies get no exempt band and pay from the first baht.

Agricultural, individual owners

Vacant or unused land, and the 2026 step-up 

Land left undeveloped is taxed on the same schedule as commercial property, starting at 0.30%. If it stays idle for three consecutive years, the rate rises by an extra 0.3 percentage points, and again every three years after that, up to a cap of 3%. 2026 is one of the years this step-up applies, to land that has sat vacant since 2023, so anyone holding land purely for future resale should budget for a larger bill this year specifically.

Comparing carrying costs across a shortlist of properties before you commit? Browse current Phuket investment properties with assessed value and estimated annual tax included on each.

Exemptions and the tabien baan rule foreign buyers often miss 

The exemption on the first 10 or 50 million baht applies to one property only, and only if the owner's name is in that property's house registration document, the tabien baan, as the residence used on 1 January. This is where foreign owners most often lose the exemption without realizing it. A Thai national's name goes into the standard blue tabien baan. A foreign resident is generally entered into a separate yellow tabien baan (Tor Ror 13) for non-Thai residents, and only if they genuinely live in the unit and complete that registration. If a condo is bought purely as an investment, rented out, or used only for holidays, it will not carry the exemption regardless of the owner's nationality, and is assessed under the second-home schedule above, from the first baht of value. 

Practical takeaway: if a foreign buyer intends to live in a Phuket condo as a genuine main residence, registering the yellow tabien baan is worth doing ahead of the next 1 January cutoff. If the property is a rental or holiday unit, plan the annual tax at the second-home rate from the outset rather than assuming the higher exemption applies.

Payment deadlines, installments and penalties for 2026

2026 (2569) key dates

Miss the deadline and a surcharge accrues on the unpaid balance, and the owner is listed as a tax debtor with the local authority. That listing can block a transfer, mortgage, or other registration on the property at the Land Office until the bill is settled, a real problem for anyone mid-sale. For serious non-payment, the law also allows the authority to pursue the debt through formal collection procedures. If a property management company or letting agent handles a Phuket unit, confirm in writing who is responsible for receiving and paying this notice each year, since it is addressed to the owner, not the tenant.

What this means for buyers and investors in Phuket

For most foreign buyers looking at a mid-market Phuket condo, the numbers stay small. A 12 million baht assessed-value unit held as an investment, taxed under the second-home schedule, works out to roughly 2,400 to 3,600 baht a year, a rounding error next to rental yield or resale gains. The categories that change the calculus are large land holdings bought speculatively and left vacant, where the step-up penalty compounds every three years, and villas or houses on leased land, where the building and land are assessed separately. Before making an offer, ask for the current appraised value, not just the asking price, and run it against the tables above.

Not sure how a specific listing's title structure affects its exemption status? Read How Foreigners Can Own Property in Thailand, or ask a Storm Phuket advisor to walk through the numbers on any property you're considering.

Frequently asked questions

Do foreigners pay property tax in Thailand?

Yes. Foreigners who own a condo unit under the Condominium Act, or who own a house on leased land, pay the same Land and Building Tax rates as Thai nationals. There is no separate foreign rate or surcharge.

How much is property tax on a condo in Thailand?

It depends on the government's appraised value, not the purchase price. A condo that is not a primary residence is taxed at 0.02% up to 50 million baht of assessed value, rising in steps to 0.10% above 100 million baht. A 10 million baht assessed unit rented out to guests, for example, comes to around 2,000 baht a year.

Is Thailand's land and building tax based on the purchase price?

No. It is based on the Treasury Department's official appraised value, which is usually lower than the market or contract price. Owners can check their appraised value free at assessprice.treasury.go.th.

When is land and building tax due in 2026?

Local authorities issue assessment notices by April 2026, with payment due by June 2026. Bills of 3,000 baht or more can be split into three installments across June, July and August.

What happens if I don't pay on time?

A surcharge is added to the unpaid amount, and the property is flagged as having outstanding tax with the local authority. That flag can block a transfer or mortgage registration at the Land Office until the debt is cleared.

Can I get the tax exemption on a Phuket condo I don't live in full time?

Only if the unit is registered as your primary residence under a tabien baan, the yellow book for non-Thai residents, on 1 January. Investment or holiday units without that registration are taxed from the first baht under the second-home schedule.