Will Thailand Allow 99-Year Leases and 75% Foreign Condo Ownership? The 2026 Status

Has Thailand passed the 99-year leasehold law in 2026?

No. The 99-year leasehold proposal remains a draft and has not been enacted as of mid-2026. It was widely discussed through 2024 and 2025, with reports that a final draft could go to Parliament, but no bill has become law. Foreign buyers signing a lease today are still bound by the existing rules, not the proposed ones.

What is the longest lease a foreigner can legally hold in Thailand right now?

Thai law recognises a maximum registered lease term of 30 years for residential property. Contracts often promise one or two further renewals to suggest a 60-year or 90-year horizon, but those renewals are contractual promises rather than statutory rights. If the landlord changes, dies, or refuses to renew, a Thai court will generally enforce only the first registered 30-year term. This gap between what is marketed and what is enforceable is the single most common misunderstanding among foreign leasehold buyers.

Has Thailand raised the foreign condominium quota to 75%?

No. The proposal to lift the foreign ownership cap in condominiums from 49% to 75% of saleable area has not been implemented and the 49% limit remains in force as of June 2026. The idea has been floated by the government as a way to attract foreign capital, but it has not cleared the legislative process.

How does the 49% condominium quota actually work?

Under the Condominium Act, foreigners can own units in freehold, but the total area owned by all foreign buyers in a single building cannot exceed 49% of the combined saleable floor area. Once a project hits that ceiling, remaining units can only be sold to Thai nationals or held by foreigners through leasehold rather than freehold. Before reserving a unit, a buyer should ask the developer or juristic person for the current foreign-quota figure in writing, because a unit advertised as "freehold" is only freehold to a foreigner if quota space is still available.

Where do the reform proposals stand right now?

Both reforms, the 99-year lease and the 75% condo quota, sit at the proposal stage and are aimed at boosting foreign investment rather than already in effect. Government officials have at times downplayed concerns and at other times signalled support, but mid-2026 finds neither measure enacted. Separately, authorities have tightened enforcement against nominee company structures used to sidestep the land-ownership ban, which makes relying on workarounds riskier, not safer.

Why does this matter for foreign buyers in 2026?

Marketing materials sometimes present the proposed 99-year lease or 75% quota as if they were already available, which can lead a buyer to overpay or to assume protections that do not yet exist. Pricing a 99-year horizon into a deal that legally guarantees only 30 years transfers real risk to the buyer. Treating proposals as law is exactly the kind of error that turns into a dispute years later.

What should buyers rely on until the law changes?

Rely on the current statutory position: a 30-year enforceable lease term and a 49% foreign condo quota. Get the foreign-quota status confirmed in writing, register the lease at the Land Department, and have an independent Thai lawyer (not the developer's lawyer) review the contract and renewal clauses. Bektu publishes developer and regulatory checks for markets like Thailand so buyers can confirm what is enforceable before money moves.