Inheriting a condo in Thailand is not as straightforward as it would be in the West. In order to take ownership of the condo, you still fall within the same rules as the person who died and left you the condo in the first place. Seek the assistance from a lawyer in Samui if you do inherit any real estate in Thailand.
Anyone can inherit a condo in Thailand however the question is can you register the condo in your name afterward. In order to inherit and register the condo in your name, you need to qualify to register the apartment in your name. This is governed by law and you need to be able to clear Section 19/5 and Section 19/7 of the Condominium Act.
Section 19/5 of the Condominium Act states that not more than 49% of the ownership of the Condominium block is allowed to be foreigners. The total foreign ownership has to be under 50%.
Section 19/7 states that if you are not allowed to own property in Thailand as a foreigner such as being banned by immigration you would have to notify the Land Office within 60 days of inheritance that you are not allowed to own property and that you will dispose of the property within 1 year of the inheritance.
If you have inherited property in Thailand from a friend or parent then it is best to speak to an attorney with regards to ownership of the property or having a leasehold agreement n place to lease the property to someone else while the property is either transferred into the name of a company or other relative. With office in Bangkok, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai, Samui, and Phuket – we are best able to offer you advice when inheriting property in Thailand and the view of Thai law with regards to your new property.
Call us on our toll-free US and UK telephone numbers or see our main website for further details. Talk to us today and obtain some peace of mind with regards to your inheritance.