Buyer guides · 2 September 2026 · 5 min read
Freehold or leasehold at Saint Tropez Naithon: which to choose
How foreign ownership works in a Thai condominium, what the 49% quota means, what freehold costs at Saint Tropez Naithon and when leasehold is the better deal.
Thai law lets foreigners own condominium units outright, with one limit: foreign owners may hold no more than 49% of the total sellable area of a building. The remaining 51% stays with Thai nationals or Thai companies. Everything above that quota is sold to foreigners on a long lease.
Freehold
Freehold means the unit is registered at the Land Office in your name with a condominium title deed. You can sell, gift or bequeath it without the developer’s involvement. The registration fee is 2% of the appraised value, split equally between buyer and developer at Saint Tropez Naithon.
At Saint Tropez Naithon, freehold costs an additional ฿5,000 per m² over the list price. For a 30.62 m² studio that is ฿153,100; for a 49.85 m² two-bedroom unit it is ฿249,250.
Leasehold
Leasehold is a registered 30-year lease with renewal options set out in the agreement. It is the price you see in the developer’s list. Registration is cheaper (1.1%), there is no quota, and the unit can be assigned to a new lessee if you sell. The trade-off: the remaining lease term shortens with time, which matters for resale value in year 15 or 20 more than in year 3.
How buyers usually decide
- Buying for rental income with an exit inside 5 to 10 years: leasehold keeps the entry price lower.
- Buying to live in, to hold long term or to pass on: freehold, while the quota is open. Quotas fill from the launch, so freehold is a presale decision, not something to add later.
- Buying through a Thai company or as a Thai national: freehold at the same surcharge.
We can check the current foreign quota status and prepare both price variants for the unit you like.