Selling
How to sell a villa, condo or land on Koh Samui for the best price: pricing, preparing the paperwork, presentation, offers and contracts, seller taxes, leasehold and company sales, and taking the money home.
In short
- Price is the biggest decision. A realistic price attracts serious buyers early; an optimistic one can leave a property unsold for months.
- Get the paperwork ready first: title or lease, permits, house registration, and for condos the debt-free letter and FET form.
- Seller costs usually include Specific Business Tax or stamp duty, withholding tax, a share of the transfer fee and agency fees.
- Leasehold property is sold by assigning the lease or granting a new one. Check whether the landowner must consent.
- Keep your original money-transfer records to send the proceeds abroad.
Selling property on Koh Samui is straightforward when you prepare properly, and frustrating when you don’t. Buyers here are often from overseas, comparing several properties online before they fly in, and their lawyers will check everything. Properties that are well priced, well presented and fully documented sell faster and for more. This guide sets out the process, the costs and the issues specific to Thailand, for Thai and foreign owners, freehold and leasehold. When you’re ready, see how we can help you sell your property.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm costs and the process for your sale with your property lawyer or tax adviser.
1. Price it right
Pricing is where most sales succeed or stall. We look at:
- Comparable properties for sale now, and what similar properties have actually sold for.
- Location, view, land size, layout and condition.
- Tenure: freehold or leasehold, and for leasehold the remaining term.
- Rental performance, if the property is let: real statements, not estimates.
- The current market, including how much new-build competition there is. See the Koh Samui property market.
Price against what buyers can actually buy today, not against the highest listing you can find. A property priced close to its true value from the start usually achieves a better final price than one that has to be reduced later.
2. Get your documents ready
Buyers’ lawyers will ask for these, so having them ready speeds up the sale and builds trust:
- The title deed (Chanote or condo title), or the registered lease and superficies.
- Your ID, or company registration documents and directors’ details.
- The building permit and, where relevant, the completion certificate.
- The house registration (Tabien Baan).
- Condos: the debt-free letter, the latest common-area fee statement and the juristic person’s contact.
- Condos: your original FET form or bank credit advice from the purchase.
- Utility bills, rental records and booking history.
- Warranties, plans and maintenance records.
3. Present the property
- Repairs first. Fix leaks, peeling paint, broken pool equipment and anything a building inspector will spot.
- Deep clean and declutter, including the garden and pool.
- Professional photography and video, including drone shots for views.
- Clear facts: land and building size, title type, lease term, running costs and rental income.
- Virtual viewings for overseas buyers.
How buyers value property on Samui
Understanding how buyers think helps you price and present your property:
- Lifestyle buyers pay for location, views, privacy and a property that’s ready to move into.
- Investors look at net rental income, licensing and the remaining lease. A villa with real booking statements is worth more to them than one with estimates.
- Thai buyers are a growing part of the market for freehold villas and land, and value title quality and location.
- Everyone discounts for missing paperwork, unclear access, deferred maintenance and short remaining leases.
Selling a villa that’s let
- Holiday bookings: agree how forward bookings will be handled. Transferring them to the buyer, with their income, can be a selling point.
- Long-term tenants: a lease registered for over three years binds a buyer. Tell buyers early and share the tenancy terms.
- Rental records: organise 12–24 months of statements, occupancy and costs.
Choosing an agent
Our buying and selling advisory explains how we represent sellers. Whichever agent you choose, look at:
- Their buyer reach: website traffic, overseas enquiries and their database.
- Recent sales of similar properties, and how close they came to the asking price.
- Presentation: photography, video and how they describe properties.
- Honesty on price. Be cautious of an agent who wins your listing with an unrealistic valuation.
- Clear terms: commission, exclusivity, duration and how you can end the agreement.
4. Marketing and viewings
A good agent markets the property on their website and portals, to their buyer database and through local networks, and handles viewings. Agree in writing:
- the commission, and when it’s payable;
- whether the agency is exclusive or not;
- how viewings are arranged while you’re abroad, and who holds the keys.
5. Offers, reservation and contract
- Negotiate the offer: the price, what’s included, the deposit, the timeline and who pays which transfer costs.
- Reservation agreement: the buyer pays a deposit to take the property off the market for an agreed due diligence period.
- The buyer’s due diligence: their lawyer checks the title, permits and documents. Answer questions quickly.
- Sale and purchase agreement: the price, payments, fee allocation, completion date and any conditions.
- Transfer at the Land Office: the title or lease is registered to the buyer, fees and taxes are paid, and you receive the balance.
A straightforward resale typically completes in six to ten weeks from an accepted offer.
What selling costs
| Cost | Rate | Usually paid by |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer fee | 2% of the appraised value | Negotiable; often shared 50/50 |
| Specific Business Tax | 3.3% of the higher of price and appraised value, if sold within 5 years or by a company | Seller |
| Stamp duty | 0.5%, when SBT doesn’t apply | Seller |
| Withholding tax | Individuals: progressive, on the appraised value and years held. Companies: 1% | Seller |
| Agency commission | As agreed in writing | Seller |
| Legal fees | Fixed fee or as agreed | Seller, for their own lawyer |
See property taxes and transfer fees for worked examples.
Selling a leasehold villa
A leasehold property is usually sold in one of two ways:
- Assigning the remaining lease to the buyer, and transferring the house and superficies.
- The landowner granting a new lease to the buyer, sometimes for a fresh 30 years.
Watch out
Check your lease before you market the property. If it requires the landowner’s consent to assign, contact the landowner early and get consent in writing. The remaining term drives the price: a villa with 25 years left sells very differently from one with 10.
Selling company-owned property
If the property is held by a Thai company, it can be sold either by transferring the property out of the company or by selling the company’s shares. The tax and legal consequences are very different, and a share sale carries the company’s history with it. Take legal and accounting advice before you agree terms with a buyer.
Selling off-plan before completion
If you bought off-plan, you may be able to assign your contract to a new buyer before completion, depending on the contract and the developer’s consent. There’s usually a fee.
Taking the money home
- Foreign owners can usually send sale proceeds abroad, especially where the original purchase money came in from overseas.
- Keep your FET form and bank records from the purchase; they support the transfer out.
- Your Thai bank may ask for the sale contract and the Land Office documents.
- Consider exchange-rate timing and tax in your home country on any gain.
Selling while abroad
You don’t need to be in Thailand to sell. A trusted agent handles viewings, and your lawyer can sign at the Land Office under a specific power of attorney.
Common mistakes
- Overpricing, then reducing repeatedly.
- Missing documents, discovered only when a buyer’s lawyer asks.
- Not checking whether the lease can be assigned without consent.
- Lost FET paperwork from the original purchase.
- Unclear agreements with several agents at once.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on price, location and condition. Once an offer is accepted, a straightforward sale usually completes in six to ten weeks.
Yes. Foreign owners of condos, buildings and leases can sell, and can usually send the proceeds abroad.
No. Your lawyer can act for you at the Land Office under a power of attorney.
Usually Specific Business Tax or stamp duty, withholding tax and an agreed share of the 2% transfer fee.
Not as a separate tax for individuals. Withholding tax at transfer serves that purpose. You may owe tax at home.
By assigning the lease, or by the landowner granting a new lease to the buyer. Check whether consent is needed.
Thinking of selling?
We’ll give you an honest view of what your property is worth, and how to sell it.
General information only, not legal or tax advice.