Cancelling a Usufruct in Thailand: The 7 Ways It Ends

Reviewed by Wichuda Atthamethakon, LL.M., Thai Bar Licence 3149/2556, for ThaiLawOnline, a Thai law firm acting for foreigners since 2006.

usufruct in Thailand

Usufruct (สิทธิเก็บกิน) is a valuable property right in Thailand, but it must eventually end. Whether through death, mutual agreement, or court intervention, understanding how it ends, and what does not end it, is essential. This guide explores each method, Supreme Court decisions, the Article 1469 debate, and practical strategies to protect your interests.

Written by Sebastien H. Brousseau, LL.B., B.Sc. / ThaiLawOnline.com, working in usufruct law since 2006

Last reviewed: 29 September 2026. The limitation period in Decision 1548/2503 is now given as the general ten-year period (Section 164 when the case was decided, Section 193/30 today), and the section on spouses was rewritten to separate Section 1469, which covers agreements between the spouses, from the consent rule for marital property in Sections 1476 and 1480.

Previous review, 3 September 2026. Decisions 1516/2525, 2651/2543 and 2297/2541 were read in full in Thai. The facts given for 1516/2525 had the parties the wrong way round, and have been corrected: the parent was the one receiving the annual rice as usufructuary and the one who then tried to revoke the gift, and the parent lost. The FAQ answer stating that no Thai court has ever cancelled a registered usufruct under Section 1469 has been replaced by the search we actually ran and what it can and cannot show. The accounts of 2651/2543 and 2297/2541 were checked against the judgments and stand. What this review did not re-check, said rather than implied: the seven ways a usufruct ends, the Land Office procedure and fees, and Decision 10344/2551.

How a Usufruct Ends

Usufruct does not exist indefinitely. The Civil and Commercial Code recognizes multiple termination pathways. Some are automatic while others require court involvement. The table below sets out five ways a usufruct ends and two situations often mistaken for an ending:

Termination Method	Legal Basis	Automatic?	Court Order Needed?
Death of usufructuary	Section 1418	Yes	No
Expiry of fixed term	Section 1418	Yes	No
Mutual agreement	General contract law	Yes (if both agree)	No
Merger (usufructuary becomes owner)	General principles	Yes	No
Property destruction	Section 1419	Yes	No
Misuse (a receiver, not termination)	Section 1423	No	Yes
Non-exercise (does not end it: Decision 1548/2503)	No provision	No	No

Each method operates under distinct legal principles. Some occur automatically while others require formal action or judicial intervention. Understanding which applies to your situation is critical to avoiding costly disputes.

The law behind this page

English

Section 1418

A usufruct may be created for a fixed period or for the life of the usufructuary. If no period is fixed, it is presumed to be for the usufructuary's life. Where a period is fixed, Section 1403 paragraph 3 applies, so it cannot exceed thirty years, though it may be renewed. A usufruct comes to an end on the death of the usufructuary and does not pass to heirs.

Full text

A usufruct may be created either for a period of time or for the life of the usufructuary. If no period has been fixed, it is presumed that the usufruct is for the life of the usufructuary. If a period has been fixed, the provisions of Section 1403 paragraph three apply mutatis mutandis. If the usufructuary dies, the usufruct always comes to an end.

ThaiLawOnline translation

Our annotated sectionOfficial text

Section 1423

The owner may object to any unlawful or unreasonable use of the property, and if he proves his rights are in peril he may require the usufructuary to give security. That right to demand security does not apply where a donor reserved the usufruct to himself over property he gave away. If security is not given within a reasonable time set for it, or the usufructuary ignores the objection and carries on, the court may appoint a receiver to manage the property in his stead, and may discharge that receiver once security is given.

Full text

The owner may object to any unlawful or unreasonable use of the property. If the owner proves that his rights are in peril, he may demand security from the usufructuary, except in the case of a donor who has reserved to himself the usufruct of the property given. If the usufructuary fails to give security within a reasonable time fixed for the purpose, or if, in spite of the owner's objection, he continues to make use of the property unlawfully or unreasonably, the Court may appoint a Receiver to manage the property in his stead. Upon security being given the Court may release the Receiver so appointed.

ThaiLawOnline translation

Our annotated sectionOfficial text

Section 1419

Full text

If property is destroyed without compensation being paid, the owner is not bound to restore it; but, if he does so to any extent, the usufruct revives to that extent. If any compensation is paid, the owner or the usufructuary must restore the property so far as it is possible to do so, having regard to the amount of the compensation received, and the usufruct revives to that extent; but, if restoration is impossible, the usufruct comes to an end and the compensation must be divided between the owner and the usufructuary in proportion to the damages suffered by them respectively. The same rules apply mutatis mutandis in case of expropriation as well as in case of partial destruction of the property or of partial impossibility to restore the property.

ThaiLawOnline translation

Our annotated sectionOfficial text

Section 1469Amended on 23 January 2025

Full text

An agreement concerning property made between spouses during the time they are spouses may be avoided by either of them at any time while they are spouses, or within one year from the day they ceased to be spouses; but this does not affect the rights of third persons acting in good faith.

ThaiLawOnline translation

Our annotated sectionOfficial text

Section 1476Amended on 23 January 2025

Certain major transactions over Sin Somros require joint management or the other spouse's consent; under Section 1480 a transaction made by one spouse alone or without consent may be revoked by the court on the other spouse's action, unless the other spouse ratified it or the third party acted in good faith and for value.

Full text

Spouses must manage the marital property jointly, or with the consent of the other, in the following cases: (1) selling, exchanging, selling with a right of redemption, letting on hire purchase, mortgaging, discharging a mortgage, or transferring the right of mortgage, of immovable property or of movable property which may be mortgaged; (2) creating or extinguishing, in whole or in part, a servitude, a right of habitation, a superficies, a usufruct, or a charge on immovable property; (3) letting immovable property for more than three years; (4) lending money; (5) making a gift, except a gift appropriate to the family's condition in life for a charitable purpose, a social purpose, or a moral obligation; (6) making a compromise; (7) submitting a dispute to arbitration; (8) giving property as security or as a guarantee to an official or to a court. Management of the marital property other than in the cases in paragraph one may be carried out by either spouse without the consent of the other.

ThaiLawOnline translation

Our annotated sectionOfficial text

Section 1480

Where the management of Sin Somros requires joint action or the other spouse's consent under Section 1476 and one spouse acts alone or without that consent, the other may ask the court to revoke the act. Two things defeat the application: ratification by the other spouse, or a third person who acted in good faith and gave value at the time. The action must be brought within one year of learning of the ground for revocation, and in any event within ten years of the act.

Full text

In the management of the Sin Somros which has to be made jointly or has to obtain the consent from the other spouse under Section 1476, if either spouse has entered into any juristic act alone or without consent of the other, the latter may apply in Court for revoking such juristic act, unless it has been ratified by the other spouse, or the third person was at the time of entering into such juristic act, acting in good faith and for value. The litigation for revocation of the juristic act by the Court under paragraph one cannot be made later than one year from the day when such cause as being the ground for the revocation is known, or later than ten years since the juristic act was done.

ThaiLawOnline translation

Our annotated sectionOfficial text

Section 535

This section lists the four kinds of gift that cannot be revoked for ingratitude: a gift that is truly remuneratory, a gift charged with an obligation, a gift made in performance of a moral duty, and a gift made in marriage.

Full text

The following gifts are not revocable for ingratitude: (1) Gifts purely remuneratory (2) Gifts encumbered with a charge (3) Gifts made in compliance with a moral duty (4) Gifts made in consideration of marriage

ThaiLawOnline translation

Our annotated sectionOfficial text

Section 1428

Full text

No action by the owner against the usufructuary or his transferee in connection with the usufruct or vice versa may be entered later than one year after the usufruct comes to an end. But in an action by the owner who could not have known of the end of the usufruct, the prescription of one year shall run from the time when he knew or ought to have known of it.

ThaiLawOnline translation

Our annotated sectionOfficial text

ไทย

มาตรา 1418

ข้อความเต็ม

สิทธิเก็บกินนั้น จะก่อให้เกิดโดยมีกำหนดเวลา หรือตลอดชีวิตแห่งผู้ทรงสิทธิก็ได้ ถ้าไม่มีกำหนดเวลา ท่านให้สันนิษฐานไว้ก่อนว่าสิทธิเก็บกินมีอยู่ตลอดชีวิตผู้ทรงสิทธิ ถ้ามีกำหนดเวลา ท่านให้นำบทบัญญัติมาตรา ๑๔๐๓ วรรค ๓ มาใช้บังคับโดยอนุโลม ถ้าผู้ทรงสิทธิเก็บกินถึงแก่ความตาย ท่านว่าสิทธินั้นย่อมสิ้นไปเสมอ

ข้อความจากฐานข้อมูลประมวลกฎหมายของเรา โปรดตรวจสอบกับข้อความทางการ (Thai text from our annotated code. Check it against the official text.)

มาตราพร้อมหมายเหตุของเราข้อความทางการ

มาตรา 1423

ข้อความเต็ม

เจ้าของทรัพย์สินจะคัดค้านมิให้ใช้ทรัพย์สินในทางอันมิชอบด้วยกฎหมาย หรือมิสมควรก็ได้ ถ้าเจ้าของพิสูจน์ได้ว่าสิทธิของตนตกอยู่ในภยันตราย ท่านว่าจะเรียกให้ผู้ทรงสิทธิเก็บกินหาประกันให้ก็ได้ เว้นแต่ในกรณีซึ่งผู้ให้ทรัพย์สินสงวนสิทธิเก็บกินในทรัพย์สินนั้นไว้เพื่อตนเอง ถ้าผู้ทรงสิทธิเก็บกินละเลยไม่หาประกันมาให้ภายในเวลาอันควรซึ่งกำหนดให้เพื่อการนั้น หรือถ้าผู้ทรงสิทธิเก็บกินมินำพาต่อคำคัดค้านแห่งเจ้าของ ยังคงใช้ทรัพย์สินนั้นในทางอันมิชอบด้วยกฎหมาย หรือมิสมควรไซร้ ท่านว่าศาลจะตั้งผู้รักษาทรัพย์เพื่อจัดการทรัพย์สินแทนผู้ทรงสิทธิเก็บกินก็ได้ แต่เมื่อหาประกันมาให้แล้ว ศาลจะถอนผู้รักษาทรัพย์ที่ตั้งขึ้นไว้นั้นก็ได้

ข้อความจากฐานข้อมูลประมวลกฎหมายของเรา โปรดตรวจสอบกับข้อความทางการ (Thai text from our annotated code. Check it against the official text.)

มาตราพร้อมหมายเหตุของเราข้อความทางการ

มาตรา 1419

ข้อความเต็ม

ถ้าทรัพย์สินสลายไปโดยไม่ได้ค่าทดแทนไซร้ ท่านว่าเจ้าของไม่จำต้องทำให้คืนดี แต่ถ้าเจ้าของทำให้ทรัพย์สินคืนดีขึ้นเพียงใด ท่านว่าสิทธิเก็บกินก็กลับมีขึ้นเพียงนั้น ถ้าได้ค่าทดแทนไซร้ ท่านว่าเจ้าของหรือผู้ทรงสิทธิเก็บกินต้องทำให้ทรัพย์สินคืนดีเพียงที่สามารถทำได้ตามจำนวนเงินค่าทดแทนที่ได้รับ และสิทธิเก็บกินกลับมีขึ้นเพียงที่ทรัพย์สินกลับคืนดี แต่ถ้าพ้นวิสัยที่จะทำให้กลับคืนดีได้ สิทธิเก็บกินก็เป็นอันสิ้นไป และค่าทดแทนนั้นต้องแบ่งกันระหว่างเจ้าของทรัพย์สิน และผู้ทรงสิทธิเก็บกินตามส่วนแห่งความเสียหายของตน วิธีนี้ให้ใช้บังคับโดยอนุโลมถึงกรณีซึ่งทรัพย์สินถูกบังคับซื้อ และกรณีซึ่งทรัพย์สินสลายไปแต่บางส่วน หรือการทำให้คืนดีนั้นพ้นวิสัยในบางส่วน

ข้อความจากฐานข้อมูลประมวลกฎหมายของเรา โปรดตรวจสอบกับข้อความทางการ (Thai text from our annotated code. Check it against the official text.)

มาตราพร้อมหมายเหตุของเราข้อความทางการ

มาตรา 1469แก้ไขเมื่อ 23 มกราคม 2568

ข้อความเต็ม

สัญญาที่เกี่ยวกับทรัพย์สินใดที่คู่สมรสได้ทำไว้ต่อกันในระหว่างเป็นคู่สมรสกันนั้น ฝ่ายใดฝ่ายหนึ่งจะบอกล้างเสียในเวลาใดที่เป็นคู่สมรสกันอยู่หรือภายในกำหนดหนึ่งปีนับแต่วันที่ขาดจากการเป็นคู่สมรสกันก็ได้ แต่ไม่กระทบกระเทือนถึงสิทธิของบุคคลภายนอกผู้ทำการโดยสุจริต

ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)

มาตราพร้อมหมายเหตุของเราข้อความทางการ

มาตรา 1476แก้ไขเมื่อ 23 มกราคม 2568

ข้อความเต็ม

คู่สมรสต้องจัดการสินสมรสร่วมกันหรือได้รับความยินยอมจากอีกฝ่ายหนึ่งในกรณีดังต่อไปนี้ (๑) ขาย แลกเปลี่ยน ขายฝาก ให้เช่าซื้อ จำนอง ปลดจำนอง หรือโอนสิทธิจำนอง ซึ่งอสังหาริมทรัพย์หรือสังหาริมทรัพย์ที่อาจจำนองได้ (๒) ก่อตั้งหรือกระทำให้สุดสิ้นลงทั้งหมดหรือบางส่วนซึ่งภาระจำยอม สิทธิอาศัย สิทธิเหนือพื้นดิน สิทธิเก็บกิน หรือภาระติดพันในอสังหาริมทรัพย์ (๓) ให้เช่าอสังหาริมทรัพย์เกินสามปี (๔) ให้กู้ยืมเงิน (๕) ให้โดยเสน่หา เว้นแต่การให้ที่พอควรแก่ฐานานุรูปของครอบครัวเพื่อการกุศล เพื่อการสังคม หรือตามหน้าที่ธรรมจรรยา (๖) ประนีประนอมยอมความ (๗) มอบข้อพิพาทให้อนุญาโตตุลาการวินิจฉัย (๘) นำทรัพย์สินไปเป็นประกันหรือหลักประกันต่อเจ้าพนักงานหรือศาล การจัดการสินสมรสนอกจากกรณีที่บัญญัติไว้ในวรรคหนึ่ง คู่สมรสฝ่ายใดฝ่ายหนึ่งจัดการได้โดยมิต้องได้รับความยินยอมจากอีกฝ่ายหนึ่ง

ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)

มาตราพร้อมหมายเหตุของเราข้อความทางการ

มาตรา 1480

ข้อความเต็ม

การจัดการสินสมรสซึ่งต้องจัดการร่วมกันหรือต้องได้รับความยินยอมจากอีกฝ่ายหนึ่งตามมาตรา ๑๔๗๖ ถ้าคู่สมรสฝ่ายหนึ่งได้ทำนิติกรรมไปแต่เพียงฝ่ายเดียว หรือโดยปราศจากความยินยอมของคู่สมรสอีกฝ่ายหนึ่ง คู่สมรสอีกฝ่ายหนึ่งอาจฟ้องให้ศาลเพิกถอนนิติกรรมนั้นได้ เว้นแต่คู่สมรสอีกฝ่ายหนึ่งได้ให้สัตยาบันแก่นิติกรรมนั้นแล้ว หรือในขณะที่ทำนิติกรรมนั้นบุคคลภายนอกได้กระทำโดยสุจริตและเสียค่าตอบแทน การฟ้องให้ศาลเพิกถอนนิติกรรมตามวรรคหนึ่งห้ามมิให้ฟ้องเมื่อพ้นหนึ่งปี นับแต่วันที่ได้รู้เหตุอันเป็นมูลให้เพิกถอน หรือเมื่อพ้นสิบปีนับแต่วันที่ได้ทำนิติกรรมนั้น

ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)

มาตราพร้อมหมายเหตุของเราข้อความทางการ

มาตรา 535

ข้อความเต็ม

การให้อันจะกล่าวต่อไปนี้ ท่านว่าจะถอนคืนเพราะเหตุเนรคุณไม่ได้ คือ(๑) ให้เป็นบำเหน็จสินจ้างโดยแท้(๒) ให้สิ่งที่มีค่าภาระติดพัน(๓) ให้โดยหน้าที่ธรรมจรรยา(๔) ให้ในการสมรส

ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)

มาตราพร้อมหมายเหตุของเราข้อความทางการ

มาตรา 1428

ข้อความเต็ม

คดีอันเกี่ยวกับสิทธิเก็บกินในระหว่างเจ้าของทรัพย์สินกับผู้ทรงสิทธิเก็บกิน หรือผู้รับโอนนั้น ท่านห้ามมิให้ฟ้องเมื่อเกินปีหนึ่งนับแต่วันสิทธิเก็บกินสุดสิ้นลง แต่ในคดีที่เจ้าของทรัพย์สินเป็นโจทก์นั้น ถ้าเจ้าของไม่อาจรู้ว่าสิทธิเก็บกินสุดสิ้นลงเมื่อใด ท่านให้นับอายุความปีหนึ่งนั้นตั้งแต่เวลาที่เจ้าของทรัพย์สินได้รู้ หรือควรรู้ว่าสิทธิเก็บกินสุดสิ้นลง

ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)

มาตราพร้อมหมายเหตุของเราข้อความทางการ

Français

Article 1418

L'usufruit est constitué à terme ou à vie. Sans terme, il est présumé viager. Avec terme, l'article 1403, alinéa 3, s'applique par analogie. Il s'éteint toujours au décès de l'usufruitier.

résumé non officiel

Notre article annotéTexte officiel

Article 1423

Le propriétaire peut s'opposer à un usage illégal ou inapproprié et, s'il prouve que son droit est en péril, exiger une garantie, sauf si le donateur s'est réservé l'usufruit. À défaut, ou si l'usage persiste, le tribunal peut nommer un administrateur, révocable une fois la garantie fournie.

résumé non officiel

Notre article annotéTexte officiel

Article 1419

Si le bien périt sans indemnité, le propriétaire n'est pas tenu de le rétablir, mais l'usufruit renaît dans la mesure du rétablissement qu'il opère. Avec indemnité, le propriétaire ou l'usufruitier doit rétablir le bien autant que l'indemnité reçue le permet, l'usufruit renaissant d'autant; si c'est impossible, l'usufruit s'éteint et l'indemnité est partagée selon le préjudice de chacun. Idem par analogie en cas d'expropriation, de perte partielle ou d'impossibilité partielle de rétablissement.

résumé non officiel

Notre article annotéTexte officiel

Article 1469Modifié le 23 janvier 2025

Un contrat sur des biens conclu entre époux peut être annulé par l'un d'eux pendant le mariage ou dans l'année suivant sa fin, sans nuire aux tiers de bonne foi.

résumé non officiel

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Article 1476Modifié le 23 janvier 2025

Pour les biens communs, les époux agissent ensemble ou avec le consentement de l'autre dans les cas énumérés, notamment vente ou hypothèque d'immeubles ou de meubles hypothécables, droits réels immobiliers, bail de plus de 3 ans, prêt d'argent, donation excessive, transaction et arbitrage. Sinon, chacun agit seul.

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Article 1480

L'époux n'ayant pas participé ou consenti à un acte relevant de l'article 1476 peut en demander l'annulation, sauf ratification ou tiers de bonne foi à titre onéreux. L'action est forclose un an après connaissance de la cause ou dix ans après l'acte.

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Article 535

Les donations suivantes ne peuvent pas être révoquées pour cause d'ingratitude : (1) la donation faite à titre de pure rémunération ; (2) la donation d'un bien grevé d'une charge ; (3) la donation faite en accomplissement d'un devoir moral ; (4) la donation faite en vue du mariage.

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Article 1428

Les actions relatives à l'usufruit entre le propriétaire et l'usufruitier ou le cessionnaire ne peuvent être intentées plus d'un an après l'extinction de l'usufruit. Toutefois, lorsque le propriétaire est demandeur et ne pouvait savoir quand l'usufruit a pris fin, ce délai d'un an court du moment où il a su ou aurait dû savoir que l'usufruit avait pris fin.

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Supreme Court decisions

• 10344/2551 (2008): A Gift With a Reserved Usufruct is a Burdened Gift: Cannot Be Revoked for Ingratitude Under Section 535
• 7199/2552 (2009): A Will Granting 'Right of Habitation and Usufruct for Life' Gives Only Usufructuary Rights, Not Ownership

Sources

• Civil and Commercial Code, Office of the Council of State, retrieved 31 October 2026
• deka.supremecourt.or.th, Supreme Court of Thailand decisions database (copy held in our library), retrieved 19 February 2026

Death of the Usufructuary. The Automatic Rule

Section 1418. Non-Negotiable

The death of the usufructuary (ผู้ทรงสิทธิเก็บกิน) is the most straightforward termination. Under Section 1418 of the Civil and Commercial Code, usufruct automatically ceases upon death. This rule is absolute. No court order is required, no notice to the Land Office is mandatory, and no conditions apply.

When a usufructuary dies, the usufruct ends and the property must be returned to the owner free of it. The usufructuary’s heirs have no claim to continue the usufruct. They cannot inherit this right. This is fundamentally different from ownership, which does pass to heirs. Usufruct is personal to the individual granted the right and cannot be transferred by will or intestate succession.

From a practical standpoint, termination is automatic. However, it is advisable to notify the Land Office (สำนักงานที่ดิน) and request cancellation of the usufruct registration. This prevents future disputes and facilitates any subsequent transfers or mortgaging by the landowner.

What Happens to Existing Leases. Lease Survives Death

A critical nuance arises if the deceased usufructuary had leased the property before death. Does the usufruct’s termination also terminate the tenancies?

Supreme Court Decision ฎีกา 2297/2541 (1998) clarifies this. A usufructuary for life had let the land for 30 years, in writing and registered at the Land Office, and then died. The Supreme Court held that the usufructuary had power to manage the property and so to let it (Section 1417), that a written and registered lease made under that power binds the owner (Sections 538 and 540), and that the end of the usufruct on death under Section 1418 does not bring the tenant’s lease to an end. The owner’s eviction claim was dismissed.

The practical consequence is that the landowner, upon the usufructuary’s death, must honor a lease of this kind until it expires. A lease longer than three years that was not made in writing and registered is enforceable only for three years (Section 538). The landowner cannot cancel these leases because the usufructuary has died. This protects tenants from sudden displacement and ensures legal certainty in the rental market.

Can the Landowner Unilaterally Cancel Usufruct?

Short Answer. No

One of the most critical points in Thai usufruct law: a landowner cannot unilaterally cancel a registered usufruct without the usufructuary’s consent. This is a principle of property rights law. Once a usufruct is registered at the Land Office, the landowner’s ownership interest is subordinate to the usufructuary’s right to use and enjoy the property.

A related question arises when the usufruct was created as part of a gift: the giver hands the land over and keeps a usufruct for life. Can the giver later take the gift back? The answer turns on the rules for a gift with an encumbrance.

The Gift with Encumbrance Protection

When a landowner gifts property but retains usufruct as an encumbrance (a gift with a charge, การให้โดยมีค่าภาระติดพัน, Civil and Commercial Code sections 528 and 535(2)), a special legal regime applies. This occurs frequently in family property divisions. Aging parents gift land to children while retaining the right to use and enjoy the property for life.

Case Study 1. Decision 1516/2525 (1982)

Facts: A mother gave land to her daughter and registered a usufruct over it for her own life, and the daughter shared thirty thang of the paddy she grew with her each year. It was the mother, the giver and the usufructuary, who later sought to revoke the gift for ingratitude.

Court’s Holding: Because the land was given on terms that placed a burden on it for the giver’s life, it was not a gift out of pure affection but a gift carrying an encumbrance, which cannot be revoked for ingratitude. The mother’s claim failed and the dismissal was upheld. The point cuts both ways: the retained usufruct secures the giver an income, and it is also what makes the gift itself irreversible.

Case Study 2. Decision 2651/2543 (2000)

Facts: A plaintiff gifted land to a defendant and registered usufruct in the plaintiff’s name. The plaintiff later alleged that the defendant barred him from the paddy and orchard, leaving him destitute. The plaintiff claimed grounds for revocation based on ingratitude.

Court’s Holding: The Supreme Court affirmed that a gift with an encumbered usufruct cannot be revoked. This applies regardless of subsequent ingratitude or family discord. The Court did not need to decide the facts: even on the plaintiff’s own account, keeping a usufruct made it a gift with a charge, and his remedy for interference was to sue to enforce the usufruct, not to revoke the gift.

Case Study 3. Decision 10344/2551 (2008)

Facts: A mother and her late husband divided their land among their nine children, on the agreed term that the parents kept the right to the produce: the rent from the rice fields and the fruit from the orchards. The mother later sued one son for ingratitude, asking for half of his two plots to be transferred back to her.

Court’s Holding: Because the parents kept the right to the produce of the land, the gift was a gift with a charge, and under Section 535(2) the mother had no right of action to revoke it for ingratitude. The Court of Appeal had raised the point of its own motion as a question of public order, and the Supreme Court upheld the dismissal.

Legal Principle: These three decisions are consistent. Where the giver keeps a usufruct or the produce of the land, the gift carries a charge and cannot be revoked for ingratitude under Section 535(2), even if the relationship breaks down. The giver keeps the usufruct for life (Section 1418), and the child who received the land cannot cancel it either.

Section 1423. Court Intervention for Misuse

While a landowner cannot revoke usufruct, the owner retains limited protections. Section 1423 lets the owner object to any unlawful or unreasonable use of the property.

Available remedies under Section 1423 include:

• Demand for security: If the owner proves that the owner’s rights are in peril, the owner may demand security from the usufructuary. This is not available where the usufructuary is a giver who reserved the usufruct when giving the property away.
• Appointment of a receiver: If the usufructuary does not give security within the time fixed, or keeps up the unlawful or unreasonable use despite the owner’s objection, the court may appoint a receiver to manage the property in the usufructuary’s place, and may release the receiver once security is given.
• No termination: Section 1423 does not give the court power to end the usufruct. The usufructuary remains liable for loss or damage caused by fault when the usufruct ends (Section 1420).

The burden of proof is on the landowner to show the unlawful or unreasonable use and, for security, that the owner’s rights are in peril. Mere disputes over property maintenance or minor violations are insufficient. The misuse must be material and demonstrable.

Can a Spouse Cancel Usufruct. Article 1469 Debate

The Legal Question. Article 1469 and Spousal Rights

Whether a spouse can undo a usufruct depends on who received it and whose property it burdens. The Civil and Commercial Code deals with the two situations in different sections, and they are often confused.

Section 1469 covers agreements made between the spouses themselves. An agreement concerning property made between spouses during the marriage may be avoided by either of them at any time while they are married, or within one year after the marriage ends, without affecting third persons who acted in good faith. A usufruct that one spouse grants to the other during the marriage, for example a Thai wife granting her foreign husband a usufruct over her land, is such an agreement. This is the risk usually discussed under the Article 1469 heading.

The consent rule is in Sections 1476 and 1480, not Section 1469. Section 1476 requires both spouses, or one with the other’s consent, to deal with marital property (sin somros) in listed cases, which include selling, mortgaging and creating a usufruct, superficies, habitation or servitude over immovable property. Under Section 1480, if one spouse does this alone, the other may ask the court to revoke it, unless it was ratified or the third person acted in good faith and gave value. The action must be brought within one year of learning of the ground, and in any event within ten years of the act. A usufruct over a spouse’s personal property (sin suan tua) needs no consent.

What the Case Law Shows

We searched our own database of Supreme Court decisions on 3 September 2026 and found no reported decision cancelling a registered usufruct under Section 1469: of the thirty-two decisions citing Section 1469, only 818/2546 also involves a usufruct, and there the usufruct was not in issue and what was undone was a gift of land. That database is not the complete reporter, so treat this as an absence of authority in what we hold, not as a rule that a court will refuse. The power to avoid an agreement between spouses comes from the statute itself, and so does the non-consenting spouse’s right to ask for revocation under Section 1480.

In practice the Land Office asks a married owner for the spouse’s written consent when the land is marital property, so the Section 1480 risk mostly arises where consent was not given or the owner’s marital status was misstated. The Section 1469 risk is different: consent does not remove it, because the power to avoid belongs to the spouse who granted the usufruct.

How to Protect Against This Risk

To minimize the risk of spousal challenge, consider the following protective measures:

• Register before marriage: If possible, register the usufruct before entering into marriage. Section 1469 applies only to agreements made during the marriage, so a usufruct granted before it is outside that section.
• Obtain written spousal consent: Where the land is marital property, Section 1476 requires the other spouse’s consent to create a usufruct. Give it in writing at registration and present it to the Land Office. It removes the Section 1480 ground for revocation, though not the granting spouse’s own right under Section 1469 when the usufruct is granted to the other spouse.
• Prenuptial agreement, not a postnuptial one: A prenuptial agreement made before the marriage and recorded at the marriage registration (Sections 1465 and 1466) can settle which assets remain personal property. A postnuptial agreement signed during the marriage is itself an agreement between spouses that either of them may avoid under Section 1469, so it cannot be used to waive that right.
• Land Office notification: Provide the Land Office with documentary evidence of spousal consent at the time of registration. Many Land Offices will make a notation indicating that the spouse was aware and consented.

Non-Exercise and Lapse

How Long Before It Lapses?

A common concern among property owners is whether a usufruct can lapse or expire due to non-use. If a usufructuary fails to exercise the right for many years, can the property owner reclaim unobstructed ownership?

Thai law provides an answer. Usufruct does not automatically expire merely because it is unused. However, a lengthy failure to exercise the right may trigger prescription or abandonment doctrines under limited circumstances. A property owner might seek court intervention.

Decision 1548/2503 (1960). Non-Exercise Over 7 to 8 Years

Facts: A usufructuary had registered a usufruct but had never exercised the right for 7 to 8 years. The owner had held the orchard and taken its produce throughout. The usufructuary then sued to be let into possession, and the owner pleaded the one-year limitation periods.

Court’s Holding: The Supreme Court held that the usufructuary could STILL enforce the usufruct right despite prolonged non-exercise. The Court noted that the applicable limitation period was the general ten-year period (Section 164 when the case was decided; Section 193/30 since Book I was revised in 1992), NOT the 1-year period specified in Section 1428.

Significance: This decision firmly established that mere non-use does not extinguish a registered usufruct. The right itself ends only in the ways the Code provides: the end of its term, the usufructuary’s death (Section 1418), a court order, or cancellation by agreement. A claim to enforce it is subject to the general ten-year limitation period, so a usufructuary kept out of the property should not wait.

The implication is clear. Registering a usufruct at the Land Office creates a durable property right that survives years of non-use. A property owner cannot assume that an unused usufruct has disappeared or can be ignored.

Practical Termination Strategies

For parties seeking to actually end a usufruct relationship, several practical pathways exist. The most effective strategies are outlined below.

Mutual Agreement (Safest Method)

The simplest and safest way to terminate usufruct is through mutual agreement of the property owner and usufructuary. When both parties agree to end the relationship, no court order is required. The process is straightforward.

Procedure:

1. Prepare a termination agreement: Draft a simple written agreement signed by both parties. It should state that the usufruct is terminated by mutual consent effective immediately.
2. Attend the Land Office together: Both the property owner and usufructuary should visit the Land Office (สำนักงานที่ดิน) in person with:
   • Original title deed (โฉนดที่ดิน)
   • The registered usufruct agreement (หนังสือสัญญาให้สิทธิเก็บกิน)
   • Termination agreement signed by both parties
   • Personal identification documents
3. Complete cancellation registration: The Land Office registers the cancellation on the title deed, which then shows that the usufruct has ended.
4. Cost: Where nothing is paid for the cancellation, it is registered as a transaction without capital value, at 50 baht per plot (Ministerial Regulation No. 47 (B.E. 2541), clause 2(7)), plus small charges for the application and copies.

Mutual agreement is preferred because it avoids litigation. It preserves the relationship between the parties. It ensures a clean title for the property owner.

Fixed-Term Expiry. Automatic, No Action Needed

If the usufruct was created with a fixed term (e.g., “usufruct for 10 years from the date of registration”), the right automatically expires when the term elapses. No court action or formal notice is required.

Best practice: Even though termination is automatic, notify the Land Office and request cancellation of the registration. This clears the property title and avoids confusion in future transactions.

Court Order Under Section 1423. For Misuse Cases

If the usufructuary misuses the property, Section 1423 lets the property owner object, demand security, and ask the court to appoint a receiver. The property owner must prove:

• Specific acts of unlawful or unreasonable use of the property
• For security, that the owner’s rights are in peril
• For a receiver, that security was not given in time or that the misuse continued after the owner objected

The section does not provide for terminating the usufruct for misuse. A receiver takes over the management of the property, and the usufruct itself continues until it ends in one of the other ways described on this page.

Property Destruction. Usufruct Ends if Property Destroyed

Under Section 1419, if the property is destroyed and compensation is paid, the owner or the usufructuary must restore it as far as the compensation allows; if restoration is impossible, the usufruct ends and the compensation is divided between them in proportion to their losses. If no compensation is paid, the owner is not bound to restore the property.

Whenever the property is restored, the usufruct revives to the extent of the restoration. The same rules apply to expropriation and to partial destruction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Guides

• Usufruct Agreement in Thailand . Comprehensive overview of usufruct creation, terms, and enforcement mechanisms.
• How to Register Usufruct in Thailand . Step-by-step guide to registration, from initial agreement through termination.
• Usufruct and Married Couples in Thailand . Analysis of spousal rights, Article 1469, and protections for usufruct in family contexts.
• Usufruct Upon Death and Inheritance in Thailand . Guide to what happens when a usufructuary dies and how heirs are affected.
• 64 Supreme Court Decisions on Usufruct . Full database of all landmark Thai Supreme Court cases involving usufruct.

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