Révisé par ThaiLawOnline, un cabinet d'avocats thaïlandais agréé exerçant en Thaïlande depuis 2006. Avocate thaïlandaise en charge du dossier : Wichuda Atthamethakon, LL.M., licence du barreau thaïlandais 3149/2556.
Dernière mise à jour :
Common area fees (ค่าส่วนกลาง, kha suan klang, également common area management fees, CAM fees ou maintenance fees) are the periodic contributions every co-owner of a Thai condominium must pay to the condominium personne morale for the upkeep of the common property, in proportion to the ownership ratio of the unit, and the sinking fund (เงินกองทุน) is the one-off reserve paid when a unit is first bought to cover major repairs. Both are obligations under the Condominium Act, and unpaid fees block the sale of the unit because the juristic person will not issue the debt-free certificate the Bureau foncier demands.
Table des matières
Ce que la loi sur la copropriété exige des propriétaires
Section 18 of the Loi sur les condominiums makes each co-owner share the common expenses in proportion to their ownership ratio, in practice per square metre of unit area. The expenses are the cost of running the building: security, cleaning, lifts, pool, gardens, insurance, staff and utilities for common areas. The budget is approved at the annual general meeting, and the fee per square metre follows from it. Typical rates run from about 20 to 70 baht per square metre per month, higher in luxury buildings, and many buildings collect a year in advance.
The sinking fund is separate. It is paid once, at the first transfer of each unit from the developer, at a rate the developer fixes in the sale contract, commonly 400 to 600 baht per square metre for new buildings, and it is held in reserve for major works such as lift replacement or repainting the facade. A general meeting can vote a further levy when the fund runs low, which is where owners who never attend meetings are caught out.
Payer, budgétiser et vérifier avant l'achat
Fees follow the unit, not the owner. A buyer takes the unit free of arrears only because the Act requires a debt-free certificate from the personne morale before the Land Office will register the transfer, so the seller must clear the account first. Before paying a deposit, the buyer should obtain the current fee rate, the last audited accounts and the sinking fund balance; a building with cheap fees and an empty fund is a building about to levy its owners.
In the sale contract for a new unit, the buyer normally pays the sinking fund and the first year or two of common fees at transfer, on top of the price and the frais de transfert. Those sums should be checked against the ownership ratio, since developers sometimes calculate them on a larger area than the deed shows.
Fees do not cover the unit’s own electricity, water or internet, nor the annual land and building tax, which the owner pays directly.
Que se passe-t-il lorsque les frais ne sont pas payés
The Act gives the juristic person real teeth. An owner in arrears pays a surcharge of up to 12% a year on the outstanding amount, rising to up to 20% a year once the arrears reach six months, and at that point the manager can suspend common services such as key cards for the pool, gym or car park and the owner loses the right to vote at general meetings. The juristic person can sue for the debt and, most effectively, withhold the debt-free certificate so the unit cannot be sold until every baht is paid. The certificate is required only to register a transfer of ownership (Section 29), so arrears do not block a mortgage.
| Frais | When paid | Typical amount |
|---|---|---|
| Frais de copropriété | Monthly or annually | 20 to 70 baht per square metre per month |
| Sinking fund | Once, at first transfer | 400 to 600 baht per square metre |
| Special levy | When voted by the general meeting | Set by resolution |
| Arrears surcharge | On late payment | Up to 12% a year, 20% after six months |
What the juristic person cannot do is cut off the electricity or water supplied by the utility to the unit itself, change the locks or evict the owner; in Supreme Court decision 10230/2553 a juristic person was ordered to restore an owner’s water supply and hand over withheld access cards, because common fees must be enforced through the courts. Disputes about whether a charge was properly voted go to the civil court, and the minutes of the general meeting decide most of them.
Foire aux questions
Combien coûtent les charges de copropriété pour un appartement en Thaïlande ?
La plupart des immeubles facturent entre 20 et 70 bahts par mètre carré et par mois, fixés lors de l'assemblée générale annuelle sur la base du budget approuvé, les immeubles de luxe dépassant ce montant. Un appartement de 50 mètres carrés à 50 bahts par mètre carré paye 30 000 bahts par an, généralement perçus annuellement d'avance.
Qu'est-ce qu'un fonds d'amortissement dans un copropriété thaïlandaise ?
Il s'agit d'une contribution unique au fonds de réserve payée par le premier acheteur de chaque unité, généralement de 400 à 600 bahts par mètre carré dans un nouveau bâtiment, détenue par la personne morale pour les réparations majeures et les remplacements. Lorsque le fonds est épuisé, l'assemblée générale peut voter une cotisation supplémentaire pour tous les propriétaires.
Puis-je vendre mon copropriété si je dois des frais de copropriété ?
Non. Le bureau foncier n'enregistrera pas de transfert sans un certificat de non-endettement délivré par la personne morale de la copropriété, et le gestionnaire ne le délivrera pas tant que des frais, des suppléments ou des prélèvements seront impayés. Les arriérés doivent être réglés avant la finalisation, généralement grâce au produit de la vente le jour du transfert.
Voir aussi : Personne morale de copropriété, Condominium Act B.E. 2522, Land and building tax, Quota pour étrangers (49%) ET Acheter un appartement en Thaïlande.
Actualités juridiques thaïlandaises, gratuites par courriel
Des informations claires et concises sur les changements législatifs thaïlandais concernant les étrangers : propriété, visas, mariage, affaires et testaments. Un court courriel par mois, envoyé par un cabinet d’avocats établi depuis 2006. Zéro spam, désabonnement possible à tout moment.