{"id":6499,"date":"2026-09-05T19:02:59","date_gmt":"2026-09-05T12:02:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/glossary\/land-code\/"},"modified":"2026-09-05T19:26:35","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T12:26:35","slug":"land-code","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/land-code\/","title":{"rendered":"Code foncier de 1954 (B.E. 2497) : La loi fonci\u00e8re de la Tha\u00eflande"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>Le <strong>Code foncier<\/strong> (\u0e1b\u0e23\u0e30\u0e21\u0e27\u0e25\u0e01\u0e0e\u0e2b\u0e21\u0e32\u0e22\u0e17\u0e35\u0e48\u0e14\u0e34\u0e19, <em>pramuan kotmai thi din<\/em>, also cited as the <em>Code foncier de B.E. 2497<\/em> ou <em>Land Code Act 1954<\/em>) is the statute, in force since 1954, that governs land in Thailand: the title documents the State issues, the Land Offices that register dealings, the fees, and the rule that foreigners may not own land. It sits alongside the Civil and Commercial Code, which supplies the private-law rights such as sale, lease, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/mortgage\/\">hypoth\u00e8que<\/a>, usufruct and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/superficies-right\/\">superficie<\/a>. Any foreigner who buys a condominium, leases a plot or marries a Thai landowner is dealing with the Land Code whether the word appears in the contract or not.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table des mati\u00e8res<\/h2><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#what-the-land-code-covers\">Ce que couvre le Code foncier<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#how-the-code-affects-a-foreigner-in-practice\">Comment le Code affecte un \u00e9tranger dans la pratique<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#land-code-and-civil-and-commercial-code-compared\">Comparaison du Code foncier et du Code civil et commercial<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#frequently-asked-questions\">Foire aux questions<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-the-land-code-covers\">Ce que couvre le Code foncier<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>The Code establishes the Department of Lands under the Ministry of Interior and sets out the hierarchy of land documents: the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/chanote\/\">chanote<\/a> as the deed of ownership, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/ns3\/\">Ni Sor 3<\/a> ET <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/nor-sor-3-gor\/\">Ni Sor 3 Gor<\/a> certificates of utilisation, and older claims such as Sor Kor 1. It makes registration compulsory: under Section 4 bis a transfer of ownership or possessory rights in land must be in writing and registered by the competent official, so a private contract alone moves nothing. It also fixes who the competent official is, how surveys and boundary disputes are handled, and the Land Office fees.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p><strong>Chapter 8 is the chapter foreigners read.<\/strong> Section 86 provides that a foreigner may acquire land only under a treaty granting that right and with ministerial permission; no such treaty is in force, so the section operates as a ban. Section 87 caps the exceptional cases at one rai for residential use. Section 96 bis, added in 1999, allows a foreigner who invests at least 40 million baht in approved Thai assets for five years to buy up to one rai for a residence with the Minister&#8217;s permission. Section 93 lets a foreigner who inherits land as a statutory heir apply to keep it, but permission is not given in practice.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-the-code-affects-a-foreigner-in-practice\">Comment le Code affecte un \u00e9tranger dans la pratique<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>Section 94 is the enforcement provision: a foreigner who holds land unlawfully, or inherits it without permission, must dispose of it within 180 days to one year as fixed by the Director-General, failing which the Director-General sells it and hands over the proceeds. Sections 111 and 113 add criminal penalties of up to two years&#8217; imprisonment and a fine of up to 20,000 baht for the foreigner who acquires land in breach of the Code and for the Thai who acquires it as the foreigner&#8217;s agent. Sections 97 and 98 treat a company with 50% or more foreign shareholding or capital as a foreigner, which is why the 51\/49 property company and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/nominee\/\">pr\u00eate-nom<\/a> shareholder attract such attention.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p><strong>The daily consequences<\/strong> are a Thai spouse signing a declaration at the Land Office that the purchase money is separate property, a foreign heir being told the land must be sold, and a foreign-majority company being unable to take a transfer. The Code does not restrict foreign ownership of buildings, which is why superficies exists, nor of condominium units, which fall under the Condominium Act and its 49% foreign quota.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"land-code-and-civil-and-commercial-code-compared\">Comparaison du Code foncier et du Code civil et commercial<\/h2>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Question<\/th><th>Answered by<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>What kinds of title exist and who issues them<\/td><td>Code foncier<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Can a foreigner own land<\/td><td>Land Code, Sections 86 to 96 bis<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>What a sale, lease, mortgage or usufruct is<\/td><td>Code civil et commercial<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Maximum lease term of 30 years<\/td><td>Code civil et commercial, article 540<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Foreign ownership of condominium units<\/td><td>Condominium Act, Section 19<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>The two codes work together. The Civil and Commercial Code says what a usufruct is and how long it can last; the Land Code says that it binds third parties only once the Land Office has written it on the deed. Most disputes foreigners bring to a lawyer are a Land Code problem dressed as a contract problem: a 90-year lease is cut to 30 years, and a company purchase is unwound because the Land Code looks through the share register. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/thailand-land-ownership-restriction\/\">ThaiLawOnline&#8217;s guide to land ownership restrictions<\/a> walks through Chapter 8.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"frequently-asked-questions\">Foire aux questions<\/h2>\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list\">\n<div id=\"faq-question-1\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">Un \u00e9tranger peut-il poss\u00e9der des terres en Tha\u00eflande en vertu du Code foncier ?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>As a rule, no. Section 86 allows acquisition only under a treaty, and none is in force. The exception is Section 96 bis: an investment of at least 40 million baht in approved Thai assets held for five years, with the Minister of Interior&#8217;s permission, allows up to one rai for a residence. Condominium units and buildings are outside the ban.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-2\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">Que se passe-t-il si un \u00e9tranger h\u00e9rite de terres en Tha\u00eflande ?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>En vertu de l'article 93, un h\u00e9ritier l\u00e9gitime peut demander l'autorisation de le conserver, mais cette autorisation n'est pratiquement jamais accord\u00e9e. L'article 94 exige ensuite que le terrain soit vendu dans un d\u00e9lai de 180 jours \u00e0 un an, tel que fix\u00e9 par le directeur g\u00e9n\u00e9ral du D\u00e9partement des terres ; s'il ne l'est pas, le directeur g\u00e9n\u00e9ral le vend et l'h\u00e9ritier en re\u00e7oit le produit.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-3\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">Quelle est la diff\u00e9rence entre le Code foncier et le Code civil et commercial ?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>Le Code civil et commercial d\u00e9finit les droits priv\u00e9s sur les biens : vente, bail, hypoth\u00e8que, usufruit, superficie et servitude. Le Code foncier r\u00e9git le r\u00e9gime public : titres de propri\u00e9t\u00e9, enregistrement au Bureau foncier, frais et restrictions applicables aux \u00e9trangers et aux soci\u00e9t\u00e9s contr\u00f4l\u00e9es par des \u00e9trangers. Une transaction doit satisfaire aux deux.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>Voir aussi\u00a0: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/chanote\/\">chanote<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/land-office\/\">Bureau foncier<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/thai-civil-and-commercial-code\/\">Code civil et commercial tha\u00eflandais<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/condominium-act\/\">Loi sur les condominiums<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/thailand-land-ownership-restriction\/\">land ownership restriction in Thailand<\/a> ET <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/can-a-foreigner-inherit-land-in-thailand\/\">Un \u00e9tranger peut-il h\u00e9riter de terres en Tha\u00eflande ?<\/a>.<\/p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Land Code (\u0e1b\u0e23\u0e30\u0e21\u0e27\u0e25\u0e01\u0e0e\u0e2b\u0e21\u0e32\u0e22\u0e17\u0e35\u0e48\u0e14\u0e34\u0e19, pramuan kotmai thi din, also cited as the Land Code B.E. 2497 or Land Code Act [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":214,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":"","rank_math_focus_keyword":"land code thailand","rank_math_title":"Land Code Thailand B.E. 2497: Thai Land Law | ThaiLawOnline","rank_math_description":"Land Code of Thailand B.E. 2497 (1954) is the statute governing title deeds, registration and the ban on foreign land ownership. Key sections foreigners meet.","rank_math_breadcrumb_title":"","rank_math_canonical_url":""},"class_list":["post-6499","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","pmpro-has-access"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6499"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6499\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6765,"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6499\/revisions\/6765"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}