{"id":6515,"date":"2026-09-05T19:04:05","date_gmt":"2026-09-05T12:04:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/glossary\/rai-ngan-wah\/"},"modified":"2026-09-05T19:25:45","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T12:25:45","slug":"rai-ngan-wah","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/rai-ngan-wah\/","title":{"rendered":"Rai, Ngan and Square Wah: Thai Land Measurement Units"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p><strong>Rai, ngan and square wah<\/strong> (\u0e44\u0e23\u0e48 \u0e07\u0e32\u0e19 \u0e15\u0e32\u0e23\u0e32\u0e07\u0e27\u0e32, also written <em>talang wa<\/em>, <em>sq. wah<\/em>, <em>wa<\/em> ou <em>tarang wah<\/em>) are the traditional Thai units of land area and the only units used on title deeds, in Land Office records and in the government appraisal lists. One rai is 1,600 square metres, one ngan is 400 square metres and one square wah is 4 square metres, so a rai is four ngan and a ngan is 100 square wah. A title deed states the area as three numbers separated by dashes, for example 1-2-32, meaning 1 rai, 2 ngan and 32 square wah.<\/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=\"#how-the-units-fit-together\">How the units fit together<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#reading-the-area-on-a-title-deed\">Reading the area on a title deed<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#when-the-deed-area-and-the-ground-disagree\">When the deed area and the ground disagree<\/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=\"how-the-units-fit-together\">How the units fit together<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p><strong>Everything is built on the wah.<\/strong> A wah is a length of 2 metres, so a square wah is 2 by 2 metres, or 4 square metres. One hundred square wah make a ngan (400 square metres), and four ngan make a rai (1,600 square metres). The metric equivalents are exact, because Thailand defined the wah as 2 metres when it adopted the metric system in 1923, so conversions never involve rounding.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Unit<\/th><th>Square metres<\/th><th>Equivalent<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>1 square wah<\/td><td>4<\/td><td>2 m by 2 m<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1 ngan<\/td><td>400<\/td><td>100 square wah<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1 rai<\/td><td>1,600<\/td><td>4 ngan or 400 square wah<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1 hectare<\/td><td>10,000<\/td><td>6.25 rai<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1 acre<\/td><td>4,047<\/td><td>About 2.53 rai<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>Condominium units are the exception: the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/condominium-act\/\">Loi sur les condominiums<\/a> and unit title deeds use square metres, and the 49% <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/foreign-quota\/\">foreign quota<\/a> is calculated in square metres of unit area. Land under a condominium, like all land, is still recorded in rai, ngan and square wah.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"reading-the-area-on-a-title-deed\">Reading the area on a title deed<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p><strong>The area on a Chanote is the surveyed area<\/strong>, written on the front page in the three-number form and repeated in every registration on the back page. On a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/chanote\/\">Chanote<\/a> it comes from a ground survey with concrete boundary markers; on a Nor Sor 3 Gor from an aerial survey; on a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/ns3\/\">Ni Sor 3<\/a> it is an estimate. The number on the deed governs, not the agent&#8217;s brochure and not what a walk around the fence suggests.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>Land prices are quoted per rai in rural areas and per square wah in towns and resorts, so a plot advertised at 30,000 baht per square wah costs 12 million baht per rai. The government <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/appraised-value\/\">appraised value<\/a> used for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/property-transfer-taxes\/\">transfer fees<\/a> is published per square wah, and the Land Office multiplies it by the deed area to fix the fee base.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>The common mistake is to convert loosely. Reading 1-2-32 as &#8220;about one and a half rai&#8221; ignores 128 square metres, and on a beachfront plot at 100,000 baht per square wah that error is worth 3.2 million baht. A second mistake is to treat the rai as a fixed fraction of an acre; it is roughly 0.4 acre, which is fine for conversation but not for a contract.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"when-the-deed-area-and-the-ground-disagree\">When the deed area and the ground disagree<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>Older deeds, and deeds converted from Nor Sor 3, sometimes state more or less land than the boundary markers enclose. A buyer who wants certainty can ask the Land Office for a re-survey before the transfer; the officer locates the markers with the neighbours present and corrects the deed if needed. Where land is later found short, the buyer&#8217;s claim against the seller depends on whether the contract sold a stated area or a plot &#8220;as is&#8221;, so the sale agreement should say which and should price the land per square wah if the area matters.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>Sub-division and consolidation are also expressed in these units. A plot of 2-0-00 split into four parcels of 0-2-00 each becomes four deeds of 800 square metres, and the Land Office charges its survey fee per parcel. The guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/measurements-in-thailand\/\">mesures en Tha\u00eflande<\/a> covers the other traditional units still met in building and construction contracts.<\/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\">How many square metres is 1 rai?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>One rai is exactly 1,600 square metres, made up of 4 ngan of 400 square metres each, or 400 square wah of 4 square metres each. In imperial terms a rai is about 0.4 acre, and one acre is roughly 2.53 rai.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-2\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">How do I read the area on a Thai title deed?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>The area appears as three numbers separated by dashes, in the order rai, ngan, square wah. For example 0-1-50 means no rai, 1 ngan and 50 square wah, which is 400 plus 200, or 600 square metres. Multiply rai by 1,600, ngan by 400 and square wah by 4, then add the three.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-3\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">What is a square wah?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>A wah is a Thai length of exactly 2 metres, so a square wah is 4 square metres. Urban and resort land in Thailand is priced and appraised per square wah, while farmland is usually priced per rai.<\/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 (Nor Sor 4 Jor)<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/appraised-value\/\">Appraised value<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/land-office\/\">Bureau foncier<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/nor-sor-3-gor\/\">Ni Sor 3 Gor<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/how-to-read-title-deed-in-thailand\/\">Comment lire un titre de propri\u00e9t\u00e9 en Tha\u00eflande<\/a> ET <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/measurements-in-thailand\/\">Mesures en Tha\u00eflande<\/a>.<\/p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rai, ngan and square wah (\u0e44\u0e23\u0e48 \u0e07\u0e32\u0e19 \u0e15\u0e32\u0e23\u0e32\u0e07\u0e27\u0e32, also written talang wa, sq. wah, wa or tarang wah) are the [&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":"rai ngan wah","rank_math_title":"Rai, Ngan and Square Wah: Thai Land Units | ThaiLawOnline","rank_math_description":"Rai, ngan and square wah are the units on every Thai title deed: 1 rai is 1,600 square metres, 1 ngan is 400, 1 square wah is 4. How to read and convert them.","rank_math_breadcrumb_title":""},"class_list":["post-6515","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","pmpro-has-access"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6515","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=6515"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6515\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6751,"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6515\/revisions\/6751"}],"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=6515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}