Reviewed by ThaiLawOnline, a licensed Thai law firm practising in Thailand since 2006. Thai lawyer of record: Wichuda Atthamethakon, LL.M., Thai Bar Licence 3149/2556.
Last updated on September 5, 2026
Tor Dor 21 (ท.ด.21, also written Tor.Dor.21, Thor Dor 21 or T.D.21) is the official power of attorney form of the Department of Lands, used to authorise another person to act at a Land Office in a transaction over land or a house: sale, purchase, transfer by gift or inheritance, mortgage, lease registration, usufruct, superficies or servitude. It is a single sheet, printed front and back in Thai, and Land Offices accept it in place of the personal attendance of the party. A generic power of attorney, however carefully drafted, is usually refused; a Tor Dor 21 is what gets the registration done.
Table of Contents
What the form does at the Land Office
Land transactions in Thailand take effect only when registered by the competent official, and the official must see both parties or their authorised representatives. The Tor Dor 21 is the Department’s standard instrument for that representation. It records the grantor’s name and ID or passport details, the attorney’s details, the title deed number, land number, tambon, amphoe and province, and the act authorised, which should be described precisely: “to register a 30-year lease of the land under chanote 12345 to Ms Y at a total rent of 3,000,000 baht” rather than “to deal with my land”.
The form works for land held under a chanote or Nor Sor 3 Gor, and for houses registered separately from the land. Condominium units use the parallel form Or Chor 21. The officer checks the form against the deed, the ID copies and the transaction documents, affixes stamp duty, and files it with the registration papers.
How a foreigner fills in and signs it
The foreigner giving the power, for instance an owner of a house or the beneficiary of a usufruct who asks a Thai friend or a law firm to attend, signs on the line marked ผู้มอบอำนาจ (grantor) at the bottom right and prints their name in the brackets below it. Two witnesses sign on the พยาน (witness) lines. The attorney, ผู้รับมอบอำนาจ, does not sign the form. Attach signed copies of the grantor’s passport and the attorney’s ID card, and leave no blanks and no corrections; a form with an alteration is refused. Stamp duty is 10 baht for a single act and 30 baht for more than one.
If the form is signed abroad, the Land Office wants proof that the signature is genuine. The established routes are to sign before a Thai embassy or consulate, which certifies the signature, or to sign before a notary and have the notary’s signature legalised for use in Thailand; legalisation of documents explains the current procedure. Some Land Offices also accept a Thai-language translation certified alongside. Check with the specific office before travelling, since practice varies by province.
Limits of the attorney and common mistakes
| Point | What to do |
|---|---|
| Scope | Name the act, the deed, the counterparty and the price or rent; the attorney cannot go beyond the words |
| Self-dealing | An attorney may not be the other party to the same transaction unless the form expressly allows it (Section 805 CCC) |
| Blank forms | Never sign a blank Tor Dor 21 for a broker or developer to complete |
| Money | State whether the attorney may receive the price; otherwise payment should go direct to the grantor |
| Timing | Sign close to the appointment; a form that is months old invites questions |
The most frequent problem is a foreigner abroad who sends a home-country power of attorney, apostilled or notarised, and finds that the Land Office will not act on it. The second is a Thai spouse who holds a Tor Dor 21 signed blank years earlier and uses it to sell or mortgage a house the foreigner thought was theirs. The third is a usufruct or lease registration where the attorney was authorised to “sell” but not to “register a usufruct”, so the office sends everyone home. A Tor Dor 21 gives real power and should be treated as such: one act, one named attorney, a stated price, and copies kept.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a general power of attorney at the Thai Land Office?
Usually not. Land Offices expect the Department of Lands’ own form, Tor Dor 21 for land and houses or Or Chor 21 for condominium units, completed in Thai with the deed details and the exact act authorised. A general or foreign-drafted power of attorney is normally refused, although some offices accept it when it is attached to a completed Tor Dor 21.
Where does a foreigner sign the Tor Dor 21?
On the line marked ผู้มอบอำนาจ (grantor) at the bottom right, with the name printed in the brackets beneath. Two witnesses sign on the พยาน lines. The person receiving the power does not sign the form; they present it at the Land Office with their ID and the grantor’s signed passport copy.
Does a Tor Dor 21 signed abroad need to be notarised?
Yes. The Land Office needs the signature verified, either by a Thai embassy or consulate certifying it directly, or by a notary in the country of signing whose signature is then legalised for use in Thailand. Attach a signed passport copy and confirm the office’s current requirements in advance.
See also: Or Chor 21, power of attorney, Land Office, notary, power of attorneys for Thailand and title deeds in Thailand.
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