Transfer fee — what it means
The transfer fee is a 2% government charge on the assessed value when title transfers at the Land Office. Market practice splits it 50/50 between seller and buyer, but it is negotiable in the SPA.
How the transfer fee is calculated
The fee is charged by the Land Department when the transfer of title is registered and amounts to 2% of the property’s assessed value in the department’s database. The assessed value often differs from the contract price, so the actual amount comes from a calculation for the specific unit, not from the developer’s price list.
Who pays the fee
The law does not assign it to either party: it is a matter of agreement. Market practice is to split the transfer fee equally between seller and buyer, but other schemes exist — the buyer pays it all, or it is bundled into the price. The only reliable approach is to fix the split in the SPA before the deposit.
How this works with us
Before the deal we prepare a calculation of all registration costs for the client — the transfer fee, stamp duty or specific business tax, withholding tax — allocated between the parties as written in the contract. If a project advertises handover with fees split down the middle, we check that the clause actually appears in the SPA.
Frequently asked questions
What is the transfer fee?
The government charge for registering the transfer of ownership at Thailand’s Land Department — 2% of the property’s assessed value.
Who pays the transfer fee — buyer or seller?
By agreement between the parties: the market standard is an equal split, but other arrangements exist. The split is fixed in the SPA before the deposit.
What amount is the fee calculated on?
On the assessed value in the Land Department’s database, which can differ from the price in the contract. The exact figure comes from a calculation for the specific property.
The full cost of buying: all fees →
Primary source: Thailand Department of Lands
See it on a real property
Terms matter when there is an actual deal behind them. We will show how this one works on a project from the catalogue — documents and numbers included.
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