Ongoing Costs of Owning a Condo or Villa in Thailand

This guide gives a general picture of the recurring costs of owning a home in Thailand. It is not legal or tax advice. We deliberately quote no figures: rates, tariffs and taxes differ from building to building and from town to town, and they change. Where we have it, a project page shows the building's common fee rate; a manager can confirm the other amounts for a specific unit, and a tax adviser handles the tax side.

The purchase gets most of the attention, but the running costs stay with you for as long as you own the place, including the months when nobody is in it. One-off purchase costs — Land Office fees, the lawyer, moving the money, the first sinking fund payment — are covered in our guide to taxes and fees when buying. This page starts the day you get the keys.

Fixed, variable and occasional costs

A useful way to think about running costs is by how predictable they are:

• fixed — you pay them whether or not you use the property: the common fee, the annual land and building tax, insurance;
• variable — they move with how the unit is used: electricity, water, internet, cleaning;
• occasional — they arrive without a schedule: repairs, appliance replacements, an extra sinking fund call from the building.

Villas sit slightly apart, because many costs a condo shares between all owners fall on a single owner. Renting the property out adds its own layer. Both have their own sections below.

Fixed costs

Common fee: reading the rate on a project page

Every condominium in Thailand has a juristic person — the legal body that runs the building's common property on behalf of all owners. It charges each owner a common fee in proportion to their share of the common property, and that share follows the unit's floor area.

The fee is set in baht per square metre per month. When the field is filled in, that is the figure shown on the project page in our catalogue. To turn it into your own number, multiply the rate by your unit's area, then by the number of months the building bills at a time. Before it goes into a budget, check:

• which area is used — the one in the contract and on the title deed; ask whether balconies and terraces count;
• the billing period — a building may bill several months in advance, and the first invoice arrives at handover;
• how current the rate is — the figure on our site reflects the date it was entered. The owners' general meeting can change it, especially in the first years once the building's real costs are known. A manager confirms the current rate for a specific unit.

What the common fee pays for

Typically: cleaning and lighting of common areas, security and reception, the pool, gym and gardens, lifts, pumps and other building systems, insurance of the common property, and the management company and accounts of the juristic person. It does not cover anything inside your unit — your own electricity and water, appliance repairs or cleaning. The exact list is in the building's budget, approved by the general meeting, or for a project still under construction, in the developer's draft regulations. Ask for it before you sign.

Land and building tax

Each year the local administration where the property sits charges its owner a land and building tax, and foreign owners are no exception. Two things drive the amount: the official appraisal of the property and what it is used for — living in it yourself, letting it out or leaving it empty. Its place among the other payments is explained in our taxes and fees guide. We give no rates; points to raise with a Thai tax adviser:

• how you will use the property — live in it, let it long-term or short-term, or leave it empty — since this drives the category;
• where the tax notice will be sent, and who receives it while you are abroad;
• who pays on time in your absence — you, a management company under a power of attorney, or the building's office;
• how the running costs and any rental income are treated in the country where you pay tax.

Insurance

The juristic person insures the common property — structure, lifts, shared areas — out of the common fee. That policy normally does not cover the inside of your unit, your furniture or your liability to neighbours. Things to discuss with an insurer:

• contents and fit-out inside the unit;
• liability to neighbours, such as a leak into the unit below — a particular worry when nobody is home;
• liability to tenants and guests if you rent out;
• conditions for vacant homes: some policies expect regular inspections, or a claim may be disputed;
• exclusions: flood, storm and mould — what is covered and what is not.

Villa insurance goes further: the whole structure, the pool, walls and equipment on the plot.

When the common fee goes unpaid

Arrears do not wait for you to come back. The Condominium Act lets the juristic person charge late penalties and, after long arrears, restrict access to some common services. And when you sell, the Land Office will require a certificate from the juristic person that no debt is outstanding. Decide early which account pays the fee and how, especially if you live abroad.

Variable costs

Electricity

Air conditioning is the biggest variable line in almost any Thai home. The bill depends heavily on whether you live there, rent it out or keep it closed, and on the season. Ask the developer or manager how the meter is connected: directly to the state electricity authority in the owner's name, or through the building. In the second case the building sets the tariff, which may differ from the state one.

Water, internet and TV

Water is metered and paid through the building or directly to the local water authority — a small line for a condo, a much larger one for a villa with a pool and garden. Internet is contracted in the owner's or tenant's name. Before signing, ask about the minimum term and whether the service can be suspended in months when the unit is empty. Some buildings include Wi-Fi in common areas, but the unit itself still needs its own line.

Occasional costs: upkeep in a tropical climate

Heat, humidity, sea salt and the rainy season shorten the life of appliances and finishes. In Thailand, maintenance is a standing budget line rather than something that happens once in a while.

Air conditioners

Units need regular cleaning: a clogged filter and coil mean higher bills, smells and breakdowns. Outdoor units near the sea suffer from salt. Find out whether there is a trusted technician who works with the building's management, and budget for scheduled servicing and repairs.

Humidity and mould

A unit is most at risk when it is shut for weeks during the rainy season. Without air movement, mould appears in wardrobes, on mattresses and leather furniture and in tile grout. A dehumidifier, the dry mode on the air conditioner, slightly open wardrobe doors and — above all — someone who comes in to air the place all help. Treating mould once it has spread costs more than preventing it.

Salt, sun and storms

By the sea, handles, balcony rails and metal parts of appliances corrode faster. Sun fades fabrics and plastics on open terraces. In the rainy season, check the seals on windows and balcony doors: a leak is easier to fix before it ruins the floor.

Sinking fund calls

The first sinking fund payment is made once, at handover. If the fund later falls short for major work — new lifts, roof or facade repairs — the general meeting can decide to collect extra contributions from owners according to their share. The smaller the fund relative to the building's age and equipment, the likelier that becomes. If you are buying into a completed building or a resale, ask the juristic person for the latest financial statement and general meeting minutes: they show the fund balance, owners' arrears and any expensive work being planned.

The developer's warranty

For a period after completion, the developer fixes certain defects under warranty; the period and terms are in your contract. Report problems in writing, with photos, as soon as you notice them. What to check on the day is covered in our guide to handover.

Villas: costs a condo spreads across neighbours

In a condominium, the pool, gardens, security and grounds are paid for jointly. With a standalone villa, nearly all of that falls on one owner — so comparing a condo's common fee with a villa's running costs is not like for like.

• pool — regular cleaning, water chemicals, a pump and filter that run constantly, and the electricity they use; pumps and filters wear out, and water left untreated turns green quickly when nobody is around;
• garden — tropical growth needs trimming, watering in the dry season and clearing after storms, plus termite protection for timber and furniture;
• security — in a gated estate it is funded by the estate fee, whose rules are set by the agreement with the estate manager or residents' association; a standalone villa needs an alarm, cameras and someone to respond;
• the building itself — roof and gutters, facade, septic tank, water pump and tank, gates and any generator; with no shared fund behind you, the reserve for major repairs is one you build yourself.

If the villa is held on a long-term land lease, check the lease to see who is responsible for the land and building tax and for repairs — you or the landowner. How villa ownership works is explained in our guide to freehold, leasehold and the foreign quota.

If you rent it out

Letting adds its own lines: the management company's commission, cleaning and linen between guests, small repairs, faster replacement of furniture and appliances, and income tax — in Thailand and in your country of tax residence. Commission varies between companies and between long-term and short-term letting. Short-term letting is regulated separately and not every building allows it.

Choosing a management company and what to put in the agreement is covered in our rental management guide; working out income after costs, in our guide to rental yield. When we quote an expected yield, it is always an agency estimate with a source and a date, not a promise.

The off-season: an empty unit still costs money

If the unit is empty for part of the year — because you only visit in winter, or only let it in high season — the costs keep running. The common fee and land tax are charged whether or not anyone lives there, and so are internet and baseline electricity unless you suspend them. Before you leave, settle:

• who holds a key and comes in to air the unit and check the air conditioners, plumbing and any signs of leaks;
• what to switch off and what to leave running against humidity, such as a dehumidifier;
• where bills and notices go and who pays them on time;
• whether the building office knows the unit is empty and has your emergency contact.

Many management companies offer vacant-unit checks as a separate service — ask what is included and how often they visit. Build the empty months into any yield calculation as well: income comes in season, costs come all year.

Building an annual budget without guessing

Put every cost in one table and note where each figure comes from: the project page and a manager for the common fee; the juristic person for the sinking fund; the building, utility provider or past bills for utilities; an insurer's quote; a tax adviser or the local notice for the land tax; your own reserve for repairs; the management agreement for letting costs.

You will pay in baht, while your income and savings are probably in another currency. Exchange rates move, so review the budget in your own currency at least once a year. How to move money to Thailand and which records to keep is explained in our money transfer guide.

Questions to ask before you buy

• What is the current common fee rate, and has it ever been changed?
• From what date is the fee charged, and how many months does each invoice cover?
• What does the common fee include, and what is billed separately?
• Are electricity and water connected directly in the owner's name or through the building?
• Does the building allow short-term letting, and does it have its own rental service?
• For a completed building: what is in the sinking fund, are there owner arrears, and what major work is planned?
• For a villa estate: who manages it, what does the estate fee cover, and who decides on increases?

How ROMA ThaiProperty helps

A manager will ask the developer or building management for the current common fee rate, what it covers and the building's letting rules, and explain them to you in English. We do not calculate taxes or give legal opinions: a tax adviser works out land tax and tax on rental income, and an independent lawyer reviews the regulations and contracts. Our job is to make sure you see the full cost picture before you buy, not after the first invoice.

What next

Compare common fee rates across projects in the catalogue or on the destination pages for Pattaya, Phuket and Koh Samui. Still deciding between a condo and a villa? Read our guide to condo, villa or townhouse. For a specific project, send us a request and a manager will come back with that building's running costs.