Better Than Freehold
For Foreign Buyers

The rights of a local owner

A 30-year registered lease backed by a registered mortgage, with an Option Agreement setting out the agreed contractual mechanisms at year 30: a new lease, a sale of your interests, or a refund of the premium. Long-term security and straightforward inheritance for your family, held for you by an offshore trustee.

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Free · No obligation · Your decision at every stage

Modern luxury villa with infinity pool at dusk
Next Step

Buying in Thailand? Structure it right from day one.

Tell us what you're looking to acquire. We'll show you how it would be structured, with costs and an indicative quotation. Our support is at hand whenever you need us.

See my purchase choices

Free · No obligation · Your decision at every stage

Why Now

Why traditional methods are no longer safe

Demand for Thai property remains high, but the old ways of holding it are being phased out. If you are considering how to secure your property interests, it is vital to understand the risks of traditional methods and where they stand today. The routes the law allows are compared in how to buy property in Thailand.

01 / Thai company

The end of the “Nominee” era

Using a Thai company with local shareholders to hide foreign control is no longer a safe option. What has changed is how strictly the law is now enforced. Authorities now use advanced tools to spot suspicious ownership, and as of June 2026 the Ministry of Commerce counted 119,297 at-risk firms, and in September 2026 the DBD shared data on more than 100,000 foreign-linked firms with 43 embassies, which the department stressed are not nominee findings. Stricter enforcement has made the consequences much more serious, including forced disposal of the land under the Land Department and court-ordered cessation of the shareholding under FBA s.36. For a modern investor, this “grey area” has become a major legal danger.

02 / 30+30+30 lease

Why lease renewal promises are not enough

A standard 30-year lease relies on a future owner choosing to honour a promise to renew. But owners change, they pass away, or they sell the property. When this happens, those renewal promises often disappear. This pattern of failed renewals is now well-documented across Thailand’s islands and coastal areas. Because Thai courts usually side with the property owner, these “promises” offer no real security for your long-term investment.

03 / Spouse name

Reliant on relationships, not contracts

Holding property in a Thai spouse’s name depends entirely on your marriage lasting and your spouse outliving you. It also creates complex inheritance problems under Thai law that can leave your family unprotected. As a long-term investment, this method relies on personal assumptions that most investors would never accept for any other major financial decision. It lacks the professional, contract-based security needed to truly protect your future.

For Foreign Buyers

What Better-than-Freehold™ delivers to you. Four ways we protect your future.

Long-term security

A registered 30-year lease with contractual rights at year 30 to a new lease, a sale of your interests or a refund of the premium. A professional setup designed to protect your position over the long term.

Easy inheritance

Your investment passes automatically to your family. No complex legal battles, no expensive court processes, and no need for permission from the landowner.

Built to be financeable

The structure is designed so that lenders can take security over it. Financing to half the property’s value is a future workstream, expected from H1 2027 and not yet live.

Asset protection

Your investment is designed to be shielded from outside claims or business failures, keeping your property interests secure.

How It Works

Professional security for every investor

The BtF™ structure, who holds what: CBSA, the security agent, holds preference shares and enforces the rules; SPH Trustees Ltd in Labuan, Malaysia, holds the lease, option, mortgage and share pledge contracts for the investor, the trust's beneficial owner; TIN Group's Thai property holding company holds the freehold and grants those contracts; a triple-signature lock means no major decisions without approval from the investor (via SPH) and CBSA.

Don't rely on a handshake. Traditional leases are only as strong as the person who signs them. Better-than-Freehold™ adds an independent security agent to enforce your rights against any future owner, giving you a level of protection that a simple contract cannot provide.

Your investment is held by a permanent offshore trust company. This removes the personal risks of company structures and bare leases, so your rights are designed to last for decades and pass to your family. A clear, lawful way to enjoy your home in Thailand.

  • TIN: holds legal title to the property in Thailand.
  • SPH Trustees: protects your property rights in a secure offshore Trust.
  • CBSA: your independent protector and enforcement expert.
  • SVC: offshore lending platform in development; first loan products expected from H1 2027.

Structural legal opinion

Leading tier-one regional and Thai counsel

Tax compliance review

A leading global tax advisory firm

Trustee licensing

Labuan FSA (in progress)

Why It Stands Up

Why Better-than-Freehold™ is legally strong

Our model has been professionally reviewed by leading tier-one regional and Thai counsel to give every investor total confidence.

100% Transparency

No secret deals or risky workarounds. Everything is disclosed to the authorities and registered where the law requires, so your position is transparent from day one.

Fair contracts

Our agreements use standard Thai legal instruments, drafted with leading Thai and regional counsel to stand up over the long term.

Expert enforcement

You don’t need the property owner’s cooperation to protect your rights. Better-than-Freehold™’s independent security agent has the power to enforce your agreements and solve any issues quickly through experts, avoiding long court battles.

Registered security

We use registered legal “locks”, a mortgage and a share pledge, to secure your position. These are held by your trustee so that remedies exist if another party runs into trouble.

Compare

How Better-than-Freehold™ compares to the old ways

A bank-standard structure that delivers more than a bare lease, built within Thai law. Here are the eleven essential benefits every property investor should look for, and how the different solutions measure up against each other. The trade-offs between a standard lease and freehold are set out in full in leasehold vs freehold in Thailand.

BenefitBetter-than-Freehold™FreeholdStandard lease
Legal for foreigners in ThailandYesNoYes
30-year time-limited securityYesn/aYes
Mortgage and share-pledge security beyond 30 yearsYesn/aNo
Contractual year-30 renewal mechanismYesn/aNo
Onshore sale to a legally qualified purchaserYesYesNo
Offshore assignment of the lease packageYesNoNo
Asset protection on the propertyYesNoNo
Asset protection for the investorYesNoNo
Automatic transfer to your heirsYesNoNo
Confidentiality through offshore trustYesNoNo
Financing (expected H1 2027, not yet live)YesNoNo
Total benefits delivered11 / 113 / 112 / 11

Every row reflects a specific legal, contractual, or commercial position, not a marketing claim.

What it costs

We provide a custom approach for every investor, whether you are starting fresh or securing an existing property. Our model is built for long-term savings, reducing your total cost of holding the property across decades and reducing the risk of losing your rights altogether. A worked example showing fees, taxes, and year-on-year costs can be found in your personal dashboard. Register now to view these details or get a personal quotation.

Surpassing freehold security

You get the practical benefits of a home without the legal uncertainty. Foreigners generally cannot hold Thai land title, so our model delivers durable use rights, inheritance and a share in any gain through registered leasehold, contractual and security rights, all within Thai law.

What You Get

The benefits buyers want, held within Thai law

For decades, property investors in Thailand were given promises that failed in court or used company structures that are and always were illegal. Better-than-Freehold™ is the third path. It provides the practical benefits buyers want, through rights the law recognises and registers.

Security for the long term

Our structure is built to protect you and your family over decades. The Option Agreement sets out the agreed contractual Year-30 arrangements, including negotiation of a new lease on known terms, sale to a legally qualified purchaser, or refund of the option premium.

Automatic inheritance

Your property rights are held through a trust that pass automatically to your heirs. This is designed to remove the risk of losing your lease on death, without probate in Thailand.

Legal profit sharing

You have the legal right to sell your property interests and keep the gains, just like a local owner.

Offshore assignment of the lease package

The trustee enables the lease package to be assigned offshore without re-registration at the Thai Land Office, removing the friction and the cost that come with traditional re-registration on transfer.

Designed to be financeable

The registered security is designed so that lenders can lend against it. Financing to half the property’s value is a future workstream, expected from H1 2027 and not yet live.

Privacy and protection

The registered security and trust structure are designed to protect your position against counterparty failure and third-party claims, and to keep your interest private.

Next Step

See the numbers for your purchase

Real numbers for your specific purchase: the tax position, inheritance, your choices and an indicative quotation.

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Free · No obligation · Your decision at every stage

Your Situation

Which path is right for you?

I'm looking to secure a new property

Start your journey with total confidence. Better-than-Freehold™ ensures your property interests are legally protected from day one, in a structure reviewed by leading tier-one regional and Thai counsel.

I currently hold a property in a Thai company

If you are worried about the growing risks of holding your home through a company, we can help. We offer a clean, secure way to move your home into a professional trust without changing your lifestyle. A divestment typically takes eight to sixteen weeks.

My property is in my Thai spouse's name

You don’t need to rely on personal relationships for your financial security. We provide a contract-based solution that protects your rights and your whole family’s future, regardless of what happens in the years ahead.

I'm focused on the financial return

Better-than-Freehold™ is built for professional investors. It is structured within Thai law, secured by registered instruments, and designed to give you a clear exit route when the time is right. Tax treatment depends on your circumstances.

Next step

How should you structure your purchase? Find out before you commit.

You don't have to commit to anything to get answers:

  1. 1Tell us what you're acquiring.
  2. 2We review your plans.
  3. 3You get your choices and an indicative quotation.
  4. 4You decide. No obligation at any stage.
See my purchase choices How BtF™ works

Free · No obligation · Your decision at every stage