No, the 49% foreign quota has not changed — and the "30+30+30" lease just got weaker

Every few months a buyer forwards me an article saying Thailand is about to let foreigners own 75% of a condo building, or lease land for 99 years. Here is where that actually stands in 2026, because it matters to what you sign.

What is still the law

The 49% foreign quota is unchanged. In April 2024 the Cabinet approved studying an increase to 75% and an extension of foreign leaseholds from 30 to 99 years — approval to study, not to implement. No amendment bill has passed Parliament since, and both ideas face real political opposition. The enforceable limits today remain a 49% quota and a 30-year registered lease.

The part that changed — and not in leaseholders' favour

A March 2025 Supreme Court ruling held that stacked "30+30+30" lease renewals are not enforceable beyond the initial 30 years. Plenty of project marketing still shows 90 years as though it were a right. It is not. If a brochure quotes 90 years, read it as 30 years plus two promises, and price it that way.

The four checks before you pay a deposit

• Get a quota letter from the building's juristic person showing the current foreign-owned percentage. The 49% is measured on total floor area, not unit count, and it applies per registered building — one tower can be full while its neighbour is at 10%.
• Cross-check the saleable-area figures against Land Department records.
• Ask for an updated letter dated within days of closing — the quota moves every time someone transfers.
• Put a deposit-refund clause in the contract covering the case where foreign registration cannot be completed.

If anyone tells you to hurry because the rules are about to change in your favour, that is a sales tactic, not news. Send me the listing and I will pull the quota letter with you.

Source: Thaiger — what Thailand's 49% foreign quota means for buyers, 3 Jul 2026