Thai Title Deeds Explained: Chanote and a Due-Diligence Checklist

Short answer: before buying a house in Thailand, make sure the land has a Chanote (Nor Sor 4 Jor) — the full, surveyed title deed — and check at the Land Office who owns it, what is registered against it and whether it has legal road access. For a house in an estate, also check the land-allocation permit, the building permits and the developer company. These checks cost little compared with the price of a mistake.

Thai land title deeds explained

Document	What it is	Can it be sold and mortgaged?	Verdict
Chanote (Nor Sor 4 Jor)	Full title with surveyed boundaries and survey markers	Yes	Preferred
Nor Sor 3 Gor	Certificate of use with boundaries from aerial survey	Yes	Acceptable with care; can often be upgraded
Nor Sor 3	Certificate of use without precise survey	Yes, after a 30-day public notice	Higher risk
Sor Kor 1	Notification of possession	Generally not, except by inheritance	Avoid
Sor Por Kor 4-01	Agricultural land-reform document	No	Avoid

Almost all housing estates in Bangkok are built on Chanote land, with each plot on its own deed. If a seller offers anything else in a luxury estate, ask why.

Reading a Chanote

The front of the deed shows the deed number, location, land area and a map of the plot. The back records every registration: transfers, mortgages, leases, servitudes and other rights, with dates. Land area is written in rai, ngan and square wah:

• 1 square wah = 4 m²
• 1 ngan = 100 square wah = 400 m²
• 1 rai = 4 ngan = 400 square wah = 1,600 m²

So a plot of “0-1-20” is 0 rai, 1 ngan and 20 square wah: 120 square wah, or 480 m².

Due-diligence checklist

1. Title search at the Land Office

• Request a certified copy of the title deed, including all registration pages.
• Confirm the registered owner matches the seller (or the developer company).
• List mortgages, leases, servitudes, usufructs and court orders on the land.
• For a developer’s plot, confirm the mortgage will be released at transfer.

2. Access and boundaries

• Check the plot has legal access to a public road, directly or through a registered servitude or estate road.
• Walk the boundary markers; for resale houses, consider a resurvey.

3. Estate permits

• A housing estate selling plots should hold a land-allocation permit under the Land Allocation Act. It protects shared roads and facilities as common areas.
• Ask for the building permit and, for completed houses, evidence the building was approved for use.
• Check town-planning zoning for the area, especially what can be built on vacant land next door.

4. The developer or seller

• Look up the developer company in the Department of Business Development registry.
• Review the developer’s completed projects and how they handled defects.
• For resale, check unpaid common fees and utility bills; the estate may refuse services until they are settled.

5. The house itself

• Professional inspection of structure, roof, waterproofing, electrics and pool.
• Flood history of the street and the estate’s drainage.
• Warranty periods and what the developer must fix after handover.

Red flags that should stop a purchase

• The seller cannot show the original title deed, or the name on it does not match their ID.
• The land is a Sor Kor 1 or Sor Por Kor 4-01, which generally cannot be sold.
• Access to the plot depends on an unregistered path across a neighbour’s land.
• A “developer” sells plots without a land-allocation permit or cannot explain who will own the estate roads.
• You are asked to pay a large deposit before seeing the title search or the draft contract.
• Someone suggests using a nominee Thai person or company to hold the land for a foreigner.
• The price is far below comparable houses in the same estate, with pressure to decide immediately.

Any one of these is a reason to pause and take independent legal advice before paying anything.

Extra checks for foreign buyers

• Confirm the lease (or superficies or usufruct) will be registered on the title deed, not just signed.
• Check the lessor has authority to grant it — the registered owner, or a company director with proper authority.
• Keep proof that purchase funds came from abroad in foreign currency.

Read more: options for foreigners · leasehold vs freehold · transfer costs.

Sources

• Department of Lands — title deeds and registration: dol.go.th
• Land Allocation Act B.E. 2543
• Department of Business Development — company registry: dbd.go.th

Frequently asked questions

What is a Chanote title deed?

A Chanote (Nor Sor 4 Jor) is Thailand’s full land title deed, with surveyed boundaries. It is the preferred title for buying a house.

How big is one rai of land?

One rai is 1,600 m², or 400 square wah. One ngan is 400 m² (100 square wah) and one square wah is 4 m².

How do I check a title deed in Thailand?

Request a certified copy of the title deed, including all registration pages, at the Land Office. It shows the owner and any mortgage, lease or other right registered on the land.