Land Titles

Created : 23 May 2022

Updated : 21 Sep 2022

Title deed, chanote, nor sor sam gor, nor sor sam, land ownership

There are a number of different land classifications in Thailand pertaining to titles of land. The most common denominations are:

“Chanote” or “Nor Sor See” = Freehold Title Deed

<“Nor Sor Sam Gor” = Confirmed Certificate of Land use

“Nor Sor Sam” = Certificate of Land Use

Chanote or Nor Sor See

This is a freehold title deed that is based on a survey by the land office (land department) to define which geographical boundary the land title covers. The land boundaries are marked by registered concrete plot markers. As such, the land title will contain an exact description of size and will also contain a history of all registered transactions concerning previous ownership of the land.

The “Nor Sor Sam Gor” or Certified Certificate of Use

This gives the person named the right to use the land, confirming the local authority have approved it. The document also confirms the geometrical survey by the Land Department for the issuance of the Chanote Title Deed have been met and the owner is entitled to apply for an upgrade to receive their official Chanote document.

The Nor Sor Sam or Certificate of Use

The main difference between the Nor Sor Sam and Nor Sor Sam Gor is there are no markers or boundaries confirmed as a survey has not been conducted by the Land Department. It is advised anyone considering the purchase of Nor Sor Sam to conduct an official land survey to ensure no conflicts exist with surrounding land plots and to identify the exact boundaries of the plot in order to best protect your investment.

Important Points to know

All land title documents will be duplicated, usually one is kept by the land department and the other is kept by the actual owner of the land. Any mortgages, long term leases, rights of superficies and charges will be registered on the back page of the land title deed with the exception of the physical building or structure.

Land measurements in Thailand?

When buying property in Thailand, land measurements are classified as square wah, ngan, and rai:

• 1 square wah = 4 sq. meters

• 1 ngan = 100 sq. wah = 400 sq. m

• 1 rai = 4 ngan = 1600 sq. m

And some common reverse conversions as well:

<• 1 hectare = 6.25 rai = 10,000 sq. m

• 1 acre = 2.47 rai = 43,560 sq. ft

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