Buying, renting and selling in Pattaya: your questions answered

Most businesses change hands as a lease takeover. You pay the outgoing owner once for the fit-out, equipment, stock, name and goodwill, and you take over the lease, then pay monthly rent to the landlord. Freehold sales (most hotels and buildings) include the property itself, usually by transferring the company that owns it. See current takeovers.

In Pattaya, "key money", "takeover fee" and "takeover price" usually mean the same thing: the one-time payment to the outgoing owner for the business. Separately, the landlord normally asks for a rent deposit and rent in advance. Make sure the contract states exactly who receives each payment and what it covers.

The lease first: years remaining, the monthly rent, any increases written in, and the landlord’s written consent to the transfer. Then the licences (alcohol, food, entertainment, hotel or massage, depending on the business), real trading figures, staff arrangements, any debts in the company, and your own visa and work permit position. Pay only a refundable holding deposit until these are confirmed.

Usually two to six weeks from agreeing the price: deposit, document checks, lease and licence transfer, stock count and handover. If you need a new Thai company, allow a little longer for registration.

Where the owner allows, yes, after you have viewed the business and shown serious interest. Ask for at least twelve months, so you see both high and low season, and compare them with what you see on the ground.

A takeover is faster and often cheaper: the fit-out, equipment, licences and customers are already in place, so you can trade from day one. Starting from scratch means building work and licence applications that can take months. The trade-off is that with a takeover you pay for goodwill, so make sure the figures justify the price.

In practice almost every takeover in Pattaya is paid in cash. Thai banks rarely lend to foreign buyers for this. Some sellers accept staged payments for part of the price. Ask us and we will find out whether the seller is open to it.

Many buyers aim to take over in the low season, roughly May to October. Sellers can be more flexible on price, and you have a few quiet months to settle in before the high season, which runs roughly from November to March.

Yes, but usually through a Thai limited company. Under the Foreign Business Act, most businesses people buy in Pattaya, such as bars, restaurants and massage shops, are on the restricted lists, so the company should be majority Thai-owned: foreigners hold up to 49% of the shares. Read the full guide.

Sometimes. US citizens can often hold the majority of a Thai company under the US Treaty of Amity. Board of Investment (BOI) promotion and a Foreign Business Licence are other routes, but they rarely suit small hospitality businesses. A lawyer will tell you whether any of them fits your case.

Yes. Owning shares does not give you the right to work, and that includes managing your own business, working behind the bar or at reception. You need a work permit, usually together with a Non-Immigrant B (business) visa. Commonly cited requirements are around 2 million baht of registered capital and four Thai employees for each foreign work permit. Your lawyer or accountant will confirm the current figures.

No. Thai shareholders who only lend their name, with no real investment, are illegal under Thai law, and enforcement has increased. The Thai shareholders must be genuine. A good lawyer will set the company up properly.

No. Foreigners can own a condo outright within the building’s foreign quota. For houses, villas and land, the usual structures are a registered lease of up to 30 years, or ownership through a genuine Thai company. How foreign ownership works.

Yes, always. Use a Thai lawyer who acts for you, not for the seller, to check the lease, the company and the title before you pay more than a holding deposit. We can introduce you to lawyers and accountants who work with foreign business owners in Pattaya.

No. A retirement visa does not allow you to work, including in your own business. If you plan to be involved day to day, you need a business visa and a work permit through the company.

Small beer bars in side sois typically start in the low millions of baht for a takeover. Established agogo bars on Walking Street or Soi LK Metro cost considerably more, reflecting footfall and licence value. Rent varies just as much by location. See current bar prices.

A beer bar is usually open-fronted, with a small team and lower rent, and is the most common first business for new owners. An agogo is an indoor venue with a stage and dancers. It needs an entertainment licence and a bigger team, and both the takeover price and the rent are much higher.

At minimum a licence to sell alcohol. Venues with music, dancing or shows also need an entertainment place licence. The licence type and the zone the venue is in decide how late it can open, so check the licences of each venue and confirm they are current and can be transferred to you.

Walking Street has the highest footfall and the highest rents, and suits agogos and large venues. Soi Buakhao and Soi LK Metro trade more steadily all year with much lower overheads, which is why most first-time owners start there. Walking Street venues are often sold discreetly, so ask us even if nothing is listed.

Staff are not "included" in the sense of being sold with the business. Often the team stays, but agree with the seller who stays and on what terms, and check their contracts and social security registration.

A lot in tourist areas. The high season, roughly November to March, brings the most visitors. Soi Buakhao is the most consistent area all year because of its many long-stay residents. Always ask for figures covering a full year, not just the best months.

Yes. We can market a venue privately, with no photos or address shown publicly, and list the price as "Price on application". How selling with us works.

Renting (leasing a running hotel) needs far less money up front and is the fastest route to cash flow, because the rooms, staff and booking channels already exist. The risk is the lease, so check its length and renewal terms. Buying freehold means the land and building, a much larger investment, held through a Thai company. Hotels for rent · Hotels for sale.

Not in their own name, because the hotel sits on land. Foreign buyers normally buy through a Thai company, or lease a running hotel instead. Either way, have your own lawyer review the structure.

Hotels in Thailand need a licence under the Hotel Act. Very small places may only need to register. Many small properties operate without a full hotel licence, which affects both the risk and the resale value, so always ask about the licence status.

At least twelve months of occupancy and revenue, not a verbal estimate. Also check the booking channel accounts and reviews, the staff costs, and the condition of the expensive parts: air conditioning, lifts, roofing and the pool.

Commonly three years or longer, often with an option to renew. The longer the lease, the more time you have to earn back the takeover price, so a short lease should mean a lower price.

Central Pattaya and Soi Buakhao give year-round occupancy from walk-ins and repeat visitors. Pratumnak and Wongamat attract higher-spending, longer-stay guests. Jomtien serves families and long-stay visitors. Compare like with like, because occupancy differs sharply between areas.

Yes, in their own name, with the title registered at the Land Office, as long as the unit is within the building’s foreign quota (foreigners can own up to 49% of the total floor area). Get written confirmation that the unit is in foreign quota, and bring the money in from abroad in foreign currency so you receive the bank’s Foreign Exchange Transaction certificate, which the Land Office needs.

A foreigner can own the house itself and lease the land for up to 30 years, registered at the Land Office. Ownership through a genuine Thai company is the other common route. Renewal options in a lease are contractual promises, not guaranteed rights, so price the villa on the 30 years you are sure of. Pool villas for sale.

The main Land Office costs are a 2% transfer fee on the appraised value, plus either a 3.3% specific business tax (if the seller has owned it for less than five years) or 0.5% stamp duty, and withholding tax for the seller. Who pays what is negotiable, so write it into the contract.

Chanote (Nor Sor 4 Jor) is the strongest form of land title in Thailand, with surveyed boundaries. Other titles, such as Nor Sor 3 Gor, give weaker rights. Always check the title type before you make an offer on land or a villa.

Investors who want rental income rather than a business to run day to day. Typical buildings are shophouses on main roads, small apartment blocks and mixed-use buildings. Ask for the current rent roll, the length of tenancies and the vacancy history, not just a projected yield. Commercial buildings for sale.

Jomtien for the beach and family life, Pratumnak for a quieter hill close to two beaches, Wongamat for premium homes near the sea, and Huay Yai for space and value. Property in Jomtien.

Usually six or twelve months for homes and condos. Twelve months gets the better price. Business premises and hotels are usually leased for several years.

For homes, usually two months’ rent as a refundable security deposit plus the first month in advance. Get the deposit terms in writing and photograph the property and meter readings on the day you move in.

Usually not. They are paid separately. Check the rate per unit in the contract, because some buildings charge more than the government rate for electricity.

Yes. Samutra Villa can be booked from one night. Most other villas we list are rented monthly or longer. Pool villas for rent.

Yes. Some shops, bars, hotels and buildings are offered for rent only, with no takeover price. You pay a deposit and the rent, then fit out and license the business yourself. See what is for rent.

No. Buyers pay no fees to Tanuchya Property. Our commission is paid by the seller or owner.

Every listing is visited in person before it goes on the website, and listings are taken down when they sell or rent. If you see one you like, message us and we will confirm it is still available.

Message us on WhatsApp or call +66 64 463 3565, daily 9:00–18:00 (Thailand time). Tell us which listings you like and when you are in Pattaya, and we will plan the viewings for you.

Yes. Send us the listings you are interested in on WhatsApp and ask for extra photos, details and documents. Many buyers shortlist from abroad and view in one trip.

Often, yes. Many owners prefer not to advertise publicly, especially for bars and Walking Street venues. Tell us what you are looking for and your budget, and we will send matches first.

There is nothing to pay up front: no listing, photography or marketing fees. We are paid a commission only when it sells or rents, agreed in writing before we start. List with us.

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