For Buyers · Due Diligence
Villa Purchase Checklist — 27 Things to Verify Before You Sign
The due-diligence checklist we walk through with every new owner who engages us on Koh Samui. Use it, print it, bring it to your viewings.
A. Title & Ownership (must-pass)
- Chanote title (Nor Sor 4 Jor) — nothing else is truly freehold. Check it at the Land Office, not just the agent's PDF.
- Title owner name matches seller — an obvious one people still skip.
- Land size matches the physical plot — walk the boundaries with a Thai speaker.
- No mortgages or encumbrances — the chanote's back page lists every pledge.
- Foreign quota (for condos) — 49% limit must not already be full.
- Leasehold term clear if leasehold — 30+30+30 structures are not automatically enforceable.
- Company structure review if buying via Thai company — are the Thai shareholders real?
B. Building & Planning
- Building permit (อ.1) matches as-built drawings.
- Completion certificate (อ.6) issued — or documented reason it wasn't.
- Setbacks honoured — Koh Samui beachfront setback is 10 m from HWM.
- Zoning class check — Samui has height and gradient restrictions above 80 m / 35° slope.
- EIA if the development is > 10 rooms or on a protected slope.
- Septic and wastewater compliance — visual inspection plus a 24-hour load test.
C. Utilities & Infrastructure
- Metered government electricity vs. sub-meter from a neighbour — price can 4× without you noticing.
- Water source — municipal, well, or delivered? Test pressure and flow rate.
- Internet fibre availability — AIS / 3BB lines to the door; speed-test both.
- Access road width and ownership — private vs. public; easement documented?
- Drainage during rainy season — visit in October if you can.
D. Rental Economics
- Two years of actual booking data from the current manager — dates, rates, net payouts.
- Utility and maintenance actuals, not projections.
- Staff contracts and handover — are the housekeeping and pool team willing to stay?
- OTA listing ownership — does the seller hand over Airbnb / Booking.com accounts, or are you starting from zero? If starting fresh, see how our vacation rental management handles new-listing launch.
- Hotel licence or consolidated licence pathway confirmed.
E. Closing Costs
- Transfer fee 2% of appraised value — usually split 50/50.
- SBT 3.3% or Stamp Duty 0.5% — depends on seller's holding period.
- Withholding Tax on capital gain (corporate seller: 1% of sale price).
- Reserve fund / juristic person top-up if in a managed estate.
If any single line above cannot be answered in writing, walk away. A villa that loves you back will survive honest questions.
