House Registration Book (Tabien Baan)

The house registration certificate Thailand, “Tabien Baan”, is the official resident, house or apartment address registration booklet in Thailand. The house registration book includes the personal information of the persons having their domicile or legal residence at the house or condominium unit in Thailand.

Contrary to what is often presumed by foreigners, this document is not proof of owning a house in Thailand. The Tabien Baan is a document issued by the local municipality (and not the land department) that is part of the official address registration Thailand papers of a home or condo unit. Its practical use is that it proves a person’s place of legal residence (official domicile). A house registration book may state the name of the owner, however in the case of a foreigner owning a house in Thailand who is not a Thai resident, it does not (unless he has official permanent residency in Thailand).

There are two types of Tabien Baan:

• The blue tabien baan or blue house registration book (Thor.Ror.14) for Thai nationals (with a blue booklet)
• The yellow tabien baan or yellow house registration book (Thor.Ror.13) for foreigners (with a yellow booklet).

Owning a house in Thailand

As proof of person’s domicile, the Tabien Baan is asked on many occasions, e.g. car ownership transfer or land office registration, opening a bank account or when applying for utilities, such as a new electricity or telephone line connection. It also gives Thais the right to vote in the respective district. Since foreigners are usually not registered in a Thai house registration book, where proof of address is required, the ones with a non-immigrant visa may alternatively present a letter of residence. The local immigration office issues such documents. If the foreigner owns a condominium, the title deed in combination with the (empty) blue Tabien Baan and his passport may also serve as proof of residence.

In the case of a foreigner owning a house (separate from the land) or a condominium in Thailand, the blue Tabien Baan is usually empty, unless he has Thai nationals living with him who have their permanent home at this address. It is also possible for the foreigner to request the yellow booklet if he meets one of the following qualifications:

• Holding a non-immigrant visa
• Having obtained temporary residence in the Thai Kingdom as a special case in accordance with the law on immigration and the declaration of the Cabinet (known as the Ministry of Interior’s Announcement on 1 February 2018, re: Permission to Some Alien for Stay in Thailand as a Special Case); and
• A foreigner whose child or children are born within the Thai Kingdom.

Any foreigner who meets one of these qualifications is eligible to apply for a yellow house registration book under Section 38 of Civil Registration Act B.E. 2534 (1991).

The house registration book may provide certain tax advantages as well, mainly related to the resale of a property. In the case of the individual registered in the house registration book, Stamp Duty applies (instead of Specific Business Tax which has a significantly higher rate), if the seller has owned the property already more than one year (instead of five years without house registration). The house registration book provides acceptable proof of that.

Tips for buying condo in Bangkok or buying a house in Thailand

The foreigner or a new house owner may apply to the local municipality for issuing a house registration certificate Thailand within 15 days after the construction of the building is completed, or at any time after the acquisition of the condominium unit. Please see the following requirements for the registration:

After submission, the house registration process will take approximately 30 days, depending on the municipality in charge.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions at [email protected]