Off-Plan vs Resale Condos in Thailand: Which Is Right for You?
Payment schedules, developer risk, foreign quota and rental readiness. An honest comparison of buying off-plan versus buying a ready unit.
Bangkok and Chonburi are full of shiny new launches, and also full of well-priced resale units in established buildings. Which one should you buy? It depends on your timeline, your appetite for risk and what you plan to do with the unit.
Buying off-plan
You buy a unit before or during construction, usually on a staged payment plan.
A typical payment schedule looks like:
- Booking fee to reserve the unit
- Contract payment when you sign the sale and purchase agreement
- Down payment instalments spread over construction, often totalling 10–30% of the price
- Balance paid at completion, on transfer day
Why buyers like it
- 💰 Lower entry price and launch promotions
- 🗓️ Spread-out payments while the building goes up
- 🏙️ Best choice of units: pick your floor, view and layout first
- ✨ Brand-new facilities and a modern design
What to watch out for
- ⏳ Delays: completion dates can slip
- 🧱 The final product can differ from the showroom, in finishes, views or the surroundings
- 🏗️ Developer risk: your money depends on the developer delivering
- 📉 No rental income until completion, and selling your contract before completion (an assignment) can involve fees and restrictions
Our due-diligence checks: the developer’s track record of delivering on time, whether the company is listed, the project’s approval status, and how your instalments are protected.
Buying resale
You buy a completed unit from its current owner.
Why buyers like it
- 👀 What you see is what you get: the real view, the real noise, the real neighbours
- 🔑 Move in or rent out immediately
- 📊 Proven numbers: actual rents, actual common fees and a track record for the building
- 🤝 Room to negotiate, especially with motivated sellers
What to watch out for
- 🧾 Foreign quota: if the unit sits in the Thai quota, it can only transfer to you if quota is available. How the quota works
- 🛠️ Condition: older units may need renovation, and older buildings may have big repairs coming
- 💸 Arrears: make sure the seller has no outstanding common fees, and get the debt-free letter from the juristic person
Side-by-side
| Off-plan | Resale | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Often lower, with promotions | Market price, negotiable |
| Payment | Staged over construction | Mostly at transfer |
| Rental income | Only after completion | Immediate |
| Risk | Construction and developer | Condition and building age |
| Choice of unit | Widest at launch | Limited to what’s for sale |
| Foreign quota | Usually set aside at launch | Must be checked unit by unit |
Always inspect before transfer
Whichever you choose, inspect the unit before you sign the transfer. For new units, a professional defect inspection (“snagging”) lets the developer fix problems while they’re still responsible. For resale units, check the air-conditioning, plumbing, water pressure, damp and any appliances included in the sale.
Our honest view
- Buying to live in, and want certainty? Resale in a well-run building is hard to beat.
- Long-term investor with patience? Off-plan from a reputable developer can make sense, if you’re comfortable with the wait.
- Want rental income from day one? Resale.
Not sure which fits you? Let’s talk it through. We’ll show you both options with real numbers and no pressure.
This article is general information. Contract terms vary by developer and seller. Have every agreement reviewed by an independent lawyer before signing.
