Bangkok For Less · updated 2026

The Treaty of Amity — what an American actually gets

An American can own up to 100% of a Thai company — on the same basis as a Thai national, exempt from most of the foreign-ownership restrictions that apply to everyone else. It is the single largest structural advantage a US passport carries here.

What it covers, and what it does not

PermittedExcluded
ConsultingLand ownership
Technology and softwareCommunications
Most servicesTransport
ManufacturingBanking with depository functions
Trading (with conditions)Natural resources · agriculture

Read the exclusions carefully. A services company, yes. Land, no — which is why this changes how you run a business here, not how you buy property.

The condition most write-ups skip

To qualify, American shareholders must hold the majority of shares, and the majority of directors must be American and/or Thai. Get the cap table wrong and the treaty protection does not attach.

Send me the three condos that will sign your paperwork

Tell me your dates, budget and which district you are looking at. I will come back with three places whose landlords actually do the documents — and what each one will and will not sign.

Get the shortlist →

Next: What it actually costs · Where you will live

Not immigration or legal advice. This page explains what a landlord and a lease need to do. For the application itself, use a licensed agent or the official channels. We rent condos — that is the part we know.