Buying a Thai condo comes with two types of ongoing or one-time property charges. Understanding these before you buy helps you budget accurately and evaluate the building's long-term financial health.
What is the common area maintenance (CAM) fee in Thai condos?
The common area maintenance fee (also called the juristic person fee or management fee) is a monthly or annual charge paid by every unit owner in the building. It covers:
- Security staff and concierge
- Cleaning and maintenance of lobbies, hallways, and shared spaces
- Pool and gym maintenance
- Elevator servicing
- Garden and landscaping
- Building management administration
Typical rates in Thailand: ฿35–80 per sqm per month. A 50 sqm unit in a mid-range building might pay ฿1,750–4,000/month (฿21,000–48,000/year).
Premium buildings in central Bangkok, Phuket resorts, or branded residences can charge ฿100–200/sqm/month.
Who Sets the Fee?
The juristic person committee (elected by unit owners) sets the fee at the AGM. Increases require approval by a majority of unit owners.
Payment
Typically collected annually in advance. Unpaid CAM fees result in the juristic person cutting services (access cards, parking, utilities in some cases) and can be registered as a lien on the chanote.
What is the sinking fund in a Thai condo?
The sinking fund is a one-time payment made by the purchaser at the time of transfer, collected to fund major capital expenditures for the building over its lifetime. These include:
- Roof replacement
- Elevator upgrades or replacement
- Major plumbing or electrical system repairs
- Parking structure repairs
- Lobby renovations
Typical rate: ฿300–700 per sqm (one-time on purchase). For a 50 sqm unit: ฿15,000–35,000.
The sinking fund is held in a separate account managed by the juristic person and can only be spent on approved capital projects, not routine maintenance.
Sinking Fund Is Not Refundable
When you sell, the sinking fund does not transfer back to you. It stays with the building. The new buyer does not typically pay sinking fund on a resale—it was already paid on the original purchase—though this can vary by building rules.
How do you evaluate a Thai condo building's financial health?
Ask the juristic person office for:
- Current CAM fee and history of increases
- Sinking fund balance and what it was used for
- Outstanding debts or special assessments
- Percentage of units with delinquent CAM fees
A building with a low sinking fund balance, high delinquency rates, and aging infrastructure is a warning sign—future special assessments (one-off additional charges) may be required.
How much do utilities cost in Thai condos?
Electricity in Thai condos is often resold by the juristic person at the regulated MRF rate (approximately ฿3.5–4.5/unit). Water is separate. For a 1-bedroom unit used as a primary residence, expect ฿1,000–2,500/month in utilities.
Key Takeaway
Total monthly ownership cost for a Thai condo = CAM fee + utilities + any mortgage payment. For a ฿3M condo of 35 sqm in a standard Bangkok building: CAM ≈ ฿1,400/month, utilities ≈ ฿1,500/month = ฿2,900/month all-in before any mortgage. Factor this into your investment yield calculations.
What the Act Requires, and Since When
Common area fees are a statutory obligation, not a house rule. Section 18 of the Condominium Act B.E. 2522 (1979), as replaced by the Condominium Act (No. 4) B.E. 2551 (2008), requires every co-owner to contribute to the tax and duty costs of the common property in proportion to their ownership share, and to the cost of common equipment and the maintenance of common property in proportion to the benefit their unit receives — or as the building's own regulations specify.
Late payment is expensive by design. Section 18/1 allows a surcharge of up to 12% a year on arrears, rising to as much as 20% a year once they pass six months. The juristic person may also suspend access to common services such as the pool, gym or parking, and the owner can lose their voting rights at general meetings.
The strongest lever sits at the Land Office. Under Section 29 a unit transfer cannot be registered without a debt-free certificate from the condominium manager confirming the Section 18 expenses are settled. Unpaid fees therefore block a sale outright — which is why a buyer should ask for that certificate, and why an absentee owner should not let arrears build.
One caveat worth knowing: the 2008 amendments to Sections 14, 15 and 18 do not apply to condominiums registered on or before the date the amending Act took effect. Those buildings remain on the original 1979 provisions for ownership ratios, common property and the calculation of maintenance fees, so two buildings on the same street can be governed by different rules.
Source note added: Condominium Act B.E. 2522 (1979) as amended by the Condominium Act (No. 4) B.E. 2551 (2008), Sections 18, 18/1, 29 and 31. The official consolidated Thai text is published by the Office of the Council of State. Registration is handled by the Department of Lands through the local district office.
