Ownership term
Superficies
Superficies is a registered right under the Civil and Commercial Code to own buildings on another person's land for a fixed term up to 30 years, separating ownership of the building from ownership of the land beneath it.
Last updated 2026-07-26
Thai scriptสิทธิเหนือพื้นดิน
In full
A superficies is registered on the chanote and lets a foreigner own the villa building separately from the land it stands on, which may be leased or held by a Thai entity. It is useful where a buyer wants a clear registered right in the building itself. As of Q3 2026 it is less common than the leasehold because the structure is more complex to draft and register.
The superficies term is capped at 30 years for a registered right and, like a leasehold, the registered term governs its resale value. It is most often paired with a land lease to give the foreign buyer registered rights in both the land use and the building ownership.
Common misunderstanding
Superficies does not give ownership of the land. It gives ownership of the building on the land. The land beneath still needs a separate lease or structure. Confusing the two is the most common error in structuring a foreign villa purchase.