The time associated with obtaining a Thailand construction permit will often depend on how prepared you are when submitting your application. You must have all of your permissions in order, such as permission to build on the land from the owner and the land office before applying for a building permit. If you have prepared all of the paperwork correctly and have all necessary permissions in order, the process should take around 20 to 45 days depending on the type of structure. Keep in mind that does not include the time it takes to make revisions before being issued your construction permit. In the event that multiple revisions are necessary the process can take as much as 135 days. If you want to make sure that the process goes smoothly and is completed in a timely manner, it is recommended to contract the services of a professional who specialises in building regulations. Thailand has many excellent construction law firms that will be happy to help you through the process.
Although foreigners are barred from owning land in the Kingdom, construction law in Thailand allows for a building permit to be issued in a foreigner’s name. Once you have applied and received your Thailand construction permit and built the structure, the laws in Thailand allow for you to own the building. Hiring a local professional in construction contract law is highly recommended before building the structure. Since you will not own the land, you will certainly want the right contract in place with the landowner long before applying for your Thai building construction permit. It should also be noted that it is not recommended to build in the Kingdom of Thailand without obtaining a building permit, as there are steep fines and the possibility of prison time for building without a construction license. Thailand has been taking this issue increasingly seriously as the number of structures has been increasing in recent years. Laws in the Kingdom are subject to change at any time, often with very little notice.
Once you have successfully obtained your building construction permit, it will be valid for one year from the date of issue under construction law in Thailand. However, if you have found yourself in a situation where construction will have to be delayed beyond that, you are able to extend it for one year. Your Thai building construction permit can be renewed up to 3 times in total before you will be required to restart and file an application for a new building permit. Consulting a construction attorney is highly recommended to help you with the process, especially if you are not fluent in the Thai language. There are a lot of documents, permissions and other paperwork associated with the process that will be predominantly in the Thai language.
Construction law in Thailand allows for steep penalties and fines for those who build a structure or structures without acquiring a valid Thai building construction permit. Not only can your structure be ordered demolished, undoing all of your hard work and costing a lot of money, but there are also further possible consequences as well. You may be fined as much as 60,000 THB and face up to three months in a Thai prison. You may also be fined up to 10,000 THB per day until the issue is resolved. Something that also needs to be considered, that is often overlooked, is that you must have a valid construction permit issued even if you are only altering or adding to your building. The same fines and possibility of imprisonment apply in this case and you run the risk of engaging in an even more costly process in the long run. In fact, even if you are only demolishing a building or part of it, you will still require a permit or you run the same or similar risks. It is highly recommended to contract the services of a local construction lawyer. Thailand is the land of smiles, but it is also a land of laws. As the country has grown in popularity, so have the laws of the land to keep up with the corresponding growth in the building and construction sector.
