A business can have flawless financials and still be worth far less than it looks — if the lease underneath it is weak, short, or doesn't survive a change of tenant.
The 3-year rule. Under Thai law, any lease longer than three years must be registered at the local Land Office to be enforceable beyond that three-year mark. An unregistered 10-year lease is, legally, only enforceable for its first three years. Global Law Experts
Check the title deed, not just the lease document. A registered lease should be endorsed on the reverse of the property's title deed. If it isn't, the registration hasn't actually happened.
Registered leases can run up to 30 years, via the Tor.Dor.11 form, recording the core lease terms on the title deed. Everything beyond that core summary — renewal, maintenance, termination — lives only in the private agreement.
Renewal clauses deserve special scrutiny. Thai courts have taken a strict line on "automatic renewal" clauses — recent Supreme Court guidance has treated some as void.
The five-point checklist to bring to any lease review:
This is exactly what our Tier 2 review confirms directly with the landlord before a listing earns its badge.