Real Estate Attorney in Pattaya or Chonburi ???

[travelerjim]

Hello Sawatdee Friends,

Soon, I will be buying a Townhouse Condo - located in Chonburi (not Pattaya) near Sripatum University.
My bf and I have had occupancy by monthly rental for nearly 3 years now - and we wish to purchase it.
The Thai owner has been very good to us - and has agreed to sell to us at a fair price.

We will use it for my bf to complete his studies there...
and then as our home - with some possible room rental income from university students...
and - long term - use it as our "primary home base" in Thailand.

I have searched ThaiVisa.com and have read many postings.

My question is...
If you know of a good Thai lawyer who can handle the documents for this sale...
I would appreciate you recommendation.

From what I have read...
.....I need to make sure that the current owner indeed has ownership of the condo..
.....That there are no liens against the condo land or building...
.....That - to protect me - my Thai bf can "own the land" and I can "own the building - condo house";
.....Or ....that my Thai bf can own the land and building (condo) and I can "lease it for 30 years"..and possibly include a renewal of 30 years term.... as I am already 60+ I may not need the renewal :-)

I read a summary of a recent Pattaya City Expats Club Seminar on Buying Real Estate...
but it all is still a bit confusing! ...
and have read ThaiVisa.com and the Sunbelt Asia website:

http://www.pattayacityexpatsclub.com/mo ... le&sid=229 (http://www.pattayacityexpatsclub.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=229) .

http://www.pattayacityexpatsclub.com/mo ... le&sid=851 (http://www.pattayacityexpatsclub.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=851) .

Sunbelt Asia...(Attorneys often posting on ThaiVisa.com) offers this advice..but all at a price :-)

http://www.lawyer.th.com/fees.asp

Property

Title Deed Search to see if the property has liens, if the seller has ownership rights and the type of land documentation.
6,500 baht

Property
Registering Lease or Land/House at Land Department
8,500 baht

Property
Professional Negotiations to lower the selling price, transfer fees, stamp duties
15,000 baht

Agreement
Asset Purchase Agreement
9,500 baht

Agreement
Lease Agreement
9,500 baht

Agreement
Land/House Purchase Agreement
18,500 baht

http://www.lawyer.th.com/QR-owing-property.asp .

http://www.property.th.com/buyland.php .

http://www.property.th.com/ownershiplaw.php .

http://www.property.th.com/howbuyproperty.php .

http://www.property.th.com/transferfees.php .

As you can see friends, SO MANY THINGS TO CONSIDER...

I am looking for good advice.
If you have personal experience with the purchase of a condo/townhouse
with a lease back arrangement ....

Or have a Thai Lawyer you can recommend...in Pattaya or Chonburi...

Your assistance and advice is much appreciated.

Thank You!

TJ

I usually use Siam Commercial Capital. A large international firm based in Bangkok on Sukhumvit Road, One Pacific Place 2, near NANA BTS Station.

Khun Chen, the senior lawyer is a proven specialist in property law.

SCM is a very reputable firm, running many years.

The fees for legal work is more or less the same everywhere. But the results a often very different.

For further details: www.thailandlaw.com/ (http://www.thailandlaw.com/)

[quote="travelerjim"]Hello Sawatdee Friends,

Soon, I will be buying a Townhouse Condo - located in Chonburi (not Pattaya) near Sripatum University.
My bf and I have had occupancy by monthly rental for nearly 3 years now - and we wish to purchase it.
The Thai owner has been very good to us - and has agreed to sell to us at a fair price.....

My question is...
If you know of a good Thai lawyer who can handle the documents for this sale...
I would appreciate you recommendation.


Maybe you have read too much!
Condo buying not complex and surprisingly quick c.f. many countries - BUT you are right to be wary and an experienced, honest lawyer makes it easy. There are dozens around Pataya fuelled by the building / buying boom. No recommendations in Chonburi but have used and will use again Khun Surasak Klinsmith (Eastern Law) recently moved up the hill from Jomtien Complex(legaloil@hotmail.com). Excellent English, cautious without being obstructive, prompt, thorough and honest.
Perhaps you should speak to a couple and get quotes of process and cost.

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

however they don't do "Cialis &debt consolidation" :geek:

Rachain Kluanklard is the attorney and his assistant is PiJ
address 151/35 Moo 5, Naklua (across from the Pattaya City Hall)
tel 038 411 427

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[travelerjim]

Jim are you buying a condo OR a townhouse???

They are different and have different laws regarding buying.

Also look at our website


www.thailand-property-guide.com/?p=resources (http://www.thailand-property-guide.com/?p=resources)

Thanks John...

I have read your website..and I have sent you a pm

TJ

[travelerjim]

My question is...
If you know of a good Thai lawyer who can handle the documents for this sale...
I would appreciate you recommendation.


[b]Maybe you have read too much!
Condo buying not complex and surprisingly quick c.f. many countries - BUT you are right to be wary and an experienced, honest lawyer makes it easy. There are dozens around Pattaya fueled by the building / buying boom.

No recommendations in Chonburi but have used and will use again Khun Surasak Klinsmith (Eastern Law) recently moved up the hill from Jomtien Complex(legaloil@hotmail.com). Excellent English, cautious without being obstructive, prompt, thorough and honest.

Thanks for the recommendation of Khun Surasak Klinsmith...
I Googled his name and came across this newspaper article about him..a good recommendation!
I will call and set an appointment to see him..his office is 5 minutes from my condo :-)
Thanks again :-)
TJ

From Pattaya Today ...
http://www.pattayatoday.net/index.php?a ... ws&id=1320 (http://www.pattayatoday.net/index.php?action=show&type=news&id=1320) .

A number of people in Pattaya will not thank me for writing this article, but I feel it is due

Roughly 50% of email enquiries I receive through Pattaya Today ask for estate agent recommendations, either in Jomtien or Pattaya (and these I will deal with another time, as I am happy to highly recommend a couple of agents who I know will not let me or you down).
[Pete's_01]

Khun Surasak

About 30% of the emails I receive ask for recommendations for a lawyer in Pattaya, usually for real estate transactions, visas or business setups.

I have always said the best business decisions you can make are instructing a good lawyer and a good accountant.
That way even if you are really stupid, like I am, and make mistakes, you have someone else covering your backside, metaphorically speaking.

And so it was that three years ago I first began using Khun Surasak Klinsmith as my lawyer for personal matters and for many business dealings. He is usually the first person I call in a crisis, and he has never disappointed.

I also give him power of attorney over my companies for when I am not here (like now). And I know from long experience he aggressively looks after my interests and those of his other clients, which is a rare and welcome thing in Pattaya.

I have also recommended him to other property professionals in the town, who hold him in high regard and he is respected by some very serious investors, who will be unhappy with me publicising our little secret for purely selfish reasons, but everyone will agree he deserves wider recognition.

Khun Surasak graduated from Ramk- hamhaeng University in Bangkok, where he then spent 13 years in private practice, before coming to Pattaya 5 years ago, just ahead of the boom. He now runs a busy practice with a lot of repeat business from his office in the Jomtien Complex. 65% of his business is real-estate, 25% is business setup, visas and work permits, and 10% of his work is for clients in dealing with the police, accidents and emergency situations (the kind of thing you never want to happen to you in Pattaya, basically).

He also has a partner specialising in litigation, and runs an excellent accountancy practice through the delig- htful Khun Noi in his office, which I also use heavily. So, if you need a good lawyer, or wish to consult one in a friendly, relaxed setting, give Khun Surasak a call on 06 688 9528.

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[alittlebi-old]

My question is...
If you know of a good Thai lawyer who can handle the documents for this sale...

No recommendations in Chonburi but have used and will use again Khun Surasak Klinsmith (Eastern Law) recently moved up the hill from Jomtien Complex(legaloil@hotmail.com). Excellent English, cautious without being obstructive, prompt, thorough and honest.


I'm new to this board but not to Thailand -- Pattaya specifically.

I use Klinsamith currently for my Thai company docs, filings and immigration work only. To say his English is "Excellent" is far beyond the truth. It is passable at best. He is one of the better ones in Pattaya - but I don't trust him in real estate issues as he is not one to overly "protect" foreignors.

There is an attorney in Bangkok that made my company take-over proof; something that Klinsamith should have known how to do (but didn't - and told me not to worry about it). His response was "its ok, you can trust my staff". That doesn't hold water for me when we are talking about real estate and $$$.

For real estate issues, I suggest you contact Jatuporn Cherbangkaew in Bangkok. Website is socrateslaw.com. He is a well "written" attorney with articles published in various newspapers. His clientele is *ALL* foreignor and is English REALLY is excellent. Send him an email and tell him what you want to do.


He also has a partner specialising in litigation, and runs an excellent accountancy practice through the delig- htful Khun Noi in his office, which I also use heavily.

Should have added that this article must be old as Noi has been gone for some time now. Again, I would de-emphasize the use of the word "excellent" in this article.