What is a house registration certificate? It's an important document for homeowners.

Whether you live in a house or a condo, the house registration document (ทะเบียนบ้าน) is a document every household in Thailand must have. It's required by law under Section 4 of the Civil Registration Act B.E. 2534 (1991).

Your house registration document is your official proof of identity and legal address. You'll need it for important transactions, from applying for a national ID card to buying or selling property. The designated "householder" is also legally responsible for reporting births, deaths, and changes of residence linked to that address.

Nestopa has compiled everything you need to know about the house registration document for homeowners in Thailand.

Key Takeaways

• A house registration document is the official register for each property in Thailand, recording the house number and the names of all residents.

• When applying for a new house registration document, the homeowner must submit the application within 15 days of construction completion — late submissions carry a fine of up to ฿1,000.

• You can own multiple properties with no legal limit, but you can only be listed as the "householder" (เจ้าบ้าน) in one house registration document at a time.

• A house registration document can remain vacant, with no designated householder, but if you sell the property without having been registered there for at least one year, you won't be exempt from specific business tax.

What Is a House Registration Document Used For?

The house registration document is one of the most frequently required official documents in Thailand. You'll need it for:

• General financial and legal transactions

• Applying for a national ID card

• Applying for a home loan or mortgage

• Government office dealings

• Job applications

• School enrolment

• Registering a birth or reporting a death

• Changing your registered address

• Registering for state welfare benefits

• Exercising your right to vote

How Many Types of House Registration Document Are There?

There are five types of house registration documents in Thailand:

1. House Registration (Tor Ror 14 / ท.ร.14) — Used to record details of Thai nationals and foreign nationals who hold an alien registration certificate.

2. House Registration (Tor Ror 13 / ท.ร.13) — Used for foreign nationals who have entered Thailand legally but hold only temporary status, or who have entered illegally under immigration law.

3. Temporary House Registration — Issued for properties built on public land, in protected forest areas, or constructed without the required planning permission. It is a legally valid official document and grants the same rights and responsibilities as a standard house registration document.

4. Temporary House Registration of the Registration Office — Set up by the Central Registration Director for people who have deregistered from a standard house registration (ท.ร.14) to travel abroad.

5. Central House Register (ทะเบียนบ้านกลาง) — This is not a house registration document in the standard sense. It's a register created by the Central Registration Director for people who cannot be listed on any regular house registration document.

Source: Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA)

What Information Appears in a House Registration Document?

Image credit: https://www.matichon.co.th/local/news_65748

What Is the House Registration Code Number?

The house registration code is an 11-digit number assigned by the government to uniquely identify each individual property in Thailand. No two properties share the same number, and you'll find it printed in your house registration document.

What Does Each Part of the 11-Digit Code Mean?

• Digits 1–4: The registration office location code, identifying the province, district, and sub-district.

• Digits 5–10: A unique sequential number assigned by officials to each property within that registration district.

• Digit 11: A check digit used to verify the accuracy of the full house code.

Other Property Details Listed in the Document

Beyond the house code, the registration document also records:

• Address: House number, village number, road, sub-district (แขวง/ตำบล), district (เขต/อำเภอ), and province.

• Project or village name: For example, "Sukjai Village" or a specific condo project name.

• Property type: Such as detached house, semi-detached, shophouse, or condominium unit.

• House number assignment date: The date the government officially assigned the property its house number.

How Do You Apply for a House Registration Document?

Documents Required for a New House Registration

1. A property notification form (ท.ร.9), issued by the village headman (ผู้ใหญ่บ้าน)

2. Building permit or official construction certificate

3. Title deed (Chanote) or other legal document proving land ownership

4. National ID cards of both the property owner and the person submitting the application

5. Photos of the completed property from all four sides (front, back, left, right)

Step-by-Step Process for New House Registration (Newly Built Properties)

1. Submit within 15 days. The homeowner must file the application within 15 days of the property's completion. Late submission carries a fine of up to ฿1,000.

2. Submit your documents. Bring all required paperwork to the registrar's office in the area where the property is located. Officials will review and verify your documents.

3. Processing time. The registrar will assign a house number and issue the registration booklet within 7 days (for properties within a municipal area) or 30 days (for properties outside a municipal area).

4. House number issued. Along with the house number, you'll receive the official house registration booklet and a copy of the house registration document. You can then put up a house number sign at your property.

5. Register residents. Once the house number and document are in order, you can proceed to register individuals into the house registration.

What's the Difference Between a "Householder" and a "Homeowner"?

Householder (เจ้าบ้าน)

The Householder is the person designated as the lead occupant of the property. This doesn't have to be the legal owner — it could be a tenant or someone officially appointed to the role. The householder has legal duties under the Civil Registration Act, including reporting births, deaths, and changes of address.

Homeowner (เจ้าของบ้าน)

The homeowner is the person who holds legal title to the property and land. They have the right to sell or transfer the real estate.

⚠️ Important Note: A house registration can remain vacant with no designated householder. However, if you sell the property without having been registered as a resident for at least one year, you will be liable for specific business tax on that sale.

How Do You Register or Deregister a Resident?

The householder is legally required to report any change of residence, either moving in or moving out, to the local registrar within 15 days of the move. Failure to do so can result in a fine of up to ฿1,000. Here's how each process works:

Registering a New Resident (Moving In)

The householder must submit the required documents to the district registration office covering the property's location. Once officials verify everything, the house registration booklet will be returned to the applicant. You'll need:

• The original house registration booklet (householder's copy)

• The householder's national ID card

• A letter of authorization from the householder, if the householder is not submitting in person

• The national ID card of the authorized representative

• A completed change-of-address form (ท.ร.6), parts 1 and 2, signed by the householder to confirm consent

Deregistering a Resident (Moving Out)

To report a move-out, the householder must submit documents to the registrar at the district office (สำนักงานเขต) or district administration office (ที่ว่าการอำเภอ) where the house registration is held. Once verified, the official will stamp the change-of-address form with "ย้าย" (moved). You'll need:

• The original house registration booklet (householder's copy)

• The householder's national ID card

• A letter of authorization from the householder, if not submitting in person

• The national ID card of the authorized representative

• The national ID card of the person being deregistered, if they are handling their own move-out

Can a House Registration Document Have No "Householder"?

Yes — a house registration document can legally have no designated householder. Here's what that means in practice:

1. "Vacant" status in the civil registration system.
If no one is registered as the householder, for example, a newly built property where no one has moved in yet, or one where all residents have deregistered, the document is marked as a "vacant house" (บ้านว่าง) in the system.

2. Watch out for specific business tax.
Even though leaving a house registration vacant is permitted, it can have tax consequences if you later sell the property. Specifically:

• If you sell without having been registered as a resident for at least one year, you won't qualify for the specific business tax exemption.

• Under Thai law, the specific business tax exemption for residential property sales only applies if the seller has been registered in the house registration document for a minimum of one year from the date of acquisition.

3. Who acts as the householder when there isn't one?
Under Thai law, the "householder" is the lead occupant responsible for reporting births, deaths, and address changes. If a house registration has no house head — or if the house head is absent, deceased, or untraceable — the law allows whoever is responsible for managing the property at that time to act in the house head's place.

You can leave a house registration vacant without a householder, but think ahead if you're planning to sell. Being registered in the house registration document for at least one year can reduce your tax liability at the point of sale.

How Many Properties Can You Own in Thailand?

In short, you can own as many properties as you like. There is no legal cap on how many homes or condos you can hold title to. That said, Thai civil registration law does place one important restriction on the house registration document itself:

1. No limit on how many properties you own.
You can buy multiple houses or condominiums, whether for personal use or investment, and hold legal title to all of them.

2. You can only be a "householder" in one property at a time.
Even if you own multiple properties, you can only be listed as a resident in one house registration document (ท.ร.14) at any given time. Thai law states that a person can only have one legal domicile, so holding the householder role in two properties simultaneously isn't possible.

3. Options for managing multiple properties.
If you own more than one property, you'll need to choose which house registration document to be listed in. For the others, you have two options:

• Register a family member — Add a relative (parent, sibling, or other family member) to the house registration document and designate them as householder.

• Leave it vacant — You can leave the house registration document in "vacant house" status with no registered residents.

⚠️ Important Note: If you sell a property where you haven't been registered as a resident for at least one year, you won't be eligible for the specific business tax exemption — which adds to your costs at the point of sale.

Find Your Next Home with Nestopa

Now you know exactly what a house registration document is in Thailand, what documents you need to apply for, and how the process works, including the key difference between "householder" and "homeowner," and what to watch out for with registration and tax. If you're looking to buy a house or condo in Thailand, Nestopa has thousands of listings across Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, and beyond. Visit Nestopa.com to start your search today.

Related reading: Lost your house registration booklet? Here's how to get a replacement — no police report needed