Key points
- A Phuket developer should be registered with the Department of Business Development (DBD) and hold valid construction permits, a Condominium License, and, for larger projects, an approved Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
- Company registration details can be checked online: the DBD's public data service lets anyone confirm a company's registration, directors, and filed financials (dbd.go.th).
- A developer's background matters as much as their paperwork: completed projects, on-time delivery, and buyers who can vouch for them.
- Undersun Estate requests the full document set directly from the developer and reviews it in-house on every project before presenting it to a buyer; where a case calls for in-depth due diligence, partner law firms provide it as a separate service.
Why Developer Verification in Phuket Really Matters
Thailand does not have a single centralised developer registry that buyers can query in one place. Information about a developer's registration, permits, and project standing sits with different agencies: company records with the Department of Business Development, land title and condominium licensing with the Land Department, and environmental approvals with ONEP.
Verification takes several steps across several sources and is an important stage of a well-run purchase. The buyer works through it or hands it to an agency, and by the time the contract is signed, they know what they are buying.
What Documents Should You Request From a Developer?
The starting point for any developer check is the company's official registration record from the Department of Business Development. This document, called the Company Affidavit, shows the registered directors, shareholders, registered capital, and the date of incorporation. It is issued in Thai, and it should be recent: a copy older than three to six months is worth refreshing, since directors and capital can change. Company registration details can also be cross-checked online through the DBD's public data warehouse (datawarehouse.dbd.go.th), which is free to use.
Separately, you need to confirm the developer holds the correct permits for the specific project.
Key documents to request and verify:
- Company Affidavit from the DBD, confirming legal registration, directors, and shareholder structure
- Condominium License (for condominium projects), issued by the Land Department under the Condominium Act
- Building Permit (Aw. 1), confirming the structure is authorised to be built on the specific land parcel
- Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval from the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP), mandatory for condominium projects of 80 units or more, or with 4,000 square metres or more of usable area (onep.go.th)
- Title deed (Chanote) for the land the project sits on, confirming the developer holds clean ownership with no undisclosed encumbrances or mortgages
A developer who cannot produce these documents on request, or who provides scanned copies that cannot be cross-referenced against official records, is giving you the clearest possible signal to pause.
How Are Land Title and Ownership Verified?
Confirming that a developer legally owns the land is a separate step from checking company registration, and it is one that buyers frequently skip. Land in Thailand has multiple title grades, and only the Chanote (NS-4 title) confers full ownership rights that can be precisely bounded.
A Chanote can be checked at the local Land Office by the owner or an authorised representative (dol.go.th). The check confirms:
- Who the current registered owner is
- Whether any mortgage, lien, or legal claim is recorded against the parcel
- Whether the land boundaries match what the developer has shown in their marketing materials
If the developer has not yet paid off a construction loan secured against the land, that mortgage will appear on the Chanote. This is not always fatal to a deal, but buyers need to understand how the loan will be discharged before their unit title is transferred.
What Red Flags Should You Watch For?
The harder question is what behaviour or paperwork gaps should make you slow down and ask more questions. These are the signals that come up most often:
| Red Flag | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Payment requested into a personal account | Legitimate developers receive funds into a registered company account; personal accounts offer no contractual protection |
| No EIA approval on a project that requires one | Construction may be halted or challenged by authorities at any point |
| Newly incorporated company with low registered capital | Insufficient financial capacity to complete the project if sales slow |
| No completed projects in the developer's portfolio | No track record means no evidence that they can actually deliver |
| Land title below Chanote grade | Lower title grades carry restrictions on transfer and ownership rights |
One practical test: ask the developer to show you a completed project they built, ideally in Phuket, and speak to buyers who purchased units there. A developer with a solid history will be glad to make the introduction.
How Does Undersun Estate Run This Verification?
Most foreign buyers do not have the local contacts or the Thai-language ability to work through these documents from abroad, which is where an agency's verification comes in.
Undersun Estate requests the full document set directly from the developer for every project before presenting it to a buyer, and reviews it in-house:
- The developer's DBD registration and Company Affidavit, cross-checked against the DBD's public records
- The Condominium License for the project
- The Building Permit and EIA approval status for the specific development
- A copy of the title deed for the project land, reviewed for undisclosed encumbrances
- The developer's completed project portfolio and delivery record
- The purchase contract before the buyer signs, with specific attention to payment schedule triggers, penalty clauses, and title transfer conditions
A developer's inability or unwillingness to provide any of these documents is treated as a red flag in itself, and that project simply does not get shortlisted.
This standard verification is distinct from formal due diligence. Where a transaction calls for in-depth legal investigation, for example a complex ownership structure or a contract clause that needs formal legal opinion, Undersun Estate brings in partner law firms who provide full due diligence as a separate, paid service. The two levels are kept deliberately distinct: the standard checks catch the majority of documentation problems, and the legal deep-dive is there for the cases that need it.
As a co-founder of the Phuket Property Association and a partner of the Phuket Real Estate Association, the agency also maintains direct relationships with developers across the island, which means project status can often be confirmed directly with the developer.
For the contract side of a purchase, see our guide to eleven traps in developers' contracts; for the purchase process end to end, the Thailand property buying checklist covers every stage.
About Undersun Estate
Undersun Estate is a Phuket-based real estate agency. The team has been active on the island since 2020, co-founded the Phuket Property Association, and partners with the Phuket Real Estate Association (P-REA), the Thai professional association of Phuket's property industry, with direct relationships across the island's developers. The agency manages the full transaction in-house, from developer verification and contract review through to support with Land Department registration, works entirely remotely for buyers who cannot travel to Thailand, and operates in English, Russian, Ukrainian, and Thai.
Evaluating a specific developer? Send us the project name on WhatsApp or through the form on this page, and we will check the documents before you sign anything.
References
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a foreign buyer own a Phuket condominium outright?
Yes. Foreign nationals can own up to 49% of a condominium building's total registered floor area on a freehold basis under the Condominium Act. For landed property or units above the quota, leasehold arrangements are the standard route.
What is the foreign quota, and how do I check whether it is still available?
The foreign quota is the 49% ceiling on foreign freehold ownership in any given condominium building. Availability for a specific project is confirmed with the developer, and Undersun Estate checks it before presenting any project to a buyer.
Is an EIA required for all Phuket developments?
No. An EIA is mandatory for condominium projects of 80 units or more, or with 4,000 square metres or more of usable area. Smaller projects fall outside the requirement. For a project above those thresholds, the EIA approval is a standard part of the document set a developer should be able to produce.
How long does title transfer take at the Land Office?
Provided all documents are in order and applicable taxes and fees are paid, the process typically takes one to three hours on the scheduled day, resulting in the immediate issuance of an updated Chanote in the buyer's name.
Can I complete the purchase without travelling to Thailand?
Yes. The full transaction can be completed remotely, including reservation, contract signing by power of attorney, and payment coordination. Undersun Estate manages this process for overseas buyers as a standard service.
What happens if a developer goes bankrupt mid-construction?
This is the risk the document and background checks are designed to address before you commit. The factors that matter are the developer's registered capital, the stage of construction already completed, and the specific contract terms covering default. Undersun Estate's standard checks weigh the developer's financial standing and delivery record before a project is ever shortlisted.
Does Undersun Estate charge the buyer for these verification services?
No. The buyer pays nothing for property search and transaction support, and the standard document verification is part of how every project is vetted before it reaches a shortlist. Full legal due diligence, where a case requires it, is provided by partner law firms as a separate service.
Need property advice?
Go to the catalogue