Things to check before buying land in Phuket
Take this list with you on every viewing. If an answer is missing, that is information too.
On the documents
Which title document covers this plot, and what rights does it carry? Who is the registered owner, and is that person selling? Is anything registered against the land — mortgage, lease, servitude, seizure? Does the registered area match what is being sold?
On the ground
Where do the boundaries actually run? Is the access road public, private or shared, and how wide is it? Is there mains power and water at the boundary, and at what capacity? Which way does the ground slope, and where does water go in heavy rain?
Around the plot
What is on the neighbouring land now, and what could be built there? Is there a quarry, a temple, a school, a nightclub, a planned road? Visit at different times of day if you can.
On the plan
What is the zoning colour and what does it permit? Are there slope, elevation or height restrictions here? Does your intended use require a licence — a hotel licence, for example — and is that route realistic for this plot?
Before you pay
Has your own lawyer reviewed the contract? Is it clear what happens to the deposit if due diligence fails? Have transfer costs been allocated in writing?