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The Buyer Safety Guide
for Bali, Thailand & Dubai.

Before you put money down on a villa or condo overseas, learn the traps that cause foreign buyers to lose everything. The nominee structure, the legal title types, the lease and payment red flags, and the exact questions to ask before you sign — all in one plain-English PDF, built for your protection alone.

What's Inside

Know the trap
before you fall in it.

  • The nominee structure, the #1 cause of total loss for foreign buyers
  • The legal title types that actually let foreigners own or hold property
  • Bali: leasehold vs Hak Pakai, and the lease-extension clauses that trap buyers
  • Thailand: the 49% condo foreign-ownership quota and the FET-form payment rule
  • Dubai: off-plan escrow (Law No. 8 of 2007), RERA/Oqood registration, and freehold areas
  • The payment red flags that signal fraud, escrow vs personal accounts
  • The exact questions to put to a licensed notary or lawyer before you sign

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The Full Guide

What every buyer must check

The nominee trap — the #1 cause of total loss

  • A foreigner cannot own freehold (Hak Milik) land in Indonesia. If anyone offers you 'freehold' through an Indonesian nominee holding the title 'on your behalf', treat it as a red flag, not a workaround.
  • Indonesian courts have repeatedly ruled nominee arrangements void from the start. The foreign 'beneficial owner' can be left with no enforceable claim to the land.
  • Under Bali's 2026 regulations, nominee structures are being actively targeted, with the risk of asset seizure.
  • Ask: 'What is the exact legal title type, and what is my name on?' If the answer is anything other than a title you can legally hold (Hak Pakai or a registered leasehold/Hak Sewa), stop.

Know your legal title types

  • Hak Milik (Freehold): Indonesian citizens only. Not available to foreigners — directly or via a nominee.
  • Hak Pakai (Right to Use): Can be held by foreigners with a valid stay permit (KITAS/KITAP). Time-limited but renewable.
  • Leasehold (Hak Sewa): The most common safe route. You lease for a fixed term (often 25-30 years) with renewal terms agreed in writing up front.
  • HGB (Right to Build): Held by Indonesian legal entities (PT PMA), not individuals — relevant if you set up a company.

Read the lease terms before anything else

  • Confirm the exact term length and the renewal mechanism. 'By mutual agreement' is not a renewal right — it is an invitation to be re-priced or refused at expiry.
  • A safe renewal clause fixes the price or a clear formula now, in writing.
  • Check what happens to any building you construct at the end of the lease.
  • Confirm the land is not already leased, mortgaged, or subject to a dispute.

Follow the money — payment routing

  • Funds should go to a company account or a licensed notary's escrow — never to an individual's personal account.
  • Personal-account payments are a common mechanism in Bali property fraud.
  • Be wary of pressure to pay large deposits quickly to 'secure' the deal.
  • Get every payment, milestone, and refund condition in the written contract.

Zoning, permits and the building itself

  • Confirm the land's zoning permits your intended use (residential, tourism/villa rental, commercial). Green-zone agricultural land often cannot be built on.
  • For new builds, check the building permit (PBG, formerly IMB) exists and matches what is being sold.
  • For villa rental income, confirm the legal basis — many 'investment' villas are sold on questionable rental-yield promises.

Vet the developer before you fall in love

  • Check the company is properly registered (OSS-RBA) and how long it has actually operated.
  • Search for legal disputes, unfinished projects, and complaints — including expat forums and local news.
  • Be sceptical of agents who 'verify' a developer while earning commission from the same sale.
  • If a developer pressures you or discourages independent legal review, walk away.

The questions to ask your notary (PPAT) before you sign

  • What is the exact title type, and is it legally available to me as a foreigner?
  • Who is the registered legal owner of this land right now, and are there any encumbrances?
  • Is this contract enforceable in an Indonesian court as written?
  • What taxes and fees apply, and who is legally responsible for each?
  • What independent due diligence do you recommend before completion?
Area by Area

Where you buy changes the risk

Every market has neighbourhoods with their own traps. Here is what to watch in the areas foreign buyers ask about most.

Canggu
The hottest villa-investment area — and the most overbuilt. Many villas sit on green-zone (agricultural) land that legally cannot be built on, often without a valid PBG building permit. Verify zoning and the permit before anything else.
Seminyak
Mature, high-priced tourist core, almost entirely leasehold. Many leases are now mid-term, so check the exact years remaining and whether the renewal price is fixed in writing — not left 'by mutual agreement'.
Ubud
Inland cultural heartland. Much of the land is subak (irrigated rice) land carrying heritage and zoning restrictions; confirm in writing that the specific plot is legally buildable for your intended use.
Uluwatu / Bukit
Fast-growing clifftop area where water supply, road access and easements are recurring dispute points. Confirm utilities, legal access to the plot, and that cliff/setback rules permit your build.
Sanur
Quieter and more established, with generally cleaner titles and lower yields. Still confirm whether you are getting Hak Pakai or a registered leasehold (Hak Sewa) — never a nominee 'freehold'.
The Full Guide

What every buyer must check

The nominee company trap — the #1 cause of total loss

  • A foreigner cannot own land outright in Thailand. Setting up a Thai company with 'nominee' Thai shareholders just to hold land for you is illegal under the Land Code and the Foreign Business Act — and actively investigated.
  • If anyone offers you land via a Thai company where you control everything but only hold 49% of shares while passive Thais hold 51%, treat it as a serious red flag, not a workaround.
  • Ask: 'Exactly what legal title will I hold, and is it registrable in my own name?' If the honest answer depends on nominees, stop.

Know your legal ownership routes

  • Condominium freehold: A foreigner can own a condo unit outright — but only if the building is within its 49% foreign-ownership quota (Condominium Act B.E. 2522). Get written confirmation a quota slot is free.
  • Registered leasehold: Land or a house leased for up to 30 years (Civil and Commercial Code Section 540), registered at the Land Department.
  • Usufruct / superficies: Other registrable rights that can give a foreigner secure, legal use of land in specific situations.

The 30-year lease cap and the '90-year' myth

  • Thai law caps property leases at 30 years. '30+30+30' or '90-year' leases are private promises, not guarantees — renewals are not automatic and may not bind a new owner or the lessor's heirs.
  • A lease longer than 3 years must be registered at the Land Department to be enforceable for its full term.
  • Confirm an explicit clause binding the lessor's heirs and successors.

Follow the money — payment routing and the FET form

  • To register a condo in your name, your purchase funds normally must enter Thailand from overseas in foreign currency, with your Thai bank issuing a Foreign Exchange Transaction (FET) form stating the money was for buying the unit.
  • Paying in cash, in cryptocurrency, via a domestic broker, or into a personal account can make legal title registration impossible.
  • Funds should go to the registered company account or a licensed escrow agent — never to an individual's personal account.

Title deeds, zoning and permits

  • The strongest land title is a Chanote (Nor Sor 4 Jor) — a GPS-surveyed full title. Lesser deeds (Nor Sor 3, Sor Kor 1) can be hard to transfer, mortgage, or build on.
  • For a condo, confirm the building is registered under the Condominium Act and that a unit title deed exists.
  • Check the building permit and, for larger projects, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) are in place, and that zoning permits your intended use.

Vet the developer before you fall in love

  • Check the company is properly registered (DBD) and how long it has actually operated.
  • Search for lawsuits, bankruptcy, abandoned projects, and complaints — Thai news, expat forums, and Google reviews.
  • Be sceptical of agents who 'verify' a developer while earning commission from the same sale. If they discourage independent legal review, walk away.

The questions to ask your lawyer before you sign

  • Exactly what legal title will I hold, and is it registrable in my name?
  • For a condo, is there a confirmed foreign-quota slot in writing from the juristic person?
  • Is my lease registered at the Land Department for the full term, and who is bound by any renewal promise?
  • How will the FET form be generated so I can register title in my name?
  • What taxes and fees apply at the Land Department, and who pays each?
Area by Area

Where you buy changes the risk

Every market has neighbourhoods with their own traps. Here is what to watch in the areas foreign buyers ask about most.

Phuket
Thailand's largest foreign villa and condo market. Watch for illegal nominee-company villa sales on the west coast, and for condos confirm a free slot in the building's 49% foreign-ownership quota in writing.
Bangkok
Condo-dominated with strong title registration. Confirm the foreign-quota slot from the juristic person and review the building's sinking fund and financials before you commit.
Chiang Mai
Cheaper, with more leasehold and landed-house deals. Insist on a Chanote (Nor Sor 4 Jor) title — lesser deeds such as Nor Sor 3 Gor are harder to transfer, mortgage or build on.
Koh Samui
Island villas are often sold on leasehold or via a company structure. Flooding, legal road access, and registering any 30-year lease at the Land Department are the make-or-break checks.
Pattaya
High condo supply and real oversupply risk. Verify building completion and a quota slot; some older buildings carry juristic-person debt that becomes the owners' problem.
The Full Guide

What every buyer must check

Off-plan is where the money is lost — and the escrow rule that protects you

  • Unlike Bali or Thailand, a foreigner CAN own property freehold in Dubai — but only in designated 'freehold areas'. The danger here is rarely illegal ownership; it is buying off-plan from a developer who delays, runs out of money, or never completes.
  • By law (Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007), every off-plan project must be registered with RERA and your payments must go into a project escrow account supervised by the Dubai Land Department — released to the developer only against verified construction milestones.
  • If you are ever asked to pay into a developer's ordinary company account, a personal account, or 'directly' to secure a discount, stop. Money outside the escrow account is money outside the law's protection.
  • Ask: 'What is the RERA project registration number and the escrow account number, and will every payment go into that escrow account?' If they cannot give you both, do not pay.

Freehold vs leasehold — and where you are actually allowed to buy

  • Foreigners can buy freehold only in government-designated freehold areas (for example Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai, Palm Jumeirah, Business Bay, Dubai Hills and others). Outside these areas, foreign ownership is generally limited to long leasehold or usufruct rights.
  • Confirm in writing whether you are buying freehold or leasehold, and — if leasehold — the exact term and what happens at the end of it.
  • A title deed in the UAE is issued by the Dubai Land Department (DLD). Until completion, an off-plan unit is recorded on the DLD's interim 'Oqood' register, not as a final title deed.
  • Ask: 'Is this unit in a designated freehold area, and will I receive a DLD title deed in my own name on completion?'

Check the developer and the project are registered — before you fall in love

  • Both the developer and the specific project must be registered with RERA. You can verify a project, its escrow account and its completion status through the DLD's official channels (the Dubai REST app / DLD e-services), not just the brochure.
  • Search for the developer's track record: delivered projects, handover delays, cancelled projects, and DLD/RERA penalties. Dubai has a public record of cancelled off-plan projects.
  • Be sceptical of 'guaranteed' rental returns, guaranteed capital growth, or post-handover payment plans that sound too generous — these are marketing, not contractual certainties.
  • Be wary of agents who 'verify' a developer while earning commission on the same sale. In Dubai, brokers must themselves be RERA-licensed — ask for the broker's RERA / BRN number.

Read the SPA before anything else

  • The Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) is the document that binds you. For off-plan, it should state the completion/handover date, the payment schedule tied to construction milestones, the escrow account, and what happens if the developer is late.
  • Look for the penalty/compensation clause if the developer fails to deliver on time, and the dispute mechanism. Many off-plan SPAs are heavily weighted toward the developer.
  • Understand the DLD fees (typically a 4% transfer fee plus admin and Oqood registration fees) and who pays them — and the service charges you will owe every year after handover.
  • Confirm what happens to your payments if the project is cancelled: under the escrow law, cancelled-project funds are dealt with through the DLD, but the process and timing matter.

Follow the money — payment routing

  • Every payment should go into the named RERA escrow account for that specific project — never to an individual, never to an unrelated company, never in cash or cryptocurrency to 'save fees'.
  • Match the escrow account name and number on your payment instruction to the SPA and to the DLD's record of the project.
  • Keep proof of every payment; you will need it to register the unit and, if anything goes wrong, to make a claim.
  • Be wary of pressure to pay large amounts quickly to 'lock in' a price before you have verified the project and escrow.

Service charges, handover and the things that surprise foreign buyers

  • After handover you pay annual service charges set per community and overseen under Dubai's jointly owned property rules. These vary widely — check the rate per square foot before you buy, not after.
  • On handover, inspect the unit (a 'snagging' check) before you take possession and before final payment where the SPA allows.
  • If you are buying ready (not off-plan) property, the standard resale contract is the DLD's 'Form F' (Unified Sale Contract), usually with a deposit held by a registered conveyancer or the DLD's trustee office.
  • Mortgages, if any, must be registered with the DLD; confirm any existing mortgage on the property is cleared before transfer.

The questions to ask your lawyer before you sign

  • Is this project and its escrow account registered with RERA and the DLD, and what is the project's current status?
  • Is the unit in a designated freehold area, and will I receive a DLD title deed in my own name (or an Oqood registration now, for off-plan)?
  • Will every payment go into the project escrow account, and what is that account's name and number?
  • What are the developer's obligations and penalties if completion is delayed, and what happens to my money if the project is cancelled?
  • What are the total DLD fees, registration fees and ongoing service charges, and who is responsible for each?
Area by Area

Where you buy changes the risk

Every market has neighbourhoods with their own traps. Here is what to watch in the areas foreign buyers ask about most.

Dubai Marina
Established freehold with mostly ready stock — but high annual service charges. Confirm the service-charge rate per square foot and the building's snagging/maintenance history before you buy.
Downtown Dubai
Premium freehold, largely completed. Verify the DLD title deed is issued in your own name and budget for premium service charges on handover.
Palm Jumeirah
Freehold, with frequent resale (Form F) deals. Confirm there is no existing mortgage on the unit and that beach and common-access rights are clearly documented.
Business Bay
Heavy off-plan supply. Insist on the RERA project registration number and escrow account, and treat the marketed handover date as a claim to verify, not a promise.
Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC)
An affordable off-plan hotspot with many smaller developers and real delay risk. Check the developer's delivery track record and that every payment goes into the project escrow account.
Dubai Hills Estate
Master-planned freehold, mostly off-plan from major developers. Confirm Oqood registration and that the payment plan is tied to verified construction milestones, not the calendar.