Square meter, rai, square wah, and more property metrics in Thailand. No need to worry, as today we are going to explain the difference of Thailand property metrics and its calculations. What you need to know to understand how Thailand real estate calculate the size and layout of it's real estate. From lands to high-rise condos, you as homebuyers are going to fully understand the real estate metrics in Thailand.
In Thailand, there are various units of measurement used for land area, such as rai, ngan, square wa, and square meters. Each unit of measurement has its own importance, but all of them are significant for real estate transactions as well as interior design and decoration. Among these units, rai is the largest, followed by ngan, square wa, and square meters respectively.
This article aims to provide a clear understanding of the different units of land area measurement in Thailand and avoid confusion between each unit.
Table of Contents
What is Rai?
A Rai is equivalent to 1,600 square meters, a Ngan is equal to 400 square meters, and a Square Wah is equal to 4 square meters. It's important to note that Thailand does not use the Imperial or Metric systems, so it's crucial to have a clear understanding of the local measurement system to avoid any legal issues when buying or selling property.
What is Square Meters?
A square meter is a unit of measurement for area, which is used to describe the size of a property or living space. One square meter is equal to a square with sides that measure one meter in length.
In the context of real estate, square meters are commonly used to measure the size of apartments, houses, and other properties. By knowing the number of square meters in a property, you can get an idea of its overall size and layout.
For example, a studio apartment that measures 30 square meters will likely be smaller than a two-bedroom apartment that measures 80 square meters. Knowing the square meter measurement of a property can help you compare different properties and decide which one is right for you.
Now we have got that out of the way. Let's start to dig in how Thailand properties are measured and calculated. Understand the difference between square meters, rai and square wah in Thailand.
What is Square Wah?
A Square Wah is a unit of measurement used in Thailand to measure land areas. It is equal to 4 square meters and is commonly used for measuring small plots of land or individual rooms within a property.
Tarang wa is the smallest unit of measurement in Thailand's main three units of measurement (rai, ngan, and tarang wa). It is important in determining the land evaluation price of the Treasury Department (baht/tarang wa). Before understanding tarang wa, you must know that it comes from the unit "wa" squared, and "wa" is equal to 2 meters. Therefore, 2 x 2 = 4 square meters make up 1 tarang wa.
How to Calculate Rai?
The unit of land measurement 'rai' is the most important unit, as it is the unit used in 'land deeds'. Other units are important when it comes to design or interior decoration.
'Rai' is the largest unit of land measurement in Thailand's land proportion. It is related to other units of measurement as follows:
- 1 rai is equal to 4 ngan.
- 1 rai is equal to 400 square wah
- 1 rai is equal to 1,600 square meters
For homebuyers seeking information in Thai language and checking the formula. May check from local real estate guide from Kai Baan Thai.
How to calculate Square Meters to Square Wah
For example, if you have land measuring 500 tarang (Square) wah and want to know how many square meters it is, you can calculate it as follows:
- 1 tarang (Square) wah is equal to 4 square meters
- Therefore, land measuring 500 tarang (Square) wah is equal to 500 x 4 = 2,000 square meters.
Second example is that if you have land measuring 2,000 square meters and want to convert it into tarang wa, you can calculate it as follows:
- 4 square meters are equal to 1 tarang wa
- Therefore, land measuring 2,000 square meters is equal to 2,000 รท 4 = 500 tarang wa.
However, generally, the land size that is commonly seen is measured in 'rai-ngan-tarang wa'. For example, if a piece of land is 4-3-80 in size, it means that the land is 4 rai, 3 ngan, and 80 tarang wa. If you want to know how many tarang wa this land is, you will have to convert the units step by step, starting from the largest unit.
Thailand Property Measurements
Thailand real estate measurement system uses three units of measurement:
- Rai (largest unit) - commonly use in measurements of land. For homebuyers seeking to purchase a land in Thailand.
- Ngan (medium-sized unit) - a measurements of real estate in Thailand use to measure of condos, apartments and house in Thailand.
- Wah (smallest unit) - Thailand metrics used for townhouses and even for condos. Similar standard of using square meters if you are from America. On the other hand you are from the Middle East such as Dubai it is the same metrics as square foot.
- One rai is equivalent to 1600 square meters.
- One ngan is equivalent to 400 square meters or 0.10 acres.
- One wah is equivalent to 4 square meters or 0.001 acres2.
These are equivalent to hectares in for expats homebuyers. Or depending on the location you are from, it can means square meters which is regularly use to measure the size of a condo. If you are in Dubai, condos and even villas are measure in square foot.
What's Next
Land size is very important in legal documents for showing land ownership rights. Having accurate and complete knowledge of land measurement units will help you have a clearer understanding of all types of real estate and will be useful for construction, renovation, interior and exterior design, as well as for calculating buying and selling prices accurately. Even for real estate investments it is very important to understand the metrics and measurements use in Thailand real estate market.
If you want to buy or sell a property, you can search for properties of interest with us and calculate the area size to list for sale here. To calculate your real estate investments ROI with a better understanding of different property types and even different measurements type in Thailand. Click on the button below!
