Thai Land Unit Converter: Rai, Ngan and Square Wah
1 rai equals 1,600 square metres, 4 ngan or 400 square wah. One ngan is 400 m² and one square wah is 4 m². An acre is about 2.53 rai. Use the converter below for title deed areas and price per square wah.
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How Thai land units work
Thai land is measured in rai, ngan and square wah. Each step is a round multiple: 100 square wah make a ngan, and 4 ngan make a rai.
| Unit | Thai | Square metres | Square wah | Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square wah | ตารางวา | 4 | 1 | About 43 sq ft |
| Ngan | งาน | 400 | 100 | ¼ rai |
| Rai | ไร่ | 1,600 | 400 | 4 ngan, about 0.395 acres |
| Acre | เอเคอร์ | 4,046.86 | 1,011.71 | About 2.53 rai |
| Hectare | เฮกตาร์ | 10,000 | 2,500 | 6.25 rai |
Reading the area on a title deed
A chanote shows land area as three numbers in the order rai, ngan, square wah. A deed reading 1-2-50 means 1 rai, 2 ngan and 50 square wah: 650 square wah, or 2,600 m².
You'll see the same shorthand in land listings and in conversation with sellers. If a number is missing, it's zero: 0-3-20 is 3 ngan and 20 square wah, or 320 square wah. Enter the three numbers into the top row of the converter and it will show the total in every other unit.
Compare land on price per square wah, because that's how sellers and the Land Office think about value here. Always take the area from the chanote itself rather than the advert, and on older plots ask whether the boundary has been re-surveyed recently. A small difference on paper can be a meaningful one on price.
Questions about Thai land units
How many square metres are in a rai?
One rai is exactly 1,600 square metres. That's 40 by 40 metres, or about 0.395 acres.
How many rai are in an acre?
One acre is about 2.53 rai, since an acre is 4,046.86 square metres and a rai is 1,600. One hectare is exactly 6.25 rai.
What does 1-2-50 mean on a Thai title deed?
It's the area in rai, ngan and square wah: 1 rai, 2 ngan and 50 square wah. That totals 650 square wah, or 2,600 square metres.
Why is Thai land priced per square wah?
Square wah is the working unit for land value in Thailand. Asking prices, Land Office appraisal values and neighbourhood comparisons are usually quoted per square wah, so it's the fairest way to compare plots of different sizes.
Can foreigners buy land in Thailand?
Foreigners can't own land in their own name. They can own a house or villa built on the land and hold a long-term registered lease on the land itself, while condominiums can be bought freehold under the foreign quota.
Looking at a plot?
Send me the listing or a photo of the chanote and I'll check the area, the price per square wah against nearby land, and how you could hold it as a foreign buyer.
Message me on WhatsApp or LINE (chiangmai-properties), or browse land for sale in Chiang Mai.