The Conversion of Thailand's Land Measurements to Metric/Imperial

For anyone interested in property in Thailand, it always helps to know a little bit about land measurements in The Kingdom.

Not What You Are Used To

Thai land measurements are very different to what you will be used to in Australia, North America or Europe. People often find it difficult to conceptualize the size of land, resorting to sport playing surface comparisons for a better picture. Thailand succeeds in further confusing newly-arrived westerners because they have units of measurement which are unique to the Kingdom.

Remember the Rai

Most land size is stated in “Rai”, with 1 Rai equaling 1,600 square meters. In acreage, one Rai is approximately 0.4 acres, or 0.16 hectares. (If you prefer the sporting comparison, a little smaller than one quarter of a football pitch.)

A quarter of a Rai is common plot size for properties, so based on the above this obviously 400 square metres. The closest sporting comparison would be slightly smaller than a professional basketball court.

You may also hear the terms Wah and Talang Wah. One Wah equals 2 meters, so 1 Talang Wah (Talang being “squared”) equals 4 square meters. (400 Talang Wah is therefore 1,600 square meters, or 1 Rai.)