Rai, Ngan and Square Wah: Thai Land Sizes in Square Metres

Thai land is measured in rai, ngan and square wah, not in square metres. If you are comparing house plots or land in Pattaya, you need to convert them quickly and correctly. Here is the short answer, a conversion table, and how to use it when you read a listing or a title deed.

The three units

• Rai is the largest unit. One rai is 1,600 m², a plot of 40 × 40 metres. Farmland and large estates are sold by the rai.
• Ngan is a quarter of a rai: 400 m², or 20 × 20 metres.
• Square wah (in Thai tarang wah) is the small unit used for house plots: 4 m², or 2 × 2 metres. Listings often shorten it to "wah", but a wah on its own is a length of 2 metres. The area unit is always the square wah.

Conversion table

Going the other way: 1 hectare = 6.25 rai, and 1 acre ≈ 2.53 rai. To turn square metres into square wah, divide by 4. To turn square wah into square metres, multiply by 4.

How to read "2-1-50" on a listing or title deed

Thai land sizes are written in a fixed order: rai – ngan – square wah. So "2-1-50" means 2 rai, 1 ngan and 50 square wah. The title deed (chanote) states the plot size in the same way, so you will see this format again at the Land Office.

A quick check: add up the square wah first (2 rai = 800, 1 ngan = 100, plus 50 = 950 square wah), then multiply by 4. Both routes must give the same number.

How big is a typical Pattaya house plot?

Most homes in Pattaya sit on a fraction of a rai. Across the 276 houses for sale on our website that state a land size (9 November 2026), the median plot was about 93 square wah (371 m²), and the middle half ranged from about 67 to 124 square wah. A full rai is rare for a single family house inside the city and usually means an estate or a plot for development.

That is why house listings are usually quoted in square wah. A villa "on 100 square wah" has 400 m² of land, which is the whole plot including the footprint of the house, the pool and the garden.

Price per square wah and per square metre

Land is often priced per square wah. Divide that price by 4 to get the price per square metre, which makes it easier to compare with prices you know from home.

• Price per square wah ÷ 4 = price per m²
• Price per m² × 4 = price per square wah
• Price per square wah × 400 = price per rai

Example (arithmetic only): a plot offered at ฿50,000 per square wah costs ฿12,500 per m², or ฿20 million per rai. The real price per square wah depends on location, road access, title type and zoning, so compare plots in the same area.

Three checks before you rely on the number

• Compare the listing with the title deed. The size on the chanote is the legal plot size. If the advert says 100 square wah and the deed says 1-0-0 (one ngan, also 100 square wah), they match; if not, ask why.
• Check what the size covers. Land size and built-up area are different numbers. A house with 250 m² of living space can stand on 80 square wah (320 m²) of land.
• Ask about ownership. Foreigners cannot hold land in their own name. Read how a house is usually held in our guide to buying property in Pattaya as a foreigner.

Find land and houses in Pattaya

Browse houses for sale in Pattaya or land for sale. If you want a plot size checked against its title deed before a viewing, our team will do it with you.