The building (the bricks and mortar) can be owned by a non-Thai national outright in their name in what is called the house registry which secures ownership indefinitely of the structure. 

In Thailand, non-Thai nationals cannot own land outright in their name. Land can be controlled through either a Thai Company or a long-term registered lease. The longest registered lease term by Thai law is 30 years, and most developers will offer 3 terms for a total of 90 years.

After you have found the right property at you have to follow these steps:

• - Agreement of terms and conditions
• - Reservation Agreement
• - Reservation Deposit
• - Sales and Purchase Agreement
• - Settlement & Transfer

A 30-year lease period is legally protected under Thai law and ownership cannot be disrupted. It is common for developers to offer an additional two terms of 30 contractually obligating a total of 90 years. 

Prior to purchasing a leasehold property, it is important to secure a copy of the lease agreement or get further clarity on these three points.

• - Who is the lessor? (an individual or a Thai Company) Securing a lease from a Thai Company offers much more security than a private individual.
  
  
• - Do I have voting rights as a Lessee? (Some lease contracts do not allow lessee to have voting rights)
  
  
• - Is there a succession clause in the lease agreement that will allow inheritance of the lease?
  
  

Thailand has different visas like Spousal Visa, Retirement Visa, Student Visa and Elite Visa - just to name a few options. Each visa has different requirements but they are usually easy to obtain.