{"ai_json_enabled":true,"answer":"Before paying, identify the legal seller, property, title, proposed ownership structure, deposit conditions and refund triggers. The reservation document should state whether the payment is refundable if title, quota, permits, finance, contract or independent due diligence is unsatisfactory. Confirm where the money is held and who may release it. A deadline created by a salesperson should not remove the buyer\u2019s right to inspect documents.\n\nKeep due diligence independent from the sales team and make completion conditional on satisfactory evidence. Store title, searches, translations, permits, plans, inspection reports, payment receipts and written advice in one transaction file. Missing evidence should be resolved before, not after, transfer.\n\nThis is general guide information only; obtain current independent Thai legal, tax, financial or technical advice for the specific transaction.","answer_source":"curated_editorial_research_and_khao_lak_pattern_adaptation","category":"Due Diligence & Contracts","category_slug":"due-diligence","confidence":"curated_general_guide_requires_property_specific_confirmation","created_at":"2026-07-18T08:00:00+00:00","daily_publish_cap":3,"date_published":"2025-10-23","display_date":"2025-10-23","drip_batch":"phuket-initial-seed-v1","drip_status":"published_seed","freshness_warning":"Property prices, availability, construction progress, rental rules, development policies and legal requirements can change. Confirm current details with the developer, seller, property manager, qualified Thai lawyer or appropriate professional.","id":"phpg-qa-042-201809c0","image_ids":["phpg_img_949eca25_015","phpg_img_949eca25_007"],"image_mapping_keywords":["reservation deposit","refund conditions","seller","Due Diligence & Contracts","due-diligence","Phuket property"],"image_url":"https://images.owntheconversation.com/story-factory/generated-stills/phuket-property-guide/949eca25/scene_015_FOR_PHUKET_PROPERTY_DEPOSITS_create_a.jpg","is_sponsored":false,"json_url":"/answer/what-should-be-checked-before-paying-a-reservation-deposit.json","language":"en","last_updated":"2026-07-18T08:00:00+00:00","public_disclaimer":"This is general property guide information only, not legal, tax, financial or investment advice. Confirm the current position before signing documents or transferring funds.","publish_status":"published","published_at":"2025-10-23T06:00:00+00:00","question":"What should be checked before paying a reservation deposit?","question_intent":"due_diligence","rss_enabled":true,"rss_pub_date":"Thu, 23 Oct 2025 06:00:00 GMT","schema_enabled":true,"site_key":"phuket-property-guide","slug":"what-should-be-checked-before-paying-a-reservation-deposit","source":"phuket_property_guide_initial_seed_v1","source_record_ids":[],"source_type":"editorial_property_guide","source_urls":[],"status":"published","summary":"Before paying, identify the legal seller, property, title, proposed ownership structure, deposit conditions and refund triggers. The reservation document should state whether the payment is refundable if title, quota, permits, finance, contract or independent due diligence is unsatisfactory.","tags":["reservation deposit","refund conditions","seller","Due Diligence & Contracts","due-diligence","Phuket property"],"updated_at":"2026-07-19T00:40:38Z"}