Blue book/Yellow book

[Rusty1953]

I am hoping I can get some clarification on house books and house ownership. Here is my situation. We have been married for 8 years. Married in Canada. I recently retired and we are in our first year of our new life which is splitting our time between Canada and Thailand. In Thailand over the winter for obvious reasons. Let me clarify that I am not asking for advice on how to protect myself from my wife and her children. We have a very good marriage and I have no concerns in this area. Last year we bought a small home together. This was a brand new home so we bought the land and home as one. We share it with my wife's son and his wife. Life together as a family is great, no problems there. When we bought the house we both paid for it 50/50. When we were at the land office the woman asked me if I paid money for the property and I said I did. We then signed a paper that said that we paid for the house and land together and they attached this to their papers in the land office. She explained to me that this was to show that we both paid for the house and land and she needed it because my name cannot be on a chanote. I have always know that I cannot own land in Thailand. After that we went to the mueang office to create the blue book as we were the first owners on this home. At the time my wife said she wanted to put me on the blue book. We got the expected answer; you cannot. My wife; as I have shown her to do, said why not as opposed to ok. They explained to her that in order to do this we had to get my passport and marriage certificate in both Thai and original form along with a certificate of residence and long-term visa from immigration. These things along with a witness and the president of the village would then get me on the blue book. None of this was done last year as I was here on only a tourist visa. This year we are going through the process of getting all of our papers in order as I am now on a long-term visa.

 

Here is where my confusion comes in. I have been told by many farang that I cannot get on the blue book and that I need to get a yellow book. I have yet to actually see any blue book with a farang name in it but have heard that it is possible and it seems as though what we were told last year confirms this. I also realize that you do not always get the same answer to a question from Thais every time you ask. I would not be surprised that when I go back to the same office and ask the same questions I will get a different answer. I now know what I need to do to get a house book yellow or blue but what to know what is possible and if there are differences with respect to what I have. Also I have read that my farang on this sight have said that even though you cannot own the land you can own the house. How is this done. What kind of paper is this?

Summary

Can I get listed on a blue book?

Or is a yellow book my only option?

Is there a difference other than the obvious which is color?

How do I separate the house from the land?

How do I get the house in my name?

 

I apologize for the long text. I await whatever clarification I can get. Thank you

[transam]

The blue book is for Thais living at the address, a yellow book is for farang(s) living at the address..

Why do you want the house in your name if you cannot get the land in your name..?

[jackdd]

You can be the "housemaster", which means your name is in the blue book. But you can't be listed as "resident" in a blue book.

Because Thais often have no idea what they are doing, some places might accept this as proof of address.

You can only be listed as resident in a yellow book, and this is what can officially be used to proof your address.

 

The house book does not show ownership. If the house and land have been combined afaik they can't be seperated anymore, so there is no way for you to have any kind of proof that you own anything, besides of the trace of money.

[fourpack]

You as a foreigner can not be in the blue book Thai nationals only not even as the a above posters says housemaster (bad info).

You will need a yellow book. Your amphur will give you details of what you need to get it as all are diffrent

[gamini]

56 minutes ago, fourpack said:

You as a foreigner can not be in the blue book Thai nationals only not even as the a above posters says housemaster (bad info).

You will need a yellow book. Your amphur will give you details of what you need to get it as all are diffrent

 wrong! PR get a blue book. 

[transam]

22 minutes ago, gamini said:

 wrong! PR get a blue book. 

Explain...?

[ubonjoe]

13 minutes ago, transam said:

Explain...?

Those that have permanent residency can be registered in a blue house book.

[transam]

Just now, ubonjoe said:

Those that have permanent residency and be registered in a blue house book.

Yeh, just read that, and if I got it right, if a farang builds/owns a house but not the land it stands on, a "blank" blue book can be issued for the use of future Thai residence...?

[abrahamzvi]

3 hours ago, transam said:

The blue book is for Thais living at the address, a yellow book is for farang(s) living at the address..

Why do you want the house in your name if you cannot get the land in your name..?

Only a slight correction. An expatriate with a Residence Permit can be registered in a Blue Book.

[toolpush]

24 minutes ago, transam said:

Yeh, just read that, and if I got it right, if a farang builds/owns a house but not the land it stands on, a "blank" blue book can be issued for the use of future Thai residence...?

Yes, I have one of those for my house.

[LukKrueng]

2 hours ago, gamini said:

 wrong! PR get a blue book. 

PR don't get a blue book. The blue book "belongs" to the house/ condo. PR get registered in a blue book

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

Those that have permanent residency can be registered in a blue house book.

 

1 hour ago, abrahamzvi said:

Only a slight correction. An expatriate with a Residence Permit can be registered in a Blue Book.

PR must be registered in a blue book, just like any Thai person. It's not an option

[Burma Man]

Just simply say Goodbye to your investment in that house and land. I bought a brand new 2-Storey house on beautiful a garden of 400 sq meter in Bangkok 5 years ago. . All on my Thai wife name. I don't own nothing.If she kicks me out , that's the end for me.  So far I am still there with my wife of 35 years of marriage. You buy condo , you can own it. You buy house with land , you own nothing. Forget blue or yellow or green or purple books . This is Thailand.

[transam]

9 minutes ago, Burma Man said:

Just simply say Goodbye to your investment in that house and land. I bought a brand new 2-Storey house on beautiful a garden of 400 sq meter in Bangkok 5 years ago. . All on my Thai wife name. I don't own nothing.If she kicks me out , that's the end for me.  So far I am still there with my wife of 35 years of marriage. You buy condo , you can own it. You buy house with land , you own nothing. Forget blue or yellow or green or purple books . This is Thailand.

Blue and yellow books have a purpose, they show the authorities where individual folk live.

If you divorce your wife it should be a 50/50 split if bought during marriage, book or no book.

Edited February 15, 2020 by transam

[Max69xl]

6 hours ago, gamini said:

 wrong! PR get a blue book. 

Correct,but the OP isn't a PR. He can't be in a blue house book. 

[Maestro]

Removed a troll post.

[khunPer]

9 hours ago, Rusty1953 said:

Can I get listed on a blue book?

Or is a yellow book my only option?

Is there a difference other than the obvious which is color?

How do I separate the house from the land?

How do I get the house in my name?

1. The only way a foreigner can get his name in a Blue House Book is by obtaining permanent residency. You can however be registered as House Master at the Tessa Ban office, and be the one to decide whom can be listed in the Blue House Book; I'm registered as that, as I'm a house owner. It can be a quite different procure from province to province to obtain a Yellow House Book, from very easy and simple, to as in my case almost as complicated as applying for permanent residency, but without language test and singing national hymn.

 

2. Yes, Yellow Book is your only option, it's the House Book for aliens????. The House Book is just a proof of address, and a Thai ID-number. It'ss practical in many cases, as you don't need letters with proof of address from Immigration or your embassy. You can also apply for a pink Thai-ID for foreigners, when listed in the Yellow House Book, which ID-card can be practical in many situations.

 

3: Color of House Book, see above.

 

4. To my knowledge the house and land shall be separated upon first registration, cannot be done later. If it's a house bought from a development, it might have been separated, or can be upon registration of deed (transfer of deed). If it's separated you can have the house registered in your name. I'm not sure if it can be done later, I've always heard that it need to be done from scratch, but eventually check with a layer or solicitor with experience in property.

 

5. Normally you need to build a new house – or buy from a separated house from a developer (see above) – where you have a permission from the land owner to build a construction on the land, which for example can be a superficies agreement/servitude, to be the owner of a house. Then you need architect drawings in your name, and building permission in your name (or issued separated from land ownership for transfer to your name). If you build the house, then any construction contracts, issued bill, and payment transfers shall also be in your name only. I had a new house build, and I'm a house owner.

 

Another possibility to consider is Right of Habitation.

Quote

The grantee of the right of habitation does not pay rent to the grantor. If there is rental payment made, the matter becomes a tenancy. A right of habitation may be created for either a specific period of time or for the lifetime of the grantee. In case the rights are granted for a specific time period, the law states that such a period may not exceed 30 years; if a longer period is fixed, it shall be enforceable for only 30 years. The grant may be renewed for a period not exceeding 30 years from the time of renewal. Lastly, the right of habitation is not transferable by way of inheritance.

????

[jimn]

Looks like you have been given good advice already. Just to give my input however. Why do you want to be added to the blue/yellow book. They serve no purpose for a farang. The land office has added a note to the property deeds so you are covered there, in event of a marriage problem. This is not the western world. Forget about it and enjoy your split life between Canada and Thailand. I do the same but the UK is my home.

[transam]

30 minutes ago, jimn said:

Looks like you have been given good advice already. Just to give my input however. Why do you want to be added to the blue/yellow book. They serve no purpose for a farang. The land office has added a note to the property deeds so you are covered there, in event of a marriage problem. This is not the western world. Forget about it and enjoy your split life between Canada and Thailand. I do the same but the UK is my home.

Actually a yellow book is a good thing to have, no more residence letters to mess about with..The way things are going it may become mandatory...