Land Dept Claims 90% Of Prime Phuket Land Controlled By Foreigners

[Lite Beer]

Land Dept. claims 90% of prime Phuket land controlled by foreigners

Aerial shot of Patong beach, Phuket.

Photo: Nicky Vermeulen

Foreigners found guilty will have their land seized before being deported

PHUKET: -- Phuket leads all of Thailand in the amount of land held by foreigners, with up to 90 per cent of prime beachfront land being illegally held through Thai nominees, claims one of the country’s top land officials.

Speaking at a recent seminar on legal issues relating to land ownership, Land Inspector Sriracha Charoenpanit said Thailand’s positive characteristics, friendly people and hospitality made it an attractive place for foreigners to want to live, work and acquire land.

The cumulative effect of this had been a growing problem of land ownership though Thai “nominees”, he was quoted as saying in a Thai-language report on the state-run MCOT website.

Thailand was one of many countries experiencing this problem, he said.

“Thailand must rectify these problems by tightening up existing laws and adding stricter conditions regarding land ownership by foreigners. This must include penalizing violators, including the nominees,” he said.

In response to the problem, new legislation is currently being drafted and expected to be made law in August. The new legislation will make it easier to prosecute violators, the head of the Land Department said.

Mr Sriracha explained that the law being drafted will be similar in principle to the anti-money laundering laws.

The law would also expand legal measures, better define what constitutes a violation, specify penalties and make it easier to prosecute violators, he said.

Penalties for Thai nominees could as much as double existing punishments, while foreigners found guilty will have their land seized before being deported, he said.

Mr Sriracha said foreigners had already acquired about one-third of all Thai land, about one billion rai.

The land grab was most prominent in resort destinations such as Phuket, Koh Samui and Koh Chang, where foreigners currently hold land to run resorts or have second homes, he said in his speech.

Failure to stop the problem would put Thais at a competitive disadvantage, restricting their access to land and putting the national food supply in jeopardy, he said.

The bill should be ready in August. If passed into law, inspections would follow, he said.

After the speech Mr Sriracha confirmed in an interview that initial surveys by land inspectors found Phuket had more land controlled by foreigners than any other province, with the figure reaching to 90 per cent in beachfront areas.

Similar situations existed in Pattaya, Cha-am, Hua Hin and parts of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, he said.

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-07-02

[dave111223]

Mr Sriracha said foreigners had already acquired about one-third of all Thai land, about one billion rai.

Are you serious?

[warfie]

"putting the national food supply in jeopardy"?

[Forethat]

The cumulative effect of this had been a growing problem of land ownership though Thai “nominees”, he was quoted as saying in a Thai-language report on the state-run MCOT website.

Thailand was one of many countries experiencing this problem, he said.

Are other countries suffering from this?

[Deeral]

so the 40 people who own 12% of Thailand's wealth want a bit more?

i seem to remember something like this emerging from Phuket before - methinks some official has got a bit of a complex? (forgive the pun)

[losworld]

so the 40 people who own 12% of Thailand's wealth want a bit more?

i seem to remember something like this emerging from Phuket before - methinks some official has got a bit of a complex? (forgive the pun)

Yes sounds like a bit of nationalistic chest pumping so the Chinese autocracy can make a land grab and blame it on farang... what else is new?

[freddy]

This is going to do wonders for the real estate market here, just at a time when they need all the help they can get.

[DieterWiehe]

There will be a big hole if this foreigners go back and taker there land together.

[animatic]

Running them off conveniently makes the land free to be bought up cheap by locals powers, now that the nasty farangs have paid to develop and build in it. Some things never change.

[mcyachty]

No worries in Australia,

We have already sold off the land to foreigners such as the Hong Kong Chinese.

And all quite legally!

[indothai]

Old news. I think someone didn't get their fair share and decided to "rattle" things up a bit.

But i'm pretty sure the officials will go after the little fish first, retirees and so forth,... you know... to show that they are "hard" at work at finding the "bad" guys.

Don't you just love greed!

[Orac]

Be interested to know the details about this legislation and who is putting it through - surely it being passed will be dependant on the government at the time and with an election tomorrow there seems to be some doubt who this will be.

[londonthai]

the day before the general election blame it all not on the local ruling class, but on those pesky foreigners - so confused voters would cast their vote on the status quo and "social order" parties.

nationalistic frenzy is the best way to divert an attention from the real (and not an imaginary) social issues, like poverty and lack of justice.

kun sriracha is a good lapdog of the army, that's why he was appointed a member of Constitution Drafting Committee back in 2007, why he got a cushy job in the one of the most corrupted governmental departments and why he has spoken now about the foreigners

Edited July 2, 2011 by londonthai

[Murf]

More legislation...

Just what's needed.

Bad Bad foreigners, investing all that money and making the economy grow... Very bad for Thailand. They should feel the full force of the law for their crimes.

Edited July 2, 2011 by Murf

[renaissanc]

I wonder how this will affect married couples. The authorities know that when a foreigner marries a poor Thai woman, and they buy a house together, which is put in her name, that the money came from the foreigner. I suppose we all have to find ways to make it look like the money came from her. The silly consequence is that if the land is confiscated, the Thai wife will lose both her home and husband. Then the rich can buy the land at a bargain basement price. Have the officials been on a study trip to Zimbabwe, by any chance?

[jc14all]

“Thailand must rectify these problems by tightening up existing laws and adding stricter conditions regarding land ownership by foreigners. This must include penalizing violators, including the nominees,” he said.

...bring out the smelling-salt! Everyone knows that land cannot be in a Farang's name. The nominee is the legal land owner so what is the violation. Poorly written laws??? Deported...REALLY.

Edited July 2, 2011 by jc14all

[bobmac10]

There is no way I will ever put money into Thai assets, because I think it's inevitable that a government will find an excuse one day to seize it in the name of nationalism.

Dodgy people, dodgy institutions, dodgy laws, dodgy governments and politicians = foreigner beware.

[drdoom6996]

so the 40 people who own 12% of Thailand's wealth want a bit more?

i seem to remember something like this emerging from Phuket before - methinks some official has got a bit of a complex? (forgive the pun)

I never saw 40 or 12% in the article. Are we reading the same article?

[phuketlen]

Oh god, what idiots.

Let's see, first off, the most powerful country in world will let anyone buy land in their country...have forever...and still the most powerful country in the world...

Next, this:

Mr Sriracha said foreigners had already acquired about one-third of all Thai land, about one billion rai.

Okay, let's set aside the fact that he sites no authority/evidence for such a ridiculous assertion. Then lets consider WHO actually OWNS Thailand...the 10% of wealthy Thais...the top 1% mostly, owning 90% of ALL Thailand.

These monkeys believe you will think like that if they tell you something you will believe because they are "officials"...like, unfortunately, most Thais do

[drdoom6996]

so the 40 people who own 12% of Thailand's wealth want a bit more?

i seem to remember something like this emerging from Phuket before - methinks some official has got a bit of a complex? (forgive the pun)

Headline "Land Dept. claims 90% of prime Phuket land controlled by foreigners" They ARE talking about Phuket

[FOODLOVER]

Keeps getting better

[terryp]

LOL....anyone who invests 1 cent in the idiotic Country is a complete numbskull..from the stockmarket down to the dirt you will be screwed 1 way or another

[makescents]

So the business loophole is going to be closed?

[KoratFarang]

I was about to outsource task from my danish company to a thai company..................... but hell no, why do i want to support a country like this. Time to go to cambodia and vietnam to find partners. No tax or salary to thais

[HowardH]

I don't mind it so much if they aim this at the big greedy mongrels and take their hotels off them, as long as they divide the land in such a way that it helps Thailand's underpaid and over-worked people<br>But i have a feeling they will just give it to the same rich souless types that have a Thai heritage instead if western.<br>It does sound like a land grab.<br>But on the other side of the coin, as someone said earlier, we in Australia have also lost a lot of our prime land to foreigners, not only Asian but English, and other European national companies.<br>And because of this many of our children will never be able to own their own homes because the developers have driven up the prices of properties.<br>If the world wants to do something positive then stop the wrong type of people buying and developing land, and don't worry about what country the owners come from.<br>

[lucjoker]

the day before the general election blame it all not on the local ruling class, but on those pesky foreigners - so confused voters would cast their vote on the status quo and "social order" parties.

nationalistic frenzy is the best way to divert an attention from the real (and not an imaginary) social issues, like poverty and lack of justice.

kun sriracha is a good lapdog of the army, that's why he was appointed a member of Constitution Drafting Committee back in 2007, why he got a cushy job in the one of the most corrupted governmental departments and why he has spoken now about the foreigners

What if it isn't big talk, but reallity?

All those companies with so called partners ?

I think only the poorest under the farangs gave it to their lady (so they have notting to begin with),

de rest is stuck with his company and ........is going to loose it and deported .

Airplanes will be full !

Economy in the costal sides will schrink to ........lets say 1%? Or are the cheap charlies worth more ?

The rest will be deported..........

Ones they have their land back .....the land is worth notting ,becouse the people with money are not longer here !

Back to stone age .......thats what the mighty people really want.......much easier to control the poor masses !

[TechnikaIII]

No worries in Australia,

We have already sold off the land to foreigners such as the Hong Kong Chinese.

And all quite legally!

Yes, as well as some of Australia's landmark infrastructure, such as the Indian Pacific Railway, the Ghan, the whole shebang, .. to a British company.

Go to Hell John Howard.

[unanimosity]

"putting the national food supply in jeopardy"?

Sure, haven't you seen the rice growing on Phuket beaches?

[kimamey]

Is this anything like using a nominee to run a political party for you if the law prevents you doing it yourself.<br><br>There may be a problem in the popular farang areas. On the other hand the law is rather unfair on farang who wish to buy land for a house and maybe a rice field to live with their Thai spouse / partner and family and contribute the local community away from the tourist areas.<br><br>When they complain about foreigners owning land do they just mean western foreigners or those from other Asian countries as well?<br><br><i><b>Thailand's positive characteristics, friendly people and hospitality  made it an attractive place for foreigners to want to live, work and  acquire land.</b></i> Maybe so but you'd never know it from all the negative stories on TV about Phuket and Pattaya.<br>

Edited July 2, 2011 by kimamey

[Jockey]

“Thailand must rectify these problems by tightening up existing laws and adding stricter conditions regarding land ownership by foreigners. This must include penalizing violators, including the nominees,” he said.

...bring out the smelling-salt! Everyone knows that land cannot be in a Farang's name. The nominee is the legal land owner so what is the violation. Poorly written laws??? Deported...REALLY.

It is explained here: http://www.samuiforsale.com/knowledge/thai-nominee-property-ownership.html