Buying property in Thailand

[AmazedByThailand]

I hate to digress from the topic of buying property but I like to point out to Rooster that it is next to impossible to get a citizenship in Thailand. There is a process, but there are also a million other unwritten rules; I'm a cynic & I think it boils down to which powerful politician you know, or how many zeros you have in the bank account.

Rooster, What are the annual statistics for just getting the Thai permanent residence - don't even start with citizenship.

[villager]

I hate to digress from the topic of buying property but I like to point out to Rooster that it is next to impossible to get a citizenship in Thailand. There is a process, but there are also a million other unwritten rules; I'm a cynic & I think it boils down to which powerful politician you know, or how many zeros you have in the bank account.

Rooster, What are the annual statistics for just getting the Thai permanent residence - don't even start with citizenship.

Hey "Amazed", its always been by contention that there is only a cigarette paper thickness between a cynic and a realist as far as Thailand is concerned,you are obviously the latter.

[Sean Moran]

Nothing to do with being frightened by the NYE bombings, was it?

Some people might call that the "scaredy-cats" club.

[Sean Moran]

Thank you once again for the obtuse answer. I believe that this might be a good time to talk about the jik-jok I saw on the rtoad when Mr Dtee was driving, and how that incident sealed the friendship that I already knew would be realist, although it was those thirty seconds that sealed it. I might start a new thread on it in June, because that might coincide more closely with its fourth anniversary, but you must remember this, Pappy (or whatewvcer your name is):

The jik-jok is never a scaredy cat.

[owenf6374]

in america the thai people can come and buy property. i was stationed in thailand for 5 years and there was no incentive for me to stay there even with my thai wife. since i could not buy any property for my family in my name. if i cannot buy property there should you be able to come to america and buy any property?

[Stense]

Why all this letters; from me to you, and again and again. Why not read the Land Law? 3000+ property for sale, only in Pattaya, why? Most of the purchase contract in name of a Bath 10.000 company, blue eyed foreigners in the hands of corrupt property and so name law company; "Now you can buy and you will be the owner of house and land!" Thousands in the trap, no time to consult the very simplest facts, the Thai Land Law! After a lot have been "owners" for more than 25 years, in five years time they can take what is on the top of the land, put it into containers and ship it to UK or the USA.If you are a so named buyer, read the documents very carefully, this as a lot of people who after 25 years have understood better, by so desperate to find stupid people who do not know the rules. If they use an agent, foreign or Thai, they will never tell the truth, as they have their commission. Everything in Thailand is "short time," and nothing will change, and with the royal / military Government we have today. You will have the same climate and cost of living in next door countries, and many of those having consulted the International Dr. in law have change their mind, and purchased land and constructed their home in a country like Malaysia. ( I am renting, and will never ever invest in property in Thailand.)

[Michael Bukit]

Can anyone confirm this is true? The Land Department director Anuwat Meteewiboonwut's comments - that a Thai's home can be confiscated if the funds used to buy that home came from a foreign spouse.

Please read below comments from Khun Supachok Chattanuchai which I’ve copied from Postbag.

Land policy ridiculous
If I correctly understood our Land Department director Anuwat Meteewiboonwut's comments - that a Thai's home can be confiscated if the funds used to buy that home came from a foreign spouse - then I'm absolutely gobsmacked.
To add insult to injury, the land tsar suggested that they could legally (for now) go cohabitate in a condo. Nice alternative. I have a wife and four children, so how or why in the world would I live in a condo with four rambunctious children? Luckily I don't have to.
If true, whether in practice or in principle, the policy is cruel and racist, and anyone pushing it should be branded with a swas-turkey on their forehead (no apologies for the strong language).
What is going on with our society? We ceaselessly assail foreigners from every angle for no reason and now we stoop even lower and attack their families.
I'm getting very frustrated at my fellow Thais, this is madness. Just stop it.
End the policy at once and fire the Supreme Neanderthal of the Land Department, permanently. Maybe his family house should be confiscated as well.
SUPACHOK CHATTANUCHAI

[Hejsan]

Truly, Thailand has many laws/regulations that discourage foreign investment. I myself recently left Thailand after a 4-year stay and never bought property in Thailand during that time due to regulatory uncertainties.

Since a foreign man married to a Thai woman has already relinquished his many of his rights in case of death/accident, it seems strange that the Thai government should thus deprive the Thai spouse of 'her' property. I suspect there is resentment of Thai women who marry relatively rich foreigners and benefit from it financially.

Unfortunately, Thailand is set up in a way that makes it very hard for anyone to advance by 'normal hard work'. Either you are born rich or you have to become (if you are a man) a corrupt official or criminal. For women, the choice is even narrower.

This law seems directed at keeping the lower classes in their place as much as keeping foreigners from owning Thai soil.

Furthermore, regarding Thai history as discussed earlier...
Many Thai citizens are not ethnic Thais. They are descendants the Mon, Khmer, Lao and even Karen peoples who lived on this land since before the Thais ever showed their faces here about 1000 years ago. Today's Thais seem to think that they are ethnic Thais and have been here for for much longer than they have (as evidenced by the Wat Phra Vihean dispute). To say that Malay or Khmer land was taken from Thailand is incredibly inaccurate.

The ethnically Malay southern provinces have never (until now) been culturally Thai. They used to be semi-independent sultanates between British Malaysia and Siam. Those two larger countries divied up the smaller sultanates.

As for the rprovinces that still speak Khmer (Surin, Buriram, and Sisakaet), they used to belong to Cambodia and their populations are largely ethnically Khmer not because of immigration but because of Thai expansion. Cambodia (or Angkor) incorporated much of modern day Thailand. The Thais came down from China 800-1000 years ago and declared their first state, Sukhothai, independent from Angkor 800 years ago. Since then, peaceful happy Thailand has expanded whilst its 'evil, warmongering neighbours' have lost land to the new kingdom.

The talk of ethnically Chinese Thai citizens being in cahoots and determined to keep their wealth is interesting. We all know that Thailand is incredibly racially aware, and such groupings may actually exist. Certainly this issue was also in focus during the PAD demonstrations and blockade of Suvarnabhumi as well.

I shall follow this forum with renewed interest after reading the many thought provoking posts here. As for the property issue, it has kept me from establishing a permanent residence in thailand, but I do find the Thai people charming in spite of the tendencies to discriminate against foreigners, rich and poor, western and eastern alike. We all know how Burmese and Cambodians are treated in Thailand. By comparison, we are rather lucky...

[icedmercury]

Did Not relise that you boys were only using this site for to get things off your chest first I thought you wanted to lear or progress in your knowledge of buying land, stay they way your are with your censiorship on this site I really dont care this will be my last post. Oviousally this is all onl;ly a few freinds having some fun I relally thought you wanted to know about own land in Thailand will continue to enjoy thailand and its beautifull and frendly and loving caring people happy posting icedcold

[leejoek]

My sisters live in a leased property in Ramkhamhaeng. Yes, lease can be transferred. In general, when the lease expires, you'll have to come up with the money for a new lease.

Indeed, foreigners can buy condominiums designated for foreigners.