Thailand Targets 14 Billion Baht in Illegal Land Holdings
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ordered a crackdown on foreigners using local proxies to evade land ownership bans, targeting properties valued at 14 billion baht.
Anutin Charnvirakul, the Prime Minister of Thailand, ordered government officials to accelerate investigations into foreigners who evade land ownership bans through the use of local proxies. The crackdown targets approximately 875 hectares of land with an estimated value of 14 billion baht, or 417 million US dollars. The Prime Minister set a December deadline for officials to prioritize high-risk cases and enforce laws requiring the sale of illegally held property.
To prevent future nominee arrangements, the Department of Lands is implementing stricter background checks for specific transactions. New scrutiny applies to individuals purchasing land over 2 million baht or property valued above 5 million baht. The agency will also examine the shareholders and funding sources of companies purchasing property.
Additional restrictions now target Thai nationals married to foreigners. These individuals must provide proof that the funds used for property purchases belong exclusively to the Thai spouse. Somchai Leelanoy, the director-general of the Department of Lands, detailed these financial thresholds and the scale of the targeted land holdings as part of the broader enforcement effort.
