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Hua Hin pool villa nominee raids net 13 foreigners

Thai police have arrested 13 foreign suspects during an operation targeting alleged nominee company arrangements linked to pool villas in Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan.

The operation, launched on 10 August, involved more than 200 officers and officials. Police issued arrest warrants for 45 foreign suspects, summonses for 39 Thais, and search warrants for 15 locations.

Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Samran Nuanma ordered the operation, known as "Dismantling Foreign Nominee Networks, Phase 6". It was led by Pol Lt Gen Noppasin Poolsawat and included Provincial Police Region 7, Prachuap Khiri Khan police, the provincial governor, the Department of Business Development and the Land Department.

Six firms under scrutiny at Hua Hin development

The searches centred on the A Hua Hin project in Thap Tai, Hua Hin, a modern detached-house and pool-villa development where homes are priced at about 10-20 million baht each.

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Police said their investigation found six companies allegedly using Thai nominee shareholders to acquire property in the development. Four companies were linked to A Hua Hin Phase 1 - identified as Inter, Blue, Cro and Humming - while two, L and Chris, were linked to Phase 2.

Foreigners questioned by investigators reportedly said they wanted to own property and had been advised by legal and accounting firms to establish Thai companies for that purpose. They told police they believed this meant their ownership was lawful.

Police said the companies had not conducted business. Thai nationals listed as shareholders allegedly said they were holding shares for foreigners, had never paid for the shares, managed no companies and had never seen financial documents or evidence of their shareholdings.

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Pictures courtesy of Thaitabloid

Documents seized as police widen inquiry

Officers seized company registration and accounting records, computers, mobile phones and electronic data. They will examine financial trails and seek to identify other people or networks involved, in Thailand and overseas.

Police said 13 people were arrested under the warrants. Their list of nationalities comprised three Britons, one Italian, four Chinese, one French national, one Dutch national, one Austrian, one Filipino and one American.

The operation forms part of a wider national crackdown on alleged foreign nominee networks in tourist areas. During the previous five phases, police said they examined 233 plots of land and buildings covering more than 160 rai, with an estimated value of 2.539 billion baht.

Police said those earlier operations covered six provinces, listing Surat Thani, Phang Nga, Phuket, Krabi and Chon Buri. Courts approved 133 arrest warrants and 20 cases have already resulted in convictions, according to police.

The Royal Thai Police said it will continue investigating nominee arrangements and foreign-funded businesses alleged to be operating illegally, including any state officials suspected of corruption or assisting offenders. Reports can be made to local police stations or the 1599 police hotline, available 24 hours a day.

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11 August 2026

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JerryM Gold Member

JerryM

Advanced Member

So what if the 51% nominee share owners don't want to now give up their shares after the farang sells his49%

51% shareholders do not automatically lose their shares when a 49% foreign stake is sold. Under corporate law, selling one shareholder's equity does not cancel or transfer another independent party’s shares unless they are the ones who sold their shares in the transaction.

Transfer requirements: For a 51% shareholder to lose or transfer their shares, they must willingly sign a share transfer instrument, sell them, or face a court-ordered forfeiture or corporate liquidation.

https://brerrabbitlegal.co.th/insights/thai-nominee-shareholder-risks-thailand/

ronnie50 Platinum Member

ronnie50

Advanced Member
4 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

His property is in his wife's name, so would be passed down to her kids

Not entirely sure of that. He'd still be in line for a share of the Estate. I seem to recall that if a foreigner inherts land/property of a Thai spouse he has one year to dispose of it. A bit like what's going on now..

KhunLA Star Member

KhunLA

Advanced Member
10 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

Not entirely sure of that. He'd still be in line for a share of the Estate. I seem to recall that if a foreigner inherts land/property of a Thai spouse he has one year to dispose of it. A bit like what's going on now..

Maybe for others, but there a will stipulating all goes to her.

ronnie50 Platinum Member

ronnie50

Advanced Member

I'm trying to imagine what these people who've been charged over illegal property sales and have one year to sell will do if no buyers by month 11. Will they strip the house of all assets? Demolish it out of spite?

KhunLA Star Member

KhunLA

Advanced Member
11 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

I'm trying to imagine what these people who've been charged over illegal property sales and have one year to sell will do if no buyers by month 11. Will they strip the house of all assets? Demolish it out of spite?

They better hurry, as AI suggest that my not be the case much longer ...

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Google this if wanting more details from AI ...

... " do those caught up in the illegal company to buy property in thailand have one your to liquidate holdings after conviction " ...

Cameroni Star Member

Cameroni

Advanced Member

Zero control. Under Thai law he can't own it. He would have to sign it over to her kids, and then hope they don't want to move into it or sell it, and allow him to remain living in it. 😂

That's not true of course, a farang who buys or builds a house for a Thai partner typically does not just pay for the house, he also is the financial foundation for the spouse, and indeed her mother, father, and possibly aunt or sister brother etc, ie he supports them financially or aids them financially in significant ways. This in and of itself gives some measure of soft power and control, because no partner would want to get rid of a farang partner who has such financial importance in her and her family's life.

If you help her financially and her family, and don't act like a wild buffalo, the odds of her wanting to throw you out or her family wanting to throw you out are very small. Even if you were caught with another woman, if you are financially important enough she might let it go. Happens a lot.

CallumWK Diamond Member

CallumWK

Advanced Member
1 hour ago, JerryM said:

Transfer requirements: For a 51% shareholder to lose or transfer their shares, they must willingly sign a share transfer instrument,

They sign that document at the time the company is registered/ How legal that is, that's another question

JerryM Gold Member

JerryM

Advanced Member
4 minutes ago, CallumWK said:

They sign that document at the time the company is registered/ How legal that is, that's another question

It seems that they do not have to give up their shares voluntarily but would require a court order.

CallumWK Diamond Member

CallumWK

Advanced Member
Just now, JerryM said:

It seems that they do not have to give up their shares voluntarily but would require a court order.

I think you misread my comment. At the time the company is registered, they sign a blank share transfer document together with a signed copy of their ID card

JerryM Gold Member

JerryM

Advanced Member
6 minutes ago, CallumWK said:

I think you misread my comment. At the time the company is registered, they sign a blank share transfer document together with a signed copy of their ID card

Yes I realize. But it still has to be enforced:

When a relationship with a nominee sours, the foreign investor has no legal remedy. Thai courts will not enforce nominee loan agreements or declarations of trust that contradict the Land Code. The foreigner cannot compel the return of their funds, cannot force a sale, and cannot register a claim against the title. In many cases the nominee shareholders simply sell the property to a third party or refuse to vacate, leaving the foreigner with a total loss. Even if the foreigner reports the arrangement to authorities in hopes of recovering some value, they admit to participating in an illegal structure and expose themselves to prosecution.

https://propertysights.com/blog/the-51-49-nominee-model-leaves-foreign-investors-as-the-real-victims

JensenZ Platinum Member

JensenZ

Advanced Member
On 8/11/2026 at 9:31 AM, CallumWK said:

It's not illegal to sell Buddha images to tourists, it is illegal to export them, and the shop seller can not know what you gonna do with your purchase.

In regard to the nominee companies, I'm sure those foreigners knew it was not legal, for sure I knew it wasn't shortly after I arrived here more than 30 years ago.

But they proceeded anyway, because they had the same attitude that has been posted on this forum for years, that they will never come after them.

Well those people seem very quiet for the last month or so.

I don't think there'd be too many people with the money to spend on expensive property who were unaware that the setup is dodgy.

JerryM Gold Member

JerryM

Advanced Member

A lot of this Why Now? when these nominee arrangements have gone on long term is that NOW they have the computer horsepower to link together all this disperse information that was, in large part, a manual procedure until recently.

CallumWK Diamond Member

CallumWK

Advanced Member
3 minutes ago, JerryM said:

A lot of this Why Now? when these nominee arrangements have gone on long term is that NOW they have the computer horsepower to link together all this disperse information that was, in large part, a manual procedure until recently.

  1. It's common knowledge that Anutin is anti foreigner, but this has actually been suggested every year for the last decade, only to die down quickly

  2. They need money because tourism is down and other factors.

  3. Yes, AI makes it an easy target.

Yagoda Star Member

Yagoda

Advanced Member

here is the bottom line boys and girls

over my 40 years in thailand, there are two certainties,

every year, the wink, nod and envelope works less and less; and

there is no rule of law in the american sense.

govern your investments and visas accordingly

Yellowtail Star Member

Yellowtail

Advanced Member
5 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

Zero control. Under Thai law he can't own it. He would have to sign it over to her kids, and then hope they don't want to move into it or sell it, and allow him to remain living in it. 😂

Dude, all that resentment is eating you alive.

KhunHeineken Diamond Member

KhunHeineken

Advanced Member
26 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

Dude, all that resentment is eating you alive.

No resentment. Happy renter here.

KhunHeineken Diamond Member

KhunHeineken

Advanced Member
1 hour ago, Yagoda said:

govern your investments and visas accordingly

A prudent person would have no investment in Thailand to govern. 😂

KhunHeineken Diamond Member

KhunHeineken

Advanced Member
2 hours ago, JerryM said:

A lot of this Why Now? when these nominee arrangements have gone on long term is that NOW they have the computer horsepower to link together all this disperse information that was, in large part, a manual procedure until recently.

Yes, and as another member pointed out, Thailand's economy is not doing so well. nor is its tourism industry, which accounts for around 20% GDP. Record household debt doesn't help either.

Stealing property off foreigners to auction off and raise some revenue should help the Thai economy. 🙂

I remember this case.

https://www.thephuketnews.com/bargains-offered-at-amlo-chinese-tour-company-seized-assets-sell-off-58961.php

KhunHeineken Diamond Member

KhunHeineken

Advanced Member
4 hours ago, ronnie50 said:

I'm trying to imagine what these people who've been charged over illegal property sales and have one year to sell will do if no buyers by month 11. Will they strip the house of all assets? Demolish it out of spite?

The property will be seized and auctioned off by authorities.

Sigmund Gold Member

Sigmund

Advanced Member

Simply put, they do not like foreigners here...only our money.

FritsSikkink Star Member

FritsSikkink

Advanced Member
14 hours ago, Brettoj said:

Agree but the sales pitch includes lawyers setting up the purchase to make it legal. Basically there is the Thai nominee and get covered by the lease agreement meaning it is technically mine and can’t get sold from underneath me for life. It’s the identical legal agreement when a bloke buys a property in his girlfriend’s name and gets an agreement drawn up to protect him from being kicked out. That’s what they’re selling and if that’s illegal, the lawyers need to be held to account. At the moment, who gets the ownership of the property? Probably the seller or should I say scammer!

Shareholders don't put in any money, don't get any compensation when the property is getting sold, don't have any voting rights.

It is a scam to fck the law and everybody knew it. Don't cry when you get caught.

Cameroni Star Member

Cameroni

Advanced Member
2 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

A prudent person would have no investment in Thailand to govern. 😂

Lol, yes, and also someone with ZERO profits in life, you do realize?

Celsius Diamond Member

Celsius

Members

It looks like Cameroni will be building a house in Fuket

FritsSikkink Star Member

FritsSikkink

Advanced Member
On 8/11/2026 at 8:51 AM, spidermike007 said:

A foreigner should be allowed to own one home and up to two rai of land. This would not have a negative effect on the market,

It would drive prices up for the locals. so for them it would be very negative.

JerryM Gold Member

JerryM

Advanced Member
6 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

A prudent person would have no investment in Thailand to govern. 😂

And as a corollary to that, our combined marital assets Sin Somros (สินสมรส) is zero.

ronnie50 Platinum Member

ronnie50

Advanced Member
9 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

The property will be seized and auctioned off by authorities.

I know. I mean as that date approaches, and if it hasn't sold, will the resident trash the place? Demolish it? Strip all the copper wiring out of it? By the way, when auctioned off by the authorities do they give any of the proceeds back to the 'illegal' owner?

Yellowtail Star Member

Yellowtail

Advanced Member
11 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

No resentment.

Sounds like it

11 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

Happy renter here.

Happy owner here

KhunHeineken Diamond Member

KhunHeineken

Advanced Member
10 hours ago, Cameroni said:

Lol, yes, and also someone with ZERO profits in life, you do realize?

I could have 10 times more wealth than I current have and still would not invest in Thailand. 😂

Cameroni Star Member

Cameroni

Advanced Member
3 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

I could have 10 times more wealth than I current have and still would not invest in Thailand. 😂

That's perfectly fine, I'm just saying if you want to make a profit you have to accept risk. Yes, you have to be prudent to some degree, but if you avoid all risk you cannot make a profit.

KhunHeineken Diamond Member

KhunHeineken

Advanced Member
5 hours ago, JerryM said:

And as a corollary to that, our combined marital assets Sin Somros (สินสมรส) is zero.

Foreigners should enjoy their retirement and twilight years of their life in Thailand. They can have a great time here seeing out their days.

It's when they start to see Thailand's smoke and mirrors, and get caught up in it, that's when they make a rod for their own back.

Their actions should reflect the reality here. You have no rights here, and the 1 year retirement visa / extension is nothing more than a 1 year tourist visa. Add to that, Thailand is an unstable country, with a slowing economy, which makes it no place for one to move their life savings to.

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