Krabi Police Arrest 39 in Land Nominee Crackdown

arrest the land officials that allowed this

pretty sure their pockets are unusually full

that should not be hard to check right, if somchai with 15k salary drives a mercedes and lives in a mansion

I am sure all these foreigners were advised by their Thai lawyers and accountants that this is normal practice and everybody is doing it. From the number of arrests reported in this article "the everybody is doing it" appears to be accurate. False sense of security in the safety of numbers. The fact that they had to set up a Thai nominee company to conceal their identities, they knew that they were circumventing some Thai law in one way or another. When I purchasd a condo, the condo was in my name and the 49% foreign ownershsip verified by the condo management and was submitted to the land office. Everything on board and legal, no hanky panky (smile).

SIX Israelis? Guess it wasn't the promised land, eh?

The Lawyer's Council of Thailand should speak on the subject. It's is against the law, the lawyers should be prosecuted and have their licenses suspended or revoked.

No nominee companies were registered by foreigners without the advice of the lawyers. I wouldn't be surprised if the Thai nominees were employees of these law firms.

16 minutes ago, Zimar said:

SIX Israelis? Guess it wasn't the promised land, eh?

Don't be too sure.

Those six were more than likely the thin edge of the wedge.

The lawyers or accountants who started the company should be the first ones to be prosecuted, fined and barred for doing illegal business. Without them most of this wouldn’t be happening.

1 hour ago, thairookie said:

I wouldn't be surprised if the Thai nominees were employees of these law firms.

Usually some upcountry farmers who sold their ID cards for 1000 baht.

A lot of Thai people working in the groups that make these arrests and land/property seizures are going to be very well off if the seized land etc is sold on or given to thais as reward for their work.

15 minutes ago, ronster said:

A lot of Thai people working in the groups that make these arrests and land/property seizures are going to be very well off if the seized land etc is sold on or given to thais as reward for their work.

That does sounds like a pretty sweet deal 😜

Years ago they should have allowed all Farang to buy 1 Rai of land,

3 hours ago, thairookie said:

The Lawyer's Council of Thailand should speak on the subject. It's is against the law, the lawyers should be prosecuted and have their licenses suspended or revoked.

No nominee companies were registered by foreigners without the advice of the lawyers. I wouldn't be surprised if the Thai nominees were employees of these law firms.

I suspect that after the easy targets have been prosecuted- namely the nominees thereafter the professionals responsible for the nominee sham will face the music

40 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Years ago they should have allowed all Farang to buy 1 Rai of land,

Why? I don't understand this obsession, especially among older guys, of owning dirt in a country where they have no right for permanent residence or citizenship. That all these people are going to such lengths to take illegal possession of property, while raising the property prices for everyone around them, shows that their intent is nefarious and they should be punished with confiscation and deportation.

14 minutes ago, John Drake said:

Why? I don't understand this obsession, especially among older guys, of owning dirt in a country where they have no right for permanent residence or citizenship. That all these people are going to such lengths to take illegal possession of property, while raising the property prices for everyone around them, shows that their intent is nefarious and they should be punished with confiscation and deportation.

I agree, I warned a friend a few years back after he told me he was buying a house on Koh Samui. He told me not to worry he had good Thai friends and it was all clear for him. This guy had 2 businesses in France which I noticed had been closed up but not sold. Which surprised me because they were in a very good commercial area.Last news was last year, everything fine enjoying the life. He could have easily rented a nice place with pool but decided to listen to his friends there. Just wondering if he’s been one of those caught out..and lost a fortune. Maybe worse. Personally have never had the fever that convinced me to buy property.

So what will/might happen to the properties already built and sold I wonder?

8 minutes ago, geisha said:

I agree, I warned a friend a few years back after he told me he was buying a house on Koh Samui. He told me not to worry he had good Thai friends and it was all clear for him. This guy had 2 businesses in France which I noticed had been closed up but not sold. Which surprised me because they were in a very good commercial area.Last news was last year, everything fine enjoying the life. He could have easily rented a nice place with pool but decided to listen to his friends there. Just wondering if he’s been one of those caught out..and lost a fortune. Maybe worse. Personally have never had the fever that convinced me to buy property.

Similarly, I had a friend who bought a house through the corporation/nominee, all Thai family, method in Nakhon Chaisi back in 2009. He got cold feet when there was talk of a crackdown on this matter back in 2014. So he sold off his share to his wife's daughter (not his daughter). It cost him 400,000 in title transfer fees. But at least he could rest easily, which helped when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's and spent the next 13 years steadily being confined to a bed until he died last October. His last five or six years were spent in a horrible bedridden condition. What a disaster had he been brought into court.

If they did raids in Bangkok the place would be a ghost town!☹️

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1 hour ago, John Drake said:

Similarly, I had a friend who bought a house through the corporation/nominee, all Thai family, method in Nakhon Chaisi back in 2009. He got cold feet when there was talk of a crackdown on this matter back in 2014. So he sold off his share to his wife's daughter (not his daughter). It cost him 400,000 in title transfer fees. But at least he could rest easily, which helped when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's and spent the next 13 years steadily being confined to a bed until he died last October. His last five or six years were spent in a horrible bedridden condition. What a disaster had he been brought into court.

They would have made you push him in there on his bed, knowing this lot,

They are going after the small guys like always it is nothing but a show to applease Thais who continue to shine the light on their government for selling out their country.

As I noted if they did this in Bangkok and Pattaya entertainment areas?

Two plus years ago the Chinese Triads had taken over Pattaya after digging found out not just Pattaya but had gain control of half of the 72 provinces of Thailand

The more they dug reported these so call nominees were some of the richest Thais. The core leader was tipped and escape prior to the raid it was reported he had married the daughter of a top general she herself was appointed a high position in government in doing so got Thai Citizen automatically.

Once it started to report the size and those involved in the raid on Triads it got shut down overnight. These raids are to take the focus off government leaders and the rich who are all been brought and paid for already. This is the same when BB was busted in Pattaya for opening bank accounts for HK and mainline Chinese along with many setting up nominee companies by Thai lawyers to run businesses and buy homes. Thereafter, they never pointed at the Chinese but blame like now so call foreigners everyone but Chinese.

Just to observe that, despite all the assumptions, there is nothing yet in any or the news reports to indicate individual homeowners who used nominees to buy a residence/land have been arrested or 'their' land seized. Yes, there are companies mentioned with nominees that are developers, but I haven't seen anything yet that some foreigner who bought a house and 'land' under it with nominees has been involved. Maybe that's the next phase..or maybe not. Has anyone seen anything to the contrary?

47 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

They would have made you push him in there on his bed, knowing this lot,

That may well have happened. I wonder how many elderly expats are out there in if not exactly this sort of immobilized condition at least severely limited in their ability to stand, walk, or even set up. A court case could be hell on earth. Wasn't there an incident btw at Chaengwattana a few years ago, when somebody came in on a hospital bed and it resulted in some "easing" of the rules?

2 minutes ago, John Drake said:

That may well have happened. I wonder how many elderly expats are out there in if not exactly this sort of immobilized condition at least severely limited in their ability to stand, walk, or even set up. A court case could be hell on earth. Wasn't there an incident btw at Chaengwattana a few years ago, when somebody came in on a hospital bed and it resulted in some "easing" of the rules?

I have heard in the past the immigration wanting photo's of Farangs bed ridden, cant make it to do their visa,

25 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

Just to observe that, despite all the assumptions, there is nothing yet in any or the news reports to indicate individual homeowners who used nominees to buy a residence/land have been arrested or 'their' land seized.

As I posted last Saturday Phuket topic:

From what I have read, their priority is nominee property structures running commercial as in hotel-type properties. Most are probably listed on line somewhere.

18 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Police successfully arrested 39 suspects, including 28 Thai nationals and 11 foreign nationals. Those detained comprised six Israelis, two Polish nationals, two Swiss nationals and one South African. Authorities allege the companies were operating as nominees in violation of Thai law.

I think they are buying all this land to build the "Heavenly Jerusalem" in Thailand. They are doing the same in other places, including Ukraine.

Quote:

The Heavenly Jerusalem is a spiritual city described in the New Testament as the eternal dwelling place of God and His people, representing the fulfillment of divine promises. It is identified in Hebrews 12:22 as the "city of the living God," where believers have come to join a joyful assembly of angels and the spirits of the righteous.

17 hours ago, jcmj said:

The lawyers or accountants who started the company should be the first ones to be prosecuted, fined and barred for doing illegal business. Without them most of this wouldn’t be happening.

As to the above who should be the first ones prosecuted, I think that may be a cart before the horse situation.

The lawyers and other parties will be linked to the nominee purchase via written legal advice, emails, invoices, and contracts where the lawyer explicitly recommended and facilitated the nominee structure.

The foreign 49% buyer's name is linked to the nominee purchase on the deed submitted at the land office.

On 6/23/2026 at 3:33 AM, Georgealbert said:

These firms controlled eight plots of land covering over 8 rai, with a combined value of approximately 290 million baht.

Land in Krabi is valued at over 34 million a rai? Or is it all commercial property?

It seems the govt is making a tidy profit by confiscating land with expensive buildings and businesses attached.

Any compensation for innocent lease holders?