wife buying land in Thailand

[medic5678]

Hi everyone.  My wife is buying a lot in Thailand.  We're doing it in her name, and she will be the sole owner.   The issue we're having is that she''s in the USA and cannot travel to Thailand to do the deal.  We want to have her sister send the paperwork here, my wife will sign and send back to Thailand.  How do we get the document notarized for Thailand?  What is required to get the land deal recorded by the Thai government?  What about a title search?

 

Thanks to all who reply.

 

 

[cornishcarlos]

Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me... With anything in Thailand, unless you are there in person, it will rarely be done as you envisage !!

This goes from putting air into bike tires, building a shed and all variations in between those and land acquisition.

At least when the guy at the bike shop over inflates my tires, I just let a bit of air out... Not sure how that would work with an over inflated land deal ?

[BritManToo]

I'd get her to fly back to Thailand and do it herself, unless she wants her sister to 'lose' the money.

Family members here are always stealing land and money from each other.

[KittenKong]

3 hours ago, medic5678 said:

What about a title search?

No such thing here.

 

3 hours ago, medic5678 said:

We want to have her sister send the paperwork here, my wife will sign and send back to Thailand.  How do we get the document notarized for Thailand?  What is required to get the land deal recorded by the Thai government? 

The usual way this happens here is that the person overseas would sign a power of attorney for someone here for the specific purpose of buying a particular plot of land from a particular person at a particular price, and nothing else.

 

Personally I would never trust anyone in Thailand with a POA - or anything else - under any circumstances, and that may explain why I am still well-off.

[phitsanulokjohn]

Best avoided until your wife can make the journey to Thailand,even though it will be solely in your wife's name.

There exists too many possibilities for the deal to go wrong resulting in a loss for your wife.

[soistalker]

Never buy a piece of land or condo and out it in your wife's name. Your life is worth exactly what you paid for the land.

[Kadilo]

8 minutes ago, soistalker said:

Never buy a piece of land or condo and out it in your wife's name. Your life is worth exactly what you paid for the land.

Yawn.....

[medic5678]

2 hours ago, soistalker said:

Never buy a piece of land or condo and out it in your wife's name. Your life is worth exactly what you paid for the land.

I'm a millionaire buying a $50k piece of land for a $25k bargain price from my wife's cousin.  We're going to build a little house ourselves, and her mother is going to build a second home for herself.  Think of it as a vacation home for us and security for her mother.  I think my life is worth a lot more than 25k.  So many utterly clueless posts and not a coherent answer.

 

The overall mentality of people is simply incredible.  Thais are like everyone else.  Some dishonest, most utterly trustworthy if you know them.  The idea that everyone is out to cheat/rob/kill you is ridiculous.

 

 

[medic5678]

Maybe it depends on who you choose to run with.  My wife is a middle class, utterly respectable Thai lady.  If you're hanging around bar girls, you have a lot more to worry about.  My wife's family is also awesome.  Yes, there is some drama, but show me a family in America who has no drama.

[Enoon]

22 minutes ago, medic5678 said:

Maybe it depends on who you choose to run with.  My wife is a middle class, utterly respectable Thai lady.  If you're hanging around bar girls, you have a lot more to worry about.  My wife's family is also awesome.  Yes, there is some drama, but show me a family in America who has no drama.

 

Your previous post (#8) is quite good.

 

 

[rumak]

If it is just a parcel of land there should be a land title for it  .  there are more than one type but the best one is called a Chanote.   This should be in the POSSESION of the owner(s).   If it is not then there is a problem already.  On the front it will have a description of the property (size/place/etc).  On the back will

have a list of previous owners and the PRESENT owner will be in the last box.

 

Have you seen ( by email) a copy of the above ?   (you are asking about title search...thats why i ask)

[cornishcarlos]

1 hour ago, medic5678 said:

buying a $50k piece of land for a $25k bargain price from my wife's cousin.  

 

I'll repeat my initial statement after reading that, sounds like even more of a recipe for disaster...

 

If you don't need advice, don't post on here. Sounds like you have all your bases covered ?

[thailand49]

Thai people especially family, in general, think they know more than us simply because we aren't Thai.

I sure the sister had something to do with the sale of the land. Great deal etc etc.. because the money is coming basically from a Farang and cash. It a lottery winning!

Personally, the owner hasn't been able to sell the land because very few got the cash and can't get a loan.

So tough on you but tell your wife NO but hell NO, just kidding smile and make an excuse we will just have to wait until she can go visit, see, and register it herself. Sister or family member most likely getting a commission or like many Thais think the ATM is going to change their mind.

[khunPer]

On 7/30/2018 at 11:26 PM, medic5678 said:

What is required to get the land deal recorded by the Thai government?  What about a title search?

Normally the person that handle the case at the Land Office has been issued a Power of Attorney. This is a standard Thai document available from paper shops – might also be available for download – and will together with a signed photo copy of the ID-card give full power to the person named in the Power of Attorney, which of course shall be a fully trusted person.

 

Ask your wife if she knows about it, as it's a very normal procedure in Thailand.

?

[sead]

3 hours ago, medic5678 said:

I'm a millionaire buying a $50k piece of land for a $25k bargain price from my wife's cousin.  We're going to build a little house ourselves, and her mother is going to build a second home for herself.  Think of it as a vacation home for us and security for her mother.  I think my life is worth a lot more than 25k.  So many utterly clueless posts and not a coherent answer.

 

The overall mentality of people is simply incredible.  Thais are like everyone else.  Some dishonest, most utterly trustworthy if you know them.  The idea that everyone is out to cheat/rob/kill you is ridiculous.

 

 

I dont think you became a millionaire by being stupid. So if possible an ticket home would make it so much easier. The most problems accur after something is bought in wifes name. If you want to buy land then go and see it for yourself instead of some pictures. Otherwise you could be disappointed  and you dont seem to lack the cash.  It's ok to trust you wife but I promise you that doesn't mean you can trust her family etc etc. I just saw my gf house. It's a shed. And I want to build it up for some small cash If you can afford it so why not. It's not end of the world and we learn from our mistakes and mistakes makes us s.arter

[MadameM]

Among the pessimistic and depressive responses, allow me to give you the optimistic and cheerful one -- out of my own experience. Almost 20 years ago my husband and I visited Chiang Rai during the Christmas Break, we love the city and decided to start looking for a piece of land for our future retirement home. From aboard, I did search on the Internet as often as I had time to. I finally found a foreclosure piece of land and proceeded to buy it. Here're how we acquired the land:

1. I had to fly  to Thailand, talked to the bank (who owned the land at the time), had the bank take me to see the land, and started the paperwork with the bank (dealing with the bank - get the name of the top guys and the subordinate ones - phone# and address ready -- you're going to tail them all the way through).

2. While I was in Thailand--- THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! I WENT TO THE LOCAL GOV. OFFICE (CALLED AMPUR) WHERE I HAD MY HOUSE BOOK REGISTERED WITH A COPY OF MY MARRIAGE LICENSE, MY  THAI  ID,  AND APPLIED FOR:

-- The Family Register of a Foreign Spouse (หลักฐานทะเบียนครอบครัว)

-- The foreign husband declaration of NO  INTEREST in the property. (Before hand, I prepared copies of his ID, passport, translated marriage license -- all were notarized at the notary public office) For the translation, ask Google -- Document translator English to Thai near me -- Google knows a lot!

--- GET AN AUTHORIZED PAPER (from Ampur and the Land Office -- they're not the same) TO HAVE SOMEONE TO COMPLETE AND GET THE DOCUMENTS FOR ME. 

3. I flew back home within 1 week. From there on, my brother - the authorized person, would do the purchase for me.

4. It took about 5 months until the bank was ready to transfer the property deed, and I couldn't go back to Thailand to do the transferring myself - I was working!

5. My brother would do all the legal paperwork for me.

6. Wire the money -- there will be the extra cost on the paperwork, deed, stamps on top of the land price. The Land Office will give you receipts, so the cost should be straight forward.

7. My brother keep the land deed entitle my name only - farang husband can't buy the property in Thailand, made a copy out of the deed, and sent me the copy.

8. I got the land deed from my brother when I was in Thailand on the next trip.

9. Once I own the land, I will ask my brother to come by to check on the land occasionally. To make sure the neighbor knows that the land has the owner and she/he monitors the land (so do not come in to build a cottage, grow plant or food..and claim that the land is yours.) You can use Google Earth to monitor the land online, but it's not real time - usually 1 year behind.

10. It's a tedious task to buy a piece of land while you are working aboard and can't take a week or so off to buy the land. But, we can do it! I did it. You need to make sure that the person you authorize to do the legal work for you are trustworthy!

11. Happy ending, though. We are both retired and will be back to start building our little house on our little piece of land in Chiang Rai. The moving will happen in less than a month. I feel as if I'm Cinderella at this point!

Wish you the best luck on acquiring a piece of land in Thailand.

[sawadee1947]

Impossible. She has to appear in Land office by herself 

[MadameM]

5 hours ago, medic5678 said:

Maybe it depends on who you choose to run with.  My wife is a middle class, utterly respectable Thai lady.  If you're hanging around bar girls, you have a lot more to worry about.  My wife's family is also awesome.  Yes, there is some drama, but show me a family in America who has no drama.

You tell me! American drama is out of imagination -- not only in the family, but in the workplace as well. From my experience, if you hold several educational diplomas, worked harder regardless of time and pays, but your English is a bit broken -- ha ha, watch your back carefully!

[MadameM]

3 minutes ago, sawadee1947 said:

Impossible. She has to appear in Land office by herself 

Perhaps you did not do your homework. I did it years ago while working my pants off in the US. 

My suggestion is to stop by at the Land Office and ask them for your own information. One serious problem in Thailand is people believe -- not ask the question!

[Robert24]

Power of attorney. Land office has ready forms to fill in. Straight forward.

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[sawadee1947]

2 hours ago, MadameM said:

Perhaps you did not do your homework. I did it years ago while working my pants off in the US. 

My suggestion is to stop by at the Land Office and ask them for your own information. One serious problem in Thailand is people believe -- not ask the question!

I got my experience in the described way. Maybe you are not the owner now? 

[sawadee1947]

2 hours ago, MadameM said:

Perhaps you did not do your homework. I did it years ago while working my pants off in the US. 

My suggestion is to stop by at the Land Office and ask them for your own information. One serious problem in Thailand is people believe -- not ask the question!

No! You are totally wrong. If a Thai wants to buy a plot and will become the owner with a title deed in his/her name it's necessary to sign personally at the Land office. Same when you want to sell. Living in US you have to fly home to sign at the Land office. You describe a somehow crooked version 

[MadameM]

1 hour ago, sawadee1947 said:

I got my experience in the described way. Maybe you are not the owner now? 

We are moving back to Thailand and building our house on the land that I bought decade ago having my brother did all the deed transferring for me. It is possible on a very careful, thorough ways.

Come visit us in Chiang Rai if you pass through the city. I love to show you the land ?

We plan to try planting California cherry and avocado and lavender and such on that land -- just for fun!

[MadameM]

1 hour ago, sawadee1947 said:

No! You are totally wrong. If a Thai wants to buy a plot and will become the owner with a title deed in his/her name it's necessary to sign personally at the Land office. Same when you want to sell. Living in US you have to fly home to sign at the Land office. You describe a somehow crooked version 

You know what, you may be right. I did this in 2005. The law may be changed. Anyway, I rest my case. I got the land the way I did - I'm lucky, perhaps. And I'm coming to live my retired life happily on this land starting next month. I can't hold on my excitement any more. You're invited to visit us and we can discuss more on the issue. ?

[MadameM]

3 hours ago, Robert24 said:

Power of attorney. Land office has ready forms to fill in. Straight forward.

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Thanks, Robert 24. That's what I did in 2005.

[medic5678]

13 hours ago, rumak said:

If it is just a parcel of land there should be a land title for it  .  there are more than one type but the best one is called a Chanote.   This should be in the POSSESION of the owner(s).   If it is not then there is a problem already.  On the front it will have a description of the property (size/place/etc).  On the back will

have a list of previous owners and the PRESENT owner will be in the last box.

 

Have you seen ( by email) a copy of the above ?   (you are asking about title search...thats why i ask)

No, but I'll ask for it.  I'm asking about title search because that's the way I buy land in America.  I find it very difficult to understand the Thai system in general.  As an aside, I'd never think about doing business in Thailand.  Just build a vacation cottage where I can take my wife a couple of times a year.  This is in Kamphaeng Phet, so it's not a tourist area, which I want to avoid.  My wife is in the last stages of adjusting her status for a Green Card, and she cannot possibly leave to do this at this time.  I've pretty well figured how to do it.

[tifino]

On 7/31/2018 at 11:20 AM, KittenKong said:

No such thing here.

 

The usual way this happens here is that the person overseas would sign a power of attorney for someone here for the specific purpose of buying a particular plot of land from a particular person at a particular price, and nothing else.

 

Personally I would never trust anyone in Thailand with a POA - or anything else - under any circumstances, and that may explain why I am still well-off.

trouble is that in sending Signed paperwork over to there

- they will now have a copy of your Signature; and then it becomes a FreeForAll, to copy and use at their whim!

[medic5678]

11 hours ago, sead said:

I dont think you became a millionaire by being stupid. So if possible an ticket home would make it so much easier. The most problems accur after something is bought in wifes name. If you want to buy land then go and see it for yourself instead of some pictures. Otherwise you could be disappointed  and you dont seem to lack the cash.  It's ok to trust you wife but I promise you that doesn't mean you can trust her family etc etc. I just saw my gf house. It's a shed. And I want to build it up for some small cash If you can afford it so why not. It's not end of the world and we learn from our mistakes and mistakes makes us s.arter

I'm very familiar with the piece of land.  I've walked it many times.  It's next door to my wife's cousin's house.  Her boyfriend is having money problems and he bought the land for her.   So she's selling it to my wife for enough to appease him.   Build into the deal is us allowing my wife's mother and sister to build a house in the front of the property, which is easily big enough for 3 houses. Her cousin wants to control who lives there.  This is a fast sale and we're in the catbird seat to get this at this price.

 

My wife can leave me today and get several hundred thousand.  So what difference would a little piece of land make?  I just need to do the deal quick and I can't get to Thailand at this time.  

[medic5678]

14 hours ago, rumak said:

If it is just a parcel of land there should be a land title for it  .  there are more than one type but the best one is called a Chanote.   This should be in the POSSESION of the owner(s).   If it is not then there is a problem already.  On the front it will have a description of the property (size/place/etc).  On the back will

have a list of previous owners and the PRESENT owner will be in the last box.

 

Have you seen ( by email) a copy of the above ?   (you are asking about title search...thats why i ask)

I'm laughing because my wife has  been showing me pictures of the Chanote for days.  I just didn't realize exactly what it was.  My wife's cousin has one copy and the land office has the other copy.   No problems with the ownership.

[medic5678]

13 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

I'll repeat my initial statement after reading that, sounds like even more of a recipe for disaster...

 

If you don't need advice, don't post on here. Sounds like you have all your bases covered ?

The point is I don't need advice on the economics of the deal.  Simply the process of getting the deal done.  So all the recipe for disaster talk pretty much means nothing to me.