Bor Bor Tor Ha

[Rusty1953]

I am looking for some input. To start with I have been married for 10 years to a Thai lady who now has citizenship in my country as well as Thailand. We share property together in both countries. Our property in Thailand has a chanote. I am not worried about losing anything to her. What we are looking at is a piece of land that has a shop on it in a small village. This piece of land gives us a commercial building in the front with lots of room behind to build our selves a larger house. The shop in the front will be used as a business for her son and we will live in the back. The only issue is that there is no chanote on this land. It is POR BOR TOR Ha. I have looked it up and understand that basically we will not own the land but will be given permission by the village to the use of it so long as we pay the taxes. I know of other cases where a farang and his wife have purchased this type of land and built a house and have been living there with no issues. I am not concerned about ever reselling the property as it will eventually go to the son and his wife. I have been told that even though I wont own the land the chances are very slim that we would lose it. I feel that I understand the risk but would like to know if anyone else has gone down this path and to hear their thoughts and story.

[TopDeadSenter]

I have lived on Por Bor Tor 5 land for the last 20 years. we have bought plots, divided and sold them, build houses on them, local land office issues house books as normal. Easy to change the "ownership" documents at land office. Maybe other parts of Thailand are different in that respect? Land tax is super cheap i think about 7 baht/rai per year, but since 4 years have not been collecting it any more, due to the whole area being slowly upgraded to a better title.

 One issue we have had is that the borders are not properly surveyed, so if your neighbors kick in your boundary posts by a meter or so you can't really prove anything. Or vice versa ????

 Lawyers told me back 20 years ago to not even consider buying any Tor Bor Por 5 land, but in reality it has been fine.

 I would say it's fine to go ahead and buy it, and even better if there is a permanent boundary existing already such as a concrete wall, and even better still if the neighbors are happy with and agree with the existing boundary. Good luck!