By Editor

 

Vacant land owners in Thailand are being told to make use of their undeveloped land plots to avoid their property being seized under the Land Code Act.  The government is able to enforce Section 6 of the law, which allows for the seizure of privately owned vacant land that has been undeveloped for 10 consecutive years.

 

According to the spokesperson, the Land Department’s director-general may seek a court order revoking ownership of documents for unused plots.

 

Since the Land Code went into effect in 1979, there has never been a court order of this nature, according to the Land Department. Nevertheless, landowners are encouraged to utilise their vacant land or lose it.

 

According to the spokesperson, the Interior Ministry has guidelines on how they identify abandoned land plots.  

 

The guidelines do not consider fencing a property or paying a land and building tax as utilisation. However, land plots in designated residential areas are not considered abandoned even if no home is built on the property.

 

In January of every year, provincial authorities conduct surveys of land and buildings in their areas to identify what is vacant land and notify owners in three months to speed up their land utilisation.

 

Upon the expiration of the deadline, a provincial committee will decide whether to revoke the lands and declare them state property.

 

The Land Department and the Attorney General’s office will handle the retaking of the property.  

 

“So, land owners should inspect and make use of their property. They can check LandsMaps, an application of the Land Department, 24 hours a day,” the spokesperson said.

 

In response to media reports, the government clarified the enforcement of Section 6 of the Land Code to encourage the use of vacant land.

 

The have also offered help to developers on how to buy vacant land.

 

As part of its clarification, the Land Department explains Section 6 and the steps to be taken in the event that unused vacant rural land is discovered.

 

Source: https://royalcoastreview.com/2022/08/owners-warned-of-potential-unused-land-seizures/

 

-- © Copyright Royal Coast Review 2022-08-22

 

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Quote

Since the Land Code went into effect in 1979, there has never been a court order of this nature, according to the Land Department. Nevertheless, landowners are encouraged to utilise their vacant land or lose it.

The State threatening to confiscate private land.? Has Thailand gone full Communist or something?

 

 

18 minutes ago, huangnon said:

The State threatening to confiscate private land.? Has Thailand gone full Communist or something?

 

 

Govt wants the land and potential money source to work for govt eg paying taxes, people developing buying investing etc...

Edited August 22, 20223 yr by userabcd

"the Interior Ministry has guidelines on how they identify abandoned land plots."

And who bets that these 'guidelines' are never politically motivated?! ????????????

47 minutes ago, webfact said:

The have also offered help to developers on how to buy vacant land.

I bet they have…

????

I've seen this in Brasil, but didn't know Thailand had the same law.

How many other countries have this type of law?

Abandon ship.

34 minutes ago, HaoleBoy said:

I've seen this in Brasil, but didn't know Thailand had the same law.

How many other countries have this type of law?

Imminent Domain.................even in the US of A...........They confiscated unused/unuseable land for the border wall.

2 hours ago, 2long said:

"the Interior Ministry has guidelines on how they identify abandoned land plots."

And who bets that these 'guidelines' are never politically motivated?! ????????????

Or being pushed by greedy developers.

2 hours ago, ozz1 said:

That's one reason why foreigners should not buy land here after all it is all owned by you know who no matter what

I'd imagine that the amount of foreigners queuing to buy land so that they can leave it vacant for 10 years is rather short.

Holy cow!

 

So even if you own it, you don't really own it if they can take it away.  This is crazy.

 

Upcoming drop in the crazy ask prices?

Removed an incomprehensible post.

4 hours ago, huangnon said:

The State threatening to confiscate private land.? Has Thailand gone full Communist or something?

 

 

Many countries have laws relating to squatters rights too.

Excellent law. Hopefully applies to abandoned construction projects too. Maybe they'll have a look at all of that land bought in Buriram a few years ago by a few individuals from PTP when it was the hot tip for relocating Bangkok.  

Now we know why the clearing and planting banana trees

If the Owners of these Plots do not want them seized, all they have to do is plant a few Banana plants on them, and claim the plot is used as a Plantation.

Its what many did a few years ago, to avoid high Taxes on Vacant Plots.

5 hours ago, huangnon said:

The State threatening to confiscate private land.? Has Thailand gone full Communist or something?

 

 

Full American?

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The have also offered help to developers on how to buy vacant land.

Sure, as long as the billionaires have more land to build and bulldoze, that's the main thing. Heavens forbid they should help any deprived people interested in farming/growing food to buy land. 

"Owners Warned Of Potential Unused Land Seizures"

 

Who knew unused land gave you seizures! Isn't anything safe anymore?

Edited August 22, 20223 yr by chalawaan

I miss the craic, the women, and the weed, but AN is my daily reminder I made the right choice to get out when I did!

They did not specify what titles this section applied to. Thailand does have an "adverse possession" law even for chanote but i doubt that this applies to the government. They are probably talking about the lesser titles where the government applied conditions on use.

 

Maybe the writer of the article does not understand land titles.

Oh dear, I wonder if all those "well connected people" who bought land in the expectation of various road, rail and canal projects will have their little investments confiscated.

 

There was lots of it (buying land) going on around here when the railway to Chiang Rai and Chiang Khong got into the planning stage...

Pretty sure that bus still serves our village.

What is the reason behind such a move?

Just curious...

(pushing for more food production maybe?)

10 hours ago, TunnelRat69 said:

Imminent Domain.................even in the US of A...........They confiscated unused/unuseable land for the border wall.

"Imminent Domain" is to acquire land (not just any unused land) for public use - think land for freeways.  The owner must be compensated at fair market value.

"the power of the government to take private property and convert it into public use"

 

This is not the same as what Thailand (and Brasil) do.

10 hours ago, 86Tiger said:

Holy cow!

 

So even if you own it, you don't really own it if they can take it away.  This is crazy.

 

Upcoming drop in the crazy ask prices?

Surely you know you never really own land in any country...are you really that naive?

2 hours ago, HaoleBoy said:

Imminent Domain" is to acquire land (not just any unused land) for public use - think land for freeways.  The owner must be compensated at fair market value.

"the power of the government to take private property and convert it into public use"

 

This is not the same as what Thailand (and Brasil) do.

It's eminent domain...all countries do the same, just call it a different name...

9 hours ago, Cake Monster said:

If the Owners of these Plots do not want them seized, all they have to do is plant a few Banana plants on them, and claim the plot is used as a Plantation.

Its what many did a few years ago, to avoid high Taxes on Vacant Plots.

Yes, in our private housing estate a few empty slots have a few rows of banana trees planted.

 

I though it weird, a plot of land worth xx million baht, and they use it for farming banana trees?

 

Legal and tax, was the answer.

I'm sure officials won't abuse this law in any way.  ????

19 hours ago, webfact said:

Vacant land owners in Thailand are being told to make use of their undeveloped land plots to avoid their property being seized under the Land Code Act.

So by the same token can Thai's plant something on the vast unused govt lands & claim it?