Selling land to foreigners is not selling out - it's "globalization" and normal, academic

[webfact]

 

Popular independent academic Atsadang Yommanak who has 85,000 followers on Facebook joined the debate about Thailand selling land to foreigners. 

 

Siam Rath called it an alternative viewpoint to the debate that is raging following a government U-turn on allowing well heeled foreigners to own a rai of land for residential purposes.

 

Atsadang said that selling your land to foreigners is not selling your country.

 

It's just a part of modern day globalization and quite normal. 

 

It is ridiculous to suggest that Thailand would be in the hands of foreigners leaving Thais as tenants.

 

He pointed to Australia saying that many Chinese buy houses and condos then rent them to Aussies.

 

Singaporeans own many Australian companies. 

 

Many Thais have bought land and property abroad.

 

He cited leading public figures like former PM and fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra, Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt, CP group and the owners of Beer Chang.

 

He said there was no need for Thailand to be afraid.

 

He also took a swipe at government critics who blame the government for not developing then shout "treason" when they advocate doing just that by attempting to enact policies commonplace in many countries.

 

Policies that have been in place for decades. 

 

He advised people to "Google it" to get a fuller perspective on the issue. 

 

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[phetphet]

A voice of reason.

[RandolphGB]

He makes a very good point that many Thais complain about the government but then screech when it tries to take a tiny step into the 21st century. 

[MrMo]

Indeed a voice of reason !

If at the outset of the proposal the numbers were put up front, time and resources need not have been waste destroying a proposition from which Thailand's economy would benefit for years to come.  Those numbers are:

- Thai land mass is 3,200,000,000 rai.   

- Number of foreigners in Thailand is 3,600,000 (presumably, excluding tourists).

If each foreigner bought 1 Rai, they would be, collectively, claiming ownership of 3,600,000 rai or to put it another way,

- 0.0001125% of Thai land mass.

What would be interesting to know is:

- amount of land controlled by the government, its ministries and departments

- amount of land owned by corporations (indigenous and foreign)

- amount of land owned by the 1%

- amount of land owned by the other 99%

 

 

 

[edwardflory]

My 2¢:. What urks me is if you are married, wife owns the land, there is a house built on the land, she passes, you have 1 year to sell or loose the house and land.  It would be better if you were not forced to sell.  A / some type restriction on land size you could keep would work, say 2 Rai or land where the house sits and 1 Rai of land.  Win win all the way around and a insentative to provide a house for wife - family if any.

[Airwolf]

There just needs to be a reasonable allowance per foreigner, enough to build a house. Anything after that, heavily taxed. 

[Naamblar2014]

Atsadang Yommanak - Truly a wise perspective.

[HuaHinHim]

What’s a well heeled foreigner? I’ve lived here for almost 20 years, married to a Thai with a daughter. Purchased property that can only be in my wife’s name, a vehicle and payed school fees plus all the extras foreigners are charged. I get a non o visa every year at an exorbitant price. Have I qualified yet? In comparison my wife’s last visa for my home country was less than US$100 and was valid until the expiry date in her passport at the time (almost 5 years). I mean am I well heeled enough?

[Don Chance]

How much land and properties does this guy own?

[Photoguy21]

7 minutes ago, HuaHinHim said:

What’s a well heeled foreigner? I’ve lived here for almost 20 years, married to a Thai with a daughter. Purchased property that can only be in my wife’s name, a vehicle and payed school fees plus all the extras foreigners are charged. I get a non o visa every year at an exorbitant price. Have I qualified yet? In comparison my wife’s last visa for my home country was less than US$100 and was valid until the expiry date in her passport at the time (almost 5 years). I mean am I well heeled enough?

same as myself but I have been here over 30 years.

[Muhendis]

56 minutes ago, MrMo said:

Indeed a voice of reason !

If at the outset of the proposal the numbers were put up front, time and resources need not have been waste destroying a proposition from which Thailand's economy would benefit for years to come.  Those numbers are:

- Thai land mass is 3,200,000,000 rai.   

- Number of foreigners in Thailand is 3,600,000 (presumably, excluding tourists).

If each foreigner bought 1 Rai, they would be, collectively, claiming ownership of 3,600,000 rai or to put it another way,

- 0.0001125% of Thai land mass.

What would be interesting to know is:

- amount of land controlled by the government, its ministries and departments

- amount of land owned by corporations (indigenous and foreign)

- amount of land owned by the 1%

- amount of land owned by the other 99%

 

 

 

I agree with all of that and would add that the law of the land is still in Thai hands and controlled, through government by Thai citizens. So although the land may have a foreigner as owner, that foreigner must still abide by Thai law in all respects.

[theodoresaed]

is it safe, Marathon Man,   twenty years, wow, so it would help to have development especially now, plenty of land,  reason could catch up, often does,  maybe some way to keep the traditions and make new ones to improve them, or ...?

[DjSilver]

Who???

 

Some farmer from Isaan again? ????????????

[Photoguy21]

As long as the Chinese dont start buying everything then there will be trouble.

[Srikcir]

1 hour ago, MrMo said:

Indeed a voice of reason !

If at the outset of the proposal the numbers were put up front, time and resources need not have been waste destroying a proposition from which Thailand's economy would benefit for years to come.  Those numbers are:

- Thai land mass is 3,200,000,000 rai.   

- Number of foreigners in Thailand is 3,600,000 (presumably, excluding tourists).

If each foreigner bought 1 Rai, they would be, collectively, claiming ownership of 3,600,000 rai or to put it another way,

- 0.0001125% of Thai land mass.

What would be interesting to know is:

- amount of land controlled by the government, its ministries and departments

- amount of land owned by corporations (indigenous and foreign)

- amount of land owned by the 1%

- amount of land owned by the other 99%

 

 

 

Add

- amount of land owned directly by the military as if it were an independent sovereign. The Thai government has no title over such property nor access to its resources.

Case in point: the 89+plot of Doi Suthep Forest land near Chiang Mai. 

[2baht]

Nice to know at least one Thai has some common sense!

[Pungdo]

I've been advocating for a while that if you are legally married to a Thai that you should be allowed to be a joint owner of a house and land package, if it is your principal place of residence. If they wanted to restrict that at all, then cap the size of the land parcel, and then they could say if you want to move and build a new home, then the foreigner's name could not be added to the new deed until it is removed from the previous properties deed.

 

Where's the harm in that.

[Raphael Hythlodaeus]

IMO "globalization" is an excellent reason NOT to go ahead with this proposal. Klaus Schwab and the WEF -- "You'll own nothing. And you'll be happy." 

[BangkokReady]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

It's just a part of modern day globalization and quite normal. 

Not normal for Thailand though.  "Thailand for Thai people!" ????

 

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Many Thais have bought land and property abroad.

Yes, and that's fine.  A good thing.  But foreigners cannot buy land in Thailand, the land of "rules for thee, but not for me".

[johnmcc6]

they must be pretty stupid if they think that Foreigner swill accept those insane conditions.

[Archie Baker]

8 hours ago, phetphet said:

A voice of reason.

Paul kilnell a bloke with some savy should make him the next prime minister.  

[rudi49jr]

As I understand it, there will still be plenty of restrictions. Buying land will only be possible for rich foreigners (who have substantial investments in Thailand, among other things), it will not be possible for your ‘average Joe’. And they will only be able to buy one whole rai. So why everyone is getting so worked up is beyond me.

[kingstonkid]

They need to open it so a foreigner can buy a house without the financial limitations.

 

It seems stupid that I can buy a condo but cannot buy a garden home.  In both cases I am not buying the land just part of the structure 

[moogradod]

I do not understand the fuss one makes about it. This proposal is so restrictive in its entirety that I honestly doubt that one single foreigner would buy a Rai under these rules - should it then passed as a law at all. You could as well ignore all that - would not make any difference I believe.

[Kknic]

This plan was never meant for farangs wanting to buy a plot of land in Isaan but for rich Chinese and other mafia. 

[djayz]

The voice of reason. Unfortunately, he is light years ahead of his fellow countrymen. 

[Selatan]

5 hours ago, HuaHinHim said:

What’s a well heeled foreigner? I’ve lived here for almost 20 years, married to a Thai with a daughter. Purchased property that can only be in my wife’s name, a vehicle and payed school fees plus all the extras foreigners are charged. I get a non o visa every year at an exorbitant price. Have I qualified yet? In comparison my wife’s last visa for my home country was less than US$100 and was valid until the expiry date in her passport at the time (almost 5 years). I mean am I well heeled enough?

Fortunately for Malaysians like me, Malaysians, Singaporeans and South Koreans are exempted from paying Thai visa fees. 

[moogradod]

5 minutes ago, Selatan said:

Fortunately for Malaysians like me, Malaysians, Singaporeans and South Koreans are exempted from paying Thai visa fees. 

Congratulations. You must be real rich then. ????

[Selatan]

3 minutes ago, moogradod said:

Congratulations. You must be real rich then. ????

Rich? I think there must be some kind of visa treaty between Malaysia and Thailand.

 

NON-IMMIGRANT VISA (O-A) FOR LONG STAY

[Paradise Pete]

5 hours ago, HuaHinHim said:

I get a non o visa every year at an exorbitant price.

You get a new visa every year? An extension is relatively cheap. I did it for more than a decade pre-covid, and I think it was something like 1,900 baht per year. I don't remember exactly, but it wasn't a lot.