Trying to find a qualified lawyer to help deal with a land dispute

[surreybloke]

The uk based thai lady friend has a problem back at the family farm in isaan.  She and 2 other sisters regard the family farm as jointly owned.     Sister one in LOS  has her name on the house book , 

sister two has a daughter.   Daughter has had considerable amount of money spent on her education and even had a brand new car bought for her or least a very large deposit.

Daughter is attractive with no kids or any problems.   The daughters education was paid for by wealthy foreign employers .   The idea was that daughter would get a decent job and help take care of her mother in her later years.  

 

Despite this daughter has not managed to get a decent job and seems to think the foreign money from uk based sister 3 will carry on for ever.    To add to it she has moved back to the family home and found a useless boyfriend actually a local school teacher.    Both are in debt with little sign of ever paying off debts.  They do little to pay the bills.    Both seem to enjoy driving decent cars and posh phones etc.     Boyfriend is effectively moving in and getting his feet under table.     Sister 3 in the UK is angry and wants to split up the land and looking for a decent surveyor. 

 

I have been trying to find a decent lawyer.   Ideally an english speaking lawyer.  Not so much to start court proceedings but a least give advice on potential outcomes.   A few firms have been suggested but when i asked said legal folk if they are bona fida lawyers conversations seem to stop.   Some firms are not actually thai owned .    

 

So I am looking for a qualified registered lawyer ideally english speaking and based in isaan     korat or KK    maybe.    I asked a couple of individuals about charging but they did not want to answer that question.  

 

Any thoughts.  

[jts-khorat]

1 hour ago, surreybloke said:

Sister one in LOS  has her name on the house book

 

You have said nothing about a will splitting the property equally or any land titles. If the land has a Chanote, things will be unambiguous. If there was a will or contracts, one might have a legal angle.

 

Else, TiT.

[surreybloke]

jts-khorat , Yes indeed thanks for that .    I think she assumes that she can do the land split  without formality.     I am suspicious that there maybe no will.    Anyway the hunt for a qualified lawyer continues.    

[CharlieH]

Isaan Lawyers are advertising on this forum.PINNED at the top of this forum.

 

 

 

[asf6]

A name in the house book does not indicate ownership of the property. It just states who "officially" lives there - even if they don't actually live there. 

[surreybloke]

8 hours ago, CharlieH said:

Isaan Lawyers are advertising on this forum.PINNED at the top of this forum.

 

It is not a foreigner trying to own land .   This is a uk based thai citizen 

 

 

[surreybloke]

9 minutes ago, surreybloke said:

 

thank you for that link       the land issue is between thai citizens    

[Scouse123]

On 12/8/2023 at 1:38 AM, surreybloke said:

The uk based thai lady friend has a problem back at the family farm in isaan.  She and 2 other sisters regard the family farm as jointly owned.     Sister one in LOS  has her name on the house book , 

sister two has a daughter.   Daughter has had considerable amount of money spent on her education and even had a brand new car bought for her or least a very large deposit.

Daughter is attractive with no kids or any problems.   The daughters education was paid for by wealthy foreign employers .   The idea was that daughter would get a decent job and help take care of her mother in her later years.  

 

Despite this daughter has not managed to get a decent job and seems to think the foreign money from uk based sister 3 will carry on for ever.    To add to it she has moved back to the family home and found a useless boyfriend actually a local school teacher.    Both are in debt with little sign of ever paying off debts.  They do little to pay the bills.    Both seem to enjoy driving decent cars and posh phones etc.     Boyfriend is effectively moving in and getting his feet under table.     Sister 3 in the UK is angry and wants to split up the land and looking for a decent surveyor. 

 

I have been trying to find a decent lawyer.   Ideally an english speaking lawyer.  Not so much to start court proceedings but a least give advice on potential outcomes.   A few firms have been suggested but when i asked said legal folk if they are bona fida lawyers conversations seem to stop.   Some firms are not actually thai owned .    

 

So I am looking for a qualified registered lawyer ideally english speaking and based in isaan     korat or KK    maybe.    I asked a couple of individuals about charging but they did not want to answer that question.  

 

Any thoughts.  

 

 

I have one.

 

Fluent English-speaking lady lawyer based in Korat.

 

She has a law firm and is the owner of an English school/translation service.

 

Her prices are fair and reasonable.

 

You can PM me and I will give you her email and phone, and then your lady friend can converse with her directly to find a solution.

 

I use this lady for my affairs and have done for a long time.

 

 

 

 

[Datsun 1200]

The Elite Visa agent in Phuket (HQ is in BKK) also does other work and is an accountant etc

See Khun Toto at https://phuketlegalfirm.com/ I used him for my Elite Visa, buy condos and my Will.

It's a family affair and have been faultless so far.

 

IH

[Datsun 1200]

Same Answer as "anybody know a good lawyer"

 

The Elite Visa agent in Phuket (HQ is in BKK) also does other work and is an accountant etc See Khun Toto at https://phuketlegalfirm.com/ I used him for my Elite Visa, buy condos and my Will. It's a family affair and have been faultless so far. 

 

You can drop my name Ian H from Australia, I sure it will mean an awful lot (;-/)

[brianthainess]

Farm land in Isan aint worth a lot, my missus brought the lot of 8 ria from her siblings , she has the Chanote, lets the family stay and use it.   They jumped at the offer of some cash. 

As said I would contact Isan lawyers.

[MangoKorat]

On 12/7/2023 at 6:38 PM, surreybloke said:

So I am looking for a qualified registered lawyer ideally english speaking and based in isaan     korat or KK    maybe.    I asked a couple of individuals about charging but they did not want to answer that question.  

 

Any thoughts.  

There is someone that I can highly recommend in Korat - English speaking. However there are changes going on in there work life at the moment - last time I spoke to them there was a possibility of them becoming a judge in the local court. I would have to ask if they are taking on any new cases at the moment so if you haven't found anyone yet - let me know and I'll contact them.

 

There is also Isaan Lawyers in Korat - foreign run but as foreign lawyers are not allowed to practice law in Thailand, they employ Thai lawyers to carry out the actual litigation.

[MangoKorat]

8 hours ago, brianthainess said:

Farm land in Isan aint worth a lot, my missus brought the lot of 8 ria from her siblings , she has the Chanote, lets the family stay and use it.   They jumped at the offer of some cash. 

As said I would contact Isan lawyers.

That depends on the status of the land and where it is.  There are parts of Isaan where land is worth more than it is in Bangkok.

[brianthainess]

38 minutes ago, MangoKorat said:

That depends on the status of the land and where it is.  There are parts of Isaan where land is worth more than it is in Bangkok.

FARM land is what the OP said, so maybe rice paddies.

[MangoKorat]

1 hour ago, brianthainess said:

FARM land is what the OP said, so maybe rice paddies.

The same applies to farm land and its location/designation. That he seeks a lawyer in the Korat area is important, whereas much of Isaan is only suitable for growing rice - travelling from Bangkok on highway 2, Isaan begins around Muak Lek with the Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) provincial border beginning shortly further east.  The land there is much different to the land in many other areas of Isaan which largely consist of arid plains.

 

The land around my house which is in between Pak Chong and Khao Yai consisted of 99% farmland 9 years ago when I bought it. As soon as the M6 motorway was announced (which passes within 500m of my house) - land prices rocketed, virtually overnight and house building began. House sized plots that were being farmed last year are now selling for over 1 million baht, the plot next to me is currently for sale with the owner asking 2 million.

 

So, the OP may well be talking about rice paddies but he could also be talking about very vaulable land.  Remember also that its all relational - as developable farmland prices increase, so does that of pure farmland.

 

Another factor that is affecting land prices in Korat is the new High Speed Train.  With times to Bangkok claimed as being 1h 15mins from Korat City and 55 minutes from Pak Chong, it is not surprising that rich Bangkokians are now considering relocating their families to the countryside where (for now) the air is cleaner. Land that is not so far from a HST station is shooting up in price.

[surreybloke]

Ah yes   New rai lines !!!!

 

I work in london  UK.   Look what happens when a new rail service is discussed  not even built .     The real issue is splitting up a farm rather buying land. Having said that is is not far from route 2  and a few miles from  the route of the new rail link.   

 

 BTW I was in Saraburi recently    .     I know folk have mixed feelings about the " Silk Road"    But the  construction is impressive

 

 

 

[surreybloke]

Thank you  all for kind replies

[mrwebb8825]

According to my wife (she is Thai) IF the dad changed the land papers before he died to separate the land then that is the law. It would be up to the sisters (NOT the daughter of 1 of them) to decide how the land gets divided. The ONLY thing the law can do is mediate.

IF the dad did NOT change the paperwork dividing the land between the 3 sisters (HIS daughters) then Thai law says it is split equally between the 3 sisters. (providing mom is also gone, if not, it's all hers)

Now the problem arises based on the previously surveyed "Lots" on the land when it originally passed to the dad and where the house is built. Is it built across 2 lots or solely on 1? The value of that lot (those lots) increases because of the house making the 3rd that includes the house smaller in size to keep it equal in value.

 

ps. my wife was an associate professor of Politics/Law for 30 years in Thailand

[Scouse123]

The three people who contacted me privately, I have sent you all the phone numbers and email of the lady lawyer based in Korat.

 

You should be good to go. I have also emailed the lawyer letting her know some potential clients may be in touch.

[asf6]

deleted