Expats Applaud Would-be Law Allowing Them To Buy Housing In Vietnam

[selftaopath]

Do you suppose Thailand would stop and ponder now even communist countries are allowing freeer markets open to all than Thailand does?

(nah, me neither.)

Think about it. If a Thai sells land/house to a foreigner, the seller might have more choices, power, and chance of educating his/her children. Wouldn’t this cause (eventually) a shake up in operating procedures and power distribution? The power brokers and rich would not embrace that, but rather keep the status quo.

Edited December 26, 2007 by selftaopath

[PattayaParent]

Wrong Turn . . I must of missed the point in time Vietnam renounced Communism and held free election! It's a one party state - it's not call a socialist republic for nothing - and one that is a SR that is based upon Ho Chi Minh and Marxists communist beliefs. 100% Communist however you want to look at it.

They always hold free elections, there's always more than one candidate to vote for in an election and you're free to coose to vote for any of them.

[PattayaParent]

Sorry I should clarify as I wrote that in a hurry.

Members of the Party are free to vote in the elections.

[abdulrahman]

Wrong Turn . . I must of missed the point in time Vietnam renounced Communism and held free election! It's a one party state - it's not call a socialist republic for nothing - and one that is a SR that is based upon Ho Chi Minh and Marxists communist beliefs. 100% Communist however you want to look at it.

They always hold free elections, there's always more than one candidate to vote for in an election and you're free to coose to vote for any of them.

Thailand is more democratic!The last election,2 days ago,the thais have been free to vote for Toxin or for the Junta.

Now you'll see the results!

[Wrong Turn]

a lot of talk about Thailand in this threat.

I thought this thread was about Vietnam.

[technocracy]

They always hold free elections, there's always more than one candidate to vote for in an election and you're free to coose to vote for any of them.

Yes and all the candidates are of the same party i.e. the ruling Communist/Socialist party. It's exactly the same here in Laos election take place for people but they don't have any choice over a different party with different view. Which at the end of it is what communism is - a single ruling party with no free choice of party.

I have spoken to many people in Lao PDR about there views on Communism and if they'd change anything and all the people I've ever spoken with a totally apathetic on the opinion. I think if there were ever democratic elections here then I think chaos would decend.

But anyway the fact remains that Vietnam is one of the last 5 remaining communist states along with China, Lao PDR, Cuba and the DPRK.

[PattayaParent]

But anyway the fact remains that Vietnam is one of the last 5 remaining communist states along with China, Lao PDR, Cuba and the DPRK.

And long may it remain so.

[Wrong Turn]

Wrong Turn . . I must of missed the point in time Vietnam renounced Communism and held free election! It's a one party state - it's not call a socialist republic for nothing - and one that is a SR that is based upon Ho Chi Minh and Marxists communist beliefs. 100% Communist however you want to look at it.

The Vietnamese government has not renounced communism, they just don't practice it anymore.

After Le Duan died in 1986, the government started "Doi Moi," which translates to "new thinking.

Vo Van Kiet brought the south Vietnamese way of thinking into Vietnamese national politics and economics - slightly.

The North Vietnamese leaders have to pretend - and lie - and claim that "socialism" and "communism" is they way things are, and that this system helps the Vietnamese people.

Why do they perpetuate this lie?

I think mainly because of the long struggle and war to conquer the South and instill Communist economics on the entire nation, which did major damage to the economy.

To admit Communism as a failure - at least publicly acknowledge it, would mean much was a do about nothing.

I talk with Vietnamese university students who have to false and failed dogma pumped into their heads.

If you want an MBA in Vietnam you have to study Marxism, and also "Ho Chi Minh" thought.

stupid yes. Implemented into economic society? No.

There is no socialism here.

There are elections in Vietnam at certain levels.

But the basic structure of the government is Leninist. The is a Central Comittee and a Politburo.

I have always hated communism and still do.

But VN, is not communist, nor even socialist. This ended, for the most part, in 1986.

[Wrong Turn]

Wrong Turn . . I must of missed the point in time Vietnam renounced Communism and held free election! It's a one party state - it's not call a socialist republic for nothing - and one that is a SR that is based upon Ho Chi Minh and Marxists communist beliefs. 100% Communist however you want to look at it.

They always hold free elections, there's always more than one candidate to vote for in an election and you're free to coose to vote for any of them.

An additional note on elections:

To run, one does not have to be a communist party member, anymore.

The mayor of Saigon, is a business man in his later 40s.

The older communist "war heroes" are getting old, retiring, and dying.

Honestly folks, if you want to invest, consider Vietnam, depending on what industry you're in, and what your ideas are.

[Ricohoc]

Do you suppose Thailand would stop and ponder now even communist countries are allowing freeer markets open to all than Thailand does?

(nah, me neither.)

On my last trip to Thailand in Dec 2007, I sat next to a Thai national on the flight over and had a discussion with him about Thailand's reluctance to loosen regulations for foreigners from the standpoint of visas and owning land. It was his opinion that this philosophy is all a deep-seated wish of the current king. He felt that whenever the king passes, there will be a loosening of regulations.

I don't know enough about it all to question it, so don't shoot the messenger. I'm just passing on what I was told.

[LivinLOS]

As for Thailand, many will disagree with me, but if LOS allowed foreigners to buy land outright we'd see increases, and a "Farangland" in certain parts of the country.

And thats different from now how ??

I heard yesterday of a single house, on a single rai.. Just sold for 28 million USD here !!

Land around Patong hillside is being quoted at 15m per rai out of town.. Good land plots for higher end stuff are 20+ even 30+ million per rai.

I dont see to many Thais buying those !!

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

(Post deleted and new topic started)

Edited January 28, 2008 by Kaoboi Bebobp

[ade100]

Hi Samuian ....

Pra thet thai ruam luead nu'a chat chu'a thai

Pen pra cha rat pha thai kho'ng thai thuk suan

Yu dam rong khong wai dai thang muan

Duay thai luan mai rak sa mak khi

Thai ni rak sa ngop tae thu'ng rop mai khlat

Ek ka raj ja mai hai khrai khom khi

Sa la luead thuk yat pen chat p'hli

Tha loeng pra thet chat thai tha wi mi chai ch'yo

Thailand embraces in its bosom all people of Thai blood.

Every inch of Thailand belongs to the Thais.

It has long maintained its sovereignty,

Because the Thais have always been united.

The Thai people are peace-loving,

But they are no cowards at war.

They shall allow no one to rob them of their independence,

Nor shall they suffer tyranny.

All Thais are ready to give up every drop of blood

For the nation's safety, freedom and progress.

I see what you mean ...

TL

Firstly I don’t think its wise to judge a country’s current and future political and economic policies from its national anthem. Most national anthems are patriotic and nationalistic. Check out the words to “Deutschland, Deutschland über alles” or Rule Britannia (I know it’s not the official UK national anthem).

The point is that isolationist policies do not generally lead to a healthy economy and Thailand has one of the worst economies in SE Asia. Trade and investment are key to a prosperous nation. Thailand will either have to open up to foreign investment or accept its status as an impoverished, down-trodden third world country.

However, there are many ex-pats thinking “if only I could stay here without all the visa hassle and own a little plot of land”. Ironically if the country were to open up to foreign ownership of land, the expats could actually be the losers. Wealthy foreign investors (I am talking about corporate investors with billion dollar budgets) could snap up the best land plots and cause land prices to explode. I have seen it happen in Singapore and HK.

[adjan jb]

Thailand embraces in its bosom all people of Thai blood.

Every inch of Thailand belongs to the Thais.

It has long maintained its sovereignty,

Because the Thais have always been united.

The Thai people are peace-loving,

But they are no cowards at war.

They shall allow no one to rob them of their independence,

Nor shall they suffer tyranny.

All Thais are ready to give up every drop of blood

For the nation's safety, freedom and progress.

What a joke ! Thailand is run by about a hundred Chinese families.

[klikster]

As for Thailand, many will disagree with me, but if LOS allowed foreigners to buy land outright we'd see increases, and a "Farangland" in certain parts of the country.

And thats different from now how ??

I heard yesterday of a single house, on a single rai.. Just sold for 28 million USD here !!

Land around Patong hillside is being quoted at 15m per rai out of town.. Good land plots for higher end stuff are 20+ even 30+ million per rai.

I dont see to many Thais buying those !!

A few months ago I visited an enclave just outside Chiang Mai where the average house must have been Bt 30 million. The place where we stayed was 2.5 rai with house and guest house and offered at Bt 60 million.

A number of Bangkok high rollers live there and I believe they are all Thai.

Google for "napa doi"

[technocracy]

As for Thailand, many will disagree with me, but if LOS allowed foreigners to buy land outright we'd see increases, and a "Farangland" in certain parts of the country.

And thats different from now how ??

I heard yesterday of a single house, on a single rai.. Just sold for 28 million USD here !!

Land around Patong hillside is being quoted at 15m per rai out of town.. Good land plots for higher end stuff are 20+ even 30+ million per rai.

I dont see to many Thais buying those !!

A few months ago I visited an enclave just outside Chiang Mai where the average house must have been Bt 30 million. The place where we stayed was 2.5 rai with house and guest house and offered at Bt 60 million.

A number of Bangkok high rollers live there and I believe they are all Thai.

Google for "napa doi"

2.5 rai with house AND guest house . . . blimey they must be crammed together our house stands alone on a 2.5 rai piece of land and it feel a nice size but with plenty of space around.

Dunno anything about the housing market in Thailand though ... although I think many of them probably believe they must need a house as shown on the highly hilarious and laughable hi-so soap opera pap that is constantly aired. Sure 2 people need a mansion sized house with 10 beds rooms and numerous servants . . . oh and I bet there make up isn't as perfect as the soaps (morning, noon or night)!

Mind you there is one such house not that far from me here in Vientiane - a mid 50s Lao bloke with a house with if I remember rightly 8 bedrooms all with ensuites (I visited when it was under construction as we were considering using the same builders) and downstairs rooms were over 8 metres wide and over 10 metres long of which there was 4. The outside of it is hilarious about 200 lights (literally) around the wall, 2 entry gates (this I cannot work out . . as the security guard house is at one), a water feature complete with small bridges as part of the drive way and a fountain just inside the front wall. The house has been set right at the back of the plot of land (about 3-4 rai) so you have about a 100m drive/walk to house! Whoever designed it obviously watches too much Thai TV!

[LivinLOS]

As for Thailand, many will disagree with me, but if LOS allowed foreigners to buy land outright we'd see increases, and a "Farangland" in certain parts of the country.

And thats different from now how ??

I heard yesterday of a single house, on a single rai.. Just sold for 28 million USD here !!

Land around Patong hillside is being quoted at 15m per rai out of town.. Good land plots for higher end stuff are 20+ even 30+ million per rai.

I dont see to many Thais buying those !!

A few months ago I visited an enclave just outside Chiang Mai where the average house must have been Bt 30 million. The place where we stayed was 2.5 rai with house and guest house and offered at Bt 60 million.

A number of Bangkok high rollers live there and I believe they are all Thai.

Google for "napa doi"

Well the price on the andara villas near me is a 2m USD start.. And they are only average special IMO.

Almost 0 Thai take up.

30m is getting to be very average here. 18m is the asking on a apartment I know.

[totlanh]

I may be wrong so dont flame me if i am ,but i think this law is only applicaple in Saigon and Hanoi.Certainly the expats here in Hoi An believe this to be the case.

[SoCal]

Won't know until the law is published.

[SoCal]

Latest:

House undecided on allowing foreigners to buy houses

The National Assembly’s Standing Committee has yet to approve a proposal to allow foreigners to own houses in Vietnam, an official told Thanh Nien.

An official from the house’s Law Committee, who wished to remain unnamed, said at a recent session the Standing Committee had failed to reach agreement on the issue.

“If the government is determined to go ahead, it is likely that the proposal will be submitted to the full house for ratification,” he added.

In July last year the Ministry of Construction called for allowing six categories of foreigners - including investors, non-property firms, and people married to Vietnamese citizens – to own houses for 70 years.

The ministry recommendations also included restrictions such as they can only buy a house for themselves or their families and not for commercial purposes, they cannot sell it for one year, and others.

A foreigner who already owns a house cannot inherit or be gifted another, but can only receive its monetary value.

Foreign companies doing business here can buy houses for their foreign employees.

If approved, the new provision will be piloted soon in Hanoi and HCMC before being expanded.

FOREIGN BENEFICIARIES UNDER THE PROPOSAL

- People coming to Vietnam for direct investment.

- People who have contributed to Vietnam and have been honored by ministries or higher-ranked agencies.

- Cultural and scientific experts.

- People married to Vietnamese citizens and living in Vietnam.

- Honorary citizens.

- Foreign-invested enterprises not operating in the property sector.