I've been doing some research on issues relating to owning land in Thailand. One of the relevant agreements is a "usufruct" which is a permission from the land owner for somebody to use the land. I have seen the Thai word for this transliterated as "sit-ti-gep-gin".

Can anyone tell me how this is written in Thai script so I can explain to my wife what the hel_l I'm going on about?

สิทธิเก็บกิน

Explanation available in Thai on:

http://www.dol.go.th/lo/smt/handbook/november/news1.htm

if she did not understand what you have told her she won't understand it written thai as well - usufruct is not commonly known, unless somebodydeals with land or legal matters.

but tell her to search for it in thai on the net and she will have a grasp of it

Vaguely related to the OP, would somebody be so kind as to tell me the precise translation of permanent residency. Thais bring this topic up indirectly fairly frequently, often in the context, "Ohn sanchart reu yang?" and I end up using a phrase like "mee sit ja yoo thaworn" to represent permanent residency but this is almost certainly not the correct term.

Vaguely related to the OP, would somebody be so kind as to tell me the precise translation of permanent residency. Thais bring this topic up indirectly fairly frequently, often in the context, "Ohn sanchart reu yang?" and I end up using a phrase like "mee sit ja yoo thaworn" to represent permanent residency but this is almost certainly not the correct term.

I believe the formal term is ผู้พำนักถาวร However, I've never heard ผู้พำนัก used in everyday conversation, not really sure what else you could use. How about "Mee Greencard Thai"

- ผู้พำนักถาวร = Permanent Resident

- ผู้พำนักระยะยาว = Long Term Resident

สิทธิเก็บกิน

Explanation available in Thai on:

http://www.dol.go.th/lo/smt/handbook/november/news1.htm

I think the link provides a pretty comprehensive explanation. If she finds it difficult to read (my eyes started hurting after a while too), then try googling สิทธิเก็บกิน as someone else suggested, and have her take a look to get the gist of it.

I've been doing some research on issues relating to owning land in Thailand. One of the relevant agreements is a "usufruct" which is a permission from the land owner for somebody to use the land. I have seen the Thai word for this transliterated as "sit-ti-gep-gin".

I am not sure whether the right to eke out a living on the land (สิทธิเก็บกิน) is exactly the same as a "usufruct", nor am I 100% sure what the legal defintions of a "usufruct" are. But in my limited experience, which is rather direct regarding สิทธิเก็บกิน (my inlaws), it is used where pre-existing village land is/was incorporated into a National Forest, or the like, and the pre-existing residents now residing within those new boundaries are given the right to continue to live and farm on the land. They are not able to obtain the same type of title deed to the land as truly private landowners, although they do get deeds and are able to sell that right to use and farm the land to others, although usually this lessens the value of the land. Family is able to inherit the land and the rights, สิทธิเก็บกิน, to use it. Technically, if the land is left fallow and not used for 10 years then than all rights to use the land are lost.