What Is A Promise Form?

[way2muchcoffee]

LOL

My wife mistyped. I guess I need to restate my question. The top of the paper, signed by the village head, witnesses, and my wife, reads:

หนังสือสัญญาซื้อขาย

She tells me it says something roughly equivalent to 'Promise Form' or perhaps 'Promissory Note'. I have no way to really know without seeing a lawyer. It seems the possibilities are:

1) We were scammed

2) We were sold a piece of land but are awaiting a government land office representative

3) We are loan sharks and are holding the land until repayment of the debt

We were told that when the government inspector comes around they would call us to come there so the land could be put in my wife's name. Perhaps someone here has an idea.

Note: I buggered the subtitle to the thread. It would be nice if the system would allow you to modify the thread title.

Edited March 15, 2008 by way2muchcoffee

[Irene]

[

The Thai wordings mean "Purchase and Sale Document". If it is an official document signed by a land official as a witness with red emblem, then it is an official agreement of buying and selling between two parties for transfer of an official title deed or nor sor sam. Presumably, there should be an official title deed or nor sor sam with your wife's name stated as the latest owner and the deed is now in your hand.

As to the other three questions, we would need to know of the contents and also whether the document is witnessed by a land official. I wonder whether your wife is telling the truth. Your explanations sound odd.

[way2muchcoffee]

Thanks Irene. I appreciate your comments. It is my understanding that the land was King's land that was 'given' to the villagers some time ago. The families living in the village have been there for many generations. I don't know if this makes sense. Before my wife bought the property I asked two Thai friends about the possibility of there being such a case. One had heard of land of this type and the other wasn't sure. The document doesn't have a red emblem and there is no further paperwork.

[way2muchcoffee]

As far as my wife lying that would be highly doubtful. At the time of the purchase I didn't have enough money to give her so she sold her favorite gold necklace to make up the difference. We've been together 6 years and have been married for one year. She is a terrible liar. If she is guilty of something it is of being unsophisticated, naive, and overly trusting of others.

[Irene]

If you are right, it is people around her that I am concerned of. If you can scan the document in question, erasing names of individuals involved, perhaps we might read more into the background of your situation

[Farma]

I’m not sure if this is the case but I’ve known crown land to be leased out “sold” without title.

We were offered some last year near near a Laos border crossing. The “purchase” price was lower then exected if buying freehold land.

Supposedly the land was ours to use how and when we wanted, for as long as we wanted, or until the Goverment wanted it back. We could also sell the land on.

We declined the offer.

I’ll leave it up to someone more knowledgable on land to comment on the OP’s case.

[meadish_sweetball]

The easiest thing to do would be to take the paper to the authorities in Bangkok and ask them what the paper entails.

สัญญา can mean both 'promise' and 'contract', amongst others - in this construction, I think the meaning 'contract' would apply. Could it be that your wife thinks the word 'promise' has the same double meaning in English?

[way2muchcoffee]

Thanks. I've been doing some querying on other forums and worked out some of the details. Here's what I was able to find.

These are the different categories of land ownership from the top (100% legal) to the bottom (illegal).

โฉนด Chanote, a water-tight legal document introduced almost ten years ago to gradually replace นส3ก.

นส3ก Nor Sor 3 (with a green stamp) The old-school legal document which acts in the same way as โฉนด so it can be used as collateral in bank loan applications and can be upgraded to โฉนด.

นส3 Nor Sor 3 (with a black stamp) One months notice is required before selling this land title. This type of land title is being phased out in favour of นส3ก.

สปก Sor Por Gor (printed on card) This land title is for family inheritance only and cannot be sold to outsiders - a so-called 'hard copy.'

สปก Sor Por Gor (printed on paper) This can be either sold to outsiders or upgraded to a 'hard copy.'

ทป5 Tor Bor 5 Totally illegal but very common in rural areas and tolerated by the local authorities. This land can be declared for tax reasons but doesn't have any land title and cannot be used as collateral in bank loan applications. This type of land is preferred by many as there are no strings attached when buying or selling.

I suspect the land my wife purchased falls into the last category

[LivinLOS]

I hope it was cheap..

The idea of buying land without any idea of what title it holds.. Well erm.. good luck..