Surat Thani authorities are moving to revoke land rights held by 112 companies on Koh Pha Ngan after finding their foreign shareholdings exceeded limits set by law. Governor Jumpot Wannachatsiri has instructed officials to take action against the landholdings, as part of an ongoing scrutiny of corporate ownership of land on the island. The cases involve 124 land plots with a combined area of about 87 rai. While the announcement concerns companies rather than individual property owners, it is a reminder for foreign investors and expats using Thai companies to hold land that authorities are examining ownership structures on Koh Pha Ngan. More than 1,800 landholding entities checked Officials reviewed 1,832 entities holding land on the island. Of those, 93.9% were classified as general entities. A further 5.7%, representing 112 entities, were found to have foreign shareholdings above the legal threshold. Another 0.4% had previously been ordered by the governor to dispose of land. Of the 112 companies now identified, 104 were uncovered during inspections. The remaining eight had already been the subject of court rulings. Thailand generally restricts foreign ownership of land, although foreigners may have rights to occupy or use property through certain legal arrangements. The current action is focused on companies whose shareholding arrangements were found to exceed the limit prescribed by law. Disposal orders under way Officials are considering disposal orders for 28 of the companies. Another 76 cases are under review by the Koh Pha Ngan branch land office before being submitted for disposal proceedings. Jumpot has already issued disposal orders against eight entities, covering nine land plots. Relevant agencies will continue to investigate and follow up the remaining cases within the timeframes required by law, according to officials. They said the measures were intended to protect national interests. Join the discussion? 24 August 2026
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