Dsi Opens Inquiry Into Foreigners Buying Land

[churchill]

The Department of Special Investigation is looking into claims foreign investors have set up nominee companies to snap up land to invest in rice farming.

DSI investigator Prawut Wongsinil yesterday said the agency had sent officers to areas where foreign investors have been reported to be buying or leasing land for rice farming.

The DSI intervention comes amid mounting rumours that foreign investors have been moving into the farming sector in droves using Thai nominees.

The Foreign Business Act prohibits foreigners or foreign companies from renting or buying land to grow rice or any kind of food, including raising livestock.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2141...ers-buying-land

-- Bangkok Post 04/08/09

[bkkjames]

hmm, the house that i rent has a chili plant in the backyard - but I promise - it was there before i moved in. Can i still eat them though?

[KevinBloodyWilson]

The Department of Special Investigation is looking into claims foreign investors have set up nominee companies to snap up land to invest in rice farming.

DSI investigator Prawut Wongsinil yesterday said the agency had sent officers to areas where foreign investors have been reported to be buying or leasing land for rice farming.

The DSI intervention comes amid mounting rumours that foreign investors have been moving into the farming sector in droves using Thai nominees.

The Foreign Business Act prohibits foreigners or foreign companies from renting or buying land to grow rice or any kind of food, including raising livestock.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2141...ers-buying-land

-- Bangkok Post 04/08/09

More paranoia. If the Thais put as much energy into stamping out corruption as they do to making sure that foreigners don't have the same rights in Thailand as Thais have in UK, they would have an altogether better reputation in the world.

And they wouldn't look quite as stupid.

Kev

[churchill]

I think it has more to do with this "FIELDS OF BATTLE

Global food supply concerns have revived fears of foreigners seeking to do farming in Thailand. Some farmers worry they could end up being little more than serfs." http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/econom...ields-of-battle

covered here http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Asia-Land-Gr...cu-t279444.html

[surface]

This is one law I fully support. The World Bank and IMF have created enough problems for poor farmers around the world, and this law helps to prevent similar land grabs.

Don't see how the law can make Thailand look stupid. Does the complete opposite IMO.

[oldsparrow]

Countries, especially the poor one, with history of colonialism threat are quick to be jumpy of the idea of foreigner owning land.

I can't remember what grade but I first heard of the sign "No dog and Chinese are allowed" in school class.

There has been talk of con/pro of the retire Japanese settlement for ages.

It can be just local business man's interest not genuine motive in the advocation but the point is surely inflamable among the Thais and no policy maker want to take a risk against mainstream sentiment for change.

[Soutpeel]

Countries, especially the poor one, with history of colonialism threat are quick to be jumpy of the idea of foreigner owning land.

When was Thailand a colony..?? If fact Thailand is always spouting off that they where one of the few countries that was never invaded by anyone and colonised..

In reality look at some of the countries in SEA, ie Singapore and Malaysia, and their colonial history and in fact in some circumstances you can in fact own land.

IMHO, with reference to land ownership in Thailand is more to do with the Thai "elite" loosing control of the exploitation of their own people.

The elite has created this xenophobia to protect their own interests only.... nothing to do with doing things for the good of the country...

[grapetable]

I must be missing something? Why would foreigners want to do rice farming anyway..........surely its not that lucrative?

To make it economically worthwhile I would imagine a huge area required................Can someone explain these economics to me?

[beekaykay]

Countries, especially the poor one, with history of colonialism threat are quick to be jumpy of the idea of foreigner owning land.

When was Thailand a colony..?? If fact Thailand is always spouting off that they where one of the few countries that was never invaded by anyone and colonised..

In reality look at some of the countries in SEA, ie Singapore and Malaysia, and their colonial history and in fact in some circumstances you can in fact own land.

IMHO, with reference to land ownership in Thailand is more to do with the Thai "elite" loosing control of the exploitation of their own people.

The elite has created this xenophobia to protect their own interests only.... nothing to do with doing things for the good of the country...

Thailand has never been "Officially" colonized, the English didn't want it and the Japs just walked in and claimed it, rofl.......

Unfortunately the Thais are not teached this in school, so they have no idea and think they are the best nation under the sun (excuse the Jap pun)....

Edited August 5, 2009 by beekaykay

[Farma]

I must be missing something? Why would foreigners want to do rice farming anyway..........surely its not that lucrative?

To make it economically worthwhile I would imagine a huge area required................Can someone explain these economics to me?

Some background info

http://arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&...;m=5&y=2008

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Rice-Farmers...nd-t190726.html

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Middle-East-...nd-t224090.html

[zzaa09]

Countries, especially the poor one, with history of colonialism threat are quick to be jumpy of the idea of foreigner owning land.

When was Thailand a colony..?? If fact Thailand is always spouting off that they where one of the few countries that was never invaded by anyone and colonised..

In reality look at some of the countries in SEA, ie Singapore and Malaysia, and their colonial history and in fact in some circumstances you can in fact own land.

IMHO, with reference to land ownership in Thailand is more to do with the Thai "elite" loosing control of the exploitation of their own people.

The elite has created this xenophobia to protect their own interests only.... nothing to do with doing things for the good of the country...

In a round about way, we've all been colonialized. Hardly a corner of the world that is not controlled and supressed by these 'special interests' imperialists. An Imperial order, I might add, with national ties.

[mrtoad]

hmm, the house that i rent has a chili plant in the backyard - but I promise - it was there before i moved in. Can i still eat them though?

I hope you have a work permit for watering it.

[Scott]

The land can't really go anywhere and the gov't will ultimately control exports of rice, so even if a rich Saudi businessman bought up a lot of land, he couldn't necessarily export his rice to Saudi Arabia. In that respect, it's a tempest in a teapot.

A gov'ts responsibility is to it's citizens, however, and this pursuit is probably a more important one economically than getting the poor guys married to a Thai wife, who buy land and farm it.

[Crushdepth]

where foreign investors have been reported to be buying or leasing land for rice farming

This must be nearly the last thing that a foreign investor would do with their money.

[Maizefarmer]

Thailand a colony - when, since when was Thailand ever colanised? - occupied on a temp basis (more than once), yes, but never colonised.

... and on the issue of foreigners growing rice, raising livestock or whatever - their are legal ways for foreigners to participate in the Thai ag industry, what the Post has not written up very well, and needs to explain to its readers, is that this issue is about distortion of the food and land pricing - the unchallengable wealth (at least by Thai standards) of Mid and Far East concerns manipulating local market economics by putting disproportionatly large sums of money on the table to buy exclusive use of land to grow crops which are then, instead of been on the open market, are then exclusively processed, packaged and distributed in Japan, Qautar, Saudi ... and wherever else.

This is what the Thai authroities are seeking to put a stop to.

[thedivezone]

hmm, the house that i rent has a chili plant in the backyard - but I promise - it was there before i moved in. Can i still eat them though?

Sorry, but you should have eradicated it before you moved in, expect a knock on the door from the BIB any day now !

Edited August 5, 2009 by thedivezone

[sibeymai]

Heaven forbid that poor Thai farmers are forced off their land by greedy foreigners to become just a source of cheap labour beholden to the landowners.

Much better that greedy Thais do it instead.

[sibeymai]

Heaven forbid that poor Thai farmers are forced off their land by greedy foreigners to become just a source of cheap labour beholden to the landowners.

Much better that greedy Thais do it instead.

[mrtoad]

Heaven forbid that poor Thai farmers are forced off their land by greedy foreigners to become just a source of cheap labour beholden to the landowners.

Much better that greedy Thais do it instead.

Of course, that'w what it's really about -not the actual interests of the poor farmers.

[zzaa09]

Many farmers aren't really that poor. Just the contrary. Myth.

[doodee]

If farang are breaking the law then they have a problem.Are we just talking about the old farang who hasnt got enough money to live in civilisation,shack up with an issan bird and have a bit of land to grow rice to supplement his pension.Or are we talking about land owned by rich farangs.

[Maizefarmer]

Neither - they are talking about large multi-nationals with hundreds of millions of forex to spend - the sorts of organisations that come in and take over land in 100 000 rai sizes - that is the sort of "business" that worries the Thai authorities.

[Electra]

Thailand a colony - when, since when was Thailand ever colanised? - occupied on a temp basis (more than once), yes, but never colonised.

Mid and Far East concerns manipulating local market economics by putting disproportionatly large sums of money on the table to buy exclusive use of land to grow crops which are then, instead of been on the open market, are then exclusively processed, packaged and distributed in Japan, Qautar, Saudi ... and wherever else.

This is what the Thai authroities are seeking to put a stop to.

Thailand was probably first colonised by the Khmers who created much of what we see in terms of architecture, then the Burmese and most recently by the Chinese.

I thought rice was subject to pricing by the intervention board at a rate set annually which buys it in and then exports. It is by no means an open market and in reality a giant collective in which the board and exporters reap ( excuse the pun ) the greater profit. I suspect the latter vested interest and their political puppets have most to fear from the alleged Middle Eastern/Japanese hegemony and naturally are therefore going to protect their fat rice bowl ( sorry, again). Talk of protecting the actual farmer is of course just sentimental twaddle used as window dressing to disguise their true motives.

[moe666]

As usual much ado about nothing, I love thaivisa.

[zzaa09]

As usual much ado about nothing, I love thaivisa.

Nothing? Not really. But I will agree that it is the usual nonsense.....the usual suspects wondering why Thailand {or Asia} can't be more like the West. And they're confounded when things aren't like it is in the West.

[Gary A]

I was born and raised in the Midwest USA. Why would anyone want to buy farmland in Thailand? Farmland in Ohio is MUCH cheaper and usually more fertile. On top of the price and productivity advantage, anyone can buy it.

[Harcourt]

I was born and raised in the Midwest USA. Why would anyone want to buy farmland in Thailand? Farmland in Ohio is MUCH cheaper and usually more fertile. On top of the price and productivity advantage, anyone can buy it.

Is that a fact? Wow. I knew whole towns were going for a song, but those are the victims of industry closing down....but farmland? Hmmm.

[slapout]

As Gary pointed out there is much cheaper land to be had in the US, when compared to land price in Thailand. The US does seem to have a nasty habit of looking at the source of monies, where as many other countries seem to ignore this. If memory serves, I think one of our ex prime ministers made such a proposal (foreign owner ship) for rice farming. Maize pointed out the size of farms these conglomerates go for, thus the displacement of a large number of the population. To farm these large farms, require the use of large machinery which can be operated by a few trained individuals, this would eliminate the seasonal jobs which many in the village depend on for cash income. Unless the country is capable of absorbing the displaced rural folk by providing meaningful employment it puts Thailand in a no win situation for the foreseeable future.

[JR Texas]

Countries, especially the poor one, with history of colonialism threat are quick to be jumpy of the idea of foreigner owning land.

When was Thailand a colony..?? If fact Thailand is always spouting off that they where one of the few countries that was never invaded by anyone and colonised..

In reality look at some of the countries in SEA, ie Singapore and Malaysia, and their colonial history and in fact in some circumstances you can in fact own land.

IMHO, with reference to land ownership in Thailand is more to do with the Thai "elite" loosing control of the exploitation of their own people.

The elite has created this xenophobia to protect their own interests only.... nothing to do with doing things for the good of the country...

Thailand was invaded by the Japanese and defeated rapidly.........had the British and Americans not intervened Thailand would be part of Japan today. I don't think they teach that in Thailand's history books.

I think you are totally correct: "...land ownership in Thailand is more to do with the Thai elite loosing control of the exploitation of their own people....The elite has created this xenophobia to protect their own interests only.... nothing to do with doing things for the good of the country."

And about "agricultural serfdoms," most farmers are already slaves to the system........it could hardly get worse for them if foreigners started getting more involved, bringing with them capital and new production techniques.

[KevinBloodyWilson]

I must be missing something? Why would foreigners want to do rice farming anyway..........surely its not that lucrative?

To make it economically worthwhile I would imagine a huge area required................Can someone explain these economics to me?

The economics are simple, hence my original post on the subject. Farmers who own land and grow rice are usually as poor as church mice in Thailand. Lovely, just like the elites want to se it. It is the middlemen, the millers and the wholesalers who are rich and they never get dirty hands or sore backs.

Thais are scared shitless of foreigners getting into food production and doing a better job of it than the Thais, the whole Thai economy runs on cheap labour so naturally they want to keep the labour cheap. In general, foreigners do not want to get into the farming game just so they can get poor, they would have to increase productivity 10-fold just to raise the standard of living to the level of Bolivia.

This is just another attempt to stoke up xenophobia and distract from the failures of the government.

Boring. Transparent.

Kev