No Foreigners Found Violating Law On Buying, Renting Farmland In Thailand

[HOOD Robin]

2 many crooked farangs in Thailand.Its called money laundry+++.It's so ok by me they do "abit" clean up now!.Thailand should started the cleanup looong time ago.

Poor sucker.... Little bit jealous maybe ?

[Arkady]

I would think there are quite a lot of Thai nominees fronting for foreigners invested in rice production and rice processing. The locals in one area of Ubon proudly point out a huge Taiwanese rice mill which must in with the local mafia in order to be allowed to operate.

Thai agriculture is actually facing serious competitiveness problems. Farmers have been encouraged to hold out their hands for price support from the government which has peed away money on this but provides nil support for them to improve productivity and yield. Vietnam is now competing aggressively and carefully avoiding the mistakes of the Thais who used to scoff that Vietnam could never catch up with them. Now Vietnam rice is better quality and more in demand for export.

55% of the Thai workforce works in agriculture which is hugely inefficient and can only generate 10% of GDP, despite the massive human resources employed. It has been a protected industry for 37 years, during which time its competitiveness has fallen off a cliff. Educational levels of farmers are very low, not helped by successive government education policies that deliberately set out to keep them stupid. Due their numbers, they are hugely influential in elections.

[nakachalet]

hello wrecker

why is all this outrage my friend, particularly on this current govt and its policies?

i and many others thaivisa members also do not agree with many govt policies but at the same time we do not launch unsubstantiated accusations, e.g. free education policy--without it this year, many poor rural thais around here would not be able to further their studies.

they would have to stay home and resume after their parents' outdated farming practices--which i am quite certain neither you nor many of us wish for this younger generation, do you not agree wrecker?

i do not wish to take up unnecessary space nor time of my fellow farangs, suffice it to say that let's tone down our unsubstantiated outcry and criticism pls.

if you have any positive idea to offer, state so. i am also certain there are plenty of us who would be happy to lend an ear to listen to positive suggestion, opinion or righteous indignation at times.... lol

not a personal attack ok?

[Brewsta]

we are guests here

pure and simple

we will never be anything more than that

for guests, read "tolerated relative-types with fleecing potential and no right of recourse, irrespective of who is to blame when the shears have bare=skinned the dumb visiting foreign livestock", IMHO.

rgdz,

Brewsta

I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW

but its still the most fun i've ever had

Barry, I couldn't agree more....LOS is a cross between a fairground in Soho and Orwell's 1984.

Came for a month, been here 10 years......Guilty as charged )

rgdz

Brewsta

[animatic]

In another thread someone, maybe LaoPo was saying farangs and their enterprising wives

should create rice co ops and pool their crops and such...

I noted it was illegal work for farangs and a controlled market that would not take to well too it.

And got ridiculed as "negative" for my efforts at reality injection.

c'est la vie.

I actual DID read the lists of reserved jobs for Thais relative to ownership and work permits.

[nakachalet]

animatic

.... saying farangs and their enterprising wives

should create rice co ops and pool their crops and such...

i would like to second this motion.... lol

cheers for thai wives with enterprising farang hubbies who better just slave behind the houses or in the kitchens, just like what moi have been preaching and practising for years since my arrival some ions ago.... lol

well, ok.... also a big cheer for sacrificial farang hubbies slaving away behind their wives' houses as well.... whose every whimsicality seemingly has been completely fulfilled to the fullest--at least in my own case anyway.... lol

[asiawatcher]

Perhaps the smoke screen of trawling for Foreigners to oust legitimate attempts in helping the Thai communities with their farming, is really to keep Thai's for Thailand. They have guarded their land with extreme prejudice since time immemorial. And rightfully so.

Despite the more than obvious corrupt practices of the Kingdom in general, I endorse this is a sad way. Live within the rules and peace will prevail. Why put yourself in (h)arms way? What - you want to teach the Thai people a lesson?

Class distinction will always be here in its Feudal capacity and that is simply how it is. Learn to live with it - communities in harmony - all else leads to violence. I don't condone the 'system' but after Enron, the finance garbage bail out of the Western Banks in the last six months and all the other crap and ongoing - interference in war mongering by the west, Thailand is still a paradise. It's their country and as already said - we are guests no matter what our status. Get over it.

Edited August 8, 2009 by asiawatcher

[lensta]

No foreigners found violating law on buying, renting farmland in Thailand

BANGKOK: -- Concerned Thai officials will continue monitoring whether foreigners have violated law on buying or renting farmland to engage in agriculture in the kingdom although initial investigation found that such a practice does not exist, Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot said on Saturday.

Mr Alongkorn said an investigation had been conducted in 20 provinces nationwide by Commerce Ministry Business Development Department officials and it was found that no foreigners had either bought or rented farmland over the limit set by law to continue farming in Thailand.

However, the ministry will continue monitoring the sector and seek cooperation from owners of agricultural land, and members of the Thai Farmers Association (TFA) for help in monitoring the activities of foreigners who may have entered into the business, he said.

Farming as an occupation is reserved for Thais only and the probe was conducted following an outcry by some farmers that foreigners have bought numerous plots of farmland here and hired farmers to provide the labour.

On Monday, the ministry will ask the Department of Special Investigation to continue probing whether foreigners have bought or rented farmland through business registration or a joint investment with Thais, said Mr. Alongkorn.

The ministry will also cooperate with TFA president Prasit Boonchuey in investigating the matter, he said.

He said Thailand will ask Bahrain’s Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa during a meeting with his Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Monday to buy Thai agricultural products or enter into joint investments in farming.

Sheikh Khalifa is scheduled to arrive here Sunday for a three-day official visit at the invitation of the Thai government.

-- TNA 2009-08-08

Related discussion (Farming in Thailand Forum):

Govt Probes Foreign Money In Paddies, Worse worries than land grab:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Govt-Probes-...

I really would have thought that the government of Thailand are faced with much more serious problems than this BS. They really need to look at their priorities. I know that all us farangs have had a whinge or bitch about the governments of our countries of origin but if ever a race of people had a reason to complain about their successive governments, its the Thais. I really do pitty them. Maybe it is a case of ignorance is bliss??

[norwayeagle]

2 many crooked farangs in Thailand.Its called money laundry+++.It's so ok by me they do "abit" clean up now!.Thailand should started the cleanup looong time ago.

Yes because all farang are evil and the thais would never be corrupt...heaven forbid

Wooow u r Smart.

[norwayeagle]

I make it a habit of milking my guests for all they've got. Guests? why is that term even used? Are we treated like guests? How do you treat your guests? Guests? it must a dialectal infarction.

Thailand "milking habit" guess where they learned that?who is "milking" who!

[norwayeagle]

2 many crooked farangs in Thailand.Its called money laundry+++.It's so ok by me they do "abit" clean up now!.Thailand should started the cleanup looong time ago.

Poor sucker.... Little bit jealous maybe ?

Sorry Sucker.R U?

[marsteele]

<deleted> ???? Just close the boarders stop foriegn investment, stop farang tourism and all thai problems will be solved. Robert Magabee or what ever his name is did it in Zimbawee and he now states it is the best country in the world.

[webfact]

A setback for the ministry.

What to do now?

No law-breakers was found.

Face has been lost

Perplexity spreads................ Who is to blame?

[thaibkk]

what a nice country.... blame the farang for everything bad... lol

[neverdie]

we are guests here

pure and simple

we will never be anything more than that

That line comes out religiously on this forum....and I just loveit

[norwayeagle]

<deleted> ???? Just close the boarders stop foriegn investment, stop farang tourism and all thai problems will be solved. Robert Magabee or what ever his name is did it in Zimbawee and he now states it is the best country in the world.

Do u think the white people has anything 2 do about the step Mr Mugabe took?

[webfact]

we are guests here

pure and simple

we will never be anything more than that

That line comes out religiously on this forum....and I just loveit

maybe the line is incomplete.

I like to add "and we can go home at any time."

that's what I love

[RickFarang]

Keep your shorts on! Its not a crackdown if nobody is violating a law. Nothing has happened, but an investigation.

But...Is there a law that makes it illegal for foreigners to be minority owners in companies involved in farming?

[manarak]

this is no crackdown at all, this is a political declaration.

I'd be surprised if there had been any real investigation.

I guess someone was campaigning among the farmers, accusing evil foreigners of being the cause of diminishing farming revenues.

Now that politician should have a difficult stance.

And @ Wrecker: you don't have a clue.

If you bring foreign companies into thai farming, the same will happen as in India.

What's needed are cooperatives, not greedy capital.

[Maestro]

An off-topic post and the reply to it have been deleted.

--

Maestro

[norwayeagle]

If you bring foreign companies into thai farming, the same will happen as in India.

What's needed are cooperatives, not greedy capital.

Yes.Now we are talking. I like people who r up n going.Hard 2 find,but ur 1 of them.

[Jonathanpattaya]

Yawn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a load of rubbish!!!

[CrossBones]

Is this kind of protectionism really good for Thailand?

If foreign companies buy up land or rent land , doesnt that put the prices up for land and houses and make the country and the baht worth more? Why are they still using Buffalos, why dont they join the high-tech farming like the western world and make 5 times the amount of crops.. using modern equipment and chemicals. I understand then there wouldnt be so many jobs for farmers, but couldnt they find something better and more interesting to do? I am assuming it is the poor who actually own most of the country (arable areas) so wouldnt it benefit them if the land prices went up? They could just rent their land to people who use combine harvesters to do the work and sit back drink as much lao kao as they like!

It reminds me of when they closed the coal mines in Wales all the miners up in arms... but who wants to work in a bloody coal mine. People had to retrain for something better.

How can Thailand go from a third world country to be like Malaysia or other countries like Singapore?

Surely this is the way forward isnt it? If they really feel their way is superior to ours.. then why are they "scared" of us?

I cant get my head around it!

[cyb]

So...foreigners can't do that but Bahrainis can? If you come from Bahrain you're not a foreigner?

Maybe it should be Bahtrain.

Read the post and understand it, It clearly said for bahrain to buy the goods not produce it.

Joint investments does not mean owning or farming in thailand.

Edited August 8, 2009 by cyb

[notobnoxious]

Obviously the Snake who resides in the Middle East apparently and other areseholes in this society if we can call it that percieve that it is ok to own as much land and prooperty outside this land as upou posibly can and because or the a holes who run Britain certainly allow that especially in Park Lane and formerly just off the M6 motorway.

But Oh No we only have the space the size of France with a population the size of Britain ugh!!!!!!!!!!!! How can we let you Farangs steal (Oops! Sorry) Buy our land or Build a House co's if you did not know Farang this is a one way street!

No foreigners found violating law on buying, renting farmland in Thailand

BANGKOK: -- Concerned Thai officials will continue monitoring whether foreigners have violated law on buying or renting farmland to engage in agriculture in the kingdom although initial investigation found that such a practice does not exist, Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot said on Saturday.

Mr Alongkorn said an investigation had been conducted in 20 provinces nationwide by Commerce Ministry Business Development Department officials and it was found that no foreigners had either bought or rented farmland over the limit set by law to continue farming in Thailand.

However, the ministry will continue monitoring the sector and seek cooperation from owners of agricultural land, and members of the Thai Farmers Association (TFA) for help in monitoring the activities of foreigners who may have entered into the business, he said.

Farming as an occupation is reserved for Thais only and the probe was conducted following an outcry by some farmers that foreigners have bought numerous plots of farmland here and hired farmers to provide the labour.

On Monday, the ministry will ask the Department of Special Investigation to continue probing whether foreigners have bought or rented farmland through business registration or a joint investment with Thais, said Mr. Alongkorn.

The ministry will also cooperate with TFA president Prasit Boonchuey in investigating the matter, he said.

He said Thailand will ask Bahrain’s Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa during a meeting with his Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Monday to buy Thai agricultural products or enter into joint investments in farming.

Sheikh Khalifa is scheduled to arrive here Sunday for a three-day official visit at the invitation of the Thai government.

-- TNA 2009-08-08

Related discussion (Farming in Thailand Forum):

Govt Probes Foreign Money In Paddies, Worse worries than land grab:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Govt-Probes-...

[Paddleshifter]

we are guests here

pure and simple

we will never be anything more than that

Guests normally dont pay money where they are guests do they. So I dont think we are considered guests my friend.

You and me are walking ATM machines that never run out of money.

[nakachalet]

crossbones

your intriguing post reminds me of a documentary on the original land owners in usa, namely indian of various tribes. as it was told and retold numerous times, for the value of one usd, the ownership of the island of manhattan was transferred forever.... for the benefit of the wickedly wiser farangs.... lol

you do know, of course, the monarch of siam was educated both in europe and usa, and for the sake of his royal majesty's advanced education, he chose to postpone his ascension to the throne until he completed his studies.... with that in mind....

the repetition of purchasing manhattan would ever ever occur in the land of siam.... is practically less than zip....

furthermore, thai people, unlike the other original land owner, are already accustomed to intoxicative liquor and its drastic effects upon themselves and their family members....

as far as my experience goes.... thais are not afraid of farangs at all, they love farangs, for most farangs as they experienced thru movies and vcd, are mostly honourable. generous, dependable and above all--fair and honest.... thais are never afraid of this category of farangs....

it is the other kind of farang beyond the confine of honourable farangs, that the land of smile has no room to accommodate, to say the least....

well, in reality, it really is up to us, isn't it? it really has nothing to do with thai people or thai laws or thai prejudiciary.... whether we want to make ourselves welcome or not....[/b]

as for myself and my family, we are most grateful for this wonderful opportunity afforded us in this peaceful land of THAI (no, i am not running for any political office either.... lol) i just feel very grateful and humbled, that's all.

Edited August 8, 2009 by nakachalet

[perax]

On this crackdown... many of you find it funny, but I don't. Might be overly cynical, but to me it rings just as ground preparation for some swindle down the road, maybe with some Arab friend... nothing better than nipping possible opposition even before it materialize.. "you can't complain about foreign investment in farming, we have just checked and we didn't find anything"... and in the meantime, half of a province in Isaan is leased out for 30 years to a nice Bharani-backed organization. With little benefit for the rest of the farmers in Thailand, and some nicely lined pockets for the friendly politicians in the right seat.

Might be paranoid, but the ministry of inactive posts is not famous for doing things without payback.

[Paddleshifter]

crossbones

your intriguing post reminds me of a documentary on the original land owners in usa, namely indian of various tribes. as it was told and retold numerous times, for the value of one usd, the ownership of the island of manhattan was transferred forever.... for the benefit of the wickedly wiser farangs.... lol

you do know, of course, the monarch of siam was educated both in europe and usa, and for the sake of his royal majesty's advanced education, he chose to postpone his ascension to the throne until he completed his studies.... with that in mind....

the repetition of purchasing manhattan would ever ever occur in the land of siam.... is practically less than zip....

furthermore, thai people, unlike the other original land owner, are already accustomed to intoxicative liquor and its drastic effects upon themselves and their family members....

as far as my experience goes.... thais are not afraid of farangs at all, they love farangs, for most farangs as they experienced thru movies and vcd, are mostly honourable. generous, dependable and above all--fair and honest.... thais are never afraid of this category of farangs....

it is the other kind of farang beyond the confine of honourable farangs, that the land of smile has no room to accommodate, to say the least....

well, in reality, it really is up to us, isn't it? it really has nothing to do with thai people or thai laws or thai prejudiciary.... whether we want to make ourselves welcome or not....[/b]

as for myself and my family, we are most grateful for this wonderful opportunity afforded us in this peaceful land of THAI (no, i am not running for any political office either.... lol) i just feel very grateful and humbled, that's all.

You`re farming some pretty strong weed up there ain`t you.. But you gotta stop smokin it, you`ve had more than enough already.

[capt_canada42]

Just remember you can, "Do anything but don't step on my blue suede shoes" !

Blue Blue Blue suede shoes baby, Blue blue blue suede shoes baby !