Foreigners Taking Over Land In North Thailand, Claims Farmers' Group

[george]

Foreigners taking over land in North, claims farmers' group

CHIANG MAI: -- Vast tracts of land in the North are now in the hands of foreigners, mostly through marriages to Thai women, a local farmers' group said yesterday.

Most of the land has been used for hotels and resorts put under the names of their wives, said Samarn Thadthieng, head of a group of farmers based in the Kuang River Basin in Chiang Mai and Lamphun. Plus, he said, there is an estate covering around 100 rai that only foreigners can rent.

He added that a large number of farmers also rented their farms to foreigners, and received payment in the form of rice instead of cash. In addition, he said, foreigners were also benefiting from the government's price-intervention scheme and were being given free rice seeds through other assistance programmes.

"This is dangerous, because these foreigners will turn from renters into beneficiaries exploiting Thai soil, sending remittances overseas and damaging the country's economy," he added.

He said government budgets were now being spent to benefit these foreigners instead of poor farmers, and those who have rented their land on a long-term basis to foreigners, end up encroaching on forests to obtain new land for themselves.

He called on the government and local administrative bodies to look into the matter.

In Chiang Rai, chief of a palm oil cooperative Inkham Namwong claimed that around 70 per cent of farmland and plantation in the province had been rented to foreigners. He said he was waiting for government funds to help set up a new cooperative that would help Thai farmers compete against foreign-owned palm plantations.

-- The Nation 2009-08-12

[apetley]

And we all know that hotels and resorts are built on prime farming land!

And if farmers are renting land, and I mean IF, then that must be with the consent of the farmer right? I'm sure we would have heard by now if poor old Somchai was being coerced by nasty farang into leasing out his land.

Foreigners benefiting from government handouts and assistance programmes.....AS IF!!!

Foreigners exploiting Thai soil, very emotive language there, I wonder who they vote for?

And the poor old farmers have to encroach on forest land because they were cheated in some way to rent out their own land to the nasty farang.

Xenophobic racist ranting at it's worst.

[kaorop]

which group of foreigners are they talking about?

[LaoPo]

Quite a confusing article.

70% of farm land and plantation in the entire province of Chiang Rai rented out the foreigners ?

And, if land is rented to foreigners but in the name of their wives, what's the problem ? Those foreigners won't be around anymore after 2, 3 or 4 decades (maximum) and the land will be in Thai hands again (which in fact it is already now).

Fuzz....

LaoPo

[animatic]

Jealousy of the worst kind.

Can't keep their women happy and THEY keep complaining about how

the Farang's wife's farm is doing better than ours yada yada da da.

So take it out on those who do know how to make their businesses work.

And best way to run them off is take their land.. in theory.

Except the land no doubt is owned by the wives lock stock and barrel.

The husbands just consult and likely have a totally different job,

and INVEST in the wife's business to make HER more productive.

Odd... three times in a week or so Lao Po and I agree...

Must be the eclipse!

Edited August 12, 2009 by animatic

[Heng]

Fair is fair. If you don't want to get taken over, DON'T SELL.

[Scott]

There really seems to be a lot of anti-foreign sentiment lately. More than usual, that's for sure.

[jasreeve17]

Yeah, it's ridiculous.

I do find it funny when the Thais complain to their third generation Chinese bosses in Bangkok how the foreigners that married a Thai woman are stealing their countries wealth...

[Pdaz]

I liked the bit about remitting money overseas.. yeah I can just see that.. Farangs sending money out of Thailand...

[Heng]

I do find it funny when the Thais complain to their third generation Chinese bosses in Bangkok how the foreigners that married a Thai woman are stealing their countries wealth...

I hear ya', as a third generation Thai Chinese boss, about a third of my time spent in the office is rolling on the floor laughing about that very fact. I feel another bout coming on...

[Johpa]

Foreigners taking over land in North, claims farmers' group

.....He added that a large number of farmers also rented their farms to foreigners, and received payment in the form of rice instead of cash.

-- The Nation 2009-08-12

I believe that paying off rent with 50% of the padi harvest is the traditional form of rent up north. And although I can not remember the title or author, there was an academic book published I think in the late 1970s that both noted in the data and bemoaned the fact that a majority of the peasantry up north, peasant being the common academic term for Thai farmers at that time, had lost their land for one reason or another to absentee landlords. So this is nothing new other than instead of city based Thai-Chinese, often with Thai wives, buying the land we have a few Caucasian foreigners buying the land through their Thai wives. As I have noted for many years, most of the anti-Farang sentiments in Thailand derive from the one earlier arriving group not wanting competition from the more recently arrived group. And of course the real story is that the major land owners up north now have long been firms such as Boon Rawd up in Chiang Rai or the massive holdings of the CP group. Neither group wants competition nor higher land prices for their expansion.

[Heng]

Kind of a broad generalization. Plenty of folks in the earlier group would more than welcome competition and the inherent increase of land values. If anything, it's the folks who never seemed to be able to get a foothold that are complaining the most.

[Pui]

The rice industry in Thailand has been in the hands of the Thai/Chinese for generations. This is well documented. is this what they mean by foreigners? Surely not!

[jasreeve17]

I do find it funny when the Thais complain to their third generation Chinese bosses in Bangkok how the foreigners that married a Thai woman are stealing their countries wealth...

I hear ya', as a third generation Thai Chinese boss, about a third of my time spent in the office is rolling on the floor laughing about that very fact. I feel another bout coming on...

Then you change the laws to keep us and a new load of Chinese out... cementing your position, but, BUT you haven't factored in the laziness of your kids! Have you seen the latest generation of Chinese Thais hanging around Emporium? They'll spend every baht that the first three generations (well the first two anyway) worked so hard for.

I slave away happy in the knowledge that your grandchildren will be asking my grandchildren for loans (and my kin will be happy to accept your land as guarantee)...

[DMCGARRY]

I take it the solution is to ban the apparant foreign farmers by using the Mugabwe land reclamation programme.

That can be the only action that this person could be wanting.

Absolute insanity

[puipuitom]

Yeah, it's ridiculous.

I do find it funny when the Thais complain to their third generation Chinese bosses in Bangkok how the foreigners that married a Thai woman are stealing their countries wealth...

Exactly. Thailand is already for generations in the hands of Chinese. 95% or more of all company owners are Chinese.

Why ? Because the Thais are extremely clever, very hard working, full of entrepeneural initiatives, wise and adequate decission makers ...

[astral]

The government's own report http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Foreigners-V...ng-t287081.html seems to contradict this news...............

[frenchFARANGbkk]

So, what is the problem? These Thai farmers just have to go to US or Europe and buy all the land they want, IN THEIR OWN NAME !!!

so what is unfair?

:-)

[Skidley]

Gents, this is called farang investment. If they don't want it then no problem.

i don't know any farang that makes enough money for it to be worth sending OS, it is to me just a hobby. All you earn is hobby money, if you make any at all.

Justifiable though for a Thai that tries to earn in a month what we most give in tips.

But be wary! There is many Thais that think if Thai lady have Farang that the family is ignorant of the Thai society and won't associate or talk to then. Going through this right now.

[Heng]

Then you change the laws to keep us and a new load of Chinese out... cementing your position, but, BUT you haven't factored in the laziness of your kids! Have you seen the latest generation of Chinese Thais hanging around Emporium? They'll spend every baht that the first three generations (well the first two anyway) worked so hard for.

I slave away happy in the knowledge that your grandchildren will be asking my grandchildren for loans (and my kin will be happy to accept your land as guarantee)...

Actually the laws have plenty of loopholes for new generation Chinese and to a lesser (but no less welcome) extent East Asians in general. And actually, just about everything is factored in. The kids that have no potential get 'window seats' (as in Japan) and some spending money (but by no means the bundle of chanotes and passbooks).

Grandkids? Is that what you call paying this month's rent?

[noahvail]

The government's own report http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Foreigners-V...ng-t287081.html seems to contradict this news...............

My thought exactly.

Of course, a committee that is set up to find something that doesn't exist might want to justify its own existence by planting the seeds, so to speak.....

[LaoPo]

Odd... three times in a week or so Lao Po and I agree...

Must be the eclipse!

\

..what eclipse ?

LaoPo

[LaoPo]

I do find it funny when the Thais complain to their third generation Chinese bosses in Bangkok how the foreigners that married a Thai woman are stealing their countries wealth...

I hear ya', as a third generation Thai Chinese boss, about a third of my time spent in the office is rolling on the floor laughing about that very fact. I feel another bout coming on...

You just do that, saving a cleaning lady ! My wife does the same but 2/3's of the day, laughing

LaoPo

[BlueSmurf]

Jealousy of the worst kind.

Can't keep their women happy and THEY keep complaining about how

the Farang's wife's farm is doing better than ours yada yada da da.

So take it out on those who do know how to make their businesses work.

And best way to run them off is take their land.. in theory.

Except the land no doubt is owned by the wives lock stock and barrel.

The husbands just consult and likely have a totally different job,

and INVEST in the wife's business to make HER more productive.

Odd... three times in a week or so Lao Po and I agree...

Must be the eclipse!

Spot on! No more comment needed!!!

[Heng]

You just do that, saving a cleaning lady !

Nah, it'd cost me more in 3M lint rollers than to just have her mop and sweep twice a day.

[writeshack]

My wife rents out some of her rice fields for share cropping. She gets paid an agreed number of bags of unmilled rice per rai per harvest and both sides are happy with the deal. The fact we are married doesn't mean I have taken over her land. She wouldn't allow that anyway. The foreigners scooping up farmland are the Chinese and Indian money lenders, especially in the areas on the edge of expanding towns. And they then hold the land until they can build a housing estate.

[RickFarang]

Gentlemen!

I think the last paragraph explains the purpose of the story. Emphasis mine.

Foreigners taking over land in North, claims farmers' group

In Chiang Rai, chief of a palm oil cooperative Inkham Namwong claimed that around 70 per cent of farmland and plantation in the province had been rented to foreigners. He said he was waiting for government funds to help set up a new cooperative that would help Thai farmers compete against foreign-owned palm plantations.

-- The Nation 2009-08-12

[huskerpr]

My question is this, How does the person who wrote this article and the Thai Government suppose Farangs are to care for their wives, children and extended families, if we are unable to buy homes and land to provide for them? Thailand is good about advertising to the Farang about how nice it is to retire there with a Thai wife, but don't stay or buy land, just bring or send money and spend it here. Thai women like living in Thailand and do nt want to move, but I for one will quickly divorce if these two things happen. 1.) not allowed to provide home and land for my family, 2.) my wife does not get a visa to join me in my home country. I will not be one to send money freely and only get to be with my wife 15 - 30 days a year.

[jbsears]

It seems that every once in a while there seems to be some xenophobic article coming out. The worst reaction Thailand could do is start pulling a Mugabe which would just completely kill investor confidence. Competition is good.

[lounger]

I think there may be an agenda here that needs addressing. If the farang businessmen are exporting enormous quantities of agricultural produce at unfair prices then I agree it should be stopped. I read somewhere that middle eastern countries are ensuring future food supplies by taking over vast tracts of farmland in foreign countries. I firmly believe that countries should be able to benefit from work. So I am against hotel and food chains bringing in all goods and not buying locally and then through some means exporting the profits again. It sounds to me as though the profits from the farms are being exported and presumably as low priced goods, as why else would the Thais object ( ok silly question) If this is the case then its up to the government to ensure that all exported produce is subject to controls. This would stop the leak of wealth.