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

[Leeski]

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!!!

Comment is needed. Can of worms they're opening here. They missed out in their report about all the backhanders and taxable income coveniently witheld from all these deals. Farang being the greater contributer to tax and other outrageous price increases. Maybe if they concentrated on asking themselves why Farang contribute so much into land they can't own. Also, why their society is selling out on them. Including their women running off with other nationalities and their boys growing up as women. Let's watch them dig their own graves on this farmland!!!

Edited August 12, 2009 by Leeski

[Bard]

Thailand is a racist Nation always been, they want foreigners to leave money here and go away.

Historically in Thailand they start with gray market stuff, big bikes, yacht, boats, import cars etc.

Then they start chasing land, owned by Thai wife illegal unless she can prove all the money came from her own funding etc. Business owning land for foreigners etc. They reclaim all that.

Then clamp down on work permits and more visa shit again.

Funny part is there is less tourists to milk cash from now than in 49 years of history, Thailand is hardest hit together with South Africa in Expats moving away the last year. Virtually no foreign investment in new factories and businesses.

So for the remaining lot of us expect more shit hitting the fan.

The disturbing part is, if you are a Thai national going to a Western nation you may buy land, business ownership outright and all the benefits the Nation has to offer, here no way.

Also due to the skin colour of westerners they get hit hardest every time, however the foreigners they have problems with taking over, take jobs, land etc. is and has always been majority Asians. 90% of the Westerners follow the rules here, and how many Western expats live here? So we're talking about a very small number of people pushing the envelope.

They estimate 70% of all land is owned by Chinese, over 250,000,- Illegal Burmese workers, over 200,000,- Illegal Cambodian workers, Around a 100,000,- Laotians. Very high rate of Indians business takeovers and immigration. But every time they aim at foreigners they aim at falang who there are perhaps a few thousand who do not follow the rules. Many falangs who live here are retired or work offhsore, pulling in a steady stream of foreign currency into the country and securing a lot of jobs here. Another big group is business investors, or management for foreign corporations in BOI zones, they keep loads of Thai's employed, pull in currency needed and contribute to the society and get nothing back for it. Other runs small export outlets and so on... Are there falangs who is running around breaking laws yes there is, but is it worth chasing all the contributing people away for the sake of a few?

Obviously so according to the way they do things. So the rank of falangs will thin out more, they will continue to cling by pegging the Baht to the dollar. By this they prove how good it goes, all I see is a complete new total economical crash coming up in Thailand, and as long as the news and government can blame the falangs and swine flu the people are duped. Keep the people worried and they cling to the government for support... Swine flu where did all the coloured shirts go? Dangers with foreigners, keep rolling the news and people don't complain simple as that.

One day the house of cards falls, and I bet foreigners will be blamed yet again...

[Lite Beer]

Off topic post deleted.

[Eggmeng]

No where in the article can I find the word farang. Why have so many posters assumed the foreigners referred to are Westerners, or if you prefer, "farangs?"

[Thai at Heart]

As they say in cricket, look in the book.

If it is a Thai name on the paper, that is who owns it.

If they really look hard and deep into who actually owns 70% of the decent farming land in the North, it would make very instructive reading who are the top 5 family owners. The farmers of Thailand are not being exploited by any foreigners, the people ripping them off are to be found much closer to home.

This kind of silly sentiment is starting to be a daily occurence, and I would hope that this nationalisitic rhetoric is only designed to divert attention in the news from the real problems of the day.

[Sturbuc]

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

If you don't want to get taken over, DON'T RENT or LEASE.

I wonder where all the money goes as it is still impossible to get the land on the foreigners name.

So there must be some Thais involved....

Edited August 12, 2009 by Sturbuc

[eggomaniac]

Foreigners taking over land in North, claims farmers' group

", sending remittances overseas and damaging the country's economy," he added.

On this point, I agree a 100% with the Thai farmers group. The Thai Government should make sure no overseas expats send money back to Thailand!!!

Edit; Now I'm curious. Is there any way to know how much money expat Thai women send back from overseas, annually?

If you take all the Bhat farangs' Thai wives "remit" back and add it to the amount spent by farangs to purchase property for Thais; it might be be as big an 'industry' as all of tourism!?

Edited August 12, 2009 by eggomaniac

[hervelon]

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.

yes apetley ...unreal ...this country amaze me day after day ... like if us farang were exploiting the poor farmers... no mention of how much cash exchanged hand and whether the recipient were somehow forced in accepting any deals... just like us farang were so mort of mafia...running a racket... through our Thai wife !! laughable ...sadly it will sound believeable to many Thai people...

the only point i may need to look into further is whether or not money resulting from these businesses are re-invested in thailand so that it benefits thai economy in the long term.

[reaper]

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

I find the last statement very funny. Yes, government help is quite helpful in the short term, but then later on these same people would probably be the ones that say the government is corrupt and want to overthrow it. Or, they would be complaining that the government is not giving them a fair deal. Either way, the government will be blamed, which IMHO is not fair. The farmers are at fault for renting out their land in the first place

[hervelon]

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

If you don't want to get taken over, DON'T RENT or LEASE.

I wonder where all the money goes as it is still impossible to get the land on the foreigners name.

So there must be some Thais involved....

of course agreed!! DONT SELL DONT LEASE DONT RENT....

[RealRyguy]

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!

What's the first thing you think when you hear the term farang? White American/British?

And I thought farang ment foreigner which actually means any non native Thai...

Crackdown on farangs more!

I love the media...

Edited August 12, 2009 by RealRyguy

[Bosse137]

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

I find the last statement very funny. Yes, government help is quite helpful in the short term, but then later on these same people would probably be the ones that say the government is corrupt and want to overthrow it. Or, they would be complaining that the government is not giving them a fair deal. Either way, the government will be blamed, which IMHO is not fair. The farmers are at fault for renting out their land in the first place

[givenall]

which group of foreigners are they talking about?

What? looking for escape goats?

[Bosse137]

Where I have lived for 18 years,farmers sell their land in order to pay for a lavish party when a son "get mellid" or "goes to Buddha".Or they want to buy a new car to keep inside the house (no money for fuel) etc. Or,they borrow the money and later,when they can´t repay the loan,complain to the government and want its help to bail them out!! Make of it what you want,but that´s the truth in many,many cases..

[RKASA]

My wife after three decades of living and working freely in the US without even having to have a work permit or visa because we are married, wanted to come home and spend real time with some of our family here.  Notice I said our family not his or hers.  We have been married longer then most in Thailand have been around.  Yet now after ten years here I am still only an unwelcome tourist on a visa they might renew.

She did buy a small piece of land for a home and she has her money and bank accounts in both the US and here, but some how I don't trust rules will make any difference if someone wanted to take anything they wanted.  So now we go by the Vegas rule.  If you can't afford to lose it don't bring or even buy it here in the first place. As a result we don't have much here and never will.

As far as taking land from Thailand,  I always pack an extra suite case of soil and I am moving her whole property to the States.  

PS do I have to dig half way though the earth to get it all or is there a depth that can qualify as completely gone?

[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!!!

Comment is needed. Can of worms they're opening here. They missed out in their report about all the backhanders and taxable income coveniently witheld from all these deals. Farang being the greater contributer to tax and other outrageous price increases. Maybe if they concentrated on asking themselves why Farang contribute so much into land they can't own. Also, why their society is selling out on them. Including their women running off with other nationalities and their boys growing up as women. Let's watch them dig their own graves on this farmland!!!

Yes you are right but I was going to bed..It seems now that the credit crunch is showing at grass roots! The money in the economy is getting a little short.Not so much coming from tourism, factories closing and although many a Thai in high places seems to have their head too close up the exit hole the middle to lower classes are feeling the pinch! This seems to be showing in crime rates and now this Bullshit! Yes its a can of worms but worse still it may be the thin end of the wedge where forigners are concerned! A little more taken from us or forced from us.There seems to be too much of this farangs owning land rubbish and was it bought with his money! If this is bull....is spread and believed then what next lynch mobs? May sound a bit daft now but when people do not have enough to support their own families then they will believe anything if help is not given...

[hardy1943]

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

They can really come up with some fairy tales

[pagallim]

Interesting thread, and full of articulate comments. For me, it's just reiterated the fact that I need to move somewhere else. Thailand (and in my case, Phuket), has been enjoyable, but the atmosphere, attitude, etc, I'm seriously not feeling comfortable anymore.

Not sure about anyone else, but as I love the Asian culture, think I need to move to Malaysia. No, not the 'scene' of Pattaya/Phuket, but at least there is a culture of honesty and respect, that no longer seems to exist anywhere in Thailand any more.

[hardy1943]

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?

:-)

Every country is begging for foreign investment except here.

What are they scared of ? Someone else may do it right!

[Wombat6]

As many of you have already stated...if you feel anti Foreigner....don't rent your land. If you do, don't use this as an excuse to encroach on Forest land ( isn't this illegal???)

You have been paid so I suppose if you can get some more free land you can make more money by renting it as well. I doubt that the Thai Government would give free rice or any other benefit to a Foreigner. If his wife receives a benefit then I am sure she would be entitled to it. Most countries in the world (well western anyway) have anti discrimination laws and if Thailand doesn't have any, then perhaps it is time they did!

[donsaiyuan]

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...

heheheeeeeeee. nailed it.

[MSingh]

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

It really, really is as simple as that...

[wrecker]

How interesting. If the farmer group had concluded that their own people paying peanuts for their land and than sell it to American owned hotel groups than they had a point. On the other hand those hotel groups cannot load the land in an airplane or a ship and take it away.

The Thais are absurd sensitive as they grab land wherever they can around the world. Have a look in Cambodia. But than again, our yellow shirt friends must find a way to sway the Northern vote. I do not think that the Northerners have any problem with it anyhow, so it is wasted time.

[hardy1943]

Interesting thread, and full of articulate comments. For me, it's just reiterated the fact that I need to move somewhere else. Thailand (and in my case, Phuket), has been enjoyable, but the atmosphere, attitude, etc, I'm seriously not feeling comfortable anymore.

Not sure about anyone else, but as I love the Asian culture, think I need to move to Malaysia. No, not the 'scene' of Pattaya/Phuket, but at least there is a culture of honesty and respect, that no longer seems to exist anywhere in Thailand any more.

Philippines love to have you. You can own land. After clearance from the government you get an ID card

good for life. No more jumping thru hoops and no report to your parole officer every 90 days.

Seriously they really do encourage it.

[sunholidaysun1]

I own the river , I dont complain about the water I am letting them all use for free. As for land , unofficially between 5 friends , all farangs , we own about 600,000 rai which isnt alot. Weve not touched the mountainous parts yet.

[Mali1964]

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

Yeah currently 7 million baht in & 1000 baht out when i once tried my Kasikorn bank card in a UK ATM they must want that back then, cq's on it way

[Lobin]

Foreigners taking over land in North, claims farmers' group

-- The Nation 2009-08-12

The Nation... says it all really... Great news paper, great reporting..

[rijit]

Im a fed up with this forum printing such dullard racist propaganda.

[friendlyguy01]

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

This is payback for all the crap visa rules and all the Farang pay higher price than Thai crap. This is also payback for the way Thailand treats farangs so I for one and not too worries about it. Karma is a huge thing and the way Thailand treats it's farangs and expats, oh well.

[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!

Spot on! No more comment needed!!!

Comment is needed. Can of worms they're opening here. They missed out in their report about all the backhanders and taxable income coveniently witheld from all these deals. Farang being the greater contributer to tax and other outrageous price increases. Maybe if they concentrated on asking themselves why Farang contribute so much into land they can't own. Also, why their society is selling out on them. Including their women running off with other nationalities and their boys growing up as women. Let's watch them dig their own graves on this farmland!!!

Or to put it another way.

This is just one more effect of the Kow Tow society winding down slowly but inexorably.

The greatest affliction for Thai women is their FRIENDS. The worst case of

" Keeping Up With the Jone's Disease " imaginable. And this gets taken out on the Thai men.

Each in his own pecking order flux depending on who enters the room and how much rice

their land delivers....

Those cheap loans from a few years back, made many jump up a status notch for a spell.

But they CAN'T keep those balls in the air anymore. Not even close....wifey notices that for sure.

So seeing a farang and his wife make a go of it, 'LARGE', right down the street rankles big time.

And that,' how can I bring them below me' itch, starts grating like bad cheese.

I imagine that a mini-puyai run farm collective in Chaing Rai AKA East Thaksinland,

might have a wait for funds in this economy. Gee most everybody is too.

But not an endless wait; like down here during TRT II....

Edited August 12, 2009 by animatic