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

[nisakiman]

Basically what the Thai government is telling the foreigner (not a thai citizen)...

Great post!

As a farang, if you want to secure property in Thailand, here are a few suggestions;...

Ditto.

More racism your GF comments. Her mother paid off for her ID did you know that or do you even care ....

My ex-g/f was from Cambodia. Now she's Thai, thanks to dad's money under the table.

I'd agree with that assessment.

The first two posts you quote are probably the most level-headed and accurate I've read so far in this thread.

The bottom line is that Thailand owes the falang nothing. Yer pays yer money, yer takes yer chances. It's a trade-off. You want to live in Thailand? This is the deal, take it or leave it. No, it's not fair, nor is it easy, but that's the way it is.

There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

[brahmburgers]

The bottom line is that Thailand owes the falang nothing. Yer pays yer money, yer takes yer chances. It's a trade-off. You want to live in Thailand? This is the deal, take it or leave it. No, it's not fair, nor is it easy, but that's the way it is.

There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

Maybe not a 'free lunch' per se, though that too is debatable.

It's like picking flowers (or digging edible tubors) in an abandoned lot. You skirt around the weeds, try and avoid the snakes in the grass, and get what you seek with as little hassle as possible.

Thailand has the whole gamut. Granted, there are snakes in the grass, but not all of them are poisonous.

As for comparative deals on things in the marketplace: some things like electronic devices and deli food are generally more costly than farang lands. Other things like market foods and labor (for fixing cars or building homesteads) are comparatively cheap.

[Thai at Heart]

Hiding in the "Local News" section of the Bangkok Post.

http://bangkokpost.net/news/local/22125/la...stment-proposal

LAOS FLOATS JOINT THAI-KUWAITI RICE INVESTMENT PROPOSAL

Surely a strange co-incidence that foreigners taking land through the Thai spouse makes front page, whilst Thai's investing in Laos with foreigners is hidden in the middle pages somewhere.

[Roachiebkk]

Basically what the Thai government is telling the foreigner (not a thai citizen), "You are the first of your own generation in Thailand. Whatever you invest is for your future generation which will be automatically granted a Thai citizenship and the same privileges under the Thai law; same benefit (hint hint)"

In other words, the Thai government just letting you know that, if you are seriously into permanently staying in Thailand, please do so. invest all you want, buy the land you want, rent the house you want because at the dawn of the day, you sons and daughters will get to own them. HOWEVER if you are not serious about it, please don't play around with the serious people. that all.. what is the big fuss.

For those non-Asian folks here, its really hard for you guys to understand the printing of Asian culture and thinking. You are all very lucky to have been borned in your own country (whether you are native or not) and given the same privileges and benefit. Many "Asian" countries don't. And Thailand is one of the many "Asian" countrries that I known; gives the same privileges and benefits as long as you are a Thai citizen irregardless of how many fuc*ing generation you are from. How about that?

I am from Malaysia. I am the 3-third generation of Chinese decendent in Malaysia. I hold malaysia passport, citizen card, sing the national anthem, speak the national language BUT i am still being referred to as "Malaysian-Chinese" with a 2nd class citizen privileges. "Malaysian-Chinese" are not given the same benefits as "Malaysian-Muslim". Muslim gets many discount. Chinese ethnic have not discount. Muslim get health benefit from government, Chinese ethnic pays our own fees, Muslim gets all the place in local universities and scholarship. Chinese need to fork-out from our own pocket. By the way, did I mentioned that "Malaysian-Muslim" are mostly decendent which ever colonial that have ever colonized malaysia prior to our independence in the year 1957? I guessed I missed that part. Malaysian's foreigner investment law are much strictier than Thailand's. At least the Thai government won't take 30% of your initial investment and capital for themselves.

Well, my paragraph have 2 deep meaning here.

1) If you think Thailand is bad, I can name you 20 more country worst than Thailand. I know one country in SEAsia region which is 1000X more corrupted than Thailand. Opps.. I think I mentioned one of them already..

2) If you love Thailand (like if you love your wife) then stay, get serious, start a new generation in this LOS. If you hate it (divorce your wife), stop complaining, move away. Find a place that is better to suit you.. please don't stay in Thailand and hoping Thailand will change for you in the future. Is like getting a gf and hoping that she will change to be who you want to be.. Bullshit. You see the beauty in her in-perfection. Same things as we see Thailand's beauty in its own in-perfection.

Man!!!! LIFE SUCKS.

Excellent, truly excellent post! Now, will all the whining, hard done by, foreigners crying racism, xenophobia and hatred, those who STILL want instant Thai land ownership, citizenship or other recognition that they are a good and decent chap, took a local lass out of service and have 'invested' here and somehow can't appreciate that they will always be foreigners in a foreign land stick their pacifiers back in their cake holes and <deleted>.... PLEASE???

Gee not much generalisation from this poster. Must have his condo furnished in Black and/or White

[peecee]

I sincerely hope that Farangs are never given equal status here and that Western influences will remain limited so as not to destroy the uniqueness of Thai culture.

There are too many behind the scenes Farang illegal business and landowners who are using Thais as fronts for their activities, this is common knowledge.

These morons who continue to disregard the Immigration, land & property ownership and prohibited professions laws are not doing themselves or people like myself and many other Farang ex pats here who are abiding by the laws, any favours, the results of which will only create more restrictions and tightening up of the Immigration laws for all of us.

The irony is that he probably owns a house, or has it in his wife's name, which is even more of a contradiction. I guess then, he would be one of the morons that he speaks so disparagingly about continually.

As for the unique Thai culture; that'll be tea money, prostitution, drug's, endless scam's & widespread corruption eh?

[phupaman]

Hi All.

The Thai Farmers complaining in this thread should think back about 18 month's.When the champion of the Northern Farmers Khun Thaksin himself,,,,Yes he of the failed reolution and backer of various illegal factions in Thailand.

He was showing many rich Middle Eastern businessmen around Thailands farmland and rice growing area'swith a view to purchase with him pulling the strings no doubt, Investment he called it.

phupaman

[ray23]

You know this is not exclusive to Thailand last night CNN did piece on a dairy farmer in the mid west. Only losing 6k a month to operate his family farm. So they are payong 6 K month work seven days a week 12 to 16 hours a day.

By any stretch of the imaginaton no matter who owns the land, people have to eat. It isn't who own the land it is the very nature of farming

So the states they pay subsidies, here they forgive farmers loans, really means the same thing. Here espically farmers don't make money middle men do their suppliers do. One thing that bothers me aboput this is here no investigation of Thai's who sold the land, if the foriegner is giulty so is the Thai.

The Arabic countries seem to be the ones buying for large crop production, not the guy with ten Rai and a retirement that is hobby farming. So what is going to happen when the Government siezes that land back. Not as simple as the Thai's would like to see it.

The other thing I think they are missing is do they really think w are standing in the muck, to this or do we here local labor. the typical foriegner doing hobbty farming is going to put more ionto the economy then he will take from it. But law is law if it is enforced equally. I don't think that is what we are seeing, will be see sacrificial victim that were not harming anyone.

This a great diversion for the B Goverment keeps the focus off the real problems farmers here and everywhere else suffer from

There is very little equity in the process of growing and selling food.

They could solve a part of the problem by farming Co-Ops and buying in volume, cut out the middle man and sell at market process. Now what do you think the chances of them doing that is? Pretty slim I would say.

Waht are they going to do if the foriegn coporation is rentign the land ans 51% is owned by Thai's, they are aren't doing labor. What law would they be breaking. None that I can see.

[losworld]

what a nice xenophobic country this is where farang is only good as walking ATM machine but can hardly own anything as land / house

thai should be forbidden to own land/house in other countries also... but 99,99% is poor and cannot afford to buy a house in our home countries, maybe that is the point of all this

Forget that approach simply disallow all ruling elite to invest in Western countries, stop all educational access and put up trade barriers until things change. Why do we put up with these double standards. Do the mentioned and things will change overnight. It only takes political balls.

[Heng]

Yeah, can see that one happening. All western countries suddenly uniting to come to aid of the warbling farang.

[Ricardo]

Yeah, can see that one happening. All western countries suddenly uniting to come to aid of the warbling farang.

Personally I think the 'warbling farang' isn't really an endangered species of bird, as I often hear its mating-call, when the bars are closing at night ! But good to know it has international support.

[way2muchcoffee]

Why do we put up with these double standards. Do the mentioned and things will change overnight. It only takes political balls.

Obviously we put up with these double standards because our country's elites are reaping huge benefits by exploiting the Thai people in the same was the Thai elites do.

[BigC]

what a load of rubbish. 70 per cent of farm land is owned by thais and foreingers are cheating the farmers. sounds to me like the pot calling the kettle black. sound like the farmers want more money for rent now they want there land back because the foreigners have done a good job with there land. worked hard now the thai want to move in and take there land back. old trick that 1 is

[BigC]

what a nice xenophobic country this is where farang is only good as walking ATM machine but can hardly own anything as land / house

thai should be forbidden to own land/house in other countries also... but 99,99% is poor and cannot afford to buy a house in our home countries, maybe that is the point of all this

Forget that approach simply disallow all ruling elite to invest in Western countries, stop all educational access and put up trade barriers until things change. Why do we put up with these double standards. Do the mentioned and things will change overnight. It only takes political balls.

i think that u will find that alot more than 1 % of thai people are rich. there are alot of rich thai's i mean alot. in Isaan there are a hel_l of alot of 5 bedroom houses with sawimming pools. question is would they sell that to live in a 1 bedroom flat in london. i do not think so

[LomSak27]

Now when did this come up ... in the countdown for a REDs rally and in the same week the King made an appeal for unity. Why not drag out a bogus story about a made up issue guaranteed to inflame the xenophobic masses and deflect attention from real problems. Ahh Thailand a bastion of journalistic integrity.

[ray23]

Well it is a diversion. But, it actually started over a month ago. The question what are they going to do with it now, and not have farmers blocking roads again.

[wintermute]

what a nice xenophobic country this is where farang is only good as walking ATM machine but can hardly own anything as land / house

thai should be forbidden to own land/house in other countries also... but 99,99% is poor and cannot afford to buy a house in our home countries, maybe that is the point of all this

Forget that approach simply disallow all ruling elite to invest in Western countries, stop all educational access and put up trade barriers until things change. Why do we put up with these double standards. Do the mentioned and things will change overnight. It only takes political balls.

The only time western trade restrictions are enacted is when some big pharm or media conglomerate is effected in the west. No one gives two craps about aging whining farang expats barely getting by in SE Asia. Most expats in Thailand probably don't even contribute to taxes back in the native country so making any opinions about any foreign policy even more irrelevant. Not to mention that your average western farang takes money OUT of the west and into Thailand making them a liability and negative contributor to the wealth of their own countries.

You also don't understand how foreign investment works. Rich Thais bringing money into the U.K. or U.S. would actually help not hurt.

Edited August 27, 2009 by wintermute

[Arkady]

Basically what the Thai government is telling the foreigner (not a thai citizen), "You are the first of your own generation in Thailand. Whatever you invest is for your future generation which will be automatically granted a Thai citizenship and the same privileges under the Thai law; same benefit (hint hint)"

In other words, the Thai government just letting you know that, if you are seriously into permanently staying in Thailand, please do so. invest all you want, buy the land you want, rent the house you want because at the dawn of the day, you sons and daughters will get to own them. HOWEVER if you are not serious about it, please don't play around with the serious people. that all.. what is the big fuss.

For those non-Asian folks here, its really hard for you guys to understand the printing of Asian culture and thinking. You are all very lucky to have been borned in your own country (whether you are native or not) and given the same privileges and benefit. Many "Asian" countries don't. And Thailand is one of the many "Asian" countrries that I known; gives the same privileges and benefits as long as you are a Thai citizen irregardless of how many fuc*ing generation you are from. How about that?

I am from Malaysia. I am the 3-third generation of Chinese decendent in Malaysia. I hold malaysia passport, citizen card, sing the national anthem, speak the national language BUT i am still being referred to as "Malaysian-Chinese" with a 2nd class citizen privileges. "Malaysian-Chinese" are not given the same benefits as "Malaysian-Muslim". Muslim gets many discount. Chinese ethnic have not discount. Muslim get health benefit from government, Chinese ethnic pays our own fees, Muslim gets all the place in local universities and scholarship. Chinese need to fork-out from our own pocket. By the way, did I mentioned that "Malaysian-Muslim" are mostly decendent which ever colonial that have ever colonized malaysia prior to our independence in the year 1957? I guessed I missed that part. Malaysian's foreigner investment law are much strictier than Thailand's. At least the Thai government won't take 30% of your initial investment and capital for themselves.

Well, my paragraph have 2 deep meaning here.

1) If you think Thailand is bad, I can name you 20 more country worst than Thailand. I know one country in SEAsia region which is 1000X more corrupted than Thailand. Opps.. I think I mentioned one of them already..

2) If you love Thailand (like if you love your wife) then stay, get serious, start a new generation in this LOS. If you hate it (divorce your wife), stop complaining, move away. Find a place that is better to suit you.. please don't stay in Thailand and hoping Thailand will change for you in the future. Is like getting a gf and hoping that she will change to be who you want to be.. Bullshit. You see the beauty in her in-perfection. Same things as we see Thailand's beauty in its own in-perfection.

Man!!!! LIFE SUCKS.

Excellent, truly excellent post! Now, will all the whining, hard done by, foreigners crying racism, xenophobia and hatred, those who STILL want instant Thai land ownership, citizenship or other recognition that they are a good and decent chap, took a local lass out of service and have 'invested' here and somehow can't appreciate that they will always be foreigners in a foreign land stick their pacifiers back in their cake holes and <deleted>.... PLEASE???

Gee not much generalisation from this poster. Must have his condo furnished in Black and/or White

Yes, Chinese immigrants have had a good deal in Thailand compared to Malaysia and Indonesia and even the Philippines. They have been allowed to dominate virtually every aspect of public life and control most of the country's assets. The anti-Chinese measures in 40s to 60s in a sense condolidated their position as all the Chinese medium private schools were forced to become Thai medium or close down, so that younger Thai Chinese now all speak Thai as their first language without "jek" accents like the old timers. Until the early 70s every one born to legal residents of any nationality in the Kingdom was Thai. So the second generation Chinese were automatically Thai, even if their parents couldn't pay the tea money required in those days for naturalization. Things got tougher in the early 70s when citizenship by birth and descent from a Thai mother were both struck off the statute book for reasons of national security. Fortunately in 1999 the right to citizenship by descent from a Thai mother was restored and the children of foreign immigrants with Thai wives are now automatically Thai again, even if the foreign immigrants may never obtain Thai citizenship or even permanent residence.

For better or for worse, most foreigners now understand that owning land though companies or unrelated nominees is illegal and risky. What remains a concern for many, however, is that the future of the current bandaid solution of the Land Dept that allows Thai women married to foreigners to buy land without restriction and without investigation of the source of funds. Thai women married to foreigners (and their children) only regained the right to own land in 1999 and this bandaid has not stood the test of time yet. The Agricultural Ministry is working on legislation to limit the right of Thai women married to foreigners to buy agricultural land and this might have broader repercussions. If this is the case, the premise that you can come to Thailand, start a Thai family and invest as much as you want for your future generations may no longer hold true and it may not even be possible to give your Thai wife money to buy land and a house for your Thai family to live in.

[OhDear]

The government's own report 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.....

I think it's a Concern Troll mentality. You will find them among those Red & Yellow shirt group as well. Can't post URL so Wiki for -> Concern troll

[Arkady]

The government's own report 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.....

I think it's a Concern Troll mentality. You will find them among those Red & Yellow shirt group as well. Can't post URL so Wiki for -> Concern troll

Nationalism always sells well in Thailand when you have nothing else to offer. There is a lot emotive language like farmers being forced off their land and becoming wage slaves on their former plots, as if the farmers have guns put to their heads to sell. The Yellows have decided to push the nationalism button over the pathetic Preah Viharn issue, as they have little else to say at the moment but want to keep in the news.