Thai People Owning Land And Property In Britain

[seaeagle]

Firstly, I want to make it absolutely clear that this posting is not meant to be inflammatory or seen to seek revenge for the current attitudes to foreigners and land in Thailand. I am just getting so curious as to what Thais think when the boot is on the other foot.

So, I've used Britain as my example, but it could be most other countries in the "west" that this refers to.

There are many Thais who read ThaiVisa.com, and I'd love to know what you feel about your fellow countrymen buying houses and land in my own country. Should we allow you to do this?

If we should, then why do you feel under threat if foreigners simply want to do the same here?

Why should Thais, and also Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Chinese, Turks, Italians and French be allowed to buy property to run their restaurants from?

When those restaurants are successful (you just go and see some of the rich restaurateurs in Manchester / Newcastle Chinatowns), should they be stopped from buying big houses in posh areas of their cities?

Look forward to reading about how you all feel.

[WildChilli]

im not thai but ...

why protect tailand soil for thai's cos with the forign curency even i could buy more than one house and several rai of land here without blinking

in my home county i'm not lucky enough to be able to do so at all for years to come

thoug a change to the curent rules so we as permant residents here could own say 4 rai of land and the house ..

would be a welcome change

that would mean bigger securety for many that chose to live her

[Kitsch22]

Firstly, I want to make it absolutely clear that this posting is not meant to be inflammatory or seen to seek revenge for the current attitudes to foreigners and land in Thailand. I am just getting so curious as to what Thais think when the boot is on the other foot.

So, I've used Britain as my example, but it could be most other countries in the "west" that this refers to.

There are many Thais who read ThaiVisa.com, and I'd love to know what you feel about your fellow countrymen buying houses and land in my own country. Should we allow you to do this?

If we should, then why do you feel under threat if foreigners simply want to do the same here?

Why should Thais, and also Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Chinese, Turks, Italians and French be allowed to buy property to run their restaurants from?

When those restaurants are successful (you just go and see some of the rich restaurateurs in Manchester / Newcastle Chinatowns), should they be stopped from buying big houses in posh areas of their cities?

Look forward to reading about how you all feel.

It is an issue for each sovereign nation to decide for itself.

In UK foreigners may buy land effectively without restriction. If a referendum were held and honoured I think it likely that land ownership by foreigners would be heavily restricted if not outlawed.

In UK a foreigner obtains an almost automatic opportunity for citizenship after five years' residence. If a referendum were held and honoured I think it likely that easy citizenship for 5-year residents would disappear.

All that this means is that in these areas Thailand under Thaksin was much more democratic (in the basic "will of the people" sense) than is the UK under Gordon Brown.

[seaeagle]

Firstly, I want to make it absolutely clear that this posting is not meant to be inflammatory or seen to seek revenge for the current attitudes to foreigners and land in Thailand. I am just getting so curious as to what Thais think when the boot is on the other foot.

So, I've used Britain as my example, but it could be most other countries in the "west" that this refers to.

There are many Thais who read ThaiVisa.com, and I'd love to know what you feel about your fellow countrymen buying houses and land in my own country. Should we allow you to do this?

If we should, then why do you feel under threat if foreigners simply want to do the same here?

Why should Thais, and also Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Chinese, Turks, Italians and French be allowed to buy property to run their restaurants from?

When those restaurants are successful (you just go and see some of the rich restaurateurs in Manchester / Newcastle Chinatowns), should they be stopped from buying big houses in posh areas of their cities?

Look forward to reading about how you all feel.

It is an issue for each sovereign nation to decide for itself.

In UK foreigners may buy land effectively without restriction. If a referendum were held and honoured I think it likely that land ownership by foreigners would be heavily restricted if not outlawed.

In UK a foreigner obtains an almost automatic opportunity for citizenship after five years' residence. If a referendum were held and honoured I think it likely that easy citizenship for 5-year residents would disappear.

All that this means is that in these areas Thailand under Thaksin was much more democratic (in the basic "will of the people" sense) than is the UK under Gordon Brown.

Interesting comments, kitsch, but please don't simply add speculation to my posting. (Unless I'm mistaken, the last referendum in UK was in the early 70's about EEC membership, so they're hardly a regular tool used in democracies.) (By the way, citizenship after 5 yrs is hardly 'almost automatic' these days, but that point has nothing to do at all with my posting debate)

I really want this kept on track, and seek opinions why Thais think it's okay, or not okay, for them & other foreigners to buy land / houses in somewhere like Britain, when they don't reciprocate here.

Come on - tell us what you think, please.

[KhaoNiaw]

The only Thais who can afford to buy property in the UK are in a very small minority, and I bet 'most' Thais would say that Britain would be perfectly entitled to stop foreigners buying property. And it wouldn't affect or bother them in the slightest if the UK government did so.

Do France and Italy really ban foreigners from buying land as well?

FWIW, I would say that there are much more important land reform issues for Thailand than allowing foreigners to own land and property. A major injustice was when Thai citizens were prevented from owning land because they were married to foreigners, but that at least has been amended.

Edited August 29, 2009 by KhaoNiaw

[PeaceBlondie]

Flawed analogy. We're not in Staffordshire, Toto.

[endure]

The only Thais who can afford to buy property in the UK are in a very small minority, and I bet 'most' Thais would say that Britain would be perfectly entitled to stop foreigners buying property. And it wouldn't affect or bother them in the slightest if the UK government did so.

Two Thai friends of mine own property in the UK. One started here as a waiter in a Thai restaurant. The other started as a chef in the same restaurant. They can afford to own property because they worked very hard indeed. The both now run restaurants of their own and contribute to the UK economy.

As for the old chestnut about farang not being able to own land in Thailand - "He's an arsehol_e, why can't I be one too?" has never seemed a very convincing argument to me.

Edited August 29, 2009 by endure

[basjke]

The only Thais who can afford to buy property in the UK are in a very small minority, and I bet 'most' Thais would say that Britain would be perfectly entitled to stop foreigners buying property. And it wouldn't affect or bother them in the slightest if the UK government did so.

Two Thai friends of mine own property in the UK. One started here as a waiter in a Thai restaurant. The other started as a chef in the same restaurant. They can afford to own property because they worked very hard indeed. The both now run restaurants of their own and contribute to the UK economy.

As for the old chestnut about not farang not being able to own land in Thailand - "He's an arsehol_e, why can't I be one too?" has never seemed a very convincing argument to me.

I might misunderstand your post but a farang who has a business in Thailand,doesn't he contribute to the thai economy?

The only problem is that a foreigner in most cases even isn't allowed to own a business lets stand a property.

@Khaoniaw,I'm not so sure about your comments,first of all Thais are the minority of foreigners in Britain I assume.Secondly,from all the Asian people living in my home country,not Britain by the way,I know they have build up a huge real estate portfolio in my country.

[endure]

The only Thais who can afford to buy property in the UK are in a very small minority, and I bet 'most' Thais would say that Britain would be perfectly entitled to stop foreigners buying property. And it wouldn't affect or bother them in the slightest if the UK government did so.

Two Thai friends of mine own property in the UK. One started here as a waiter in a Thai restaurant. The other started as a chef in the same restaurant. They can afford to own property because they worked very hard indeed. The both now run restaurants of their own and contribute to the UK economy.

As for the old chestnut about not farang not being able to own land in Thailand - "He's an arsehol_e, why can't I be one too?" has never seemed a very convincing argument to me.

I might misunderstand your post but a farang who has a business in Thailand,doesn't he contribute to the thai economy?

The only problem is that a foreigner in most cases even isn't allowed to own a business lets stand a property.

Yes, you're right. I wasn't saying that farangs don't contribute to the Thai economy but that owning property in the UK isn't confined to Thais who are rich.

[thaiwanderer]

Firstly, I want to make it absolutely clear that this posting is not meant to be inflammatory or seen to seek revenge for the current attitudes to foreigners and land in Thailand. I am just getting so curious as to what Thais think when the boot is on the other foot.

So, I've used Britain as my example, but it could be most other countries in the "west" that this refers to.

There are many Thais who read ThaiVisa.com, and I'd love to know what you feel about your fellow countrymen buying houses and land in my own country. Should we allow you to do this?

If we should, then why do you feel under threat if foreigners simply want to do the same here?

Why should Thais, and also Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Chinese, Turks, Italians and French be allowed to buy property to run their restaurants from?

When those restaurants are successful (you just go and see some of the rich restaurateurs in Manchester / Newcastle Chinatowns), should they be stopped from buying big houses in posh areas of their cities?

Look forward to reading about how you all feel.

Should? You / they DO. Self determination.

And is a Thai legally purchasing property in Britain worse than a non-Thai illegally purchasing property in Thailand? Or just worse to your frustrated self?

[billaaa777]

If you had thought about your question a little you could have answered it yourself. First, the UK is a much more progressive and forward thinking society that fully understands the financial importance of fully integrating itself into the global economy.

Second, most farmland in Thailand is SO inexpensive that it would be possible for large multinational corporations to literally come in and buy up large chunks of the country, which of course would be to the long term detriment of the people of Thailand. Much like many UK corporations are presently doing in the Ukraine now, taking over substantial portions of the available farmland.

All of that being said, there is no reason at all that foreigners should not be allowed to at least purchase one house in there own name in Thailand with reasonable land restrictions, such are 1 Rai.

[personchester]

The only Thais who can afford to buy property in the UK are in a very small minority, and I bet 'most' Thais would say that Britain would be perfectly entitled to stop foreigners buying property. And it wouldn't affect or bother them in the slightest if the UK government did so.

Two Thai friends of mine own property in the UK. One started here as a waiter in a Thai restaurant. The other started as a chef in the same restaurant. They can afford to own property because they worked very hard indeed. The both now run restaurants of their own and contribute to the UK economy.

As for the old chestnut about farang not being able to own land in Thailand - "He's an arsehol_e, why can't I be one too?" has never seemed a very convincing argument to me.

Revise your view, restaurants do not contribute to the economy, they profit from the economy, and when the economy goes into crisis restaurants are the first businesses to go bust, because they are part of the leisure industry.

[Kitsch22]

Firstly, I want to make it absolutely clear that this posting is not meant to be inflammatory or seen to seek revenge for the current attitudes to foreigners and land in Thailand. I am just getting so curious as to what Thais think when the boot is on the other foot.

So, I've used Britain as my example, but it could be most other countries in the "west" that this refers to.

There are many Thais who read ThaiVisa.com, and I'd love to know what you feel about your fellow countrymen buying houses and land in my own country. Should we allow you to do this?

If we should, then why do you feel under threat if foreigners simply want to do the same here?

Why should Thais, and also Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Chinese, Turks, Italians and French be allowed to buy property to run their restaurants from?

When those restaurants are successful (you just go and see some of the rich restaurateurs in Manchester / Newcastle Chinatowns), should they be stopped from buying big houses in posh areas of their cities?

Look forward to reading about how you all feel.

It is an issue for each sovereign nation to decide for itself.

In UK foreigners may buy land effectively without restriction. If a referendum were held and honoured I think it likely that land ownership by foreigners would be heavily restricted if not outlawed.

In UK a foreigner obtains an almost automatic opportunity for citizenship after five years' residence. If a referendum were held and honoured I think it likely that easy citizenship for 5-year residents would disappear.

All that this means is that in these areas Thailand under Thaksin was much more democratic (in the basic "will of the people" sense) than is the UK under Gordon Brown.

Interesting comments, kitsch, but please don't simply add speculation to my posting. (Unless I'm mistaken, the last referendum in UK was in the early 70's about EEC membership, so they're hardly a regular tool used in democracies.) (By the way, citizenship after 5 yrs is hardly 'almost automatic' these days, but that point has nothing to do at all with my posting debate)

I really want this kept on track, and seek opinions why Thais think it's okay, or not okay, for them & other foreigners to buy land / houses in somewhere like Britain, when they don't reciprocate here.

Come on - tell us what you think, please.

Please re-read your OP; you raised two specific questions:

1. "Should we allow you" to buy land in UK?

In that question "we" appears to refer to the citizens of UK, in which case your question requires a referendum of that citizenry. The fact that UK governments only hold referenda when they expect to get the answer they want is a separate issue.

2. "Why should [foreigners] be allowed to buy property to run their restaurants from?

Answer: Because our UK law does not prohibit such acquisitions. But our law on this probably does not reflect the will of the majority of the citizenry. However, Thai laws on alien land ownership undoubtedly do reflect the will of the majority of the Thai citizenry.

At a purely personal level the laissez faire laws of UK in this regard have suited my family very well. My (Thai) wife has made a clear profit of over £200,000 in her own name from her property dealings in UK, most if not all of which will end up being spent by her in Thailand.

[johnnyk]

I think the UK made rules that they are comfortable with. Their country, their rules.

I think Thailand made rules they are comfortable with. Their country, their rules.

[PeaceBlondie]

I thought the general premise of the OP was flawed. How land ownership is done in UK/USA/Canada/etc. hearkens back to Old English common law, Magna Carta, etc. Analogies between Staffordshire and Udon Thani are irrelevant.

[endure]

The only Thais who can afford to buy property in the UK are in a very small minority, and I bet 'most' Thais would say that Britain would be perfectly entitled to stop foreigners buying property. And it wouldn't affect or bother them in the slightest if the UK government did so.

Two Thai friends of mine own property in the UK. One started here as a waiter in a Thai restaurant. The other started as a chef in the same restaurant. They can afford to own property because they worked very hard indeed. The both now run restaurants of their own and contribute to the UK economy.

As for the old chestnut about farang not being able to own land in Thailand - "He's an arsehol_e, why can't I be one too?" has never seemed a very convincing argument to me.

Revise your view, restaurants do not contribute to the economy, they profit from the economy, and when the economy goes into crisis restaurants are the first businesses to go bust, because they are part of the leisure industry.

They contribute to the economy in that they employ people and pay taxes. My friend's restaurants are doing very nicely, crisis or not, because they understand how to treat customers.

[endure]

Firstly, I want to make it absolutely clear that this posting is not meant to be inflammatory or seen to seek revenge for the current attitudes to foreigners and land in Thailand. I am just getting so curious as to what Thais think when the boot is on the other foot.

So, I've used Britain as my example, but it could be most other countries in the "west" that this refers to.

There are many Thais who read ThaiVisa.com, and I'd love to know what you feel about your fellow countrymen buying houses and land in my own country. Should we allow you to do this?

If we should, then why do you feel under threat if foreigners simply want to do the same here?

Why should Thais, and also Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Chinese, Turks, Italians and French be allowed to buy property to run their restaurants from?

When those restaurants are successful (you just go and see some of the rich restaurateurs in Manchester / Newcastle Chinatowns), should they be stopped from buying big houses in posh areas of their cities?

Look forward to reading about how you all feel.

If you expect the UK to apply the same sort of land ownership laws that apply in Thailand are you also happy for Thailand to apply the same sort of visa laws that apply in the UK?

[bailly]

I think the UK made rules that they are comfortable with. Their country, their rules.

I think Thailand made rules they are comfortable with. Their country, their rules.

Agreed !

[SHYTALK]

Many of the aseans in the uk are reported to end up in the sex trade, massage parlours and the like.

Is that where they get the money to buy uk property.

[johnnyk]

Many of the aseans in the uk are reported to end up in the sex trade, massage parlours and the like.

Is that where they get the money to buy uk property.

And other Asians are involved in the business 'trade', you know shops, services, manufacturing, professions, financial etc.

What does the occupation have to do with anything?

And many falangs living in Thailand are also involved in the sex trade. There have to be buyers for there to be sellers.

Come to think of it, those Asian sex trade workers in the UK may have some falang customers.