Letter From A Farang To The Thai Prime Minister

[jdinasia]

Many businesses in many places actually have to long-lease the land where they build, nothing new in that and certainly not limited to Thailand. BOI investments along with JV's certainly have as many things going for them in Thailand as they do in many other places. The tax structuring for BOI businesses alone are pretty awesome and that is before you add in the labor cost advantages that Thailand has.

The issue here is that of individual land purchases (isn't it?) and in that case the locals cannot compete on a level playing field with people that have had the advantage of working in the West for their entire working lives. Take just my situation, I could sell one property back home and buy 10X the land AND build on it here and still have money left over and I am just a middle-class guy.

There are some changes I would ask the government for though. Laws that protect Thai/Foreign families (citizenship easier?) to assure that fathers are not separated from their children or wives easily. Recognizing gay relationships on a national level so that I could go the "marraige" visa route, etc.

But honestly, a few hoops to jump through for me are not that big of a deal.

[FM505]

It would be carnage if foreigners were allowed to own freehold.

That's absurd.

Go to France, Germany, England, Spain, Italy,... and you're allowed to buy any land, is it a carnage?

You miss the point, because property is cheap here, if they had the chance, Europeans would be queueing up to buy stuff and/or selling to their own, raising the value of property. Thais will not be able to afford anything any good.

TA - In this discussion, what property are you referring to...? Rural property is cheap, yes... and there is no infrastructure to support it. In the city land costs are high... obviously. Are you assuming the Thais that 'will not be able to afford anything' do not currently own land? You state that 'property is cheap here'... so I wonder for clarity's sake, why the concern about people who cannot afford 'cheap' land now? How will foreign investment inhibit their ability to not own cheap land now or in the future?

Or, are you suggesting that current land owners 'will not be able to afford anything any good'...? With an influx of foreign investment prices will increase - demand economics... this will yield greater value for land owners.

[a2396]

It would be carnage if foreigners were allowed to own freehold.

That's absurd.

Go to France, Germany, England, Spain, Italy,... and you're allowed to buy any land, is it a carnage?

The USA loves it not just land buy anything you like

foreign investment is welcome it also makes friends.

Yes, USA and China are good friends now, because China owns a big piece of America. I am sure it will be a wonderful friendship, with many benefits for America, LOL.

[eurasianthai]

It would be carnage if foreigners were allowed to own freehold.

That's absurd.

Go to France, Germany, England, Spain, Italy,... and you're allowed to buy any land, is it a carnage?

You miss the point, because property is cheap here, if they had the chance, Europeans would be queueing up to buy stuff and/or selling to their own, raising the value of property. Thais will not be able to afford anything any good.

TA - In this discussion, what property are you referring to...? Rural property is cheap, yes... and there is no infrastructure to support it. In the city land costs are high... obviously.

Indeed, I do not really think Europeans will be queueing up to buy cheap land. My wife has quite a lot of cheap land in Mukdahan and I'm sure not queueing up to buy it.

But on the other hand, I would not mind being able to buy land in Bangkok, which, by the way, is /m2, more expensive than in the country I come from.

And I'm pretty sure the fact that I could buy it will not affect the purchasing power of the Thai people.

Edited March 16, 2010 by eurasianthai

[Tanaka]

It would be carnage if foreigners were allowed to own freehold.

That's absurd.

Go to France, Germany, England, Spain, Italy,... and you're allowed to buy any land, is it a carnage?

No, it is not. And very few can afford to buy land of any value there now.