Claims Of Illicit Land Use In Phuket Probed

[TexasRanger]

I've secured properties in northern Thailand. All rural, all no title. Possibly forest land, but locals don't know for sure. What is sure is each piece was weed choked with sticker bushes between 2 and 4 meters tall - to the extent that no hominid could take two steps on any sq.M of the properties. You wouldn't believe it if you saw the parcels today, as they look like beautiful parks, with lawns and trees. I've planted over 2,000 thousand trees of all types, fruit, nut, ornamental, legume. Some are 2 feet in diameter at chest height. All my neighbors have weed-covered properties and if they try clearing, they either burn and/or apply heaps of toxins (all have packs of barking dogs, but that's another topic). Reason for my rant: If left to Thais, most rural properties would stay weed choked and pesticide riven. Plus, all mammals and most birds would be eradicated. If farang are allowed to take care of properties, then.........(I'll let you fill in the blanks).

Exactly, but I bet none of your Thai neighbors even notice that your property is beautiful.

I really think they like looking at shit everyday all day. Even if you're poor it doesn't take much effort to pick up the garbage on your property and put it in a bag for collection. But if you're Thai you just dump more garbage on your own property and your neighbors.

Generalising again? In our village the locals all have rubbish bins outside the house, and most of them keep their homes and gardens tidy. There is no garbage dumping here apart from the odd bit from kids but that is to be expected.

[maidu]

Before I resided in Thailand, I spent time in Belize, formerly British Hondurus. In some rural areas there are Mennonite communities, comprising large tracts of farmland where westerners came to settle, dozens or hundreds of years prior. Even though there are no fences between regular and Mennonite tracts of land, it's evident where the bounderies are just from appearances. Belizian villages have trash and weeds strewn around, whereas other areas are tidy. Belize and Thailand are different countries, yet there are similarites.

[geriatrickid]

Shame..... Mostly Farang set up proxy Thai companies to buy land from Thai people.

This loop hole should be closed.

And who is selling the land? Doesn't a transaction take both a seller and a buyer?

Farang land grab Thailand. Sad, but true.

There are several ways to view the same issue. Some perspectives can be 'sad' (as you say) but often it's a win-win. The prior owner gets money (maybe she sold just a small portion of his property). Plus, most likey the parcel sold for highly inflated price - compared to a few years earlier. Granted, this makes first time purchases costly for locals (as has happened in Hawaii , south Spain, Greece, etc), but again, it's a multi-faceted issue.

In many countries, foreigners can purchase properties in their names, and usually the plusses outnumber the minuses. Ironically, one of the biggest 'anti-farang buying land' advocates is/was Thaksin, yet he owns bunches of parcels in various other countries. For awhile, he owned land in Thailand while not having a Thai passport (was that illegal at the time, as he was then a farang himself?). Actually, last time I checked, having more than one passport is illegal in Thailand. A farang I know got caught with two passports by Immigration and was yelled at by authorities and almost deported. Does that mean, if T returns, he will also be in hot water - for having half a dozen passports (and at least one pseudonym)?

You are a self admitted law breaker having obtained land without title. And yet you have this thing about Thaksin. A wonderful example of TVF hypocrisy. You state that Thaksin was not in favour of foreign ownership. Incorrect. He was against large scale acquisitions that would have forced prices up and denied poor Thais one of the few long term affordable assets. One need only look at the existing foreign ownership laws to see how some foreigners have abused the limited rights granted.

I don't know even know why you bring Thaksin into this, but your tangent is both ignorant and petty.

Not having a Thai passport does not mean one is not Thai. If that was the case, tens of millions of Thais would now be stateless. The example you give of a foreigner being caught with two passports is misleading. How do you suppose he was caught? Most likely because he attempted to circumvent the immigration rules by juggling his passports. Or perhaps the chap forgot to use the same passport leaving as he did when entering. D-oh.

Basically, you are engaged in self admitted unlawful activity. Do you really think you should be commenting on Mr. Thaksin?

Edited March 25, 2012 by geriatrickid

[geriatrickid]

It should be noted that Phuket has some of the worst corruption in Thailand. Whether it is encroachment on the beaches or protected lands, or whether it is the jetski and tuk tuks, or whether it is the alleged extensive bribery of local officials and police officials, one thing is certain. Phuket is a hardcore Democrat stronghold. The politicians are Democrat aligned.

The improprieties with land ownership have taken place under the Democrats and reveals alot about the heart and soul of the Democrats. In all of his time as lord master of the Democrats, Mr. Abhisit has not once spoken out against this abomination.

[Sing_Sling]

It's quite an indictment when hypocritical views and values - as espoused by maidu in this case - are used to make a point . . . yet backfire quite immensely.

I do wonder why Thaskin seems to preoccupy so many here, it's a Thai version of Godwin's Law, as the majority here have partners from Isaan, the inhabitants of which are favoured by the man.

(Yes, I do think he should be in jail - who let him out to go to China? - but being as ridiculously one-eyes makes one open to idiotic views)

[abalaois]

Phuket is such like a paradise place to me, like no other.

It's commonly strategized by most property developers about these jungles turning out to be urbanized /"cityscape" through modern facilities. The globlalization of today's real estate business/industry is one big thing to look up to worldwide.

On the other hand, the natural resources in the whole island must also be preserved no matter how very modern the structures would be. In the end, it's still nice to hear that it will always be the last frontier in the southwestern part of the country.

[Sing_Sling]

I tried and tried . . . but don't understand what you're trying to say