lately i've noticed on the internet and other publications, a large Russian community here in C.M.(i've never even noticed them at immigration, etc.) but there is a very large community here so it seems.

but what i don't understand is how can they be renting out and even 'selling' so many properties? surely this can't be legal is it? and it's not only here, it's going on in Krabi, Pattaya, etc. i hadn't opened my FB in a few days and tonight when i logged on i was bombarded with posts from various groups of Russian's selling properties. there is even a 18 y/o Russian kid selling a property in Pattaya for 15,500,000.00 Bath. they are openly doing this on FB. surely they must be targets for the authorities, no?

I don't think the authorities have to hunt them down. The sellers show up voluntarily at the Land Office, together with the buyers, countersign the purchase agreements and pay the relevant sales tax.

...what i don't understand is how can they be renting out and even 'selling' so many properties? surely this can't be legal is it? ...

I don't know about Russians but for Italians I am unaware of any regulatory limit regarding the number of properties they may simultaneously offer for sale or rent.

If you go into the classifieds on Thai Visa you will also see loads of Farlangs selling properties, not to mention all the other classified ads on the net, it doesn`t seem to be unique to the Russians. I don`t know what is legal or not legal in Thailand. Somehow they seem to get around the legalities and not bothered about openly advertising. Everything I`ve read points to Farlangs buying and selling properties as out of bounds, but I`m really not sure one way or another.

Good OP through, because I wouldn`t mind buying a house on land for myself and Thai girlfriend but been too afraid to take the chance.

I don't know about Farlangs nor what Farlangs are (an African tribe?), but Russians and other foreigners are allowed to buy apartments in condominium buildings and of course also to sell them when they don't need or want them any longer. They are also allowed to rent them out during the periods they don't use them personally.

Foreigners are also allowed to own up to 49% of shares in a company that owns, buys, sells, leases and rents real estate properties.

I know of a group is Jomtien that sublet properties all the time never pay tax , just go to Paradise condo , They are the biggest arshats i have meet.