Funding Gf's New Homebuild Or House Purchase

[tariq]

Hello

I've done some searches and read thru some threads but I am still confused...!!!

I'll give some facts first, will give 2 options I have and then hopefully some of you can give me some advice.

Facts:

1. I am a UK citizen. I do not and have never lived or worked in LOS.

2. I have a steady job in the UK and a regular income.

3. I have a Thai GF of 2 years.

4. She has had one UK visitor visa. She has been to UK to visit me and has recently returned.

5. We may be getting married in LOS next April. She is currently married but separated for 2yrs+ and hopes to divorce her husband soon.

6. She has no assets and is not well paid.

7. Her family own farmland in Kampaengpetch.

OK, options are:

a) Her family have set aside some of their farmland for her to build a house on.

She buys a house.

Without having formal payslips and as she is not well paid I am unsure if she would be granted a mortgage. I am happy to get involved and provide funding for either option.

I trust my girlfriend but have question marks about security for my investment should the relationship turn sour at some point in the future or if she were to get hit by a bus.

I don't fully understand the rules about non-Thais owning or leasing land/property or about any legal documents that be prepared that could give me some security.

Can anyone tell me if there is anythying I can do to protect my investment or am I just going to have to take a chance?

Thanks in advance.

Taz...

[jumnien]

If you offer to build a house for her husband I think the divorce will proceed much more quickly. Then give as much money as you want to her and let go. Then you don't have to "protect your investment" which is impossible anyway. If things go sour, oh well, the house was just a well meant gift anyway. Mai pen rai...

[Nam Kao]

Only put up $$$ you can stand to lose, be very careful

-nam

[backflip]

If her family is willing to provide land for her home, why would you ever ever ever consider buying land? That doesn't make any sense at all.

[paulsmithson]

You cannot own land in thailand but you can protect your monies invested in any home that you build.

Next time you visit take your girl to the local Government office and register a lease on the house in your own name.

Make sure that this is recorded on the chanote and then they can never throw you out of the house nor borrow money using it as collateral. You will have full control over the property.

Shoud things go wrong between you then she is the one who has to leave. not you.

[smartecosse]

the husband will be more than happy that he gets a new house

thats not exactly gonn amake him up sticks and leave either ...........

just send all the cash over to them and let then spend it how they want, much easier that way

[DrFisher]

Not to scare you or be negative but I heard a story where the BF built the house and the GF moved in with her husband she didn’t divorce.

[DrFisher]

I just told my wife about your situation (she is a real estate lawyer) she said you can own the house (but not the land) if you are married to a Thai national. At some point if the relationship goes bad you can sell the house. She also pointed out to me that she believes that there is a six month waiting period after your GF is divorced before she can be remarried because the government wants to make sure she is not pregnant with another mans child (being of Thai nationality). I hope that helps.

[taxexile]

She is currently married but separated for 2yrs+ and hopes to divorce her husband soon.

do nothing until long after the divorce is legally finalised , and you have checked that it has been legally finalised , and you are sure he is well out of the picture (i.e. not in contact with her or pestering her for money or anything)

get married by all means , but hold off building the house for a while until the relationship has stabilised.

should you decide to pay for the build , make sure you know exactly how much it is costing and that nobody is taking advantage of your generosity.

until you know the family very well and they know you very well you should hang on to your cash carefully.

................... or just take a chance and risk losing everything and ending up as a sad and broken man in the care home for bitter and disillusioned penniless foriegners (pattaya branch)

[Gary A]

Other than a freehold condo there are NO safe investments in Thailand when buying real estate. I'm even beginning to wonder if the condo in my name is entirely safe.

[billaaa777]

They really can't be serious asking the same question time after time! Oh well, its good for a laugh anyway.

[Sakeopete]

My wife had a good chuckle over your post; she says duping farangs for a free house is a common plan shared among many villagers. It’s almost down to a science with the entire village in on it. Places like Buriram are well known through Thailand for the house scam and marrying farangs is a career plan there. I don’t know about your GF or her community but “Caveat Emptor”. All the legal paperwork to make the house legally yours means nothing. Even if you do legally own the house you will be harassed if not threatened to leave it. Best of luck to you, my advice is buy a house and get a 20 year mortgage. If she is for real you can pay it off after 5 years if not you lose little.

[tariq]

Many thanks for the replies. Most helpful....

Nam Kao... thanks. I'm only prepared to put in what I can afford to lose.

back flip.... fair point. I know nothing about building houses so I'm kind of thinking out aloud. Perhaps preparing the land for building could cost more in the long run to just buying a house.. I'm just considering my options.

PaulSmithson....thanks.

Smartecosse... my gf and her husband are seperated and have been for a few years. He has a new woman in his life.

Dr Fisher....thanks. Very useful info. I'm aware of the six month wait before re-marrying although I did hear you can get round the 6 month wait by getting a doctors certificate showing the woman is not pregnant.

Gary A & taxexile...thanks.

billaaa777.... not sure what your problem is.. granted some non-Thais may get conned by some Thai women but a lot of Thai/non-Thai relationships are genuine. As to your comments.. I don't recall asking the same question time and time again. I understood this to be a forum where one can seek help and advice in matters relating to Thailand not a forum for people to make remarks that only serve to try and belittle or ridicule the poster.

Sakeopete..thanks. I am aware this goes on in Thailand as I am sure it does in other countries aswell. Thanks for the advice.

Cheers

Taz...

[quiksilva]

It will be very difficult for her to get a mortgage if she has very little/no income. Also seeing as you are not yet legally married and not based in Thailand, it will also be difficult for you to act as guarantor for her mortgage.

Its tough enough when you are married and are able to prove that you have been working here for a while.

IF you can resolve these points, then a 30 year lease or an usufruct would be the best ways to secure your investment.

[Gary A]

A few weeks ago my wife asked me if I was interested in buying five rai at 300,000 baht per rai. It is a nice piece of ground in a good location but the price would have been negotiable. I told her that I wasn't interested. A few days after that, my wife told me that a farang bought the five rai. I asked her how much and she told me 350,000 baht per rai. I asked her why he paid more than they were asking and she smilingly told me that the extra 50,000 baht per rai was commission for the farang's girlfriend's sister. The sister had nothing to do with the deal but she was very happy to make 250,000 baht without even knowing the land was for sale.

A fool and his money are soon parted ANYWHERE in the world, not just Thailand.

[Casanundra]

A few weeks ago my wife asked me if I was interested in buying five rai at 300,000 baht per rai. It is a nice piece of ground in a good location but the price would have been negotiable. I told her that I wasn't interested. A few days after that, my wife told me that a farang bought the five rai. I asked her how much and she told me 350,000 baht per rai. I asked her why he paid more than they were asking and she smilingly told me that the extra 50,000 baht per rai was commission for the farang's girlfriend's sister. The sister had nothing to do with the deal but she was very happy to make 250,000 baht without even knowing the land was for sale.

A fool and his money are soon parted ANYWHERE in the world, not just Thailand.

Is there a glut of land going around at the moment or have the Thai's picked up on the vibes that there are indeed some stupid Farangs out there?

My wife came in the other day and asked me if I was interested in buying 3 rai of land up in Isaan that a friend of a friend of her aunty was selling for 250,000 baht total. After the discussion went along the lines of 'what on earth would I want land in isaan for' and getting the point across that 'no' was the answer, I heard back through the grapevine that the land had now been sold to someone else for 350,000 baht instead and how I could have made a quick 100,000 profit had I bought it first and would I now like to consider some other land instead which also happened to be going for around 250k THB. You gotta love em for trying.

Edited December 20, 2006 by Casanundra

[Livinginexile]

Hello

I've done some searches and read thru some threads but I am still confused...!!!

I'll give some facts first, will give 2 options I have and then hopefully some of you can give me some advice.

Facts:

1. I am a UK citizen. I do not and have never lived or worked in LOS.

2. I have a steady job in the UK and a regular income.

3. I have a Thai GF of 2 years.

4. She has had one UK visitor visa. She has been to UK to visit me and has recently returned.

5. We may be getting married in LOS next April. She is currently married but separated for 2yrs+ and hopes to divorce her husband soon.

6. She has no assets and is not well paid.

7. Her family own farmland in Kampaengpetch.

OK, options are:

a) Her family have set aside some of their farmland for her to build a house on.

She buys a house.

Without having formal payslips and as she is not well paid I am unsure if she would be granted a mortgage. I am happy to get involved and provide funding for either option.

I trust my girlfriend but have question marks about security for my investment should the relationship turn sour at some point in the future or if she were to get hit by a bus.

I don't fully understand the rules about non-Thais owning or leasing land/property or about any legal documents that be prepared that could give me some security.

Can anyone tell me if there is anythying I can do to protect my investment or am I just going to have to take a chance?

Thanks in advance.

Taz...

Taz Taz Taz....

If you fund the building costs of a house on her families land you have absolutely no legal rights to make any claims if things turn pear shaped. You may think you do but at the end of the day you get nothing.

Why build on her families land? buy a condo in your name and let her live in it.

After this sugestion you will know ecactly where she stands.

Think about it....would you just go out and buy a house for your English G/F just because she doesn't earn much money? or would you wait untill you are married and purchase one together? It should be no different with a Thai girl.

This story USUALLY ends in tears (for the farang).