Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered a nationwide crackdown on nominee land ownership in Thailand, setting a December deadline for investigations into high-risk cases and demanding the compulsory sale of land found to be illegally held on behalf of foreigners.
Anutin announced the three-part campaign today, October 19, at Government House in Bangkok, instructing the Department of Lands and provincial governors to intensify investigations into suspicious property holdings.
The crackdown targets arrangements in which Thai individuals or companies hold land on behalf of foreign nationals to circumvent ownership restrictions.
Investigators have been ordered to look beyond the names on land title deeds and company records to establish who actually controls the properties and receives the financial benefits.
The checks will include examining company ownership structures, financial transactions and asset trails to identify wider networks involved in suspected illegal arrangements.
Under the first measure, provincial governors and the Department of Lands must prioritise high-risk cases, assign officers to individual investigations and reach conclusions by December 2026.
The second measure focuses on enforcing compulsory sales of land found to be held unlawfully. Officials must also examine prospective buyers to ensure properties are not simply transferred to another nominee arrangement.
The third measure seeks to prevent similar transactions through tighter checks before and after land registrations, closer scrutiny of company structures and systems for receiving public complaints.
The Department of Lands has instructed all 462 land offices nationwide to examine potentially suspicious corporate landholdings.
Anutin said investigators should refer cases involving wider networks to the relevant agencies for further action. Depending on the circumstances and applicable laws, measures could include revocation of land rights, deportation or citizenship proceedings.
However, the prime minister stressed that Thailand continued to welcome legitimate foreign investment, including investments conducted under rights granted by investment promotion legislation.
He also pledged government support for officials investigating influential individuals who might be involved in unlawful transactions.
In September, the government was reviewing more than 11,000 companies linked to land worth approximately 85 billion baht, according to earlier Thaiger reporting.
Anutin said successfully enforcing land sales could return tens of billions of baht to economic circulation, although no timetable for completing those sales was announced.
In related news:
- 112 Koh Pha Ngan firms risk losing land over foreign shareholdings
- Thailand nominee crackdown cuts new filings by 75%
- Bangkok police arrest 11 foreigners in nominee property raids
The story Thailand sets December deadline for nominee land investigations as seen on Thaiger News.