– Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered provincial governors and land officials to identify land plots suspected of being held illegally by foreigners through Thai nominees, with investigations to conclude by the end of December.
– An initial review by the Department of Lands flagged suspicious holdings involving 13,088 parties: 1,550 companies allegedly with illegal foreign shareholding and 11,538 cases of land held on behalf of foreigners.
– The probe could lead to compulsory sales of about 5,467 rai valued at roughly 14.01 billion baht. Further steps may include deportation, revocation of rights or citizenship, and checks to stop ownership simply shifting to a new nominee.
– The order was issued on the 19th of October as part of a three-part “Stop Nominee” campaign covering investigation, forced sales, and prevention of new arrangements.
Bangkok: Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered provincial governors and the Department of Lands to complete case-by-case reviews of land suspected of being owned illegally by foreigners through nominee arrangements by the end of December.
Anutin announced the directive on the 19th of October at Government House while launching a campaign against nominee landholding. He said officials must look beyond the names on title deeds to identify the true owners or beneficiaries. “Those behind this are mostly ‘somebody’. They are not ordinary people but influential ones. However, no influence is greater than that of the government,” he said. Provincial governors were addressed by video conference and told the government would support their work.
The Department of Lands director-general Somchai Leelanoi reported that an initial investigation had identified suspicious ownership involving 13,088 parties. Of these, 1,550 were companies allegedly involving illegal foreign shareholding, while 11,538 were suspected of holding land on behalf of foreigners. The review could result in compulsory sales of illegally held land covering 5,467 rai, currently valued at about 14.01 billion baht.
Anutin outlined three priorities. First, complete investigations of high-risk cases by December 2026, with clear assignment of responsibility and deadlines; networks found to be involved should be referred for possible revocation of rights, deportation under a Prime Minister’s Office announcement on undesirable persons, or revocation of citizenship. Second, enforce compulsory sales of unlawfully held land and check subsequent buyers so ownership does not simply pass from one nominee to another. Third, use the findings to strengthen monitoring of land registrations and corporate structures to prevent new nominee deals.
He added that further measures could include action on money laundering and tax evasion. At the same time, he said Thailand remains open to foreign investors who comply with the law and act transparently. The campaign follows earlier steps, including a September review of more than 11,000 companies linked to land valued at tens of billions of baht, as reported here and a recent raid on luxury housing estates in Bangkok that seized assets worth more than 6 billion baht.
Land ownership by foreigners is tightly restricted under Thai law. Arrangements in which Thai individuals or companies hold title for foreign beneficiaries are illegal. Officials have previously stressed that enforcement will focus on clear violations while legitimate investment continues under existing rules.