Thailand targets 14 billion baht in land over alleged foreign proxy ownership

Thailand is targeting 2,360 land plots worth 14.01 billion baht — more than US$400 million — in a crackdown on alleged unlawful foreign ownership through Thai proxies, according to government figures reported by AFP on 19 October.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul called for tougher enforcement against arrangements used to circumvent restrictions on foreign land ownership. The government said it would pursue forced sales in cases found to be illegal, alongside civil and criminal action.

The announcement concerns land identified for scrutiny, rather than a declaration that every plot has been conclusively found to be held unlawfully.

Thousands of plots identified nationwide

Department of Lands Director Somchai Leelanoi said authorities had identified 2,360 plots held through 1,397 proxies. Together, the properties cover 5,467 rai, or around 875 hectares, across Thailand.

“The department will expedite the forced sale of land in cases deemed illegal and will proceed with both civil and criminal legal action,” the government said in a statement.

The figures indicate the scale of the landholdings under scrutiny. The announcement did not provide a timetable for completing the investigations or forced sales, or specify how many cases had already been determined to be illegal.

Investigators told to look beyond registered owners

Anutin said investigations should go beyond the people named on title deeds and company records to establish who actually controls the properties.

“This investigation must not stop at merely the names of title deed holders or company shareholders; it must dig deeper to identify the true controlling figures, behind-the-scenes decision-makers, and ultimate beneficial owners,” he said.

The distinction is central to the crackdown: the government’s stated target is the use of Thai proxies to conceal foreign control, not simply the presence of a Thai name on a title deed or shareholder register.

The legal framework described in the report generally bars foreign nationals and companies from owning land, while providing for ownership with prior Board of Investment approval. A limited company can purchase land where a Thai national holds a majority of its shares, but the government is targeting alleged misuse of such structures to evade ownership restrictions.

Focus on compliance, not a blanket investment ban

For foreign residents and businesses with interests in Thai property, the announcement centres on the legality of ownership arrangements. It does not establish that all foreign-linked landholdings are unlawful or that every identified property will be sold.

Anutin also sought to distinguish enforcement against proxy ownership from lawful overseas investment.

“Thailand remains open and welcoming to honest, transparent foreign investments that respect Thai law and abide by the rights granted under investment promotion regulations,” he said.

The next substantive step is therefore case-by-case enforcement: establishing who controls the identified land and pursuing sales and legal proceedings where authorities determine that the arrangements breach the law.