chuckwoww Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 I've noticed the most frequent complaint by westerners has to do with not being able to own property in Thailand. It seems easy enough to open a factory in Thailand but impossible to actually own the land it sits on. Can somebody tell me what the property situation is like elsewhere? In Korea, Japan, China for instance...can Westerners own property? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 My pea-sized brain says that China will be taking over the world soon. This year, many export/import quota's will be eliminated. Both Wal-Mart and Home Depot are developing a stronger presence there, and is their primary focus right now, in the extreme. I know, because I work for one of them. 10 years from now, the landscape in China will be severely changed, and thus, the rest of the world. HT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nervous_Dog Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 If you in business Chuckwoww, it is possible and easy to own land in Thailand, depending on the business of course. I have had BOI privilage to do it before, and am about to do it again, but I have a special area that "They" want. Gadfly. What I am referring to in Malaysia is that their responce to globalization is NOT to embrace FTA etc, but to have a valuable legal in fastructure, which always globalisation to exist. Look at Australia, we still have protection on a lot of industries, and our wheat per acre is a lot less than many other places, just is we have so MUCH land that we thive in agriculture, as does USA and Argintina. One station I worked on as a kid, west of Rockhampton, was 750 square miles in size, and that was not unusual. It's now a lot smaller, DOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckwoww Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 I need a recap here. Can somebody tell me exactly what the Thais are supposed to do? Apparently well-connected foreigners can own property in Thailand. Foreign companies that benefit the economy are welcome. Freeloaders are not. Thais shop at Tesco Lotus. They watch our movies. They learn English. They are developing a taste for fast food. They are tolerant when it comes to sex. They don't expect anybody to go to church. Young people in the main respect their elders. Their visa requirements are designed to make sure they don't get swamped by expats. Where are they going wrong? Corruption? It takes different forms in the West that's the only difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh_Hoy Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 HIGH THAIED said:. 10 years from now, the landscape in China will be severely changed, and thus, the rest of the world. HT Well it has certainly changed in the last 10 years...the result of opening it's borders to capitalism and ditching it's "isolationism". What's interesting is that VN and (especially) Cambodia have lagged so far behind. VN has had about 25 years of peace in its own country and Cambo about 10. Maybe in another 10, the first "Baskins" will open in Phnom Penh. Both countries seem to encourage outside investment and want to trade (an aspect to "globalization")... but are too friggin corrupt for many foreignors to give it a try. Thailand has changed somewhat, but I've heard horror stories in the past about even trying to get things up and running there...like "influential" people getting involved in what should be strictly government affairs. Personally, I wouldn't be interested in establishing a business in any place in SEA which required a capital investment. Trading is one thing..."purchasing" is another. I can buy land and make more money with any investment here in the U.S. than I could hope for in SEA. As CW said, corruption is everywhere. At least in the U.S., I know who's involved and what's involved and how to deal with it...and it doesn't require the hiring of a gunman or a judge. Hugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 What you need to realize is that 3/4 of everything you own, with the exception of American made soil and actual house, was probably made in China. I take that back. Most of the house was probably also. HT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bibblies Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 HIGH THAIED said:What you need to realize is that 3/4 of everything you own, with the exception of American made soil and actual house, was probably made in China. Really? 3/4 of everything? The inventions, steel, concrete and oil (to make the plastic and get the factories running) and technical expertise to combine it all to make all these products all came from China? I don't think so. China doesn't own much of any of those. So what would happen if China didn't make these products? Would you be without them or would another cheap labour country take up the slack? How many sources of cheap labour are there in our world of 5 billion people? India's getter closer to China in population (and seems to have a better education system) but there are plenty of others too. So what's the value it adds? I bet the remaining 25% of these products - the ones China doesn't make - are the "smart" ones... But if you're still convinced about China, maybe you should invest all your savings in its stock market. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorro Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Gadfly You have entirely missed the point. Continuous economic growth is unsustainable. Your argument about market economies and socialist or totalatarian economies is a red herring. I am not sure why you are raving on about Hitler and Stalin and Pol Pot etc. What have they got to do with globalisation? I am arguing that continuous economic growth is unsustainable and that globalisation needs to have more checks and balances. Further the free market has proved that it will not self regulate and that sovereign governments by and large cannot stand up to these powerful corporations. The evidence for this is powerful. You will probably agree that there is a finite amount of resources. There are only so many forests, rivers lakes etc. Much of the damage being done to this ecosystem is irreversible. It is not just a matter of cleaning things up and bringing in environmentally friendly legislation. It may well be too late to do anything in many instances. I like your argument about the richer nations being more ecologically in tune. That really is a good one. Multi nationals in order to create ever increasing profits just relocate to countries where environmental legislation is weak.You only have to take a look at places like Korea and China to see what they are doing to their natural resources and Thailand as well where rainforests are being destroyed at a rate of knots and environmental campaigners are regularly assassinated. We are destroying our future for short term profit which is increasingly centred in fewer and fewer hands. It is madness. If as you believe we should just leave things to market forces what sort of world do you think we will have left for future generations? I have a couple of questions for you Gadfly. Do you think that our current way of life is sustainable? Do you belive that we can have continuous economic growth? growth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 <<<Really? 3/4 of everything? The inventions, steel, concrete and oil (to make the plastic and get the factories running) and technical expertise to combine it all to make all these products all came from China? I don't think so.>>> Niether do I. And is not what I said. Listen more carefully. HT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FIGJAM Posted February 12, 2005 Report Share Posted February 12, 2005 Nervous_Dog said:If you in business Chuckwoww, it is possible and easy to own land in Thailand, depending on the business of course. I have had BOI privilage to do it before, and am about to do it again, but I have a special area that "They" want. Are you referring to the fact that the B.O.I. under certain conditions can authorize (usually very large foreign companies) to buy land and register it in their name and that said land can be used only for the activities related to the kind of business of the company which buys the land? And that among those activities there cannot be activities like, for example, land trading or renting? And that's the BOI that decides how large the land needed for that company to operate can be? And that once those companies cease to operate or change business they have to sell the land they purchased within 1 year? Very "possible" and "easy" indeed, to "own" land in Thailand...... P.S. I can only imagine your "contractual power" selling "your" land when everyone knows that you MUST sell it within 1 year... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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