Strict New Controls on Foreigners

[jxxxl]

Fortunately the Thai Elite card holders are exempt from all this I'd love to be a fly on the wall when the first Elite card holder tries to get an answer from the govt on this one.

[Bembaman]

I for one am glad about the land item. I live and work in ESB and I am completely fed up of stupid clueless farangs coming over here on holiday, buying a house they hardly ever use and paying double its value. "oooo oooo" they coo, "it would cost more than that in England". Well of course they are cheaper you brainless twat - wages are lower, building materials lower, standards are lower. The fact that it is 'a bit cheaper' masks the fact it should be a 'hell of a lot cheaper', but increasingly isn't. Meanwhile, those of us living here, paying taxes here, raising our children here etc are being priced out of the market. The house I rent had a market value of around 5.5m 18 months ago. They are now selling, exclusively to foreigners as holiday homes, at around B11-12m. Not a single on has been sold to a Thai and not a single one is permanently occupied. I would not expect to pay the equivalent of B12m if I was buying it in the UK, let alone here!

 

I'm all for it!

[..]

So how about it Gaddie, I too would very much like to see any kind of back up for this, ¢ÃàªÔ­ÃèÒ¹ÀÒ¤ÀÒÉÒä·Â´éÇÂ, cuz I cannot find any.

 

At the very least a source may help backtrack and shed some light on what the real plan is here.

 

Cheers,

SD

[kamui]

This from Thaivisa. It's only about companies investing in land, but I presume this can be easily extended to all companies with foreign ownership (except to the big companies of course)

 

Gazette News: Land crackdown targets Thai shareholders

 

BANGKOK: -- The Ministry of Interior has ordered a crackdown on property companies attempting to circumvent Section 74 of the Land Act in order to allow foreigners to control land ownership.

 

Section 74 states (unofficial translation): ?In the process of registering [land] possession rights and contracts between parties ? officers have the power to investigate both parties and call them for questioning or have them send relevant documentary evidence as is necessary. Officers will proceed as is appropriate to the case.

 

?In cases where there is reason to believe that the request to register possession rights will evade the law or where there is reason to believe that land is being bought for the benefit of foreigners a request for an order from the Minister will be made. The Minister?s order will be final.?

 

The crackdown will target Thai partners in Thai-foreign ventures, examining their inco me, their professional qualifications or experience, and their credit history.

 

In an order dated May 15 and issued to all provincial governors, the Deputy Permanent Director of the Ministry, Sura-art Thongniramol, notes, ?The Ministry of Interior has received reports that there are foreigners working with Thais or [engaging] Thais to register a company with the aim of buying and selling immovable property as a business venture.

 

?At the initial stage a house and land are purchased for residence or [for use as] an office and later [the aims are changed] to selling and subdividing for sale to foreigners ? which is illegal.?

 

Provincial officials are ordered, ?as protection against bypassing the law?, to examine limited companies, limited partnerships and general partnerships ?having the aim of carrying out business in immovable property.?

 

The order continues, ?If it appears that an alien holds shares or is a director, or if it is reasonable to believe that a Thai holds shares as a representative of an alien, the officers shall investigate the income of Thais holding shares, delving into the number of years [they have been] in [their] current profession, and their income. The provision of necessary evidence is required.

 

?If a loan was taken [by the Thai] for the purchase [of shares] evidence of the loan is required.?

 

The order does not specify which officials will be responsible for investigating suspect companies, nor does it set out, except in the vaguest of terms, what will happen after the ?investigation?.

 

All it says is, ?If after due investigation it can conceivably be believed that the request for registration ? is to bypass the law or [it can be believed] that [those involved are buying] land for the benefit of an alien as defined in Section 74 ? the officers who undertook the investigation shall forward the findings to the Land Department to a wait the order of the Minister.?

 

No deadlines are set for how long an investigation will take, or how fast the Minister will be required to deliver a judgment.

 

Local reaction was hard to come by. The Phuket Provincial Land Office was not aware of the new order. However, one Thai involved in the property industry, who did not wish to be named, remarked that it seemed ?like a good thing, as long as the application is fair?. He added that he worried that it might be used by some ?for their [own] benefit?.

 

-- Phuket Gazette 2006-05-31

[..]

The taxation (tho' I have heard this through one the rumour mill too), seizing companies, and the work permit stuff are far more interesting and concerning to me. We have already discussed the land thing in an earlier thread (with sources).

 

Thanks for the effort tho'.

 

Cheers,

SD

[Flashermac]

Obviously, a work permit will be needed before one can bar fine and employ a BG for the evening. Police will be checking the exits of Nana, Soi Cowboy and Patpong as well as making spot checks on the ST hotels.

 

Just think of the lines for work permits at Din Daeng ...

 

[Bangkoktraveler]

Where money can be made, a way will be found to get it.

 

Foreigners have been pushing their luck too much circumventing Thai laws I think and now the rest may have to pay.

[BuffHello]

could be Thaksin playing to the crowd there is resentment about farangs and their ownership issues .

its time to give this an airing again >>>>just to remind everyone>>

 

 

 

"I have a some advice to any westerners out there contemplating moving to

Thailand.

 

If you are rich and are sensible with money, then go ahead. If an

international company or similar offers you a high salaried job in Thailand

then fine. If you are retired or have steady funds from abroad and want to

live modestly on those funds, go ahead, but watch yourself. And if you're a

young dude travelling around the world, and you want to spend some time in

Thailand teaching or whatever for experience, then that's OK too. But if

you don't fall into these categories then *don't* consider it for a moment.

 

Many middle aged westerners in particular (including professionals) like

the idea of living there, having a business or making some money and

"enjoying life" in Thailand. But very few make it.(Forget about western

restaurant or bar owners and alike you might meet in Thailand boasting

about their good life there. It is common for faltering foreigners to keep

up appearances). Mostly they end up broke or crazed, sometimes both, then

they leave. Thai business, visa and residency laws get you in the end. The

"Thai way" will get you in the end. Have a minor run-in with a wealthy or

important Thai and your status and possibly your life will be at risk.

Their whole culture is geared around making sure that foreigners persuing

individual efforts are not successful. It's ingrained in them from an early

age to believe that they are the never-colonised master race of Asia (yes

they really do think that) and their mythology runs so deep you'll never

budge it. Remember, in Thailand you'll never have any real business, legal

or ownership rights. But Thais can go to your country (very possibly) and

buy and own anything they can get their sticky hands on (because of the

more tolerant business laws). To Thais, this is just further evidence of

how clever they are, and how foolish are the foreigners to go to Thailand.

 

Remember too, that Thailand is dominated by a comparatively small

military-industrial elite. They have all the power and most of the wealth

in the country. The idea of western foreigners living in the country and

achieving wealth and status through individual entrepreneurial efforts is

seen as a threat to the hegemony that they have over the Thai underclass -

the bulk of the population. For this reason, it is never allowed to happen.

 

Think of Thailand, for westerners, as being a bit like a casino. A casino

is a place with a touch of excitement, the lure of good fortune/the good

life, and a place for fun, even with a bit of a risk. Go to a casino every

now and then for fun and that's OK. Go there everyday all-day and you will

ultimately lose, because the House Advantage will always get you. So it is

in Thailand. The Thai "House Advantage" will get you. They make sure of it.

 

Of course, if going to Thailand with all your money and slowly losing it

and ending up teaching English for a pittance (because that's about all you

can do), either illegally or working legally but being treated like a serf

by Thai institutions, appeals to you then go ahead. Maybe a hand to mouth

virtual poverty lifestyle appeals to you. And running around the country

several times a year getting visas, or always being at the mercy of

authorities on visa matters might also be your bag. If so, then go ahead,

at least you'll be able to spend your nights at cheap restaurants sharing

your impoverishment and frustration with other exploited western teachers.

If not, think seriously.

 

In case you are thinking, let me say that I am not a former go-go bar owner

gone bust, I have not lost my all doing business with Thais, no I haven't

been cheated of everything by a bar-girl, no I haven't been reduced to the

indignity of teaching English for a pittance. I have my own money, have

spent a lot of time in Thailand, and have done some business there, have

observed the experiences of a lot of foreigners, can see what goes on, and

have enough concern to want to tell others about it.

 

If my words can prevent even one westerner of modest means from selling up

and going to "enjoy life" in Thailand (and getting shafted in the end) then

that will be something. Don't make the mistake of thinking that as a

foreigner (even with professional skills) you can "make a contribution" to

Thailand, no matter how good your intentions or needed your skills may be.

Your contribution will *never* be welcomed, only your money. There is a

saying in Thai that captures it well: "farang roo mark my dee" - foreigners

who know too much [about Thailand] are no good. Gullible tourists,

however, are great.

 

So, go to Thailand as a tourist if you like, enjoy what you enjoy there,

but don't be taken in by the culture or people, as many westerners have,

and don't under any circumstances give up anything back home to go and stay

there unless you are financially secure for life, or know exactly what you

are doing.

 

There is a tradition of resident foreigners in Thailand not telling to the

truth about the country because they don't like to admit to themselves and

to others about the mistake they have made in moving there. But especially

now, with the financial mess Thailand has got itself into through a

mixture or greed, incompetence, arrogance and corruption, and the prospect

of difficult times ahead (to say the least) it is time for plain speaking.

 

A final comment to anyone of replying in strong disagreement with me.

Unless you have lived, worked and conducted business in Thailand for

several years at least, I'm not interested. The views of "oh how can you

say that, Thailand is really great" 2 week tourists carry no weight with

those of us who know Thailand and Thais well."

[..]

And who did you rip that off from? I say that since as usual you gave no credit/source...

 

Regards,

SD

[whosyourdaddy]

about six years ago they published the list of the top 50 tax payers in thailand. But they got mud on their face when they realized that 50% of the list was farangs and the rest of the country was too corrupt to pay taxes