For years, some agents quietly arranged for foreign buyers to control land through Thai nominee shareholders. Using Thai shareholders as nominees so that a foreigner indirectly owns land is illegal, and a 51/49 share split on its own does not make it legal. Renewed enforcement has made the risks plain, and we want our buyers to understand them clearly.
Why the structure is fragile
A nominee company exists to disguise foreign control of land, which the law does not permit. When scrutiny arrives — and it now does — the structure can unwind, with the buyer holding the loss. We do not arrange them, and we advise against any agent who offers to.
The sound alternatives
Freehold condominium ownership within the foreign quota, and properly registered leaseholds, are both legitimate. They are less exciting than a clever workaround, and far easier to sleep beside. For most of our buyers, one of the two is exactly right.
