Thailand's PM Anutin announces crackdown on illegal land ownership through nominees

The initiative represents a coordinated effort across multiple government agencies to address longstanding concerns about foreign nationals and ineligible parties circumventing Thailand's strict land ownership restrictions through proxy arrangements. Under current Thai law, non-nationals are generally prohibited from owning land, yet nominee schemes have persisted as a workaround to these regulations.

The three-part strategy encompasses enhanced enforcement mechanisms, legal framework reviews, and investigation protocols designed to identify and prosecute those involved in nominee land transactions. Government agencies have been tasked with completing their preliminary investigations and submitting findings by December, establishing a clear timeline for the crackdown's first phase.

The effort reflects growing government concern about land title authenticity and the need to protect Thailand's property market integrity. Officials indicated that the crackdown would focus on identifying suspicious transactions and pursuing both the foreign nationals attempting to acquire land illegally and the Thai nationals facilitating such arrangements through nominee status.

Implementation of the crackdown is expected to proceed through existing legal channels, including the Land Code and other relevant statutes governing property ownership. The December deadline signals the government's commitment to demonstrating tangible progress in enforcing Thailand's land ownership laws more rigorously.

Photo: Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (right) meets Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Cebu after the 48th ASEAN Summit, May 2026. Presidential Communications Office (Philippines) via Wikimedia Commons (public domain).