Prime Minister sets December deadline for forced sales in nationwide foreign land nominee crackdown

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has officially launched a nationwide operation to eliminate foreign nominee land ownership, setting a strict December 2026 deadline for investigations to conclude. According to the Bangkok Post, the government is targeting land plots suspected of being illegally owned by foreigners, with plans to revoke title deeds and force sales.

The scope of the crackdown is substantial. Authorities have identified up to 2,360 plots of land worth roughly 14 billion baht (over $400 million) held through suspected Thai nominees, according to reports from Bloomberg and Emerhub. The Department of Business Development and the Land Department are now integrating their databases to analyze the connections between foreign-linked legal entities and land holdings.

How the investigations work

The enforcement strategy is shifting from a simple review of paperwork to a deep dive into the actual substance of corporate structures. According to Thai Times, authorities now require local partners in companies with foreign co-investors to provide extensive bank records. These records must demonstrate that the Thai shareholders have the legitimate financial ability to fund their investment shares.

This is not an isolated policy announcement. In Phuket alone, authorities have uncovered a network of more than 360 companies accused of using illegal foreign nominee arrangements to circumvent ownership rules, spanning international schools, car rentals, and hospitality businesses.

What this means for foreign property owners

If you hold property or operate a business in Thailand through a Thai limited company, expect heightened scrutiny before the end of the year. The traditional "51/49" ownership split on paper is no longer sufficient to prove compliance if the Thai majority shareholder lacks actual financial involvement or control.

To prepare for potential audits, foreign investors should take the following steps:

• Ensure your Thai partners can produce bank records proving they independently funded their shares in the company.
• Review your corporate structure to confirm it operates as a genuine business with real economic activity, rather than merely a holding vehicle for residential land.
• Consult with legal counsel to verify that voting rights, dividend distributions, and control mechanisms align with the actual capital contributions.

Properties found to be held illegally face compulsory sale under the Land Code. The Prime Minister has publicly stated that no influence will shield violators from enforcement, making this one of the most concrete pushes against proxy ownership in recent years.