Thailand Moves to Force Sales of 2,360 Land Plots Held Through Nominees for Foreigners

Thailand will force the sale of land that foreigners control through Thai nominees. Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul launched the operation at Government House in Bangkok on 19 October 2026, ordering provincial governors and the Department of Lands to conclude investigations into high-risk cases by December 2026 and to sell land found to be held unlawfully.

The Department of Lands has so far identified 2,360 plots, worth 14.01 billion baht and covering 5,467 rai, about 875 hectares, held through 1,397 nominees across the country, according to its Director-General, Somchai Leelanoi. The government said the department will expedite forced sales in cases found to be illegal and pursue both civil and criminal action.

Thailand's ban on foreign land ownership

Thai law does not allow foreign nationals or foreign companies to own land, except with approval, such as for companies promoted by the Board of Investment. A Thai company can hold land, and nominee structures rely on that rule: Thai shareholders hold the majority of a company on paper, while a foreigner funds and controls it.

A case in Krabi in July shows how these structures work. Officials alleged that a British national used three companies and cross-shareholdings to gain effective control of one of them, with a 99.87% stake. Through it, the group acquired 22 plots, about 126 rai worth around 2.15 billion baht, on Ko Pho. The land was seized and moved toward forced sale.

The new operation targets the same kind of arrangement. "This investigation must not stop at merely the names of title deed holders or company shareholders; it must dig deeper to identify the true controlling figures, behind-the-scenes decision-makers, and ultimate beneficial owners," Anutin said.

How forced sales work under the Land Code

The power to force a sale already exists. Under Sections 94 and 96 of the Land Code, land acquired by a foreigner without approval, or held by someone on a foreigner's behalf, must be disposed of within a period the Director-General of Lands sets, between 180 days and one year. If the holder does not sell in time, the Director-General can dispose of the land.

Criminal penalties apply separately. Under Sections 111 to 113, a foreigner who acquires land unlawfully, and a person who holds land on a foreigner's behalf, can each face up to two years in prison, a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both. Thai nominees can also be charged for false statements made in land registration documents.

In the Krabi case, officials estimated the forced-sale process would take six months to a year. The government has not given a timetable for the 2,360 plots.

The government's three-part enforcement plan

Anutin set out three measures:

1. Investigations, led by provincial governors and the Department of Lands, prioritizing high-risk cases and reaching case-by-case conclusions by December 2026. Cases linked to wider networks are to be referred to other agencies, including the Department of Special Investigation and the Anti-Money Laundering Office.
2. Forced sales of land found to be held unlawfully, with buyers vetted so that the land does not pass to another nominee under the same structure.
3. Prevention, through closer checks before and after land registration, monitoring of changes to company shareholders, a channel for public tip-offs, and regular publication of results.

The government has also issued a Prime Minister's Office announcement on deporting undesirable foreigners, and said it will pursue revocation of citizenship for people found to have laundered money or evaded tax.

Part of a year-long tightening of nominee rules

The forced-sale operation is the latest step in a campaign that has run through 2026. In April, the Department of Business Development began requiring Thai directors and shareholders to sign an Investment Confirmation Statement when a Thai-owned company appoints a foreign director, putting them personally on record that they are not acting as nominees. In May, the Department of Lands issued guidance to land offices on preventing and investigating land held on behalf of foreigners. The Krabi seizure followed in July.

The difference now is scale. Earlier actions targeted individual cases and new registrations; this one sets a national deadline and applies the Land Code's forced-sale power to every case the investigations confirm.

Who the crackdown affects

The operation targets land that foreigners control through Thai individuals or Thai companies. It also reaches the Thai nominees themselves, who face prosecution, and any officials found to have assisted.

The announcement does not concern condominium units, which foreigners can own directly within a building's foreign ownership quota, or land held by companies with Board of Investment approval. Anutin said Thailand remains open to "honest, transparent foreign investments that respect Thai law and abide by the rights granted under investment promotion regulations."

Emerhub sets up and restructures foreign-owned companies in Thailand, including Board of Investment promotion and Foreign Business License applications. Talk to our Thailand team about compliant company structures in Thailand.