Nominee structures, where a foreigner holds effective control of a Thai company that legally owns the land, have been the standard method for foreign property ownership in Thailand's resort markets for two decades. Thailand is now treating them as illegal, with raids, summonses, and asset seizures targeting foreign holders across Phuket, Samui, and beyond. The Thaiger

    When Thailand's property crackdown began, one question got very little attention: of everyone involved in an illegal nominee structure, why does enforcement fall hardest on the foreigner at the end of the chain? Nominee structures, where a foreigner holds effective control of a Thai company that legally owns the land, have been the standard method for foreign property ownership in Thailand's resort markets for two decades. Thailand is now treating them as illegal, with raids, summonses, and asset seizures targeting foreign holders across Phuket, Samui, and beyond. A nominee company requires a Thai lawyer to design the structure, Thai nationals to act as shareholders on paper, an accountant to arrange the share classes, a notary to witness the signing, and a government land office to register the transfer. Every step was carried out by professionals inside Thailand, with every structure registered by government offices without challenge. Foreign buyers purchased them on professional advice through a process the state treated as routine for twenty years, and are now the primary targets of an enforcement campaign aimed at structures the system around them built, sold, and approved. The 30-year lease arrangements sold to thousands as near-century-long security are described by industry insiders as a sales technique rather than a legal guarantee. Three steps would address the imbalance: 1️⃣ Prosecute the law firms and advisers who marketed unlawful structures as lawful 2️⃣ Offer good-faith buyers a window to restructure rather than face seizure 3️⃣ Introduce a licensing regime for legal consultants guiding foreign buyers, something Thailand has never had. This is part four of The Thaiger's ten-part series examining Thailand's property question. Read the full analysis for the complete breakdown of how these structures were built, who built them, and what a fair enforcement response would actually look like. 🔗 https://thethaiger.com/thai-life/property/thais-built-it-sold-it-and-registered-it-so-why-is-the-foreigner-the-only-one-in-the-dock