Why buying land through a Thai company is getting riskier

If you have been told you can own land in Thailand through a company with Thai shareholders, read this first. Over the summer the Commerce Ministry went from warning about that structure to checking company bank trails, and Prachuap Khiri Khan, the province Hua Hin sits in, is on its list. Every claim carries a numbered source at the foot of the post.

What the reports say

• 8 September: the Department of Business Development (DBD) said it had screened 125,622 companies against land records from the Department of Lands. It found 36,277 foreign-invested companies holding 305,838 plots, about 1.06 million rai. The Nation notes these are ownership figures used for screening, not findings that those companies broke the law [1].
• 16 July: the DBD said nearly 120,000 companies with foreign shareholdings between 0.01% and 49.99% need further inspection, with particular attention to those at 40% to 49.99%. It named 16 risk provinces, and Prachuap Khiri Khan is one of them [2].
• From 1 August, the registrar requires bank statements from Thai nationals investing jointly with foreigners and from directors who receive investment funds. If the declared investment does not match the money actually transferred, the registration is rejected straight away [2].
• 30 September: the DBD sent details of more than 100,000 foreign-linked companies to 43 embassies. About 2,100 companies showed structures that suggest possible nominee links, and more than 10,000 are under further scrutiny. Thai Examiner reports that Thais convicted of nominee offences face up to three years in prison and/or fines of ฿100,000 to ฿1 million [3].

The DBD says inclusion in these lists is not evidence of wrongdoing [3]. The direction of travel is still clear. Accountants and lawyers have also been warned to stop supporting nominee arrangements [2].

Why it matters in Hua Hin

Villas and land are what many people come to Hua Hin for, and these are the purchases where a company structure gets suggested. If a structure is challenged, the risk falls on the foreign buyer: the money paid and the property are what is at stake.

What we do about it

• We do not set up or recommend nominee companies.
• We show you the routes that are open to a foreign buyer: a condo in your own name, or a registered lease, with its limits explained plainly. What can a foreigner actually own in Thailand? sets them out.
• If an agent or developer has offered you a company structure, bring it to us and tell us what you were told.

Talk to us. Been offered a company structure? Send us the details and we will give you a straight answer. WhatsApp +44 7763 597345

David and the TCT team

Sources

• [1] The Nation, "Thailand screens 125,622 firms in property nominee crackdown", 8 September 2026. nationthailand.com
• [2] The Nation, "DBD tightens nominee crackdown, orders financial-trail checks in 16 risk provinces", 16 July 2026. nationthailand.com
• [3] Thai Examiner, "Department of Business Development (DBD) contacts 43 foreign embassies on nominee shareholder firms", 30 September 2026. thaiexaminer.com