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Thailand's nominee crackdown, 2025 to 2026: a dated summary

Thailand's government has stepped up action against nominee arrangements since 2025, and on 19 October 2026 the Prime Minister launched a "STOP Nominee" campaign, with governors asked to identify suspected nominee held land by the end of December 2026.12 A nominee arrangement is one where a Thai person or company holds property or a business on paper for a foreign person.

This page is a news summary as at 23 October 2026, not legal advice. Charges and raids described below are allegations, and the authorities state that being screened is not a finding of fault. Take advice from a qualified Thai lawyer about your own position.

Last checked 23 October 2026. This page summarises published sources. It is background information, not legal advice. Take advice from a qualified Thai lawyer.

What the authorities are targeting

The target is arrangements in which Thai shareholders or directors hold a company, or land, on behalf of foreign persons who could not hold it themselves. The Nation Thailand reports a three part approach announced on 19 October 2026: investigations by December, compulsory sales with buyer checks, and prevention through monitoring before and after registration.3

The Prime Minister said the aim was to finish investigations by December 2026, enforce the law strictly and close loopholes.2

Timeline from 2025 to October 2026

Grades: official means a government statement, and reported means a news report of officials or police.

  • 13 February 2025 (reported): the government said 820 nominee business cases had been prosecuted since September 2024, with damages of about THB 12.49 billion. It also said it had identified more than 200,000 mule accounts and 204,000 individuals, linked to 1,159 businesses.4
  • 2 June 2025 (reported): the Commerce and Lands ministries signed an agreement. The Department of Business Development was to give Lands a list of 46,918 legal entities at risk, 55.49 per cent of them in real estate and land trading, and a bill on seizing assets was being drafted.5
  • 1 October 2025 (reported): the Department of Business Development set up a new division and a committee, which met on the same day.6
  • 21 October 2025 (reported): inspections on Koh Phangan. The findings reported were findings, not convictions.7
  • May 2026 (reported): a Koh Phangan case reportedly led to assets of more than THB 200 million being frozen or seized.8
  • 1 August 2026 (official): inspections widened to changes in shareholders, directors and signatories after registration.9
  • 21 August 2026 (reported): the Department of Special Investigation, the Interior Ministry and police searched three locations in Pattaya under the Foreign Business Act 1999. Ministers said Thailand remains open to legitimate foreign investment.10
  • 15 September 2026 (official): the Commerce Ministry listed nominee prevention among nine urgent priorities, in a statement published on 23 September.9
  • 7 and 8 October 2026 (official statements, allegations): the Department of Special Investigation said it had notified charges in a special case against one company, a director and a shareholder, and ran an operation at three sites in Bangkok. It said more than 61 companies were linked by common directors or shareholders. These are allegations.11
  • About 10 October 2026 (reported): police raids at four high end housing estates, across 17 locations, with 11 suspects. The Bangkok Post of 19 October carries the 17 locations and 11 suspects.1
  • 19 October 2026 (official and reported): the "STOP Nominee" campaign was launched.12
  • 21 October 2026 (reported, police sources): a raid on 12 properties worth about THB 800 million in Bang Lamung, with 85 people said to be charged. A Department of Lands official said forced sales would follow within 180 days if illegal ownership is confirmed.12

Figures reported so far, and why they differ

The 19 October reports give two different counts for the same Department of Lands inquiry. The Bangkok Post reports 13,088 parties, made up of 1,550 companies with alleged illegal foreign shareholding and 11,538 suspected of holding land for foreigners.1 The government's own release of the same day gives 1,397 legal entities holding 2,360 plots worth about THB 14.01 billion subject to compulsory disposal, and 13,088 entities and individuals prioritised.2 We give both figures and do not pick one.

The Bangkok Post says forced sale could cover 5,467 rai worth about THB 14.01 billion.1

Separate Commerce Ministry screening figures were reported on 4 September 2026. The screening covers 125,622 companies. The Department of Lands supplied data on 144,706 legal entities, with condominium records covering 14,878 entities that own 244,115 units, and 36,277 foreign invested companies holding 305,838 plots.13

In the condominium records, wholly Thai owned entities are 52.40 per cent of owners and 68.52 per cent of units, and foreign invested entities are 47.6 per cent of owners and 31.48 per cent of units.13 These are screening figures, not findings of any offence.

What officials said about foreign investors

The Prime Minister was reported as saying: "Thailand is ready to welcome foreign investors who act honestly and transparently, comply with Thai law and respect the rights of Thais."1

A government statement published on 23 September 2026 says that being screened as high risk does not mean a company is at fault, and that having foreign shareholders within the permitted proportion does not make a company a nominee.9

The legal background in the reports

A Nation Thailand analysis of 22 June 2026 says section 94 of the Land Code gives a disposal period of 180 days to one year for land held unlawfully. It quotes experts who say the 49 per cent condominium quota is hard to verify without a beneficial ownership database.8

The 49 per cent condominium quota sits in section 19 bis of the Condominium Act.14

ThaiLawOnline reports that since May 2026 the Department of Lands has directed officers to ask about the source of funds under section 74 of the Land Code where cash is THB 2 million or more, or the appraised value is THB 5 million or more. It describes this as aimed at Thai buyers and Thai shareholder companies.15

What is confirmed and what is only reported

  • Confirmed as official statements: the 1 August 2026 widening of inspections, the nine urgent priorities, the PRD figures of 19 October, and the Department of Special Investigation releases. The charges in those releases remain allegations.9211
  • Reported by news outlets: the earlier case counts, the raids, the police figures and the asset values.412
  • Not law: proposals for a 75 per cent quota and 99 year leases have not been enacted and no bill has been tabled.16

No outcome of any raid or case is confirmed in the sources used here.

Where to get advice

This page summarises published reports. It does not say what the reports mean for any individual buyer. Take advice from a qualified Thai lawyer about your own position. Keybaan lists new developments across Thailand and does not give legal advice.

Keep reading

Frequently asked questions

What is a nominee arrangement?

It is an arrangement where a Thai person or company holds property or a business for a foreign person who could not hold it directly. The reports describe these arrangements as the target of the crackdown.

When was the STOP Nominee campaign launched?

On 19 October 2026. Governors were asked to identify suspected nominee held land by the end of December 2026.

Do the figures agree?

Not always. The Bangkok Post reports 1,550 companies and the government release gives 1,397 legal entities for the same inquiry, so both are given here.

Does being screened mean a company has done something wrong?

No. A government statement says being screened as high risk does not mean a company is at fault.

Sources

Last checked 23 October 2026. Wikipedia and Wikivoyage style pages are secondary sources. Pages from the Tourism Authority of Thailand Japan office are in Japanese and are summarised here in our own words.

  1. Bangkok Post, “PM orders nationwide review of illegal foreign land ownership by end of December”, published 19 October 2026. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3339753/pm-orders-nationwide-review-of-illegal-foreign-land-ownership-by-end-of-december
  2. Thailand Public Relations Department (PRD), “Thai PM Launches Nationwide Crackdown on Foreign Nominee Landholdings”, published 19 October 2026. https://thailand.prd.go.th/en/content/category/detail/id/52/iid/552293
  3. The Nation Thailand, “PM Anutin launches three-part Thai land nominee crackdown with probes due by December”, published 19 October 2026. https://www.nationthailand.com/news/policy/40072471
  4. Bangkok Post, “Thailand cracks down on nominee businesses”, published 13 February 2025. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2959961/thailand-cracks-down-on-nominee-businesses
  5. Bangkok Post, “MoU to help curb use of nominees”, published 2 June 2025. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3039930/mou-to-help-curb-use-of-nominees
  6. The Nation Thailand, “DBD launches crackdown on illegal business practices”, published 2 October 2025. https://www.nationthailand.com/news/policy/40056229
  7. Bangkok Post, “Phangan nominee crackdown stepped up”, published 23 October 2025. https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/3125352/phangan-nominee-crackdown-stepped-up
  8. The Nation Thailand, “Thailand nominee crackdown exposes property law loopholes”, published 22 June 2026. https://www.nationthailand.com/news/policy/40067708
  9. Thailand Public Relations Department (PRD), “Government Steps Up Crackdown on Nominee Businesses as Urgent Priority”, published Published 23 September 2026. https://thailand.prd.go.th/en/content/category/detail/id/48/iid/544203
  10. Bangkok Post, “Nominee raids extend to three sites in Pattaya”, published 22 August 2026. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3306174/nominee-raids-extend-to-three-sites-in-pattaya
  11. Department of Special Investigation (DSI), “Operation "Yuttharat" press release (Thai language)”, published 8 October 2026. https://www.dsi.go.th/en/Detail/cf56f1c80710a262322cd284e4ee89de
  12. Bangkok Post, “Nominee hunt targets Chon Buri properties worth B800m”, published 21 October 2026. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3341035/nominee-hunt-targets-chon-buri-properties-worth-b800m
  13. The Nation Thailand, “Thailand screens 125,622 firms in property nominee crackdown”, published 8 September 2026. https://www.nationthailand.com/news/policy/40070771
  14. WSR Law Group, “Condominium Act (English translation)”, Checked 23 October 2026. https://wsrlawgroup.com/publications/law-library/administrative-law/condominium-act/
  15. ThaiLawOnline, “FET Form Thailand: Sending Money to Buy a Condo (2026)”, published Updated 21 October 2026. https://www.thailawonline.com/fet-form-thailand/
  16. ThaiLawOnline, “Thailand Condo Foreign Ownership Quota: 49% Rule 2026”, published Updated 21 October 2026. https://www.thailawonline.com/thailand-condo-foreign-ownership-quota/

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Take independent legal advice before you buy.

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