DBD puts foreign linked land holding in Thailand to more than 1 million Rais

Companies with foreign investment in Thailand hold more than 1.06 million rai (1,702 square kilometres) of land and 76,840 condominium units, government data shows, as authorities intensify scrutiny of corporate structures that may be used to circumvent foreign-ownership rules.

The figures, compiled by Thailand’s Department of Business Development (DBD) from records held by the Department of Lands, cover registered holdings as of July 17, 2026.

The data provides one of the clearest snapshots of foreign participation in Thailand’s property market, although officials cautioned that foreign-linked ownership does not in itself indicate an illegal nominee arrangement.

Foreign-linked firms hold 1.06 million rai

The DBD reviewed land ownership records involving 144,706 legal entities, of which 125,622 were within its regulatory jurisdiction.

Companies with some level of foreign participation accounted for:

305,838 land-title deeds

1,064,265 rai of land

By comparison, 87,265 wholly Thai-owned companies held 963,488 land-title deeds covering about 3.44 million rai.

Foreign-linked companies therefore accounted for about 23.6% of the land area held by the companies covered by the review.

The figures encompass companies with widely differing ownership structures, from those with less than 1% foreign participation to companies that are wholly foreign-owned.

Most holdings involve minority foreign stakes

Companies with foreign ownership of between 0.01% and 49% represented the overwhelming majority of foreign-linked firms in the land data.

They numbered 31,516 companies and held 901,596.92 rai, or roughly 85% of all land held by foreign-linked companies in the review.

Bangkok, Chon Buri, Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi had the largest number of land-title deeds in this category.

The DBD said the presence of foreign shareholders should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of nominee arrangements, noting that many companies may represent legitimate Thai-foreign joint ventures.

Chon Buri, Rayong emerge as key centres

Companies with foreign ownership of between 49.01% and 99.99% held 59,077 rai through 8,633 land-title deeds.

Chon Buri and Rayong ranked among the largest markets in this category, alongside Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Chachoengsao.

A further 3,450 wholly foreign-owned companies held 10,029 land-title deeds covering 103,591 rai.

Chon Buri and Rayong again recorded the largest holdings.

The concentration in Thailand’s eastern provinces reflects their importance as major tourism, industrial and investment centres, including areas covered by the government’s Eastern Economic Corridor development programme.

Foreign-linked firms hold 76,840 condominium units

The review also found that companies with foreign participation held 76,840 condominium units, equivalent to about 31.5% of the 244,115 units held by the legal entities examined.

Those units had a combined floor area of approximately 4.1 million square metres.

As with land, most condominium holdings were associated with companies where foreign investors held less than 50%.

0.01%-49% foreign ownership: 73,786 units

49.01%-99.99%: 1,875 units

100% foreign owned: 1,179 units

The first category alone accounted for about 96% of all condominium units held by foreign-linked companies.

Thailand steps up nominee investigations

The data comes as Thai authorities increase efforts to identify companies that may be using Thai shareholders as nominees for foreign investors.

Under Thai law, foreign ownership and control of certain businesses and land are subject to restrictions. Authorities have been investigating whether some companies use Thai shareholders nominally to avoid those restrictions.

DBD Director-General Poonpong Naiyanapakorn said the department would continue investigations, particularly in major economic and tourism areas where foreign investment and property activity are concentrated.

The DBD plans to share company-registration records, shareholder information and financial statements with relevant agencies, including the Department of Lands, Royal Thai Police, Department of Special Investigation and Anti-Money Laundering Office.

Authorities will also examine links between companies to identify wider networks rather than focusing only on individual businesses.

Investment versus circumvention

The government faces a balancing act between attracting legitimate foreign investment and preventing the use of corporate structures to bypass restrictions designed to protect Thai businesses and property ownership.

The latest figures do not establish that the properties held by foreign-linked companies were acquired illegally.

Instead, they give authorities a basis for identifying ownership structures that may warrant further investigation.

For investors, the distinction is significant: foreign participation in a Thai company is not necessarily unlawful, but using Thai shareholders as nominees to conceal foreign control can trigger regulatory and legal action.

The DBD said its broader objective is to maintain a business environment that is transparent and fair while allowing legitimate foreign investment to continue.

This version is deliberately less literal and more publication-ready, with the emphasis Reuters/Bloomberg typically place on the headline numbers → market significance → government response → regulatory risk.

This article appeared in Matichon News outlet on September 6, 2026

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政府数据显示，在泰国拥有外国投资的公司持有超过 106 万莱（1702 平方公里）的土地和 76840 套公寓单元，与此同时，当局正在加强对可能被用来规避外资所有权规定的公司结构的审查。

这些数据由泰国商业发展部 (DBD) 根据土地部保存的记录编制而成，涵盖截至 2026 年 7 月 17 日的已登记土地持有量。

这些数据清晰地展现了外国投资者参与泰国房地产市场的现状，但官员们也提醒说，与外国有关联的所有权本身并不一定意味着存在非法的代理人安排。

外资关联公司持有106万莱伊

DBD审查了涉及144,706个法人实体的土地所有权记录，其中125,622个法人实体在其监管管辖范围内。

具有一定程度外资参与的公司占比：

305,838份土地所有权契约

1,064,265 莱土地

相比之下，87,265 家泰国独资企业持有 963,488 份土地所有权证书，涵盖约 344 万莱土地。

因此，与外国有关联的公司约占本次审查所涵盖公司所拥有土地面积的 23.6%。

这些数据涵盖了所有权结构差异很大的公司，从外资持股比例低于 1% 的公司到外资完全控股的公司。

大多数持股涉及少数外国股份。

外资持股比例在 0.01% 到 49% 之间的公司，在土地数据中占外资关联公司的绝大多数。

共有 31,516 家公司，持有 901,596.92 莱土地，约占审查中外国关联公司所持有土地总数的 85%。

曼谷、春武里府、北榄府、巴吞他尼府和暖武里府拥有此类土地所有权契据数量最多。

泰国商业发展部表示，外国股东的存在不应自动被解释为代理人安排的证据，并指出许多公司可能代表合法的泰外合资企业。

春武里府、罗勇府成为重要中心

外资持股比例在 49.01% 至 99.99% 之间的公司通过 8,633 份土地所有权证书持有 59,077 莱土地。

春武里府和罗勇府与曼谷、北榄府和北柳府一起，位列该类别最大市场之列。

另有 3,450 家外商独资企业持有 10,029 份土地所有权证书，涵盖 103,591 莱土地。

春武里府和罗勇府再次成为持股最多的两府。

泰国东部各省的集中发展反映了这些地区作为主要旅游、工业和投资中心的重要性，其中包括政府东部经济走廊发展计划覆盖的地区。

外资关联公司持有76,840套公寓单元

审查还发现，有外国参股的公司持有 76,840 套公寓单元，相当于被审查的法人实体持有的 244,115 套单元的约 31.5%。

这些单元的总建筑面积约为 410 万平方米。

与土地一样，大多数公寓产权都与外国投资者持股比例低于 50% 的公司有关。

外资持股比例0.01%-49%：73,786 套

49.01%-99.99%：1,875 个单位

外商独资​​：1,179 家

仅第一类就占外资关联公司持有的所有公寓单元的约 96%。

泰国加强对提名人的调查

这份数据出炉之际，泰国当局正加大力度查明可能利用泰国股东作为外国投资者代理人的公司。

根据泰国法律，外国对某些企业和土地的所有权和控制权受到限制。当局一直在调查一些公司是否利用泰国股东名义来规避这些限制。

泰国商业发展部部长 Poonpong Naiyanapakorn 表示，该部门将继续进行调查，尤其是在外国投资和房地产活动集中的主要经济和旅游地区。

DBD计划与相关机构共享公司注册记录、股东信息和财务报表，包括土地厅、泰国皇家警察、特别调查厅和反洗钱办公室。

当局还将调查公司之间的联系，以识别更广泛的网络，而不仅仅关注单个企业。

投资与规避

政府面临着在吸引合法外国投资和防止利用公司结构规避旨在保护泰国企业和财产所有权的限制之间取得平衡的难题。

最新数据显示，这些与外国有关联的公司所持有的资产并非非法取得。

相反，它们为有关部门提供了识别可能需要进一步调查的所有权结构的依据。

对于投资者而言，这种区别意义重大：外国投资者参与泰国公司不一定违法，但利用泰国股东作为代理人来掩盖外国控制权可能会引发监管和法律行动。

迪拜商业发展局表示，其更广泛的目标是在保持透明、公平的商业环境的同时，允许合法的外国投资继续进行。

这个版本刻意减少了字面意思，更适合出版，重点在于路透社/彭博社通常强调的重点是：头条数字→市场意义→政府反应→监管风险。

本文于2026年9月6日发表在Matichon News网站上。

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