Buying land: When your wife is a safer bet than your lawyer

SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2012
Buying land: When your wife is a safer bet than your lawyer

Ref: "Auditor-General promotes racism and xenophobia", Letters, March 15.

Surely it is perfectly legal for a foreign resident in Thailand to purchase a home, even land, in his wife’s name, providing of course she is the legal owner.
I believe the AG was referring to the rampant circumvention of the law, primarily by foreign law firms, in creating bogus companies to allow foreign investors to own land, which is against the law.
So go ahead. Buy your home in your wife’s name … if you can trust her!
Taking heed of Khun Burin’s appeal for equal justice for all in “removing illegal squatters like General Surayud”, trusting “the Mrs” may be a safer bet than trusting your lawyer.
If public land is illegally occupied it should and hopefully will be reclaimed without compensation.
JL
Bangkok

Note: The original remarks were made by the Ombudsman, not the Auditor General. We regret the error.