Thailand's foreign nominee crackdown (2026): what property buyers should know
Since May 2026, Thai authorities — the DSI and the Department of Business Development (DBD), under Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul — have been auditing companies that use Thai nominee shareholders to let foreigners control land. In Phuket, authorities report over 600 companies flagged and arrest warrants issued. No new ownership law was passed: this is stricter enforcement of the existing Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542, plus a new DBD registration-screening order (effective 1 August 2026). For a buyer, the practical point is to verify a developer's real company registration before you commit.
- What changed is enforcement, not the rules. The 49% condo quota and the ban on foreign land ownership are unchanged; what is being prosecuted are nominee structures that disguised foreign control as Thai ownership.
- Phuket is a focus area. Of roughly 30,000 companies screened, authorities report more than 11,000 with foreign shareholders and over 600 flagged for nominee risk, with arrest and search warrants issued across Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga.
- This makes a developer's real registration matter more than a glossy brochure: its DBD juristic-person number, who actually holds the shares, registered capital, and whether the company genuinely operates.
- You can check these official records yourself before you engage — see our guide on verifying a Phuket developer, and the developer directory with official registration numbers.
General reference only, reporting public enforcement actions; not legal advice. For your own situation, consult a licensed Thai lawyer.