{
  "id": 7066394,
  "title": "House committee presses crackdown on foreign nominee property in Pattaya",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/house-committee-presses-crackdown-on-foreign-nominee-property-in",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-12T05:30:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Thaiger",
    "slug": "the-thaiger",
    "url": "https://thethaiger.com/news/pattaya/house-committee-presses-crackdown-on-foreign-nominee-property-in-pattaya"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A House committee is pushing for a nationwide crackdown on foreign nominee businesses in Thailand's popular tourist destinations, with a focus on Pattaya. During a meeting at Parliament on September 10, officials from eight agencies briefed committee spokesman Yodchai Peungporn. The police have identified approximately 14,000 companies matching the nominee profile in the fourth phase of their crackdown, which includes Pattaya. Yodchai labeled \"grey Thais\"—foreigners who own land using Thai identity cards—as a significant part of the issue and a serious threat. Such individuals, by operating as Thais, could lead to the loss of land, economic activity, and state revenue for the country. Nationwide, 36,277 foreign-invested companies hold 305,838 land plots. The number of high-risk nominee registrations has dropped from 894 in August 2025 to 163 in August 2026, according to government spokesman Ekkapop Pienpises. In the Yim Liak and Ben Smith case, the Anti-Money Laundering Office has seized or frozen 34 more assets, valued at around 8.27 billion baht, bringing the total seized assets to 102, worth approximately 20.39 billion baht. The fourth phase of the crackdown began in Chonburi on July 17, led by deputy national police chief Pol. Gen. Samran Nualma. Police have identified 19 suspected nominee firms and 14 foreign-majority firms holding land, making a total of 33 targets. The committee seeks a comprehensive solution, addressing everything from entry and business registration to shareholder, funding, and land holding checks. The goal is to ensure fair competition while safeguarding those who engage in legal activities.",
  "summary": "A House committee wants a system-wide fix for foreign nominee firms, as officials count 36,277 foreign-invested companies holding 305,838 land plots. The story House committee presses crackdown on foreign nominee property in Pattaya as seen on Thaiger News .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}