Land Department Director Denies Foreign Land Seizure on Koh Phangan; Inspection Reveals Foreigners Hold Only 6% of Island Property
Land Department officials inspected Koh Phangan after social media claims of foreign land seizure, finding foreigners hold only 6% of private property on the island. Police arrested 12 foreign companies suspected of violating Thai law using
Surat Thani - Land Department Director Pornpetch Penpat and his team inspected the Koh Samui Land Office in Koh Phangan District on May 13, 2025, to address recent social media reports about land ownership issues on the island. Following a Fourth Army Region investigation that suggested foreign nationals might be using Thai nominees to hold property, the department's field investigation found concrete evidence of 1,832 foreign companies holding land on Koh Phangan, with 47 companies identified as potentially violating Thai law. Police arrested 12 of these companies this morning, with the remaining 35 under investigation. Director Penpat clarified that there is no widespread foreign land seizure on Koh Phangan as reported on social media, confirming that foreign nationals hold only 6% of the island's 38% total private land.
