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Understanding Land Titles in Thailand

Work starts on London’s Shard tower

Cityscape Asia offers investors some eastern promise

Raimon Land seminar aims to boost Pattaya’s long-term development


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Understanding Land Titles in Thailand

True title deeds, “Chanot ti din”, are only to be found in the most and longest developed parts of the Thailand, and of course in Bangkok. Chanot titles, issued by the Provincial office of the Thai Land Department, are accurately surveyed, plotted in relation to a national survey grid and also marked by unique numbered marker posts set in the ground.
Most “titles” in rural Thailand are however of the Nor. Sor. Sam. or Nor. Sor. Sam. Kor. (N.S.3.) variety and are in the strictest interpretation “land exploration testimonial deeds”. They are to all practical purposes land title deeds (issued and maintained by the Amphoer, the District land office) in as much as clear records of ownership are maintained, and that they may be sold, leased, used as mortgage collateral etc.
In the case of the Nor. Sor. Sam. but not the more recently issued Nor. Sor. Sam. Kor. there is however a requirement that 30 days public notice is necessary before any change of status over the land can be registered.
N.S.3. titles are in general less accurately surveyed than Chanot titles. In the case of the older (now increasingly rare N.S.3.) titles the boundaries are only recorded in relation to the neighboring plots and survey errors in length of boundary or area are not unusual.
The newer Nor. Sor. Sam. Kor. is in general much more accurately surveyed and each plot is cross referenced to a master survey of the area and a corresponding aerial photograph. For this reason, whenever purchasing N.S.3. land which lacks clearly defined physical boundaries, it is a wise precaution to ask the owner to stake out the boundaries and then ask neighboring land owners to confirm the vendors interpretation of the boundary.
The Chanot and the Nor. Sor. Sam. Kor. are the only titles over which registerable right of ownership or lease can exist, and are as such the only ones that a prudent foreigner should consider.
Below the Chanot and N.S.3. title there are a host of other forms of land claim document such as the Sor. Kor. Nueng (S.K.1)., the Tor. Bor. Tor. Hoc. (T.B.T.6) and the Tor. Bor. Tor. Ha. (T.B.T.5.). These rights are essentially a form of squatter or settler’s claim which has been filed with the district office and upon which a small fee has been paid. Unlike the Chanot and N.S.3., it is neither possible to register a sale or lease over these land rights, nor will a bank accept them for collateral and most importantly one cannot apply for (or obtain approval to) build on such land.
In certain circumstances, based on the length of the claim and the use to which the land has been put, it is possible to upgrade these land claims (to N.S.3. or Chanot title). The steps involved in such an application and the number of government departments required to approve such an application (where such approval is often discretionary) is however quite daunting and most definitely not recommended to anyone without the best of connections at the district, provincial and (in many cases) national level.
The newer Sor. Bor Kor. titles are very different to the above claims. These are true title deeds, accurately surveyed and pegged (like a Chanot). They may be mortgaged and planning permission for development may be sought and granted. The one significant thing that may not happen with a Sor. Bor Kor, is that it may not be sold or transferred (except under last will and testament). Many expect that this limitation will change in time or that the titles can be quickly upgraded to a full Chanot. This is not a universal interpretation of the intention of the new titles and it may be unlikely that any upgrading will granted in the near future.
(Source PRLog/All Phuket Real Estate)


Work starts on London’s Shard tower

An artist’s rendering shows the Shard London Bridge
(left) towering over the London skyline.

Western Europe’s tallest building, the Shard London Bridge, has been in the pipeline for longer than most people care to remember, but construction finally began in London last week, against a backdrop of economic gloom…
The 28 year old Southwark Towers were demolished in December last year in order to make way for the brand new 1,016 foot ‘vertical city,’ which, once completed, will stand three times higher than St Paul’s Cathedral and will change the Capital’s skyline forever.
The brainchild of Italian Architect Renzo Piano, the Shard will include Europe’s first Shangri-La Hotel, five-star restaurants, public viewing gallery, offices, shops and the highest residential property in the UK.
The original design for this project, by Broadway Malyan, featured a circular tower of 87-storeys, 365-metres in height, but this was replaced by Piano’s shard of glass design and made slightly lower.
And, although planning permission for the Shard was granted in November 2003, the project has only just got the go ahead from all angles.
Back in 2007, the major Shard stakeholder, the Halabi Family Trust, was forced to sell its 80 per cent stake to Qatari investors (QInvest, Qatar National Bank, Quatari Islamic Bank and the developer Barwa Real Estate) for £75 million.
Now in late March 2009 and despite a gloomy economic backdrop, the future for the Shard looks far sunnier thanks to backing from a group of Qatari banks, which has allowed its construction to commence.
Standing adjacent to London Bridge Railway Station, the urban village concept tower’s construction will be managed by the Mace Group and will form an integral part of the redevelopment of the area including Thameslink 2000 upgrades and Network Rail’s project masterplan.
Like a giant chameleon, the Shard, which will use sophisticated glazing and angled panes to reflect sunlight and the changing patterns of the sky on the building, will change with the London weather and seasons.
It will also use energy-saving materials and techniques to ensure the building uses 30 per cent less energy than other high-rises of comparable dimensions.
On its completion in 2012, just in time for the London Olympic Games, the Shard will become the tallest building in the UK, overtaking One Canada Square.
(Source PRLog/Press Release)


Cityscape Asia offers investors some eastern promise

World’s largest B2B real estate investment & development event brand returns to Singapore – cash rich investors now looking for bargain buys

The global property world is turning its attention to Asia with investors hoping 2009 will be the year to begin picking up potentially ‘undervalued’ assets ahead of regional economies emerging from the global financial crisis, say the organisers of the world’s biggest international real estate investment event.
“Though not hobbled by the toxic debts that have paralysed many of their western counterparts, Asia’s main economies are not immune to the global downturn,” said Graham Wood, Group Exhibition Director, Cityscape.
“Some economists believe, however, that government stimulus packages and interest rate cuts will turn the tide with signs of recovery possibly emerging as early as Q4 2009.”
Cityscape Asia has been organised with the assistance of an advisory board, which consists of industry professionals such as; Nathan Lloyd, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, MGM Mirage International; Lawrence D. Sperling, Head of Asia Private Equity, Mercury Partners and Chief Executive Officer, Peak Asia Management; and Nicholas Loup, Managing Director, Grosvenor.
In a joint statement, the board commented, “The past few months have been challenging for all of us working in the real estate industry. But out of the doom and gloom we are optimistic – trying to anticipate where the next opportunities will come from and how we can capitalise on them.”
“Established firms, family enterprises and individuals with cash reserves, limited debt and an appetite for risk are expected to be among the first to begin searching the Asian market for bargains in coming months,” stated Wood.
“Competition for prime real estate is easing and for investors with money, this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Predictions of a rebound in Asian property markets are based on continuing regional urbanisation which has, for example, seen an average eight million Chinese people move to cities annually over the last decade,” he added.
Cityscape Asia - part of the world’s largest business-to-business real estate event brand - is an annual networking exhibition and conference focusing on all aspects of the real estate development cycle. The three day event will run from 19 – 21 May 2009 at Singapore’s Suntec.
Top deal-makers from leading developers, banks, institutional investors and investment authorities, as well as senior officers from the foremost private equity funds and investment advisory firms, will gather at Cityscape Asia to discuss the key issues and investment opportunities.
Some of the conference highlights include: surviving the global financial crisis; the future for real estate funds; Asian REITS; markets to invest in for long-term growth and returns; country spotlights in trouble times; the Asian retail decade; and green investments.
Cityscape Asia is an extension of the phenomenally successful Cityscape Dubai, organised by IIR Middle East, which also include Abu Dhabi, India, China, Saudi Arabia and South America.
Cityscape Asia is sponsored by UK-based Scala Land Group, which presents overseas investors with alternative opportunities to buy land in the UK.
For more information about Cityscape Asia 2008 and related events, visit: www. cityscapeasia.com. (Press Release)


Raimon Land seminar aims to boost Pattaya’s long-term development

Luxury property developer, Raimon Land, and the Pattaya City administration are organising a half-day seminar titled “Approaches to Bolster the Tourism and Real Estate Sectors in Pattaya”, on Friday March 27 in the Seminar Room at Pattaya’s Amari Ocean Tower Hotel from 1.00 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Registration starts at 1 p.m. and the event is open to all members of the local business community, media and general public.
Chonburi Mayor Vittaya Khunpluem and Pattaya City Mayor Ittipol Khunpleum will open the seminar at 1.30 p.m. with an hour-long presentation informing participants of the government’s policies for boosting development in Pattaya’s tourism and real estate sectors.
Chairman of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Weerasak Kowsurat, will then open the seminar’s 90-minute “The Government’s Policies and Measures to Stimulate Pattaya’s Tourism and Real Estate Sectors” segment at 2.30 p.m., followed by a question and answer session.
A round-table entitled “The Roles of Real Estate and Tourism Businesses to Boost Pattaya’s Economy” will follow at 4.20 p.m., and will include a case study of “Home Retirement” by Assoc Prof Trirat Jaruthat from Chulalongkorn University and input from executives from Raimon Land, Pattaya businesses and the tourism association. For registration details please visit www.pattaya.go.th.