Putting Your House in Your Thai Child's Name

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Jaime
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Putting Your House in Your Thai Child's Name

Post by Jaime »

The possibility of doing this has been discussed on the forum before as a means of keeping property out of the hands of those scheming in-laws! :wink:

It has come to my attention that although it is not possible for a Thai minor to purchase a property it is possible for them to receive a property and for it to be registered in the child's name. This is not hearsay - I know someone who has done it.

There is a flip side though, if for example you wanted to borrow against equity in the property or sell it. You would first need to get the house put back into your name and it is much more difficult to do this than to initially register it in the child's name, requiring court appearances and the need to demonstrate that 'taking the house off the child' is justifiable. This basically means proving that without this course of action that the child would suffer hardship.

I don't know much more than this but would be interested if anyone can add any further details!
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tuktukmike
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Post by tuktukmike »

Hi Jamie,

You are of course right, you can put in your childs name.

But there is a major pitfall for some in doing this.

If you have a Thai girlfriend or wife she is the legal guardian of the child.

Which of course means she can sell the house whenever she wants.

Trust me it has happened .

Mike.
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buksida
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Post by buksida »

As far as I'm aware it can't be done until the child "comes of age". I think this is 16 in Thailand. We tried it with our nipper and no can do.

I'd like to get full details from anyone who has managed to put land/property in their kids name.
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tuktukmike
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Post by tuktukmike »

Buksi

I can assure you that you can put the property in your childs name.

But if his mother is Thai then she is the lagal custodian of all his affairs.

I am surprised you dont remember what happened to the English guy who had a house behind the grand hotel.

He done this exact thing, when he returned from the UK there was no house or wife. :(

Mike.
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Post by lomuamart »

True TTM and I'm sure we're speaking about the same person.
At least he now has legal custody of his son and the thief is right down the plughole from he's told me.
Couldn't have happened to a nicer lady,
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buksida
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Post by buksida »

tuktukmike wrote:Buksi

I can assure you that you can put the property in your childs name.

But if his mother is Thai then she is the lagal custodian of all his affairs.

I am surprised you dont remember what happened to the English guy who had a house behind the grand hotel.

He done this exact thing, when he returned from the UK there was no house or wife. :(

Mike.
There is nothing different here then than putting it in her name directly, since either way the farang has no bloody say in it. I have opened a bank account for the little fella, but they wouldnt let me put my name on the book, only his mums ... same principle.

Yes, I remember clearly who you're refering to, the house was never in the childs name in that case, the documents were false and she had a friend in the bank that also made an account disappear, thus disproving that the house was purchased by farang money.
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Jaime
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Post by Jaime »

buksida wrote:
tuktukmike wrote:Buksi

I can assure you that you can put the property in your childs name.

But if his mother is Thai then she is the lagal custodian of all his affairs.

I am surprised you dont remember what happened to the English guy who had a house behind the grand hotel.

He done this exact thing, when he returned from the UK there was no house or wife. :(

Mike.
There is nothing different here then than putting it in her name directly, since either way the farang has no bloody say in it.
From what I have been told it is not as simple as that. The person I referred to actually tried to get the house reverted to his wife's name (from the child's - trust me it can be done) so that they could borrow against equity in the house. It was such a convoluted pain in the arse - requiring the court appearances etc. that I mentioned - that they gave up. So it seems that there is some safeguard here, provided your wife does not have the means, nouse or determination to go through with the court case stuff, which they would also need to do in order to sell it from under you. I imagine this would be easier to do if the farang partner was absent in his own country for most of the time but not so easy if you live together.
Jaime
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Post by Jaime »

BTW, the child in question is a toddler - no where near 16 years of age - and the house is in its name.
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