The BBC & Jonathan Head v Thai legal system in property dispute

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The BBC & Jonathan Head v Thai legal system in property dispute

Post by caller »

This is going to generate a lot of interest.

According to Andrew Drummond, who quotes Jonathan Head, the BBC are backing him after a Phuket Court accepted a case of slander under the country’s Computer Crime Act against him. This arose from a report he did where he challenged the solicitor who is alleged to have been involved where various expats have lost property.

“We will fight the case because we have to. The report was sound, the allegations in it carefully phrased and well-founded. I am very fortunate to have a large organization behind me who feel the same way. The BBC's reputation is at stake and we have to defend it.”

(edit - wow! The new auto embedding works well!)

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Re: The BBC & Jonathan Head v Thai legal system

Post by Jack Sprat »

I am going to be watching this one closely.
Hopefully, this 3rd world country will get a caning from international powers.
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Re: The BBC & Jonathan Head v Thai legal system

Post by Deep Blue »

The generals will just block the whole thing.
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Re: The BBC & Jonathan Head v Thai legal system

Post by Big Boy »

Readers are left to wonder who are these specialist and independent property lawyers who can guarantee those 90 year leases.

They might like to turn for advice to the victims on Koh Samui who this year were turfed out of the properties they bought 30 years ago and that these lease arrangements are kicking in as blatant frauds.
Ouch!!! I'd read many times that the 30 + 30 + 30 was a potential scam, but hadn't realised it had actually happened anywhere - how sad. I wonder how many others have been conned? I can't get it out of my head. Somebody might have retired here at age 50, and find themselves turfed out of their homes at age 80. Despite the many warnings I've read, I find it incredible that its come to fruition.

Hopefully, most such agreements are sound.
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Re: The BBC & Jonathan Head v Thai legal system

Post by StevePIraq »

I know one person who at 75 and in quite poor health now has to pay rent to live in the house he built over 30 years ago.
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Re: The BBC & Jonathan Head v Thai legal system

Post by centermid7 »

Did not the Thai Supreme Court rule against the 30-30-30 leasing just a year or so back? I think they even ruled the first 30 year lease was no good because the other two had been tacked on and thus voided the whole thing.

I believe they did but I'll have to Google it up again as i don't recall the details.
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Re: The BBC & Jonathan Head v Thai legal system in property dispute

Post by hhinner »

^^ Didn't think it was the Supreme Court, but rather a provincial court. Phuket maybe?
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Re: The BBC & Jonathan Head v Thai legal system in property dispute

Post by centermid7 »

^ your memory is better than mine. It was the Phuket Civil Court, backed by the Region 8 Appellate Court with the case moving on to the Supreme Court.
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Re: The BBC & Jonathan Head v Thai legal system in property dispute

Post by StevePIraq »

If after the first 30 years is up the official land owner does not agree to a further 30 years lease you are out and have no leg to stand on
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Re: The BBC & Jonathan Head v Thai legal system in property dispute

Post by HHTel »

There's no such thing as a renewal after 30 years. I've heard the way around it is a separate document forming a contract that gives the option to lease the land from a given date (30 years after the original lease). This has nothing to do with the original lease and is an entirely separate agreement.
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