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Step by Step: Why clarity is crucial for Phuket’s economic future
Step by Step: Why clarity is crucial for Phuket’s economic future
OPINION: Phuket, a key economic driver for Thailand, finds itself at a critical juncture. Years of robust foreign investment and a booming tourism industry have fuelled its growth, but a recent ‘nominee clampdown’ – aimed at regularizing foreign ownership structures – has introduced uncertainty. This article, the third and final in the series ‘Thailand’s Shifting Sands: Navigating the Nominee Clampdown and Leasehold Uncertainty for Expats’, delves into the intricate balance between ensuring legal compliance and sustaining the island’s appeal to foreign capital. As the Thai government proposes significant reforms, including 99-year land leases and increased foreign condo ownership, the pressing question remains: can these changes provide the clarity and security necessary to secure Phuket’s future as a vibrant international hub?
Step by Step: Business Ventures ‒ Operating Legally in a Restricted Landscape
Step by Step: Business Ventures ‒ Operating Legally in a Restricted Landscape
OPINION: Thailand’s dynamic economic landscape, long a beacon for foreign investment and expatriate ventures, is undergoing a significant recalibration. For years, the allure of the ‘Land of Smiles’ coupled with what some perceived as regulatory ambiguities, fostered a fertile ground for diverse foreign-led businesses. However, beneath the surface of vibrant markets and burgeoning tourism, deeper structural concerns have prompted Bangkok to assert greater control over its economic destiny.
Step by Step: The ‘Nominee Clampdown’ state of play
Step by Step: The ‘Nominee Clampdown’ state of play
OPINION: Thailand, long a beacon for foreign investors and lifestyle seekers, is currently navigating a period of significant legal and economic recalibration. The country’s  vibrant economy, heavily reliant on tourism and foreign capital, finds itself at a crossroads as Thai authorities intensify their crackdown on “nominee” arrangements and clarify long-standing ambiguities in property lease laws.
Step by Step: Phuket’s Property Market – A Looming Correction?
Step by Step: Phuket’s Property Market – A Looming Correction?
OPINION: Phuket’s real estate sector has long attracted foreign investors and holidaymakers, experiencing a significant boom in the post-pandemic era, driven by a resurgence in tourism. However, beneath this surface of vigorous growth, substantial concerns are emerging that could destabilise the market.
Deep crisis engulfs Phuket Andaman FC under silent owners
Deep crisis engulfs Phuket Andaman FC under silent owners
FOOTBALL: The dramatic, last-gasp survival of Phuket Andaman FC in Thai League 3 South now feels like a cruel mirage shimmering over a landscape of deepening crisis.
Step by Step: Phuket's Paradise Lost? Resale market faces Bangkok's condo conundrum
Step by Step: Phuket's Paradise Lost? Resale market faces Bangkok's condo conundrum
OPINION: The familiar thrum of the car tyres on the long drive from Phuket to Bangkok over Songkran usually fills me with a sense of anticipation. Swapping the frenetic beach parties of the island for the equally chaotic, yet somehow different, energy of the capital has become a tradition.
A rising football star forged on Phuket’s shores
A rising football star forged on Phuket’s shores
FOOTBALL: Phuket can lay claim to another feather in its cap: producing one of the most exciting young footballers in Thailand. Siam Yapp, the talented young forward currently on loan at Nakhon Ratchasima FC (Swat Cats) from Buriram United, is a product of Phuket’s nurturing footballing environment, a testament to the island’s growing influence on the national stage.
Step by Step: Phuket's 90-year lease mirage ‒ Legal reality bites hard on tropical shores
Step by Step: Phuket's 90-year lease mirage ‒ Legal reality bites hard on tropical shores
OPINION: The allure of a 90-year lease has long been a siren song for foreign investors drawn to Phuket’s tropical shores. Developers, promising a near-century of secure ownership, have successfully lured buyers with the seemingly ironclad 30+30+30 lease structure. However, a recent Thai Supreme Court ruling has shattered this illusion, revealing the inherent fragility of these agreements and plunging countless homeowners into a legal quagmire.
Phuket Andaman FC survive the drop
Phuket Andaman FC survive the drop
FOOTBALL: Phuket Andaman FC have pulled off a remarkable, almost improbable, escape from relegation in the Thai League 3 South, clinging to their league status with a dramatic, last-gasp 1-0 victory against FC Yala yesterday (Mar 29).
PAFC Coach M resigns with one game remaining
PAFC Coach M resigns with one game remaining
FOOTBALL: Phuket Andaman FC (PAFC) are staring into the abyss of relegation, their Thai League 3 status hanging by the thinnest of threads. The club’s final fixture, a crucial away tie against FC Yala today (Mar 29), has become a last stand in a season defined by chaos and decline.
Relegation looms large for deflated Lobsters
Relegation looms large for deflated Lobsters
FOOTBALL: As the 300 souls who braved the Phang Nga Provincial Stadium witnessed, Phuket Andaman FC’s season is limping towards its inevitable conclusion after a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of PSU Surat Thani on Sunday (Mar 23).
Phuket Andaman FC’s fight for survival goes down to the wire
Phuket Andaman FC’s fight for survival goes down to the wire
FOOTBALL: Phuket Andaman FC (PAFC) face a nail-biting conclusion to their tumultuous season, with their Thai League 3 fate hanging precariously in the balance. The club’s final two fixtures will determine whether they can stave off relegation and secure their future.
Thai League 1 Deep Dive: Matchday 25
Thai League 1 Deep Dive: Matchday 25
FOOTBALL: Port FC and True Bangkok United played out a goalless draw in a closely contested Thai League 1 encounter at the PAT Stadium on Sunday (Mar 16).
Torky haunts former club as Ranong edge crucial encounter
Torky haunts former club as Ranong edge crucial encounter
FOOTBALL: Ranong United defeated Phuket Andaman FC (PAFC) 1-0 in a pivotal clash at the Ranong Stadium yesterday (Mar 16), a result that leaves Phuket in a precarious position at the foot of the table.
Step by Step: Phuket’s property panic ‒ Thai lease ruling rocks expat community
Step by Step: Phuket’s property panic ‒ Thai lease ruling rocks expat community
OPINION: A recent Thai court ruling, invalidating the automatic renewal of 30-year property leases, has sent tremors through Phuket’s expat community, shattering the illusion of long-term security. While the legal ambiguity surrounding lease renewals has lingered for years, the court’s decisive stance has transformed abstract concern into palpable panic.
Thai League 1 Deep Dive: Matchday 25
Thai League 1 Deep Dive: Matchday 25
FOOTBALL: Despite a late surge and a dramatic penalty in the dying minutes, Muangthong United succumbed to a 1-2 defeat at the hands of Port FC at the Thunder Dome Stadium last Sunday (Mar 9).
Lobsters pick up point as new investment confirmed
Lobsters pick up point as new investment confirmed
FOOTBALL: While news of fresh investment into the club was a timely boost for Phuket Andaman FC (PAFC), on the pitch their struggles remain following a tense 0-0 draw at home against Krabi FC yesterday (Mar 8).
Thai League 1 Deep Dive: Matchday 24
Thai League 1 Deep Dive: Matchday 24
FOOTBALL: Port FC staged an impressive comeback in the second half to overcome a two-goal deficit and defeat Nakhon Ratchasima FC 4-2 at the PAT Stadium last Saturday (Mar 1).
Lobsters show promise but fall short against league leaders
Lobsters show promise but fall short against league leaders
FOOTBALL: Phuket Andaman FC (PAFC) fell to a 2-0 defeat against league leaders Songkhla FC yesterday (Mar 2), a result that brings a sobering end to Coach M’s brief honeymoon period.
Thai League 1 Deep Dive: Matchday 23
Thai League 1 Deep Dive: Matchday 23
FOOTBALL: Buriram United tightened their grip on the Thai League 1 title with an impressive 3-1 win over Muangthong United at the BG Stadium on Sunday (Feb 23). Despite a spirited performance from the hosts, Buriram’s clinical finishing and dominance in key areas proved decisive.