Man files police complaint after finding stranger’s houses on his land

A Thai man filed a complaint with the police after discovering that a stranger built two houses on his land in the western province of Kanchanaburi. The tale should be filed under “stories you’ll only find in Thailand.”

The 45 year old land owner, Pairat (surname reserved), escorted reporters around his 442 square-metre estate in the Lad Ya sub-district of Kanchanaburi on Saturday, November 19. He showed them the two half-finished houses and a real estate “For Sale” board on his land.

Pairat told reporters that he legally owns the land and has the documents to prove it. He said he never hired any construction company to build houses on his estate but two popped up on his land in December last year.

Pairat said he learned about the houses in a letter from the sub-district office, who informed him that he was going to be fined for illegally building houses without planning permission. The letter shocked him because he didn’t know about the houses and was confused as to why he should pay for something that had nothing to do with him.

Pairat then filed a complaint with the police and provincial interior office before tracking down and confronting the owner of the houses, a 50 year old woman named Kanechaya Jittapatchayajun. The woman accepted that she built the houses on the wrong land, adding that it was a mistake.

Kanechaya said she bought the land from a relative. The relative brought her to the spot and pointed out a plot she could build on so, started constructing the houses.

Kanechaya said that she later did a land border survey, because she wanted to issue house deeds for the sale of the houses, and found out that her land was located next to Pairat’s land. She stopped construction work immediately and reported the issue to the sub-district office.

Kanechaya added that she was willing to buy Pairat’s land for 300,000 to 400,000 baht, according to the estimated land value, but Pairat wants 2 million baht.

Kanechaya urged Pairat to lower the price and come to an amicable agreement but as yet Pairat has not lowered his price.

The mayor of Lad Ya Sub-district Office, Warakorn Suesarn, told the media that the office has not yet fined Pairat for the construction work.

Officials warned both parties to cease the building work until sub-district office officers investigate the land and house documents.