Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing so-called coloured zoning for property, real estate here in Thailand. What are we talking about here? I thought of making this video after reading a recent article from the Pattaya Mail, that is pattayamail.com, the article is titled: PM orders concerned agencies to expedite implementation of color zoning plan. Quoting directly: "Following the weekly Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin disclosed that he had instructed concerned agencies, namely Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Ministry of Industry and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to expedite City zoning in accordance with the Town Planning Act, B.E. 2562. This is in order to promote town expansion and economic stimulation in each province throughout the country, and accommodate both domestic and foreign investments." 

Yeah it's noteworthy that during the last elections, one of the major platforms that came up, kind of percolated up through the ether of the election process, but it was one talking about trying to get more development to the provinces rather than worrying so much about the urban cores and sort of the urban areas surrounding the coast especially. Now that said, I've done a lot of videos on the EEC, the Eastern Economic Corridor. I think development of that is a very good idea; I think that will benefit all of Thailand in the long-term. Things like the land bridge as well would be infrastructure projects that again would benefit Thailand greatly across the board. But that said, I do think that there is something to be said for there being further development in many of the less populated and less tourism popular sort of provinces here in Thailand because that could benefit at a very local level, and then over time that rising tide could raise all ships, to use a metaphor there. 

Quoting further: "Therefore, color zoning which is aimed to differentiate land properties and capabilities in each province, must be properly implemented in line with national development plan." Yeah, this is another one that a lot of foreigners don't really understand when they come here. One, they think that just because Thailand doesn't look like the West and is sort of ordered differently and Thais are a little bit more laid back about things just generally, so they think many foreigners think that there is like no rhyme or reason to property zoning or to any type of planning in terms especially of urban areas. Now I can understand that because a lot of these urban areas develop organically so over time they just sort of made makeshift solutions ad hoc solutions and they kind of accreted over time.

But that said, it is really short-sighted and it's really kind of ignorant to think that Thailand does not have planning. In fact they do and they are very insidious about it especially now as we are seeing large scale construction especially along the corridors involved with mass transit here in Bangkok. So long-term when you are doing due diligence especially in a commercial real estate sense, understanding not only the nature of the title of the given property but also the zoning associated with it too, would be beneficial here in the Kingdom of Thailand.