A Russian Village Was Dismantled In Thailand
- 17.07.2026, 13:31
There are people in custody.
Following Indonesia's lead, Thai authorities have launched a campaign against so-called "Russian villages." In Chonburi Province, police detained four Russian citizens as part of an investigation into possible violations of the law involving luxury real estate transactions, according to The Nation.
According to the publication, law enforcement officials conducted searches at 41 addresses, seizing registration documents, accounting records, computers, and phones.
The investigation involves residential complexes with a total value of approximately $154 million, which were advertised as a “Russian village.” Investigators are determining whether Thai citizens were used as straw shareholders to conceal actual foreign control over the companies and circumvent restrictions on land ownership and business operations.
According to police, the titles to approximately 775 homes in five residential complexes are registered through more than 495 companies, 435 of which have foreign shareholders. Thirty-three companies are under investigation: it is suspected that 19 of them may have used front Thai shareholders, while in another 14, foreign ownership exceeded the permitted limits. The role of two Thai accountants, who are listed as shareholders in 186 companies, is being investigated separately—authorities must determine whether they invested their own funds or merely held shares on behalf of foreigners.
The Nation notes that the investigation in Chonburi is part of a nationwide campaign against nominee ownership schemes, which allow foreigners to circumvent bans on land ownership and certain types of business operations in Thailand. Police have promised to expand their investigations.
Similar measures were taken earlier this spring on the Indonesian island of Bali. The island’s governor I Wayan Koster stated that authorities had dismantled the so-called “Russian” and “Ukrainian” villages—areas where foreigners lived in concentrated communities that had formed following a mass migration of Russian and Ukrainian citizens to the island. According to the governor, foreigners were actively investing in real estate and opening businesses; however, such settlements violate local regulations and the island’s cultural policies. Following inspections, the authorities closed unregistered properties and tightened controls over land use and villa rentals.
In late 2024, the founder of the PARQ Ubud apartment complex , Andre Frey , was detained in Bali; local media referred to him as the creator of the “Russian village” — according to investigators, the complex was built in violation of land-use regulations on agricultural land. In addition, Bali authorities have tightened enforcement of immigration laws for foreigners in recent years: among the most common reasons for the deportation of Russian citizens are illegal employment, conducting business without the necessary permits, and violations of residency regulations.