Révisé par ThaiLawOnline, un cabinet d'avocats thaïlandais agréé exerçant en Thaïlande depuis 2006. Avocate thaïlandaise en charge du dossier : Wichuda Atthamethakon, LL.M., licence du barreau thaïlandais 3149/2556.
Dernière mise à jour le 5 septembre 2026
possession adverse (ครอบครองปรปักษ์, khrop khrong prapak, also krob krong porapak ou prescription acquisitive) is the rule in Section 1382 of the Code civil et commercial that a person who possesses another’s property peacefully, openly and with the intention of being its owner, without interruption, for 10 years in the case of immovable property and 5 years for movables, acquires ownership of it. In practice it applies to land held under a Chanote and is the main way an absent owner in Thailand loses land to a neighbour, a relative or a long-term occupier. A foreigner cannot benefit from it, because a foreigner cannot own land.
Table des matières
What Section 1382 requires
Four conditions must all be met. The possession must be peaceful (not taken or kept by force), open (not concealed from the owner), with the intention of owning (not as a tenant, borrower, caretaker or family member allowed to stay), and continuous for 10 years. The 10 years run against the registered owner and every successor, so a buyer inherits the clock. Possession by a tenant or by someone who admits the owner’s title never counts, however long it lasts.
The rule works only against land that has an owner to lose it, which in practice means land with a Chanote. State land, public land and land inside forest reserves cannot be acquired by prescription however long someone farms it. Land held under a Nor Sor 3 or Ni Sor 3 Gor is a possessory right rather than ownership, and there the holder can lose the land much faster: an intruder who takes possession and is not sued for recovery within one year keeps it.
How the claim is made and defended
Ownership passes by operation of law, but the deed does not change by itself. The possessor must petition the civil court for a judgment declaring that ownership has been acquired under Section 1382, with witnesses, photographs, tax receipts and evidence of the buildings, fences or crops that show possession. With the judgment, the possessor applies to the Bureau foncier to be registered as owner. Until then, the new ownership cannot be set up against a third party who buys the land from the registered owner in bonne foi and for value.
The owner’s defence is to break the possession before the period ends: a written demand, a lawsuit for eviction or an agreement in which the occupier acknowledges the owner’s title all stop the clock. Paying the land and building tax and visiting the land help but are not enough on their own if someone else is openly living there as owner.
The typical foreign case involves land held by a Thai spouse or company while the foreigner lives abroad, with a relative or caretaker left in occupation. Ten years pass, the relationship sours, and the occupier claims the land. A registered lease, usufruct or written caretaker agreement prevents this, because it makes the occupation permissive rather than adverse.
Adverse possession compared with related rules
Adverse possession is often confused with the one-year rule for possessory land, with squatting on state land, and with prescription of claims. The table separates them.
| Situation | Règle | Résultat |
|---|---|---|
| Chanote land occupied as owner for 10 years | Article 1382 | Occupier acquires ownership, registered after a court judgment |
| Nor Sor 3 land taken by an intruder | Recovery must be sued for within 1 year | Holder loses the possessory right if late |
| Occupation of state or forest land | No prescription against the state | No ownership, and prosecution possible |
| Debt or contract claim left unpursued | Prescription of claims (limitation) | Claim barred, no property passes |
A foreigner who has occupied land for 10 years gains nothing under Section 1382, since Section 86 of the Land Code bars foreign ownership; a foreigner funding a Thai national’s claim risks the nominee rules. A foreigner can, however, be affected as the holder of a registered usufruct or lease: the underlying land can change hands, though the new owner takes it subject to the registered right.
Foire aux questions
How many years is adverse possession in Thailand?
Ten years of peaceful, open and continuous possession with the intention of ownership for land and other immovable property, and five years for movable property, under Section 1382 of the Civil and Commercial Code. The period runs only against land that has a private owner, in practice Chanote land.
Can a foreigner claim adverse possession of land in Thailand?
No. Section 1382 transfers ownership, and Section 86 of the Land Code prevents a foreigner from owning land, so a foreign occupier acquires nothing however long the possession lasts. A foreigner may still be affected as the holder of a lease or usufruct when the land changes owner.
How do I stop someone claiming adverse possession of my land?
Break the possession before 10 years pass: send a written demand, sue for eviction, or have the occupier sign a lease, caretaker agreement or acknowledgement of your title. Visit the land, keep boundary markers in place and keep the tax paid, and check the Land Office record regularly if you live abroad.
Voir aussi : Chanote (Nor Sor 4 Jor), Ni Sor 3, Prescription (limitation periods), Code foncier, Titres de propriété en Thaïlande ET State Land Disputes in Thailand.
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