Thread: question before buying a land with stream running through

hello all, i hope you can offer some advise

i am looking to purchase 10 rai of fertile land which is used now to grow vegetables and have all year round water. the plot is consist of 4 chanots titles and there is public irrigation streams around and through the land, the streams are marked blue in the picture,

since the streams are marked on the chanot as public use (satarana pryot) do i have legal right to

1. fence the entire plot of land
2. what distance from the stream we can legally build the a fence

You can do whatever you like as long as you don't obstruct free passage via the waterways. So one big ringfence is out.
Seasonal high flood mark is probably where you would want to fence, otherwize they will be submerged for part of the time.

you cannot stop the locals wandering up and down the canals, fishing for whatever

you don't really need a fence, by the looks of it, but you can put one anywhere on your land, but not across the canals

Necron99 the water is coming directly from a dam, the neighbors are saying that the area was never flooded, so can build a fence and let the water pass underneath into a concrete tube?

Again, I suggest you spend the monsoon season monitoring the properties water levels before you sink any real money into it.

Obviously its low land and most often flood plane.

Again what geographical location are you relative to?

Better to be cautious in stream bed country. This property parcel has more than its proper share if "year round water supply."

Originally Posted by aircut

Necron99 the water is coming directly from a dam, the neighbors are saying that the area was never flooded, so can build a fence and let the water pass underneath into a concrete tube?

No, it's not the water that has right of way, its people. Remember, years gone by, thailand had no roads, just waterways and they retain the same rights of transit as back then. Expecting people to crawl through a tube would make it not accessible. Just thing of the waterways as public roads, which they are.
You could, but the fence will get cut...

DrAndy, the stream that runs through the land is really small....i dont think someone can fish here

i read somewhere that there are guidelines for not building within 13 meters from small irrigation canals (left over land law?) any info?

Originally Posted by aircut

he stream that runs through the land is really small....i dont think someone can fish here

All streams are fishable in Thailand. These small streams are feeding larger streams and so on till they reach a major waterway or lake. Remember Thai's like those small minnows a lot!

Showed the plot to the wife: Automatic, "Thats under water a lot." she said.

Remember, fore warned is fore armed. Especially true in LOS. don't get in a hurry. How long you been here?

Can't remember the exact distance but around 15 metres either side should be made accessible and that includes livestock such as cattle as well as people. This is what I got from the headman of our village when I was looking at land with a stream (2-5m width) some time ago. I didn't buy it because of the shady paperwork though.

ltnt, i am here for almost 30 years. and speak and read the language fluently. the water running through the canals is coming from dams in a royal project. the land according to the farmers in the valley was never flooded , of course i am checking ! thanks for the heads up!

^OK Aircut, just wondering as you're questions appear to be from someone who has little experience with the way of Thailand. Not slagging you just that the questions are not something I would expect from a 30 year experience with LOS.

Water coming from or not coming from, "Royal Dams," can be a real negative as you should know.

Best of Luck.

We have an irrigation stream a little big bigger than the one in your picture.
It will never flood because the entrance feed is controlled by a sluice gate.

The locals do set fish traps in it for Pla Lai (looks like an eel)

sabotage the dam, then build a castle and drawbridge

Originally Posted by ltnt

^OK Aircut, just wondering as you're questions appear to be from someone who has little experience with the way of Thailand. Not slagging you just that the questions are not something I would expect from a 30 year experience with LOS.

Water coming from or not coming from, "Royal Dams," can be a real negative as you should know.

Best of Luck.

thats might be because i am a city dweller moving upcountry

;0

Originally Posted by Dillinger

sabotage the dam, then build a castle and drawbridge

on form today!

I would just do it and take a wait and see approach. If they tell you to take it down the most you've lost is a couple of concrete culvert pipes, a few meters of fence and a few cases of beer to stay friendly with the local officialdom.