4 ways to check if a land title deed is real or fake.

As mentioned above, a land title deed is a crucial document proving ownership of land. Therefore, in addition to understanding its importance and safeguarding it, it's essential to know the different types of land title deeds.

Furthermore, those who are investors, frequently change land ownership, or mortgage their land title deed to others must know how to verify its authenticity. Currently, document forgery is a common crime in Thai society, with numerous major lawsuits reported in the media.
Most forged land title deeds are of the NS.4 J type, which are title deeds legally transferable.

Therefore, to ensure your land title deed is not fake, you need to know how to check its authenticity. Otherwise, your land may have unknowingly fallen into the hands of fraudsters. If you're ready, let's perform some basic checks on your land title deed.

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Check for Real or Fake Land Title Deeds with 4 Methods Before Unknowingly Losing Ownership

The image shows an example of a land title deed, specifically a Nor Sor 4 (land ownership certificate). Generally, forged land title deeds are created by closely imitating the original information to resemble a genuine deed as much as possible.

Therefore, it is very difficult to detect forgery on a fake deed with the naked eye. However, a preliminary check can be done by examining the characteristics and writing on the deed:

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1. Check the signature and seal of the official.

From the example deed, you can see that at the bottom, there is an official signature, usually in black ink, along with a stamp and the date. If other colors of ink are used in the signature, or if there is no stamp, suspect that the deed is fake.

This is only a preliminary assumption based on visual inspection. The deed you hold may still be genuine, as some deeds may use blue or other colors of ink. Therefore, if you find other colors of ink, be suspicious and check other details on the deed.

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2. Check the land history on the back of the deed.

On the back of the land title deed, there is a registration index, which serves as a record of registered transactions for the land plot. This shows the history of the land ownership and its past transactions. The back of the deed also includes a table of ownership changes, allowing you to check the current owner and past ownership transfers. If this information doesn't match the deed's history as known to the landowner, it should raise suspicion that the deed is forged, and the next crucial point to examine is:

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3. Check the Garuda watermark on the land title deed.

If, after a visual inspection, you suspect the deed is fake, examine its physical appearance. Most modern land title deeds are approximately 24 x 36 centimeters, printed on a special yellowish fibrous paper, and feature a Garuda watermark in the center.

This watermark is invisible to the naked eye. Holding the deed up to a light, you will see the Garuda symbol within two circles, with a watermark below stating "Department of Land, Ministry of Interior." 4. Verify by taking the land title deed to the land office.

If, after checking, you have doubts and suspect that your land title deed is fake, remain calm and don't rush to throw it away. A genuine land title deed is usually in two copies: one given to the landowner for safekeeping and another kept at the land office.

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Therefore, if you suspect a deed is fake, the last resort is to go to the land office and request a copy of the deed kept there for comparison. If there have been any changes to the deed's records, the copy kept at the land office will be updated to reflect the original.

If the copies appear identical, take the suspicious deed to the Land Department for further verification. However, if there are discrepancies, your deed is 100% fake. Prepare to file a police report and pursue legal action.

The most important way to protect yourself from fraud and safeguard your land ownership is to have your land title deed checked at the land office at least once a year. This includes conducting more thorough inspections of one's own land to prevent encroachment from ill-intentioned individuals or potential unauthorized possession, which could occur at any time.

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Thank you for the valuable information from DD Property.