Sor Kor 1 forms are no longer issued. Land held under one changes hands informally, by the holder giving up possession to someone else, with nothing recorded at the land office. The person taking over has no registered right and no reliable way of proving the boundaries.
Holders were given a final window to apply for an upgrade to a registrable title, which closed on 6 February 2010. Since then an upgrade has needed a court order confirming the claimant's possession. Titles issued on the strength of a Sor Kor 1 have been investigated, and some revoked, where the original claim proved false.
For a foreign buyer the rule is simple. Do not lease or build on Sor Kor 1 land, and treat other possession papers the same way, including local tax receipts (Por Bor Tor 5) and Sor Por Kor 4-01 agricultural reform land, which cannot lawfully be sold. Insist on a chanote or a Nor Sor 3 Gor. See title deeds and due diligence.
