The synthesis of new chiral α-amino phosphonates by the Lewis acid mediated addition of bisesters of phosphonic acid to 3-thiazolines (2,5-dihydro-1,3-thiazoles), is described. The diastereoselectivity of the reaction using chiral reactants was systematically investigated. The chiral BINOL-phosphonate 1 was found to be a highly stereoselective phosphonylating agent towards 3-thiazolines. Structural aspects of the resulting thiazolidinylphosphonates were studied by NMR and X-ray analyses. The role of the Lewis acid as a spatial mediator is discussed and a quantum chemical description of the Lewis acid mediated hydrophosphonylation presented.