How buying property in Phuket actually works
This is everything I normally explain to a client out loud: what the entry price really is, what a foreigner can hold in their own name, what an advertised yield turns into after tax and fees, which documents get checked before the deposit, and how a calm transaction runs from the first call to the keys. No brochure optimism and no horror stories — just how it works.
The long guides
Buying property in Thailand: where to start
What the entry budget really is, what a foreigner can hold in their own name, condo or villa, off-plan or completed, and which part of Phuket to buy in.
Property ownership in Thailand: what you can actually hold
Freehold inside the 49% quota, registered leasehold, why nominee structures are a bad idea, and the checks that happen before any deposit moves.
Phuket property returns: what actually reaches your account
Realistic net yield on Phuket, what a guaranteed programme really is, the full cost of entry, the annual cost of ownership, and tax at home.
How a Thai purchase actually runs, start to finish
The full sequence of a Phuket purchase: checks before money, the payment plan, the bank transfer and FET, a Thai account, handover and the exit.
Living in Phuket: visas, budget, schools and the move
What a month on Phuket really costs, which long-stay visa routes exist, how families choose a school and an area, and how to test the island first.
Start here: prices, budget, the first decision
Is buying property in Thailand worth it right now
What is really happening in the Phuket market in 2026, who this purchase suits and who it does not, what net yield is realistic, and how a calm transaction actually looks.
How much a Phuket apartment actually costs
Real Phuket apartment prices in 2026: where the market starts, what a studio, a one-bed and a two-bed cost, how areas differ, and what gets added on top of the price.
Can a foreigner buy property in Thailand
What a foreigner can own in Thailand in their own name and what they cannot: condo freehold inside the 49% quota, registered leasehold, villas, land. A clear walkthrough from Phuket.
Condo or villa: how to choose
Condo and villa in Phuket compared honestly: ownership structure, entry price, yield, running costs, resale speed, and which goal each format actually serves.
Off-plan or completed: which one suits you
Off-plan versus completed property on Phuket: entry price, growth to handover, instalments, when income starts, resale liquidity, and how the real risks are closed.
Phuket districts: where to buy for rent, where to buy for life
A district guide to Phuket: Bang Tao, Layan, Kamala, Nai Yang, Mai Khao, Kata, Karon, Rawai and Chalong - how they differ on rental demand, seasonality and entry price.
What a licensed condominium is, and what it is not
The condominium licence, why there is no foreign freehold without it, how an apart-hotel differs, and what the juristic person and the 49% quota mean.
Phuket or Bali: an honest comparison for an investor
Ownership, entry price, yield, seasonality, flights, liquidity and exit compared for Phuket and Bali, and who each island genuinely suits.
Phuket or Pattaya: an honest comparison for an investor
Entry price, tenant profile, seasonality, resale liquidity and project quality compared for Phuket and Pattaya, and who each market actually suits.
Ownership and documents
Freehold or leasehold in Phuket
How freehold differs from leasehold in Phuket, what it does to resale, yield and inheritance, and when a leasehold is a sensible purchase rather than an overpayment.
Land leasehold: why a lease may not be registered
What changed in the registration of long land leases in Phuket, why a payment schedule is now required instead of one lump sum, and what a villa buyer should check before signing.
Nominee structures: what they mean for a buyer
What a nominee Thai shareholder is, why enforcement tightened in 2026, and how it affects buying a condo or a villa in Phuket. Written from the buyer's side, not the lawyer's.
What to check in a condominium before buying
A practical pre-purchase checklist for a Thai condo: the 49% foreign quota, the chanote, lease registration, outstanding building charges, the management company and house rules.
How to check a developer on Phuket
What to verify on a Phuket developer before the deposit: completed projects, land title, permits, contract terms, escrow and late delivery penalties. A practical checklist.
Inheritance of Thai property and wills
How a freehold condo, the land under a villa and a leasehold pass to your heirs in Thailand, what deadlines a foreign heir has, what happens without a will, and what to arrange in advance.
If a Thai developer misses the deadline or goes under
Escrow in Thailand is voluntary, not compulsory. What the prescribed condominium contract gives you, where to take a complaint, what is realistically recoverable, and two documented Phuket cases.
How to avoid property scams and simply bad deals in Thailand
Real losses in Thai property come from documents nobody read. Each typical problem and the specific check that closes it before any money moves.
The money: yield, costs, tax
Net rental yield in Phuket: how to count it
Why a brochure yield becomes 5-6% in your account, and how to work out the net return on a Phuket apartment yourself: occupancy, management fee, tax, voids and running costs.
Guaranteed rental yield: what it actually is
How developer guaranteed rental yield programmes work in Phuket, why the guarantee is usually already priced into the unit, and what the property earns once the programme ends.
Purchase costs and taxes in Phuket
Everything you pay beyond the price of a Phuket apartment: registration fees, sinking fund, common area charges, furniture, legal fees, and the taxes that arise when you sell.
What it costs to own property in Thailand
Common area fees, sinking fund, land and building tax, utilities, insurance and the management company's share: the full annual cost of owning a Phuket apartment, line by line.
Who will actually rent out your apartment
How to choose a management company in Phuket, how a hotel rental pool differs from independent letting, what fee is normal, and what to check in the management agreement.
Tax in your home country on Thai property
Worldwide income, reporting duties on foreign assets and accounts, credit for Thai tax under a treaty, and why the only right answer comes from a specialist in your own country.
Short-term rental in Thailand: what the law actually allows
The 30-day rule, hotel licensing, penalties under the Hotel Act and the Condominium Act, the eight-room exemption, and what all of it does to a Phuket yield calculation.
Phuket rental seasonality: what high season really pays
When high and low season fall in Phuket, why the winter nightly rate cannot be multiplied by twelve, and how 60-70% occupancy is actually built.
Furnishing a Phuket apartment: what to buy and what to skip
What a developer's fully furnished package really includes, what you still have to add for rental, and which items actually move the nightly rate.
How the transaction runs
Buying property in Thailand without flying in
How a remote Phuket purchase actually runs: online viewing, checks before money, a lawyer on the contract, power of attorney, bank papers and handover by video call.
Developer payment plans: buying without the full amount
A bank mortgage is effectively out of reach for a foreign buyer. What works instead: interest-free instalments during construction, developer credit after handover, and what to check first.
Getting your money into Thailand the right way
Why funds must arrive from abroad in foreign currency, what the FET form is, how the bank issues it, and the mistakes that stall a foreign freehold registration.
Opening a Thai bank account: why and how
Why a property owner in Thailand needs a local bank account, which visas make it straightforward, what documents banks ask for, and what to do if a branch says no.
Selling your Thai property and exiting the investment
Exiting a Phuket investment: assignment before handover, resale of a completed unit, fees and taxes on sale, realistic exposure times and moving the proceeds home.
The FET form: proving you brought the money in
What the Foreign Exchange Transaction form (formerly Tor Tor 3) is, the threshold it is issued at, why foreign freehold cannot be registered without it, how to word the payment, and what to do below the threshold.
Can you sell a Thai condo before the building is finished?
Assignment of an off-plan contract in Thailand: why the developer has to agree, what the transfer fee is, which taxes arise before and after registration, and why flipping before completion usually disappoints.
Living in Phuket
Which Thai visa suits a property buyer
Investment-linked, LTR, Thailand Privilege, retirement and DTV: what each Thai visa route is broadly for, who it suits, and why the visa and the purchase are one decision.
What it costs to live in Phuket
A real monthly budget for Phuket: housing, food, transport, healthcare, school and visa costs, in three scenarios, from someone who has lived on the island for over five years.
Moving to Phuket with children
How to plan a move to Phuket with children: choosing an international school, the areas families live in, family visa status, healthcare and a practical six-month plan.
Renting in Phuket long term: costs, contracts and what to check
How long-term renting works in Phuket: what moves the rate by district and season, monthly versus annual leases, deposit, contract and utilities.
Phuket infrastructure: what exists and how it shapes value
The airport, roads, hospitals, international schools, malls and utilities on Phuket, and how proximity to each one moves rental rates and resale speed.
Buying from your country: tax at home
Phuket property and tax at home, country by country
Thailand taxes a Phuket condominium the same way whoever owns it. What differs is what your own country does with the rent, the gain and the estate. A comparison for six buyer markets, with the treaty position in each.
Buying property in Phuket from the UK
What a UK resident actually faces when buying a Phuket condominium: rental income on SA106 with foreign tax credit relief, CGT on disposal, and the inheritance tax position after the April 2025 move to the long-term resident test.
Buying property in Phuket from Australia
How an Australian resident declares Phuket rental income, how the foreign income tax offset works on Thai tax paid, what happens to CGT on sale and on ceasing residency, and what Thailand charges along the way.
Buying property in Phuket from Singapore
Foreign-sourced rental income of a Singapore-resident individual is exempt, there is no CGT and no estate duty — so a Phuket condominium is taxed in Thailand only. What that means next to 20% ABSD on a second Singapore property.
Buying property in Phuket from Hong Kong
Hong Kong does not tax offshore rental income, capital gains or estates — so for a Hong Kong buyer the Thai tax is the only tax. What that means for a Phuket condominium, and what still has to be checked.
Buying property in Phuket from India
The LRS route for an Indian resident buying a Phuket condo: the USD 250,000 limit, TCS on the remittance, Schedule FA disclosure, the India-Thailand treaty, and how the position differs for an NRI.
Buying property in Phuket from Serbia
A Serbian tax resident pays 20% on rental income with a 25% standard cost deduction, self-assessed within 30 days, and 15% on capital gains. There is no Serbia–Thailand tax treaty — only a unilateral credit. What that does to a Phuket purchase.
- Projects I work with — developments where I hold direct terms from the developer
- Investment property selection — net yield calculated on specific units
- Resale and contract assignments — completed units and assignments
- Rentals on the island — if you would rather live here first and look around
- Yield calculator — run your own numbers in a minute
Legal, visa and tax work is not mine — it belongs to partners I use constantly
I am an investment strategist: I select the property, calculate the net return, check the developer and run the transaction. Anything that needs a legal, immigration or tax qualification goes to specialists I have worked with for years.
- Thai lawyers — document and contract review, land title, registration at the Land Office, wills, powers of attorney, corporate questions
- Visa partners — choosing and filing the right route for your situation: investment-based, LTR, Thailand Privilege, retirement, DTV
- Tax specialists — reporting in your country of tax residence, treaty credit for Thai tax, declarations on foreign assets
- Company formation in Thailand — when a structure is genuinely needed and lawful
- Rental management and concierge — letting the property, transfers, yachts, events
I introduce partners personally, matched to your actual question, so that you speak to the specialist who handles it rather than to a general inbox. Message me and I will make the introduction.
Lyubov Fortunova
Investment strategist and founder of Fortunova Capital Group. I have lived on Phuket for more than five years and run every deal myself: I select the property, calculate the net return, check the developer and hold the process together until the keys are handed over. Lawyers, visa and tax specialists come from my own circle.
“I count net, not dreams”
If you would rather have numbers on a specific unit than another general article, send me your budget and I will come back with the net yield after tax, management fee and void periods — and bring in a lawyer where the question needs a legal answer.
I answer personally, within the working day, in any time zone. Asking a question is free and commits you to nothing.
