Question 1

Can a foreigner buy an apartment in Thailand?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A foreigner can buy a condominium unit in full ownership (freehold), provided it falls within the 49% of the building’s floor area set aside for foreign owners. Land cannot be owned by a foreigner, so villas are normally taken on a long lease (leasehold) of 30 years with renewals written into the contract. The purchase money must arrive from abroad in foreign currency — without that the unit will not be registered in your name.

Question 2

Freehold or leasehold in Thailand: which to choose?

Accepted Answer

Freehold is full ownership: the unit is registered to you indefinitely, and you can sell it, gift it or leave it to your heirs. Leasehold is a long lease, usually 30 years with a contractual right of renewal; it is how villas, land and units beyond the foreign quota are held. Freehold is more liquid and costs more; leasehold is cheaper, but a buyer from you inherits only the remaining term.

Question 3

What does a property management company cost in Phuket?

Accepted Answer

Sea Inside charges 30% of booking income, and that is all of it: listings on the platforms, pricing, guest communication, cleaning, laundry, minor repairs, reporting and 24/7 support. There is no retainer — until the apartment is booked you pay nothing. The owner keeps up to 70% of the income. Rates on Phuket run from 15% to 35%, but the low ones almost always come with separate invoices for cleaning, linen and maintenance on top.

Question 4

What return does an apartment in Phuket give?

Accepted Answer

Let nightly and professionally managed, a Phuket apartment realistically returns 6–10% a year on its purchase price — the exact figure depends on the area, the property itself and how it is run. Our worked example for a two-bedroom apartment in Bang Tao, at roughly 60% average annual occupancy, comes to about ฿1,015,000 gross for the year, of which about ฿711,000 stays with the owner after the 30% fee.

Question 5

Nightly or yearly letting: which pays better in Phuket?

Accepted Answer

Nightly letting earns noticeably more — at the peak a single night costs several times the daily equivalent of a yearly rent — but the income is uneven, it needs managing and it swings with the season. A yearly tenant pays a predictable sum every month and asks almost nothing of you: on our current contracts studios and one-bedrooms in Bang Tao go for roughly ฿25,000–45,000 a month. The choice comes down to whether you want the maximum or the quiet life.

Question 6

How does buying an apartment in Phuket work?

Accepted Answer

A straightforward purchase of a completed apartment takes two to six weeks: choosing the property, checking the documents and the foreign quota, a deposit with a signed contract, the transfer of funds from abroad in foreign currency, then registration at the Land Department, which issues the ownership document. In a new development the payments follow the construction schedule and registration happens once the building is finished.

The questions people ask most