Patong or Karon:
where to buy property in Phuket

1. Patong’s backstory

The name is made of two Thai words: “pa” means forest and “tong” is a banana leaf, which is used here to wrap food. Half a century ago, where the town now stands, there was a fishing village by the bay, surrounded by coconut palms and banana trees.

It was hard to get here. A dirt road over the hill to the coast was built only in the 1940s, and electricity arrived in 1979.

Tourists arrived before electricity did. The first were backpackers, who rented simple bungalows by the beach. In 1975 Tony Wheeler, the founder of the Lonely Planet guidebooks, described Patong as a long white beach with clear water.

In the late 1980s Patong became one of the island’s best-known beaches among Europeans, and the village quickly turned into a town. In 16 years its status changed three times: in 1986 it became a sanitary district, in 1994 a municipality, and in 2002 a town. Today about 21,000 residents are registered here.

The 2004 tsunami hit Patong harder than most beaches on the island. The wave rose to about 6 metres, and near the shore the water stood about 2 metres high. The walls of buildings by the sea held, but the seafront and ground floors were wrecked. The town recovered and kept growing.

In the 2000s the Jungceylon shopping mall opened behind the beach — one of the first big malls on the island. Before the pandemic it drew more than 17 million visitors a year, and in 2022–2023 it was rebuilt.

Nightlife has remained Patong’s defining feature. Since 15 December 2023, bars and clubs in six zones on Bangla Road have been officially allowed to stay open until 4 a.m.

2. Karon’s backstory

Karon is an old place. The second part of its name means “house” in the old local dialect.

People have lived here for more than a hundred years. There used to be two villages, Karon and Kata. Around 1952 they were split into four. The main temple, Wat Karon, was built in 1909. Today a market is held at the temple twice a week.

People lived mostly by fishing. One visitor who came to Phuket in the 1960s recalled that the main fishing village on this coast was in Karon, built around a lagoon. You can still see what is left of the lagoon as you drive down into Karon from the hill to the north. Tin was mined on the border with Patong; hotels now stand where the mine was. In 2006 a statue of a fisherman was put up near the Karon Circle roundabout as a reminder of the past.

The first tourists were backpackers, and the locals themselves put them up. Then hotels began to go up. In 1985 an 80-room hotel opened by the beach, and in 1987 Phuket Arcadia, which later became a Hilton and is now a Pullman. In the late 1980s Le Méridien appeared in the small bay of Karon Noi.

The 2004 tsunami only hit the front line. At two hotels by the sea, around 70 bungalows were flooded. But a month later they were open again, the Hilton was barely touched and became a base for rescuers, and by autumn 2005 every hotel in Karon was working.

Today Karon is one of Phuket’s main beach resorts. It is noticeably quieter than neighbouring Patong, so families and couples come here. Its beach is one of the longest on the island.

There is almost no free land left by the sea, so new homes are built on the hills. This is linked to the worst disaster of recent years. In August 2024, after heavy rain, a landslide came down a hill and buried the houses below. Thirteen people died. Construction on the hill by the Big Buddha was named as one of the causes. And since December 2024 building on hills has been allowed higher up than before.

3. Patong on the map: what is where

Patong is a large bay with a beach of about 2.9 kilometres, surrounded by hills on all sides. Officially it is a town of about 16 km² in Kathu district. Karon is about 5 kilometres south in a straight line, with the road running along the sea over a headland; Kamala is about 6 kilometres north, and Phuket Town, the island’s main town, about 10.

From the sea inland, the town is laid out like this:

By the water — Patong Beach and Thaweewong Road, the beach road that runs along it: hotels, cafés, massage, sunbed rental.

The centre — within a kilometre of the sea. From the beach, Bangla Road, the island’s main nightlife street, runs inland. A little further on are the Jungceylon mall with a Big C supermarket, Banzaan market and Patong Hospital.

Further from the sea — Rat-U-Thit 200 Pee Road and the lanes behind it. There are fewer hotels and more homes and condominiums here, and about 1.5 kilometres from the beach stands the town’s main temple, Wat Patong.

The slopes — villas and condominiums with sea views on the hills around the bay. From here people go down to the centre and the beach by scooter or car.

At the edges — the small bay of Kalim to the north, with condominiums on the slope, and Tri Trang beach with its hotels beyond the headland to the south.

Patong’s centre is flat and easy to walk: from the beach to Jungceylon takes about 10 minutes. But the streets are narrow and, in high season, packed with cars and scooters. Only one road leads inland from the town — over the Patong Hill pass to Kathu and Phuket Town: a steep climb with hairpin bends.

Glossary

What the names in listings mean

Name	What it actually is
Patong	The town and the beach. Patong is part of Kathu district, so listings often give the address as “Kathu”.
Kathu-Patong	Projects on the other side of the pass, in Kathu itself, often carry this name. From there it is about 30 minutes to the beach on the mountain road.
Kalim	A small bay on Patong’s northern edge. Quieter than the centre, with condominiums on the slope.
Bangla Road	The nightlife street in the centre. An apartment next to it means music until morning.

4. Karon on the map: what is where

Karon is one long bay: the beach stretches for about 3.3 kilometres. Officially Karon is a subdistrict of about 23 km², and it includes neighbouring Kata Beach. Patong is about 5 kilometres north in a straight line, with the road running along the sea over a headland; Kata is about 3 kilometres south.

From the sea inland, the area is laid out like this:

By the water — the beach, with a beach road right behind the sand. Hotels and cafés line it.

The centre — around the Karon Circle roundabout at the north end of the beach: Karon Plaza shopping centre, a night market, cafés, bars and mini-marts. All within a few hundred metres of the sea.

Patak Road — the area’s main road, about half a kilometre from the sea. Along it are Wat Karon with its market, clinics and housing.

The hillsides — beyond Patak Road the hills begin, with apartments and villas with sea views. On one of the hills, about 2 kilometres from the beach, sits the Big Buddha.

At the edges — to the north the small bay of Karon Noi with the Le Méridien hotel. To the south, Kata and Kata Noi beaches, and beyond them the Karon Viewpoint, from which all three bays are visible.

Everything that matters — the beach, the centre and the market — fits within about a kilometre, and much can be done on foot. But the area stretches along the beach, and the hillside apartments are uphill, so people usually drive from there.

Glossary

What the names in listings mean

Name	What it actually is
Karon	Both the beach and the subdistrict. The subdistrict includes Kata, so “Karon” in a listing may turn out to be Kata.
Kata, Kata Noi	Neighbouring beaches to the south, in the same subdistrict.
Karon Noi	A small bay to the north, with the Le Méridien hotel.
Patak Road	The area’s main road, about half a kilometre from the beach.
Karon Hill	The name for the hillsides above the beach; the word appears in the names of complexes.
Karon tambon	A subdistrict of Mueang Phuket district.

5. A day in Patong and in Karon

Let’s walk through an ordinary day in both areas — from the walk to the sea in the morning to the quiet at night.

Morning: getting to the sea

Patong. From the centre to the beach is a 5–10 minute walk. The beach is wide and long: quiet in the morning, crowded by lunchtime, with jet skis and parasailing behind boats along the water. From the slopes people go down by scooter or car.

Karon. The beach is long, with the beach road right behind the sand, so you usually cross it to reach the sea. From the centre and Patak Road the water is about half a kilometre away, 5–10 minutes on foot. From the hillsides people go down by scooter or car: walking back uphill in the heat is hard.

Children: kindergarten and school

Patong. The town itself has municipal kindergartens and a Thai municipal school. There are no international schools in Patong. The nearest are in Kathu and Phuket Town, reached by a single mountain road over the Patong Hill pass, about 30 minutes to Kathu.

Karon. For children there is the British school BCIS in neighbouring Chalong, which takes children from 2 to 18. The school itself says Karon Beach is 15–30 minutes away. A year of schooling in 2026/27 costs from 302,000 baht for children aged 2–5 to 403,500 baht in the junior years.

Errands: shops, market, doctor

Patong. Everything for daily life is within a kilometre of the sea: the Jungceylon mall with a Big C supermarket, Banzaan market, mini-marts on almost every street and private clinics. The town has its own public hospital, which mainly handles emergencies. The large private hospitals are in Phuket Town, over the same pass.

Karon. Everyday life is gathered around the Karon Circle roundabout and along Patak Road: Karon Plaza, mini-marts, private clinics. Twice a week there is a market in the temple grounds. For big shopping — HomePro, Lotus’s, Makro — people go to Chalong, and for serious medical care to the hospitals of Phuket Town, the island’s main town, about 10 kilometres away in a straight line.

Getting around the island

Patong. The Phuket Smart Bus from the airport runs along the coast and passes through Patong; a ticket costs 100 baht. To Kathu and Phuket Town people drive over the Patong Hill pass: the road is steep with hairpin bends, about 30 minutes to Kathu. A tunnel under the pass is planned for 2031, but the project is still going through approval.

Karon. The same bus continues south through Karon towards Rawai. There are two stops in the area — Karon Circle and Karon Stadium. Kata is about three kilometres away, and the road to Patong runs along the sea over a headland.

Evening

Patong. In the evening the town comes alive more than in the daytime: Bangla Road, bars, clubs, shows, night markets and restaurants along the beach. On Bangla, bars are officially open until 4 a.m.

Karon. In the evening there are restaurants and bars by the beach and at Karon Circle, a night market near Karon Plaza and, on market days, the market at the temple. The sun sets right over the sea. Karon is noticeably quieter than Patong; for nightlife people go there along the coast road over the headland.

Night and quiet

Patong. In the centre and around Bangla, loud music plays until morning. It is quieter in the lanes further from the sea, on the slopes and in Kalim bay. During the day and in the evening the streets are packed with cars and scooters.

Karon. It is quietest away from the bars and the beach road. The hillsides are calmer, but they are being built up actively, and a new construction site may well start next to your home.

And in the rainy season

Patong. The town sits in a bowl between hills, and in downpours water runs off them into the streets. In October 2026, after prolonged rain, the floods carried rocks and mud into residential areas and shopping streets, damaging homes, shops and cars. From May to October there are strong currents and red flags on the beach.

Karon. From May to October the beach has big waves and strong rip currents, and red flags go up. Lifeguards say that on Karon alone they pull three or four people out of the water every day. Downpours flood Patak Road and the Nong Harn roundabout. And on the hillsides landslides are a danger: in 2024 one of them cost 13 people their lives.

In short

A day: comparison

	Patong	Karon
To the sea	5–10 minutes’ walk from the centre; from the slopes — by transport	From the centre and Patak Road about 0.5 km on foot; from the hillsides by transport
Children	Thai municipal kindergartens and school; international ones in Kathu and town, over the pass	BCIS school in neighbouring Chalong — 15–30 minutes
Shops and doctor	Jungceylon, Big C, Banzaan market and the hospital — within a kilometre	Clinics and mini-marts near the centre; big shops and hospitals in Chalong and town
Transport	Coastal bus; to Kathu and town over the pass, about 30 minutes	Two bus stops; Kata nearby, Patong over the headland
Evening	Bangla, bars and clubs until 4 a.m., restaurants by the beach	Restaurants and bars by the beach, a night market, the temple market
Noise	Music until morning in the centre; heavy traffic	Bars and the beach road; construction on the hillsides
Rainy season	Water and mud from the hills, flooded streets, currents	Rip currents, flooding on Patak Road, landslides on the hillsides

6. Where the areas are heading

Once you know where both areas came from, it becomes clear how they are growing now. Patong is almost fully built up and changes through new complexes and the future tunnel to Kathu. Karon is climbing the hillsides.

Patong is waiting for a tunnel

The biggest change for Patong is a tunnel under the Patong Hill pass to Kathu. Under the schedule the government announced in September 2026, the project goes to the Cabinet for approval in December 2026, construction starts in October 2027, and the tunnel is planned to open in October 2031. The drive from Kathu to Patong would take about 5 minutes instead of 30. The dates have already slipped more than once, so do not count on the tunnel when buying.

New homes are going up inland and on the slopes. The most visible project is BRISA Patong by Sansiri, one of Thailand’s largest developers: three eight-storey buildings with 389 apartments right behind Jungceylon, about 900 metres from the beach. About 70% of the apartments are one-bedrooms of 30–34 m². Booking opens on 25 November 2026, with prices from 3.9 million baht.

For a buyer this means more small apartments designed for renting out in the centre. The choice gets wider, but there will also be more competitors for tourist guests.

Karon is growing up the hillsides

The strip by the beach has long been taken by hotels, so new housing in Karon is climbing the hills. Here are a few projects on sale now: Ever Prime Residences Karon on a hillside — about 450 apartments, VIP Venus Karon — 214 apartments in an eight-storey building, The Balance by the Beach — 112 apartments, and Vibe Residence Karon, due for completion at the end of 2028. Hotels are being renewed too: the former Hilton has operated as a Pullman since 2023 after a renovation.

Building on hillsides has become easier: Phuket used to ban construction more than 80 metres above sea level, and since 14 December 2024 building up to 140 metres has been allowed in designated zones — with limits on the plot and the size of the building. How many new hillside projects appear depends on the zone and the plot. But a hillside apartment always needs stricter checks than usual: drainage, retaining walls, permits — both your own and those of neighbouring sites further up the hill.

7. What is for sale here

In both areas, essentially two things are sold: apartments and villas. The difference between them is not just size, but what exactly you end up owning.

Apartment

Apartments are sold in residential complexes — in Thailand such a building is called a condominium. A complex usually has a shared pool, gym and security, and a management company keeps things in order.

A foreigner can register an apartment in their own name outright and permanently — this is called freehold. There are usually two main conditions. First, foreigners may own no more than 49% of the total floor area of all units in a building, so before buying you check whether the foreign quota is still available. Second, the money for the purchase comes from abroad, and the bank issues a certificate confirming this. There are other legal routes — for example, Thai permanent residence — but most buyers go this way.

Villa

A villa is a detached house with its own plot, usually with a private pool. This is more complicated: as a rule, a foreigner cannot buy land in Thailand in their own name. So the land is most often taken on a long-term lease, usually 30 years — this is called leasehold — and the house itself is registered separately. The law does not guarantee renewal of the lease after 30 years; it is written into the contract.

In short: a foreigner usually buys an apartment freehold, sometimes on a long lease; a villa comes as a freehold house plus a long land lease. That is neither better nor worse, but a villa’s documents need closer checking.

What is sold where

In Patong mostly apartments are sold: in older and newer complexes in the centre and further inland, and with views on the slopes and in Kalim bay. Villas stand on the hills around the bay. Some apartments are sold as leasehold, a long-term lease rather than ownership — for example, with a lease running to 2045. This is checked before buying. In Karon, near the beach and along Patak Road there are mostly small complexes and hotels, while new condominiums are being built on the slopes. Some villas are held through a Thai company — an arrangement that needs a separate check by a lawyer.

Prices

Below are real listings for both areas as of November 2026. These are sellers’ asking prices, not transaction prices, and the sample is small, so look at the order of magnitude rather than exact amounts.

Prices

Sample listings for sale

	Patong	Karon
One-bedroom apartment	1.8–8.9 million baht for 34–81 m² (the cheapest is leasehold): from 45,000 to 124,000 baht per m²	3.5–9.7 million baht for 33–56 m²: from 76,000 to 227,000 baht per m²
Larger apartment	2 bedrooms, 64–162 m² — 7–18 million baht (74,000–133,000 baht per m²)	2 bedrooms, 60–167 m² — 6.2–15.5 million baht (84,000–156,000 baht per m²)
Villa	3 bedrooms, 180–368 m² — 12.9–55 million baht	5 bedrooms, 330 m² near Karon Beach — 25 million baht, held through a company

Price depends heavily on how new the building is, the view and how far it is to the sea. So compare properties of the same type and with the same form of ownership.

8. Money: costs, renting, living and resale

Buy to rent, live here yourself or do both. First, let’s look at what you will pay either way.

What you will pay

An apartment comes with a mandatory monthly fee for the upkeep of the complex: the pool, cleaning, security. For example, at The Emerald Terrace in Patong it is 50 baht per m² a month — about 2,500 baht for a 50 m² apartment. At Karon View in Karon, one listing gives a fee of about 9,900 baht a month for a 155 m² apartment, roughly 64 baht per m². When you receive the keys to a new build, you also make a one-off payment into the building’s sinking fund. A villa may also have shared charges, plus the upkeep of the pool and garden and repairs.

Long-term rental

A one-year contract: the tenant pays monthly and covers electricity and water. Income is lower, but it is calmer: you do not have to find new guests every few days.

For example, listings from autumn 2026. In Patong: a 30 m² apartment — 19,800 baht a month, a 48 m² one-bedroom at The Emerald Terrace — 28,000 baht; most one-bedroom apartments rent for 20,000–40,000 baht. In Karon: a 74 m² one-bedroom — 33,800 baht a month on a one-year lease, an 81 m² two-bedroom — 49,000 baht. The rate depends heavily on the complex and the season, so the real price is best judged from 5–10 similar listings in your chosen spot.

Short-term rental

Guests come for a few days, as they would to a hotel. They pay more per night, but the property often stands empty, especially in the rainy season. According to AirROI, a service that collects Airbnb data, over the past year homes in Patong were booked for about 38% of the nights open for booking, and in Karon for about 40%. Patong has about 1,500 active Airbnb listings, the third-largest market on the island.

Something else matters too: under Thai law, renting an apartment out by the night counts as running a hotel, and it is not allowed everywhere without a licence. On top of that, every complex has its own rules — some ban short-term rentals. This is checked before buying.

If you rent through a management company rather than yourself, it takes a share of the income: usually 20–30% for short-term rentals and 10–20% for annual leases. The booking platform takes its own commission too: on Airbnb it can reach 15.5%. So the owner receives noticeably less of the nightly rate than the listings suggest — before buying, ask the management company for a net-income calculation.

Live here yourself

In Patong the mall, the market and the hospital are within a kilometre of the sea and much can be done on foot, but the centre is noisy, and international schools are about 30 minutes away over the pass. In Karon walking is convenient near the centre, people drive from the slopes, and BCIS school in Chalong is 15–30 minutes away.

Beyond the complex fee, the main cost is electricity, mostly air-conditioning. And while you are away, someone has to look after the apartment: in the rainy season it needs airing and checking for leaks. A management company usually takes care of this.

Live here part of the year and rent it out

What matters is which months you come. Homes rent best from November to April; in the rainy season, from May to October, there are fewer guests. If you live here in winter, you will be renting out in the weak months, and income will be well below the annual figure. If you come in summer and rent out in winter, it works out better.

While you are away, you can let the apartment for a few months at a time or by the night. For nightly rentals, check the licence and the complex’s rules in advance; check-ins are usually handed to a management company.

Resale

In Patong you will be selling alongside hundreds of similar small apartments — more than two hundred on a single portal alone — and new complexes such as BRISA. In Karon, alongside new projects on the slopes.

9. Which to choose for your goal

Choice

Where you win with different goals

Goal	Leans towards	Why
Living with school-age children	Karon, more likely	From Karon, BCIS school in Chalong is 15–30 minutes away. From Patong, international schools are about 30 minutes away over the pass, and the centre is noisy until morning.
Living with young children (under 7)	Karon, more likely	A long beach and calm evenings. Patong has a hospital and everything for daily life close by, but also noise and heavy traffic.
Living as a couple or alone, without children	Depends on your lifestyle	Patong — if you want a town, restaurants and nightlife within walking distance. Karon — if you want a beach resort with quieter evenings.
Living without a car	Patong	A mall, market, hospital and the beach within a kilometre. In Karon, life without transport works only near the centre.
Living with a car or scooter	Karon, more likely	In high season Patong’s streets are packed, and only one road leads inland — over the Patong Hill pass. From Karon it is easier to get around the south of the island.
Wintering for a few months	Depends on taste	Patong — town life, where everything is close and open late. Karon — a resort with a long beach, markets and Kata next door.
Nightlife	Patong	Bangla Road: bars and clubs officially open until 4 a.m. People from Karon come to Patong for it.
Quiet	Karon	Quieter away from the bars and the coast road. In central Patong music plays until morning.
Long-term rental	No clear winner	One-bedroom apartments in Patong rent for 20,000–40,000 baht a month, and rates in Karon are similar. It depends on the property.
Short-term rental	No clear winner	According to AirROI, occupancy is almost the same: about 38% of nights in Patong and 40% in Karon. Patong has about 1,500 listings.
Sea-view apartment	Both areas	Complexes on the slopes above both bays and in Kalim bay. Check drainage, retaining walls and permits.
Smallest budget	Patong	In our selection, a one-bedroom in Patong starts at 1.8 million baht for 40 m², and it is leasehold. In Karon — from 3.5 million baht.

10. How a purchase works and what to check

Buying in Thailand is simpler than it seems, but several parties are involved: the agent, the lawyer, the bank and the land office. Here is how it usually goes, step by step.

1. Search: developer or agent

A new apartment is bought from the developer — directly or through an agent. In that case the developer usually pays the agent’s commission, but it is still worth comparing the price and promotions with the developer’s direct offer before reserving. A resale home from a private owner is almost always sold through an agency. Here too the seller usually pays the commission, most often 3–5% of the price, but terms vary, so ask about it straight away.

2. Viewing

Many people first view properties by video, but it is better to see the chosen home yourself or send someone you trust: the walk to the sea, noise and nearby construction do not show up on video. What exactly to check on site is in the list below.

3. Your own lawyer

This is the key step, and it starts before any money changes hands. You hire the lawyer yourself; they must not work for the seller or the agent. First they read the reservation terms: who receives the money and when it is refunded. Then, at the land office, they check the title deed, debts and encumbrances, the building permit and whether the building still has foreign quota available, and they read the contract. For a villa, they also check the land lease: its term, the renewal conditions and what happens to the house.

4. Reservation

Once the lawyer has seen the terms, you pay a small reservation deposit — the seller takes the property off the market while the full check is done. The amount and the refund terms are set out in the reservation agreement.

5. Contract and payment

Next, the sale and purchase agreement is signed. A new build is usually paid for in instalments as construction progresses; a finished home with a deposit at signing and the balance at registration. The money is transferred from abroad to a Thai account, stating property purchase as the purpose of payment. The bank issues a transfer certificate — if the apartment is registered on this basis, it cannot be done without it.

6. Registration

The provincial land office registers either the ownership or the long-term lease. You do not have to attend in person: a lawyer can do it under a power of attorney. Fees are paid here too: 2% of the appraised value for the transfer (the contract decides who pays, often split in half). Most often the seller also pays income tax and 0.5% stamp duty, or, if selling within five years of buying, a 3.3% specific business tax instead of stamp duty. If you are leasing land for a villa, the lease agreement is registered, with a fee of about 1% of the total rent for the whole term. There are exceptions, so it is best to work out the amount for your deal with a lawyer in advance.

7. Keys

After registration, the handover certificate is signed, you receive the keys and start paying the complex’s maintenance fees. If you plan to rent the property out, this is also when you choose a management company.

In short: the agent searches, the lawyer checks, the bank confirms the transfer, and the land office registers. Buying a finished home usually takes a few weeks; with a new build, you wait until construction is complete.

Checklist

Before paying a deposit

• The exact address and the route to the sea — on foot, not on a map.
• The plot in the rain: drainage, elevation, slope and retaining walls — on the slopes in both areas and in Patong’s low-lying streets.
• For a hillside: is there construction or a steep cut further up the hill?
• Noise at different times of day: bars and clubs around Bangla and heavy traffic in Patong; bars, the coast road and construction on the slopes in Karon.
• Whether short-term rental is allowed in this particular building.
• Title to the land and the building, foreign quota, payment history.

How to choose

Three steps

1. 01

   Define your goal

   Living there yourself, renting out, or both: this decides which area wins.

2. 02

   Check the address

   Not the area name, but the point on the map: the route to the beach, the terrain, nearby construction.

3. 03

   Ask for the numbers

   A year of rental and cost reports for the specific property, not area averages.

11. Risks and how we can help

You can choose an area yourself: everything discussed above can be checked on a map, in listings and in conversation with the seller. It gets harder with a specific property and its documents. These are the problems buyers in Phuket run into most often:

• Land “held through a Thai company”. So that a foreigner can own the land under a villa, sellers sometimes offer to register it to a Thai company whose Thai co-owners exist only on paper. The law prohibits this, and such property can be lost.
• Land with an incomplete title. Land documents in Thailand come in different kinds, and not all of them give full ownership. On the hills there are plots where building should never have been allowed at all.
• An apartment beyond the quota. If a building’s foreign quota is already used up, the apartment cannot be registered to you as freehold — you may be offered a lease instead, without always being told so plainly.
• A deposit paid to the wrong person. Money is transferred only under a signed contract and only to an account whose owner your lawyer has verified.
• Promised returns. A “guaranteed income” from a developer is a promise by one particular company, not by the market. If the company runs into trouble, the payments stop.
• Construction delays. A new build is paid for in instalments, and if the developer misses deadlines, your money is tied up. That is why people look at how the developer delivered its previous projects.
• Short-term rental without a licence. Renting an apartment by the night where it is not allowed can bring fines, and the complex may ban the rentals.

Almost all of this is solved by one thing: checking before you pay. That is why the key step in buying is having your own lawyer.

At the same time, Phuket is one of the liveliest resort property markets in Asia: people come here on holiday and move here to live, and developers are bringing thousands of new apartments to market. There are many opportunities here, but also many nuances that are easy to get lost in from the outside.

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