Where to find an apartment in Phuket for rent for six months or a year and what to check before signing a contract. We analyze prices, seasonality, utility rates, internet, deposit, TM30 and details that are not visible in the ad.
Resort rental through Booking or Airbnb quickly drains the budget if you plan to stay on the island for more than a couple of weeks. A long-term contract, usually from six months, reduces the cost of accommodation several times over, but requires a different approach: personal viewings, document verification, and knowledge of local specifics that tourists usually don't encounter. Let's figure out where to look for an apartment in Phuket, how much it costs, and what to look for before signing a contract.
If the contract is for six months or a year, it's most reliable not to agree with a realtor by correspondence, but to come and see everything with your own eyes. Book a room in an inexpensive hotel for 2-3 days and drive around the selected options personally. Photos in the listing won't show street noise, the actual operation of the air conditioner, or odors in the entrance, and a short conversation with the management company answers about half of the questions on the list below.
Specialized platforms like FazWaz, Hipflat, or DDproperty are convenient as a first step: agencies and private owners post listings with photos, prices, and filters by area, floor, and budget. Over several days of active searching, you can realistically view 15-20 options and get an idea of the market.
Facebook Marketplace* also works: both owners and realtors post listings. Photos in the listing sometimes differ from what they show on site, but after the first showing, the realtor usually starts selecting options based on your specific request.
Personal recommendations are often more reliable than random contacts from listings: realtors of acquaintances have already been checked by someone in your circle, and word of mouth on the island works better than it seems from the outside.
Line, a messenger used by almost every Thai person, is useful to install separately: local realtors keep their databases there and often don't duplicate offers on general platforms.
The presented ranges should be understood as a guideline, not an exact rate: prices in Phuket depend on the season, area, and specific complex, and before searching, it's best to check them against current offers.
A studio costs approximately 10,000-28,000 baht per month. An apartment with one bedroom costs from 15,000 baht in central areas of the island to 40,000 baht within 400 meters of the sea. For an apartment with two bedrooms within walking distance of the beach, they ask for 25,000 to 50,000 baht.
The low season lasts approximately from March to November, and during such months, landlords are more willing to lower the price or add equipment at no extra cost. During peak season, from December to February, it's harder to negotiate.
Infrastructure around the house is more important than proximity to the sea: a pharmacy, market, 7/11 store, and a normal road to the condominium save time every day, and a bar or karaoke under the windows will ruin the evening even in an otherwise successful apartment. A separate parking space in the complex is also better to clarify in advance if you plan to keep a bike or car.
The area of an apartment often depends on the age of the building more than on the price: in complexes older than 10 years, the square footage is usually noticeably larger than in new buildings of the same class. In return, new buildings often offer free coworking, which is convenient if you combine island life with remote work. The presence of air conditioning in the coworking space is better to check separately: without it, it's almost impossible to be there during the day.
Ground floors are loved by families with children: you can dive into the pool right from the balcony. The top floor, on the other hand, heats up much more during hot season, and cooling such an apartment costs more, sometimes 3,000 baht per month more than neighbors below. West-facing windows add the same problem: the sun beats into the apartment all evening, and the air conditioner runs almost non-stop.
Internet speed and price on the island vary significantly by complex. A good plan, for example 500 Mbps, costs approximately 590 baht per month, and finding such a provider is not difficult. But some management companies impose only the internal internet of the complex on residents: 30 Mbps for 1,000 baht per month, without the right to choose another provider. Check in advance with the management company what providers are allowed in the specific building.
Water and electricity bills come monthly based on meter readings, which are taken by company employees, and receipts are paid at 7/11. The variation in the amount is noticeable: 500 baht or 5,000 baht depends not only on how many hours the air conditioner worked, but also on the rate at which the company bills.
In Thailand, management companies sometimes resell electricity and water at higher than the official rate. It's reasonable to go to the Juristic Office and ask if the selected apartment has a direct contract with the supplier: owners don't check their mailbox for years, and when renegotiating the contract, mistakes happen that result in the resident paying more than necessary.
Before showings, cleaning is done, but drawers are usually not looked into: check them for signs of insects yourself. Photos and videos of furniture, equipment, and working air conditioners are better to take immediately upon move-in: when moving out, the management company will require you to return everything in working condition, and a broken chair costing 200 baht on Lazada can cost 500-1,000 baht from the deposit because labor hours and delivery will be added to the bill.
You can almost always negotiate in Phuket: there is no single rate per square meter. If the refrigerator is old or there's no washing machine at all, it's better to tell the agent in advance, before signing the contract, rather than after move-in. Appliances in Thailand are inexpensive, and owners often make concessions: replacing an old refrigerator with a new Haier will cost 7,000 baht, and this sum usually doesn't bother the apartment owner.
The deposit for a long-term contract usually equals one to two months' rent and is returned upon move-out if the apartment and equipment are in the same condition as at the time of move-in. Photo documentation upon arrival saves nerves and money at the end of the term.
If you plan to use the pool, sauna, or gym, look inside during the viewing and assess the condition: stale water in the pool or broken equipment show whether the management company is cutting corners on maintenance. Coworking without air conditioning, mentioned above, is exactly such a case: listed in the complex description, but practically impossible to use.
Before signing the contract, ask for a copy of the Chanote, the document confirming ownership of the apartment, and a copy of the owner's passport. Check the spelling of your name in the contract: a mistake in a couple of letters will create problems when renewing your visa.
Separately, clarify registration in form TM30: the landlord is obliged to register you at the rental address. TM30 is needed to obtain a resident certificate, and with it, it's easier to submit documents for Thai driving licenses.
There are plenty of offers on the market, especially during the low season, and money usually resolves the issue faster than personal preferences about floor, noise, and view. Online search speeds up the initial selection, but real viewing on site almost always changes the list of favorites. For a six-month or one-year contract, a short trip to the island pays for itself: 2-3 days in a budget hotel and a personal tour of apartments will protect you from surprises that aren't visible in any photo.
Yes. Foreigners can purchase condos as Freehold subject to quota, and also use long-term leasehold structures. We advise on transaction structure for both primary and secondary markets.
Off-plan often allows entry at an earlier price with installment plans. The resale market offers a ready property with clear ownership history.
Phuket combines developed infrastructure, international schools, private hospitals, and high service levels. We help select areas and projects that fit your family's lifestyle.
In most cases, yes. We support clients outside Thailand and arrange the remote purchase process.
Yes. We advise on management, rental, and possible resale of your property.
Yes, through separate rights: the villa is registered as Freehold, full ownership, while the land under it is taken on a long-term lease for 90 years. This is the most common and effective method for foreigners in Phuket, and we arrange it for most of the villas we select for clients.
