How to Buy an Apartment in Phuket as a Foreigner: Step by Step

By WSE.AM editorial team, edited by Mark Muzyka · Updated 7 October 2026

Buying a Phuket apartment as a foreigner, step by step: the 49% quota, reservation, contract, installments, money transfer, registration. From $93,028.

How to Buy an Apartment in Phuket as a Foreigner: Step by Step

A foreigner can buy an apartment in Phuket as freehold property if the condominium still has free foreign quota and the money comes from abroad with a bank confirmation. New builds in our catalog start from $93,028 (a studio in Sun Hills Layan, in Layan), and 15 of the 22 projects offer a developer installment plan during construction. The deal itself usually goes like this: reservation, sale and purchase agreement, payments on schedule, handover inspection and registration at the Land Department.

In short:

A foreigner can, as a rule, own a condominium apartment freehold within the 49% of floor area allocated to the foreign quota.
A foreigner usually cannot own land, so villas are more often sold as leasehold for 30 years.
The path of the deal: reservation, sale and purchase agreement (SPA), installments by construction stage, handover of keys, registration of title.
For freehold, the money is transferred from abroad in foreign currency, and you keep the bank confirmation (FET form or credit advice).
On registration, a transfer fee of 2% of the appraised value is paid; the contract decides who pays it.
Buying an apartment does not by itself give you a visa or a residence permit.

What can a foreigner actually buy in Phuket?

The simplest and most common option for a foreigner is an apartment in a registered condominium. The law allows foreigners to own no more than 49% of a condominium's saleable area, and the remaining 51% stays with Thai buyers. As long as the quota is not used up, you get the apartment in full ownership, with a separate title deed for the unit that you can sell, give away or leave as an inheritance.

Land is different. A foreigner, as a rule, cannot own land directly, so villas and townhouses are sold as leasehold: a long-term land lease of up to 30 years, registered at the Land Department, plus contractual terms for renewal. This is how, for example, the villas on Samui at CASA BLANCA Residences (in Russian) are structured. We explain the difference in detail in the article Freehold or leasehold.

Schemes using a Thai company with nominee Thai shareholders are illegal. If someone offers you one as a way to "put the land in your name", that is a reason to stop and talk to an independent lawyer.

What does buying a new build look like, step by step?

Step 1. Choosing the property and checking the quota

You choose a project and a specific apartment, and before any money changes hands you ask the developer for written confirmation that there is free foreign quota for that unit. If there is no quota, the apartment will only be available as leasehold.

Step 2. Reservation (reservation agreement)

The reservation secures the apartment and the price. It is usually a short agreement and a small deposit. For example, at VIP Tropika in Bang Tao the deposit is listed as 200,000 baht. Ask whether the deposit is refundable and in which cases: terms vary between developers.

Step 3. Sale and purchase agreement (SPA)

Within a few weeks of the reservation, the main contract (SPA, sale and purchase agreement) is signed. It sets out the price, the payment schedule, the floor area and the allowed deviation from it, the completion date, penalties for delay, the refund procedure, and who pays the fees on registration. The contract is usually in English and Thai. It is worth having it checked by an independent Thai lawyer before you sign, not after.

Step 4. Payments on schedule

Most developers work on a 30/70 basis: about a third at the start, the rest in installments until completion, interest-free. In The Title projects (for example, Vivana Kamala and Coralina Kamala) the schedule is 25% on signing the contract, two installments of 25%, and the last 25% on transfer of ownership. At Sun Hills Layan it is 35% on signing and then on schedule down to the final 5%.

Step 5. Inspection and handover of keys

When the building is finished and the condominium is registered, the developer invites you to the handover inspection. You check the apartment against a snagging list, and the developer fixes the defects. The last payment is usually tied to the transfer of ownership.

Step 6. Registration at the Land Department

Ownership is registered at the Land Department, after which you receive the title deed for the unit. If you cannot come in person, registration is done by power of attorney. Fees are paid on registration.

How much money do you need at the start?

At the start you need the reservation deposit and the first installment under the contract. With a price of $93,028 and a first installment of about 30-35%, that is around $30,000-33,000, and the rest is spread over the construction period. A villa or a fully finished apartment in a premium project will require more: at CASA BLANCA on Samui prices start from $243,950, and the schedule begins with 15% on reservation and 20% on signing the contract.

Also keep in mind the registration fees, the one-off contribution to the building's sinking fund and the monthly common area fees. These are not huge amounts, but it is better to budget for them in advance.

What documents will the buyer need?

As a rule, a passport is enough. For freehold it is important that the money comes from abroad in the buyer's name and in foreign currency, with a payment reference stating the purchase of a specific apartment. The bank in Thailand issues a confirmation for such transfers, and without it a foreigner usually cannot register ownership.

If the purchase is in the names of two people or a company, agree the terms with a lawyer in advance: this determines in whose name the transfers should be made and what the title deed will look like.

How long does the purchase take?

The reservation and the contract take from a few days to a couple of weeks. After that, everything depends on construction: the catalog has projects completing in Q4 2026 (Vivana Kamala) and projects completing in 2028-2029. A finished apartment in a completed project, for example at Sea Heaven Naithon (in Russian), can be bought much faster, because there is no waiting period.

Frequently asked questions

Can a foreigner buy an apartment in Phuket as freehold? Yes, if the apartment is in a condominium and there is free foreign quota for it within the 49% of floor area. For freehold, the money as a rule has to come from abroad with a bank confirmation.

Can I buy land or a villa in Phuket as freehold? A foreigner usually cannot own land directly. Villas are bought as leasehold for 30 years with contractual renewal terms, and schemes with nominee Thai shareholders are illegal.

Do I need to travel to Thailand to buy? Not necessarily. The reservation and the contract are signed remotely, and registration is done by power of attorney.

How much is the most affordable apartment in the catalog? As of October 2026, prices start from $93,028, for a studio in Sun Hills Layan in Layan. Check availability and prices for specific units before reserving.

Do I need a lawyer if the developer is a large one? Yes. An independent Thai lawyer will check the contract, the land documents and the permits, and that costs less than any mistake in the deal.

You can choose an apartment and check availability in the Phuket new builds catalog (in Russian), or message us on Telegram at @WSEManager.