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Try it free →Phuket the island, and Phuket the administration
Start with the shape of the place, because almost everything else follows from it. Every figure below is the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation’s own published general data.
| What | The province's own figure |
|---|---|
| Phuket island alone | 543.034 sq km |
| Satellite islands | 27 sq km, across 32 islands |
| Total province | 570.034 sq km, or 356,271.25 rai |
| Widest / longest | 21.3 km across, 48.7 km top to bottom |
| Terrain | About 70% mountain; the highest point, Yod Khao Mai Thao Sip Song, is 529 m above mean sea level. The remaining ~30% is plain, in the centre and the east |
| Coasts | Mud flats and mangrove on the east side; mountains and sand beaches on the west |
| Distance from Bangkok | 867 km by Highway 4 and Route 402, or 688 km by air |
| Joined to the mainland | In the north, across the Pak Phra channel to Phang Nga, by the Thao Thep Kasattri bridge |
Two of those deserve a second look. Seventy per cent mountain is why the flat, serviced, buildable land is concentrated and expensive, and why so much of what is marketed as a sea view is at the top of a gradient you will drive twice a day. And the east coast is mud and mangrove, not beach — which is a large part of why the west coast carries the prices it does.
Area-by-area stock sits on the Phuket areas index; the round-up view is in best areas to live in Phuket.
Three districts, eighteen local governments - and the address decides which
This is the correction the page exists for. Phuket province is divided into only three districts — Mueang Phuket, Kathu and Thalang — containing 17 subdistricts, 96 villages and 61 communities, per the PAO. The names buyers actually use are not districts at all. They are subdistricts, beaches or single developments.
| What people call it | Which district it is actually in | Whose record says so |
|---|---|---|
| Patong | Amphoe KATHU | Patong Town Municipality's own contact record: Tambon Patong, Amphoe Kathu, Phuket 83150 |
| Bang Tao, Laguna, Surin, Layan (Tambon Choeng Thale) | Amphoe THALANG | Thep Krasattri Subdistrict Administrative Organisation's own boundary description places Tambon Choeng Thale on its western side, in Thalang |
| Phuket Town (Tambon Talat Yai) | Amphoe MUEANG PHUKET | Vachira Phuket Hospital's and the immigration office's own addresses |
| The international airport (Tambon Mai Khao) | Amphoe THALANG | Phuket Airport Immigration Checkpoint's own site: 222 Moo 6, Tambon Mai Khao, Amphoe Thalang 83110 |
| Pa Khlok, on the east coast | Amphoe THALANG | Pa Khlok Subdistrict Municipality's own address: 98/3 Moo 2, Tambon Pa Khlok, Amphoe Thalang 83110 |
Why this is not pedantry
Local by-laws are issued by the individual local body, not by “Phuket”. The province has eighteen of them — one city municipality, two town municipalities, nine subdistrict municipalities and six subdistrict administrative organisations — plus the PAO. Patong Town Municipality, for example, has enacted its own by-law restricting the construction, alteration and change of use of certain building types in specified zones within its area. A rule that binds Patong does not bind Choeng Thale. Before you buy land or plan a build, establish which body your plot sits in and ask that body what it has enacted.
An honest gap. The province publishes the count of 17 subdistricts but we did not obtain a single official document listing all seventeen by name, so this page names only the subdistricts whose own body’s record we actually read. We have not filled in the rest from memory, and you should be wary of any page that has.
The province's own rainy season is eight months long
The Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation publishes two seasons for the province, and they are not the ones the holiday market talks about:
| Season, as the province classifies it | Months |
|---|---|
| Rainy season | April to November |
| Hot season | December to March |
That is eight months of the year in the province’s own rainy classification. It does not mean eight months of continuous rain, and it is a classification rather than a forecast. What it should change is your behaviour: view in the wet half of the year, not the dry one; ask what the access road and the car park are like in a downpour; ask the building specifically about drainage; and treat any rental projection built on twelve months of high-season occupancy as marketing rather than arithmetic.
We make no flooding claim for any part of Phuket: no Thai government drainage or flood document naming this province was obtained on 6 September 2026, and the absence of a document is not evidence of an absence of risk. Check the specific property with our flood-risk checklist and the local view on Phuket flood risk. Day-to-day seasonality is on Phuket weather.
Immigration, and the counter that cannot help you
People land at the airport, see an immigration hall, and assume that is where extensions happen. It is not, and the checkpoint says so on its own site.
| Office | Where, and what it actually does |
|---|---|
| Phuket Airport Immigration Checkpoint | Phuket International Airport, 222 Moo 6, Tambon Mai Khao, Amphoe Thalang 83110. On its own site it states that foreigner services are NOT within its remit - it handles inspection of people and vehicles, investigation and administration |
| Phuket Immigration Office | 482 Phuket Road, Tambon Talat Yai, Amphoe Mueang, Phuket 83000, telephone 076-221905 - the address given both in a public handbook published by Phang Nga Immigration and in the Government Contact Centre's directory. This is where extensions, 90-day notifications and residence notifications belong |
Source and its limits: the airport checkpoint’s own site was read on 6 September 2026. The provincial office’s own website would not open to us that day, so its address rests on two other Thai government records rather than on its own page, and we give no opening hours and no queue advice. Confirm the counter and hours before you drive the length of the island. More at the Phuket immigration office guide, and on the routes themselves at visas and housing in Phuket.
The hospital we can actually vouch for, and the parks with published prices
Healthcare decides Phuket for a lot of people. Rather than list private hospitals we have not verified, here is the one institution whose own record we could read:
| Vachira Phuket Hospital (Ministry of Public Health) | What its own site says |
|---|---|
| What it is | The regional hospital centre for Phuket province |
| Size | 650 beds |
| Level of care | Tertiary and advanced specialist care, as well as primary and secondary |
| Address | 353 Thanon Yaowarat, Tambon Talat Yai, Amphoe Mueang Phuket 83000, telephone 076-361234 - corroborated by the Phuket provincial government service directory |
Note where that is: Mueang Phuket. If you settle at Bang Tao or Patong, the province’s government hospital is in a different district from your home, as is the immigration office. That is a normal Phuket fact and it should be in your calculation about where to live. Cover is a separate question from hospitals — see healthcare in Phuket and health insurance in Phuket before relying on a policy you already hold, and international hospitals in Phuket for the private options.
The parks, where the price is actually published. Under the Department of National Parks regulation of 2564, in force from 7 June 2565, the parks in and around Phuket fall into these bands:
| Park | Band | Thai adult / child | Foreign adult / child |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sirinat, Phuket | 2 | 40 / 20 baht | 200 / 100 baht |
| Ao Phang Nga, Phang Nga | 3 | 60 / 30 baht | 300 / 150 baht |
| Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi, Krabi | 2 | 40 / 20 baht | 200 / 100 baht |
| Mu Ko Similan and Mu Ko Surin, Phang Nga | 4 | 100 / 50 baht | 500 / 250 baht |
| Khao Lak-Lam Ru and Khao Lampi-Hat Thai Mueang, Phang Nga | 1 | 20 / 10 baht | 100 / 50 baht |
Source and its limits: the Department of National Parks’ own announcement of the bands set by its 2564 regulation, in force 7 June 2565, read 6 September 2026. Vehicles are charged separately — 30 baht for a car, 20 for a motorbike, 100 for a six-wheeler. Separately, under a DNP announcement of 19 September 2565 on sites carrying a special charge, Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi Le and Ko Mai Phai carry a foreign rate of 400 baht adult / 200 child, above the ordinary band. Thai and foreign rates differ and we state both plainly because that is what the regulation says. A later regulation can change any of them, so confirm at the gate. Nearer to home: Phuket beaches and island hopping from Phuket.
One land fact worth knowing before you buy. The provincial agriculture office’s own data records the Pa Khao Ruak–Khao Mueang national reserved forest, 7,175 rai across Tambon Thep Krasattri, Tambon Sakhu and Tambon Choeng Thale in Thalang, as overlapping Sirinat National Park almost entirely. Protected-land overlap is a title question, not a scenery question. Take it to a Thai lawyer, not to an agent.
What it costs - and where each number comes from
Three kinds of figure exist, worth very different amounts, with the source under the number every time.
1. Our own listing data — and we have none
BAANLYY carried no listings in any of its fifteen Phuket areas when this page was checked on 6 September 2026 — Patong, Kata, Karon, Kamala, Surin, Bang Tao, Cherng Talay, Rawai, Nai Harn, Chalong, Phuket Town, Koh Kaew, Cape Panwa, Mai Khao and Nai Yang were all checked, and all were empty. So there is no band of ours to publish, and we will not reprint someone else’s average as though we had measured it.
2. What the Thai state publishes — not estimates:
| Official figure | What it is, and what it is not |
|---|---|
| Land and building appraisal value (Department of Lands / Treasury Department) | The state's own valuation for a specific plot or unit, searchable by the public. The basis for transfer taxes and fees - not a market price, and usually below one |
| REIC condominium price index | The Real Estate Information Center's quarterly index, published by the Government Housing Bank. Directional only; the detailed series sit behind REIC membership |
3. A dated survey of what is advertised elsewhere. The weakest of the three, labelled as such. Read live on DDproperty on 6 September 2026:
| What DDproperty showed on 6 September 2026 | Figure |
|---|---|
| Properties advertised for rent in Phuket | 1,741 |
| Properties advertised for sale in Phuket | 3,126 |
| First-page asking rents | About 12,000 to 150,000 baht a month |
| First-page asking prices | About 4,200,000 to 130,000,000 baht |
A finding we are not going to bury: both first pages carried a wrong number
On the rental first page one unit was advertised at 2,200,000 baht a month. On the sale first page one condominium was advertised at 3,890,000,000 baht — 3.89 billion. Neither is plausible; both look like a sale price in a rent field and a stray digit. Two obvious errors on the two first pages we read is the honest state of portal data, ours included. It is why this page gives ranges rather than averages, why we exclude nothing silently, and why you should treat any “average price in Phuket” you read anywhere — computed from feeds like these — as an estimate built on unaudited input.
Source and its limits: DDproperty, read live 6 September 2026 — asking prices on one portal on one day, not achieved prices, not an average, not our measurement. We name the portal deliberately: Hipflat, FazWaz and thailand-property.com all draw on one underlying database, so three of those agreeing is one source agreeing with itself. Then negotiate on the specific unit and read how deposits work here. Island-level context is on the Phuket rental market and cost of living in Phuket.
What is wrong with Phuket
Every neighbourhood guide should have this section and most do not. These are the real trade-offs.
| The problem | Why it happens |
|---|---|
| 'Phuket' spans three districts and eighteen local governments | A by-law, a building restriction or a market control that binds Patong does not bind Choeng Thale. Establish which body your plot is in before you plan anything |
| Your services are in a different district from your home | The provincial government hospital and the immigration office are both in Mueang Phuket. If you settle at Bang Tao or Patong, both are a cross-island drive |
| The province's own rainy season is eight months | April to November on the PAO's own classification. Plan around it rather than around a brochure's high season |
| Seventy per cent of the island is mountain | Flat, serviced, buildable land is scarce and priced accordingly, and much of the sea-view stock sits at the top of a gradient you will drive daily |
| Protected land overlaps developable land | A 7,175 rai national reserved forest across three Thalang subdistricts overlaps Sirinat National Park almost entirely. Overlap is a title question - take it to a Thai lawyer |
| The portal data is not clean | Two obviously wrong figures on the two first pages we read on 6 September 2026. Any 'average Phuket price' computed from feeds like these inherits that |
Who Phuket suits
| Suits you if | Look elsewhere if |
|---|---|
| You want the west coast and you will confirm which district, subdistrict and local body your address is in before you commit | You want one set of rules for a whole city; here there are eighteen local bodies with their own by-laws |
| You will get healthcare and cover arranged before you move, knowing the government hospital is in Mueang Phuket | You need everyday services within walking distance of a beach address |
| You are comfortable driving, on gradients, in the wet half of the year | You want to live without a vehicle; the island is 48.7 km long and seven-tenths mountain |
| You will view in the rainy months and ask about drainage and access before you sign | Your plan depends on twelve months of high-season rental occupancy |
Start-here guides: moving to Phuket, retiring in Phuket, schools in Phuket if you are coming with children, and where to live in Thailand if the island is still one option among several. Comparable coastal write-ups: living in Hua Hin and living in Pattaya.
Frequently asked questions
Which district of Phuket is Patong, or Bang Tao, or Phuket Town?
They are three different districts, and this is the single most useful thing to know before you view anything. Phuket province is divided into only three districts: Mueang Phuket, Kathu and Thalang, on the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation's own published data. Patong Town Municipality's own contact record places Patong in Tambon Patong, Amphoe Kathu, postcode 83150. The Bang Tao, Laguna, Surin and Layan belt on the north-west coast sits in Tambon Choeng Thale, which Thep Krasattri Subdistrict Administrative Organisation's own boundary description places in Amphoe Thalang. Phuket Town is Tambon Talat Yai in Amphoe Mueang Phuket, which is where both the provincial immigration office and the province's government hospital are. So the three most heavily marketed Phuket addresses are in three different districts, under three different sets of local rules, and a listing that says only "Phuket" has told you almost nothing about which.
How many local governments does Phuket have?
Eighteen, plus the Provincial Administrative Organisation on top. The PAO's own general-data page gives the province one PAO, one city municipality, two town municipalities, nine subdistrict municipalities and six subdistrict administrative organisations, across 17 subdistricts, 96 villages and 61 communities. That matters more than it sounds. Local building controls, market controls and similar by-laws are issued by the individual municipality, not by "Phuket" - Patong Town Municipality, for instance, has issued its own by-law restricting the construction, alteration and change of use of certain building types in specified zones inside its area. Before you buy land or plan a build, establish which local body your plot is in and ask that body what it has enacted. Do not assume a rule you read about one part of the island applies to another.
When is Phuket's rainy season?
The province's own answer is longer than the holiday brochures'. The Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation publishes two seasons for the province: a rainy season running April to November, and a hot season running December to March. That is eight months of the year classified as the rainy season by the provincial body itself. It does not mean eight months of continuous rain, and it is not a forecast - it is how the province describes its own climate. Treat it as the reason to view a property in the wet half of the year rather than the dry one, to ask specifically about drainage and about what the access road is like in a downpour, and to be sceptical of any rental yield projection built on twelve months of high-season occupancy.
Can I do my visa extension at Phuket airport?
No, and the airport checkpoint says so itself. Phuket Airport Immigration Checkpoint publishes on its own site that foreigner services are not within its authority - the checkpoint handles the inspection of people and vehicles, investigation and administration. Its address is Phuket International Airport, 222 Moo 6, Tambon Mai Khao, Amphoe Thalang, Phuket 83110, at the far north of the island. Extensions of stay, 90-day notifications and residence notifications are handled by Phuket Immigration Office, which two Thai government records - a public handbook published by Phang Nga Immigration and the Government Contact Centre's directory - both give as 482 Phuket Road, Tambon Talat Yai, Amphoe Mueang, Phuket 83000, telephone 076-221905. We could not open the Phuket Immigration site itself on 6 September 2026, so confirm the counter and its hours before you drive across the island.
What does it cost to rent or buy in Phuket?
BAANLYY carried no listings in any of its fifteen Phuket areas when this page was checked on 6 September 2026, so we publish no band of our own. As a dated survey rather than a measurement: DDproperty showed 1,741 properties advertised for rent and 3,126 advertised for sale in Phuket when we read it on 6 September 2026, with first-page asking rents from about 12,000 to about 150,000 baht a month and first-page asking prices from about 4,200,000 to about 130,000,000 baht. Those are asking prices on one portal on one day - not achieved prices, and not an average. Both of those first pages also carried a visibly wrong figure, which is a finding in itself and is set out on this page. For a figure the Thai state stands behind, use the Department of Lands and Treasury Department appraisal lookup for the specific plot or unit.
Ready to look at actual properties?
Phuket’s areas are on the index page. Bring three questions: which district and subdistrict the title is in, which local body sets the by-laws there, and what the access road looks like in the rainy months.
General information only, not legal, tax, health or relocation advice. BAANLYY LLC is a Nevada company and a listing portal: it does not own, lease, manage or control any property listed on this site and is not a party to any lease or sale. Administrative boundaries, local by-laws, published fees, hospital services and rents change; confirm anything you intend to act on directly with the landlord, the building, the relevant local body and the relevant Thai authority, and take title, land and lease questions to a Thai lawyer. BAANLYY never takes paid placement in editorial content.
Written by Kirby Scofield
Founder of BAANLYY · International real estate broker, investor & relocation specialist
Reviewed by Kirby Scofield · Founder of BAANLYY · Founder & Broker, Scofield Group
Last reviewed: 6 September 2026 · Last updated 6 September 2026
Sources
- Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO) — general data on Phuket province: area, islands, districts, subdistricts and local bodies ↗Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation · Accessed 6 September 2026
- Phuket Airport Immigration Checkpoint, Immigration Bureau, Royal Thai Police — own contact page and statement of its remit ↗Immigration Bureau, Royal Thai Police · Accessed 6 September 2026
- Patong Town Municipality, Amphoe Kathu, Phuket — own site and contact page ↗
- Vachira Phuket Hospital, Ministry of Public Health — own site and contact page ↗
- Thep Krasattri Subdistrict Administrative Organisation, Amphoe Thalang, Phuket — own general-information document ↗
- Office of Agricultural Economics / provincial agriculture office, Phuket — general and agricultural data for the province, including national reserved forest areas ↗
- National park entry-fee bands under the 2564 regulation (in force 7 June 2565) — Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation ↗Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation · Accessed 6 September 2026
- Land and building appraisal-value lookup — Department of Lands & Treasury Department ↗Department of Lands and Treasury Department, Kingdom of Thailand · Accessed 6 September 2026
- Real Estate Information Center (REIC), Government Housing Bank, Thailand ↗
Official primary sources are listed above with the date we last checked them. Thai rules, fees, thresholds and procedures change and can be applied differently by individual offices and embassies — confirm the current requirement with the responsible authority before relying on it. General information only, not legal, tax or medical advice. BAANLYY never takes paid placement in editorial content.