The area-level data view of Phuket's rental market -- condo rent by unit type from C9 Hotelworks' own May 2025 survey, price-per-sqm benchmarks for Cherngtalay, Karon, Rawai, Wichit & Si Sunthon, the short-term rental legal risk most listing guides don't mention, and a disclosed-methodology look at how gross yield is estimated to vary by area. Sourced and methodology-disclosed; indicative and educational, never investment advice.
Phuket condo prices vary sharply by area: Cherngtalay (Bang Tao/Laguna) leads at roughly 155,000-156,000 THB/sqm, versus 58,000-86,000 THB/sqm in Si Sunthon and Wichit. A 1-bedroom condo rents for an average of 22,541 THB/month long-term per C9 Hotelworks' own island-wide survey, climbing to 26,616 THB/month for short-term leases -- though short-term (sub-30-day) rentals without a hotel license are technically illegal, with enforcement stepped up since late 2023. No single official gross-yield benchmark exists for Phuket the way CBRE and JLL publish for Bangkok; compiled advisory sources cite a 4.5-9% range depending on area and product.
C9 Hotelworks' own May 2025 Phuket Property Market Update surveyed both long-term (12-month-plus) and short-term (1 week to 11 month) condo rents by unit type, island-wide:
| Unit type | Long-term THB/month | Short-term THB/month |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | 18,950 | 20,853 |
| 1-bedroom | 22,541 | 26,616 |
| 2-bedroom | 33,684 | 40,486 |
| 3-bedroom | 80,131 | 174,469 |
One-bedroom units are the single most sought-after condo rental type for both short- and long-term tenants, per C9. Larger 3-bed-plus units command a much wider premium in the short-term market (THB 174,469 average) than long-term (THB 80,131) -- reflecting demand from groups and families on holiday rather than long-stay residents, who are more likely to rent a studio or 1-bed. See BAANLYY's Phuket rental market guide for practical leasing detail beyond these averages.
C9 Hotelworks tracks condominium median price per square metre across five core submarkets, current as of Q1 2025:
| Area | Median THB/sqm | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Cherngtalay (incl. Bang Tao, Laguna) | ~155,000-156,000 | Island's most active submarket -- 54% of total condo supply (16,381+ units); Laguna Phuket integrated resort community; strong branded-residence presence |
| Karon | ~130,000-144,000 | Established west-coast beach town; a mix of resale and newer branded stock pushes the median toward the higher end of this range |
| Rawai | ~86,000-109,000 | Popular with long-stay expats and digital nomads; more affordable per-sqm than Cherngtalay or Karon, with a large non-branded resale pool |
| Wichit | ~85,000-86,000 | Phuket Town-adjacent, more of a local/functional market than a beach-lifestyle one; lower price point reflects distance from the west-coast beaches |
| Si Sunthon | ~58,000-83,000 | Emerging, less-established submarket near the airport corridor; the widest price spread of the five tracked areas |
Island-wide, the overall condominium median sits at THB 144,000/sqm (versus THB 70,000/sqm for villas and other landed property). Branded residences carry a further premium over non-branded stock across every area -- C9 reports branded condos averaging THB 181,000/sqm island-wide, a 28% premium over non-branded units at THB 141,000/sqm -- and newly launched primary-market non-branded units average THB 139,000/sqm, a 39% premium over secondary-market resales at THB 100,000/sqm. Cherngtalay alone accounts for roughly 54% of total island condo supply (over 16,381 units), making it both the most liquid and the most expensive submarket tracked.
Unlike Bangkok, BAANLYY could not identify a single official CBRE, JLL or REIC gross-yield benchmark specific to Phuket -- so this section relies on compiled estimates from multiple independent Thailand property-advisory sources, cross-checked for consistency, rather than one authoritative survey. Treat the following as directional patterns, not a precise or guaranteed return:
The most actively developed submarket, with the deepest branded-residence and rental-management infrastructure. Multiple independent Thailand property-advisory sources place gross yield here in the high-6% to low-9% range for well-managed studios and 1-beds, though purchase prices per sqm are also the highest of the five areas tracked, which compresses the net figure once management fees and vacancy are factored in.
Established beach towns with strong tourist-rental demand; advisory sources generally place gross yield in the high-5% to low-7% range. Prices per sqm sit below Cherngtalay, which helps offset Karon and Kata's slightly lower average achieved rent per unit.
A large long-stay and digital-nomad tenant base supports steadier occupancy than the purely tourist-driven areas, with advisory sources citing gross yield in a similar mid-5% to high-7% band. Lower per-sqm purchase prices than Cherngtalay or Karon are the main driver of yield here rather than exceptionally high rent.
The most affordable purchase prices per sqm of the five tracked areas, which can produce higher headline gross yields on paper -- but both are thinner rental markets with less tourist and long-stay demand than the west-coast beach areas, so vacancy risk should be underwritten more conservatively.
Every gross-yield figure above ignores property management fees (often 20-25% of rental income for professionally managed units), OTA/booking-platform commissions, vacancy between tenants, maintenance, common-area fees, and tax. Advisory sources generally suggest deducting 2-4 percentage points from a headline gross figure to approximate a realistic net return -- always underwrite your own numbers for a specific building and unit rather than relying on a marketing headline.
Since late 2023, Thai authorities have stepped up legal enforcement against condo units listed for stays under 30 days without a hotel license -- this is technically illegal under the Hotel Act, and government agencies are now actively issuing fines and monitoring listing platforms and building juristic offices for non-compliance, per C9 Hotelworks' May 2025 report. This matters directly for yield expectations: 63% of Phuket condos in C9's survey are being used for short-term rental, meaning a meaningful share of the island's rental income (and the yield figures quoted by property-advisory sites) may rest on a legally exposed rental model. Anyone buying specifically for short-term rental income should confirm the building's specific licensing status and consult a Thai lawyer before listing -- not simply assume the developer's marketing material reflects current enforcement reality.
This report blends three tiers of source, disclosed here for transparency:
None of these tiers substitutes for a professional valuation, current listing data for a specific building, or official statistics from Thailand's Real Estate Information Center (REIC) or Bank of Thailand (BOT) property price indices. This report is educational market intelligence, not investment advice.
BAANLYY can connect you with vetted agents and property managers to underwrite the numbers on a specific building and unit.
Indicative, educational market data only — not investment, legal or tax advice. Phuket rents, prices, vacancy and yields vary by building, area and season and change over time; verify current figures with a licensed agent, appraiser or property manager before relying on them. BAANLYY never takes paid placement.
Rent-by-unit-type (Section 01) and price-per-sqm-by-area (Section 02) figures are from C9 Hotelworks' own May 2025 Phuket Property Market Update, compiled with FazWaz. Gross-yield-by-area figures (Section 03) are compiled from multiple independent Thailand property-advisory sources, disclosed as such -- no single official CBRE/JLL/REIC Phuket rental-yield benchmark could be verified, unlike Bangkok.