The area-level data view of mainland Surat Thani's rental market — rents in Ban Don, Central Plaza/Talat Kaset, near Phun Phin and the Don Sak ferry corridor, Numbeo-compiled benchmarks, why the province's record REIC foreign-transfer surge is really an island story, and a disclosed-methodology look at gross yield. Sourced and methodology-disclosed; indicative and educational, never investment advice.
Mainland Surat Thani apartment rent runs roughly 6,000-11,000 THB/month for a one-bedroom in Ban Don or Central Plaza/Talat Kaset, versus 4,000-9,000 THB/month near Phun Phin railway station or the Don Sak ferry corridor. Numbeo's citywide data (9 entries, last updated 25 March 2025) puts the city-centre median at roughly 7,833 THB/month -- a fraction of Koh Samui's condo rents. REIC's official 2025 data shows Surat Thani province posting a record +220% foreign-transfer surge, the highest of any Thai province -- but as detailed below, that's overwhelmingly a Koh Samui island story, not mainland Surat Thani town. No dedicated industry research or yield/price-per-sqft data exists for the mainland market -- both disclosed as gaps rather than estimated.
Numbeo does not break its Surat Thani data down by area -- only a single citywide city-centre/outside-centre split. The area-level ranges below are BAANLYY's own compiled estimate, mapping each area's known housing stock and tenant profile (from our Surat Thani hub research) onto Numbeo's citywide bands, rather than independently verified per-area figures:
| Area | Typical monthly rent (THB) | Product type | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ban Don & the Riverside | 6,000 - 11,000 | Condo / apartment (studio-1 bed) | The historic riverside district and old pier area along the Tapi River -- the most walkable, amenity-dense part of town, and the closest match to a conventional city-centre rental product. |
| Central Plaza & Talat Kaset | 6,000 - 10,000 | Condo / apartment (studio-1 bed) | The newer commercial strip built around Central Plaza Surat Thani and the Talat Kaset day/night markets -- dense with shophouses, condos and everyday amenities, similar rent band to Ban Don. |
| Near Phun Phin (railway junction) | 4,000 - 7,000 | Apartment / house (studio-1 bed) | A short drive from the city centre around the Southern Line's Phun Phin railway station -- cheaper, more residential, popular with rail and logistics workers rather than long-stay foreigners. |
| Don Sak & the ferry corridor | 5,000 - 9,000 | House / apartment (studio-1 bed) | Roughly an hour east of the city near the Don Sak car-ferry piers -- some longer-stayers who commute to the ferry base themselves here to cut the daily drive; thinner rental supply than the city centre itself. |
Numbeo's citywide Surat Thani figures: a 1-bedroom apartment in the city centre averages THB 7,833/month (range 7,500-8,000), a 1-bedroom outside the centre averages THB 5,000/month (range 3,000-6,000), a 3-bedroom in the city centre averages THB 20,000/month, and a 3-bedroom outside the centre averages THB 15,000/month. Numbeo reports no average net salary or mortgage-rate data for Surat Thani. See BAANLYY's Surat Thani cost of living guide for the fuller day-to-day budget picture beyond rent alone.
This is the single most important data point to interpret correctly for anyone researching mainland Surat Thani:
No official CBRE, JLL or REIC gross-yield benchmark exists for mainland Surat Thani, and Numbeo publishes no yield or price-per-square-foot data for the city at all -- unlike Koh Samui, which has C9 Hotelworks coverage. The notes below are BAANLYY's own directional reasoning based on area character, not a benchmarked figure:
The deepest tenant pool in Surat Thani town -- provincial-capital workers, transport and logistics staff, and a modest long-stay foreign presence -- rather than a resort or tourist rental pool. No dedicated yield survey exists for Surat Thani, so treat any figure here as a rough estimate from a specific unit's rent-to-purchase-price ratio, not a published benchmark.
Lower purchase prices than the city centre, anchored by rail and logistics-worker demand rather than tourism or foreign-resident renters -- a structurally different, more price-sensitive tenant base.
A thin, niche rental market tied almost entirely to ferry-pier logistics and transport work rather than general residential demand -- underwrite vacancy conservatively, since this is a much smaller pool than the city centre.
Every gross-yield note above ignores property and rental management fees, vacancy between tenants, maintenance, common-area fees and tax -- and in mainland Surat Thani's case, there isn't even a published gross figure to start from. Underwrite your own numbers for a specific property rather than relying on any citywide or provincial estimate.
This report blends three tiers of source, disclosed here for transparency -- and is notably thinner on official industry and yield data than BAANLYY's Koh Samui report, a gap stated plainly rather than papered over:
None of these tiers substitutes for a professional valuation, current listing data for a specific property, or official statistics from REIC or the Bank of Thailand. 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. Surat Thani rents, prices and yields vary by property, 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.
REIC's provincial foreign-transfer figure (Section 02) is official 2025 data, but is explicitly disclosed here as an island-driven (mainly Koh Samui) statistic rather than a mainland Surat Thani town figure -- see BAANLYY's Koh Samui Rental Market Report for the island-specific C9 Hotelworks data behind it. Area-level rent figures (Section 01) blend Numbeo's citywide crowdsourced Surat Thani data (9 entries / 4 contributors, last updated 25 March 2025) with BAANLYY's own area-character research -- not independently verified per-area statistics. Numbeo publishes no price-per-square-foot, average-salary or rental-yield data for Surat Thani at all, and no dedicated industry research report (comparable to C9 Hotelworks) could be identified for the mainland -- both disclosed as genuine data gaps rather than estimated.