Market data · Q4 2026
Who Buys Property in Phuket?
How many homes foreigners buy in Phuket, where they come from and what Thai law lets them buy — dated, sourced figures.
TL;DR
Foreign buyers in Phuket at a glance
In Phuket, condo transfers to foreigners reached 1,190 units (+18.3%) in 2025, worth ฿6.1 billion (+18.9%), and 420 units (+52.2% on Q1 2025) in the first quarter of 2026 (Krungsri Research). The largest groups of foreign buyers there are Russian, then Chinese, French, British and American. Across Thailand, Chinese buyers still lead, but Russian purchases jumped 75.9% in value in the first half of 2026 (REIC), mostly in Phuket and Chonburi.
- condos transferred to foreigners in Phuket, 2025
- 1,190 units
- value of those transfers, 2025
- ฿6.1 billion
- Phuket transfers, Q1 2026 year on year
- +52.2%
- condos transferred to foreigners in Thailand, 2025
- 14,899 units
Official statistics count condo ownership transfers registered at the Land Office in a foreign name — the only freehold a foreigner can hold. Villas bought on a lease and homes held through a company are not in them, so actual foreign demand is broader.
01
Foreign purchases in Phuket
According to Krungsri Research, Phuket accounted for 82.3% of condo transfers to foreigners in Southern Thailand in 2025, and for 21.0% of those to foreigners outside Bangkok in the first quarter of 2026, second only to Chonburi (Pattaya). Its largest groups of foreign buyers are, in order, Russians, Chinese, French, British and Americans.
| Indicator | Period | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Condos transferred to foreigners | 2025 | 1,190 units (+18.3%) | Krungsri Research |
| Value of those transfers | 2025 | ฿6.1 billion (+18.9%) | Krungsri Research |
| Condos transferred to foreigners | Q1 2026 | 420 units (+52.2% on Q1 2025) | Krungsri Research |
| Value of those transfers | Q1 2026 | ฿2.4 billion (+76.2% on Q1 2025) | Krungsri Research |
| Phuket’s share of foreign condo transfers in Southern Thailand | 2025 | 82.3% | Krungsri Research |
| Phuket’s share of foreign condo transfers outside Bangkok | Q1 2026 | 21.0% | Krungsri Research |
02
Buyer nationalities
REIC publishes the nationality breakdown for all of Thailand only. In 2025, Chinese buyers come far ahead; Russians are third and French buyers fifth. In the first half of 2026, Chinese purchases fell in value (฿6.874 billion (−27.7%)) while Russian purchases soared (฿3.603 billion (+75.9%)), concentrated in Phuket and Chonburi.
| Nationality | Condos transferred |
|---|---|
| China | 4,940 |
| Myanmar | 1,968 |
| Russia | 1,172 |
| Taiwan | 1,036 |
| France | 657 |
| United States | 537 |
| United Kingdom | 476 |
| Germany | 459 |
| Singapore | 269 |
| India | 237 |
Source: REIC and Brinkman Data, via Pattaya Mail, 14 October 2026. All of Thailand; REIC does not publish this ranking by province.
Consultants who study Phuket confirm this profile. CBRE (H1 2026) notes that Russian buyers have been a key source of condo demand but that their purchasing is beginning to slow, with developers turning to Middle East expats, India and Europe. For villas, its field surveys show a market led by Russian and Chinese buyers relocating long-term.
Knight Frank (year-end 2025) cites demand particularly from Russia, China, Europe, India and the Middle East.
03
Foreign purchases across Thailand
In 2025, 14,899 units of condos were transferred to foreigners in Thailand, worth ฿60.92 billion: 14.7% of transfers by number and 25.0% by value. In the first half of 2026, the average foreign buyer paid ฿4.3 million for 43.9 m².
| Indicator | Period | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Condos transferred to foreigners, Thailand | 2025 | 14,899 units | Real Estate Information Center (REIC), via Leto |
| Value of those transfers, Thailand | 2025 | ฿60.92 billion | Real Estate Information Center (REIC), via Leto |
| Foreign share of all condo transfers (units), Thailand | 2025 | 14.7% | Real Estate Information Center (REIC), via Leto |
| Foreign share of all condo transfers (value), Thailand | 2025 | 25.0% | Real Estate Information Center (REIC), via Leto |
| Condos transferred to foreigners, Thailand | H1 2026 (year on year) | 6,533 units (−8.8%) | Real Estate Information Center (REIC), via The Nation |
| Value of those transfers, Thailand | H1 2026 (year on year) | ฿28.267 billion (−1.5%) | Real Estate Information Center (REIC), via The Nation |
| Average price per unit, Thailand | H1 2026 | ฿4.3 million | Real Estate Information Center (REIC), via The Nation |
| Average size per unit, Thailand | H1 2026 | 43.9 m² | Real Estate Information Center (REIC), via The Nation |
| Transfers to Chinese buyers (value), Thailand | H1 2026 (year on year) | ฿6.874 billion (−27.7%) | Real Estate Information Center (REIC), via The Nation |
| Transfers to Russian buyers (value), Thailand | H1 2026 (year on year) | ฿3.603 billion (+75.9%) | Real Estate Information Center (REIC), via The Nation |
| Transfers to Myanmar buyers (value), Thailand | H1 2026 (year on year) | ฿2.457 billion (−16.2%) | Real Estate Information Center (REIC), via The Nation |
04
What a foreigner can buy
These rules are why the statistics only cover condos. In October 2026 the quota is still 49% and leases still 30 years: raising it to 75% and allowing 99-year leases, approved in principle by the cabinet in June 2024, have not become law.
| Property | What the foreigner holds | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Condo (unit in the foreign quota) | Freehold in your own name | Foreigners together may own at most 49% of the unit floor area of a building; full price brought in from abroad in foreign currency (FET form) |
| Condo (unit outside the quota) | Registered lease | Lease of up to 30 years, registered at the Land Office |
| Villa or house | Building in your name, land on lease | A foreigner cannot own the land; registered lease of up to 30 years |
| Land | Registered lease | No freehold; a Thai company with nominee shareholders is illegal |
Method
Method, data and citation
The figures come from transfers registered by the Land Office and compiled by REIC (Government Housing Bank), as reported by Krungsri Research and the Thai press, and from CBRE and Knight Frank reports. They are quoted as published; where two sources differ, we use the one that publishes the full series.
Empire Estates Phuket, “Who Buys Property in Phuket? Foreign Buyer Statistics 2026”, checked 31 October 2026, https://empire-estates-phuket.com/market/foreign-buyers-phuket-statistics — licence CC BY 4.0, citing each figure’s original source too.
FAQ
Foreign buyer questions
Buying in Phuket
Buying from abroad?
We check a building’s remaining quota, the right structure for a villa and the transfer of funds before you sign.
Sources
Figures quoted on this page (checked 31 October 2026).
- Industry Outlook 2026–2028: Housing in Phuket — Krungsri Research (28 August 2026)
- Russians among the top 3 condominium buyers in Thailand (REIC data) — Real Estate Information Center (REIC), via Leto (11 August 2026)
- Condo transfers to foreigners rise 1.4% in Q2 2026, REIC reports — Real Estate Information Center (REIC), via The Nation (11 September 2026)
- Russian condo purchases surge 75.9% while wider foreign market slows — Real Estate Information Center (REIC), via The Nation (29 August 2026)
- Who really buys Thai condos? — REIC and Brinkman Data, via Pattaya Mail (14 October 2026)
- Phuket Overall Figures H1 2026 — CBRE Thailand (H1 2026 report)
- Phuket Villa & Condominium Market, Year-End 2025 — Knight Frank Thailand (year-end 2025 report)
- Thailand to Extend Duration of Foreign Land Leases and Condo Ownership — Public Relations Department, Royal Thai Government (25 June 2024)