This episode should follow EP01 naturally.
EP01: Why Phuket is becoming more than a holiday destination
↓
EP02: What is actually happening in the property market?
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EP03: Why Location Matters More Than the Property
For EP02, the important editorial angle is not “Phuket property is booming.” The 2026 market is more nuanced: transaction activity has improved in early 2026, foreign condominium transfers are strong, but inventory and competition are also significant. That makes selectivity the central theme.
I checked the latest available 2026 data, including Krungsri Research and Thailand's Real Estate Information Center (REIC), before building this episode.
1. WEBSITE / BLOG — FULL EPISODE
PHUKET 360° EP02
Phuket Real Estate 2026: What Investors Need to Understand
Phuket property has become an increasingly international market.
But if you're considering buying in Phuket in 2026, one thing is important to understand:
This isn't a market where simply buying property is the strategy.
The market is becoming more selective.
Location matters.
Property quality matters.
Supply matters.
Buyer demand matters.
Ownership structure matters.
And ultimately, the reason you're buying matters.
That's why the second episode of PHUKET 360° looks beyond the headlines and asks:
What is actually happening in Phuket's real estate market in 2026?
A Market With Strong Activity — But More Complexity
The latest data presents a mixed picture.
In Q1 2026, total residential ownership transfers in Phuket reached 2,548 units, up 17.9% year-on-year. Condominium transfers increased 24.1%, while low-rise housing transfers increased 10.6%. The total value of residential transfers rose 71.2% year-on-year to approximately THB 5.2 billion.
Foreign demand has also remained significant.
Foreign condominium ownership transfers in Phuket reached 420 units in Q1 2026, up 52.2% year-on-year, with transfer value increasing 76.2% to approximately THB 2.4 billion.
Those numbers tell us something important:
International demand for Phuket property remains significant.
But that isn't the whole story.
The Other Side of the Market
Phuket has also experienced a major increase in residential supply.
At the end of 2025, cumulative unsold residential inventory reached 14,008 units, up 33.3% year-on-year, with a combined value of approximately THB 193.7 billion. Condominiums represented the largest portion of the remaining inventory by value.
The villa segment also requires careful consideration.
In 2025, new villa launches fell substantially from the previous year, but remaining villa supply still increased to 2,043 units. Krungsri Research estimated the villa absorption rate at 1.8% per month, considerably slower than the previous year's 6.3%.
So the story isn't simply:
Demand is up.
Nor is it:
The market is slowing.
The more accurate picture is:
Phuket has demand — but buyers need to become more selective.
2. WHAT DOES "SELECTIVE" MEAN?
For investors, this is where the conversation becomes much more interesting.
Two properties can be in the same general Phuket market and perform very differently.
Why?
Because they may have completely different fundamentals.
Consider:
Location
How accessible is the property?
What is around it?
Is the surrounding area established or emerging?
Supply
How many competing properties are nearby?
How many similar units are coming onto the market?
Demand
Who is the target buyer or tenant?
Holidaymaker?
Long-term resident?
Family?
Digital nomad?
International professional?
Second-home owner?
Property type
Condominium?
Pool villa?
Branded residence?
Residential development?
Land?
Each has a different market dynamic.
Purpose
Are you buying to:
Live?
Holiday?
Rent?
Hold long term?
Resell?
Each objective changes what should be examined.
3. FOREIGN BUYERS MATTER — BUT THEY ARE NOT THE WHOLE MARKET
Phuket's international buyer base is one of the defining characteristics of its property market.
Krungsri Research reports that the largest foreign condominium buyer groups in Phuket in 2025 included Russians, Chinese, French, British and Americans.
But international demand is not static.
Different nationalities have different motivations.
Some buyers want a second home.
Some want rental income.
Some want lifestyle relocation.
Some want a long-term base in Thailand.
Some are looking for a managed branded residence.
Others are looking for a private villa.
This means the phrase "foreign buyer" is itself too broad.
Understanding who is buying and why is increasingly important.
4. CONDOMINIUMS AND VILLAS ARE DIFFERENT MARKETS
This is another important point for EP02.
A condominium and a villa should not automatically be evaluated using the same criteria.
Condominiums
Foreign ownership, rental demand, location, management, facilities, service levels, developer reputation and competing inventory can all matter.
Krungsri Research expects freehold condominiums to remain an important choice for foreign buyers seeking owner-occupation, second homes and rental investment.
Villas
The equation can be very different.
Land component.
Privacy.
Location.
Construction quality.
Operating costs.
Management.
Rental positioning.
Maintenance.
Resale market.
And the amount of competing villa supply.
This is particularly relevant because the villa market showed a much slower absorption rate in 2025 than condominiums and housing estates.
So:
"Luxury villa" is not automatically an investment thesis.
The property still needs to make sense within its specific market.
5. LOCATION BECOMES EVEN MORE IMPORTANT
This leads directly toward our next episode.
When supply increases, location differentiation becomes more important.
A property isn't competing against every property in Phuket.
It competes against properties that offer similar:
location
price
lifestyle
property type
amenities
rental proposition
ownership structure
quality
This is why simply asking:
"What's the average Phuket property price?"
doesn't tell an investor enough.
The better questions are:
Where?
What type?
For whom?
Why there?
What is competing with it?
What is changing around it?
6. WHAT COULD SUPPORT THE MARKET?
Krungsri Research expects Phuket's housing market to continue developing through 2027–2028, supported by factors including public infrastructure investment, Phuket's international tourism position, expanding air connectivity, the revised city plan and demand from digital nomads and workcation travelers.
But these are market drivers, not guarantees of property performance.
That distinction is important.
Infrastructure can create opportunities.
Tourism can support demand.
International connectivity can expand accessibility.
New communities can create new destinations.
But individual properties can still perform differently.
That's why PHUKET 360° will keep returning to the same principle:
Understand the forces around the property before judging the property itself.
7. THE 2026 INVESTOR CHECKLIST
Before considering a Phuket property, look at the bigger picture.
01 — LOCATION
Where exactly is it?
02 — DEMAND
Who is likely to want it?
03 — SUPPLY
How much competition already exists?
04 — PROPERTY TYPE
Does the asset match the target market?
05 — OWNERSHIP
Is the legal ownership structure appropriate for the buyer?
06 — OPERATING ECONOMICS
What are the actual costs involved?
07 — RENTAL REALITY
What does the market actually support rather than what a brochure promises?
08 — RESALE
Who might buy it from you later?
09 — DEVELOPMENT
What's happening around the property?
10 — PURPOSE
Why are you buying it?
That's the beginning of a proper Phuket property conversation.
8. THE BIG TAKEAWAY
Phuket's 2026 property market is neither a simple boom story nor a simple slowdown story.
There is significant international demand.
There is active transaction activity.
There is continuing development.
But there is also substantial inventory and increasing competition.
The implication is straightforward:
The market is becoming more selective.
And that means the question shouldn't simply be:
"Is Phuket property a good investment?"
The better question is:
"Which property makes sense for which buyer, in which location, and for what purpose?"
That's the conversation we want to have.
9. PHUKET 360° CTA
Thinking about investing in Phuket?
Speak with Crown & Cove about your Phuket property journey.
👇 Connect With Us
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📞 +66 96 646 8844
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NEXT EPISODE
EP03 — Why Location Matters More Than the Property
Because after understanding the 2026 market, the next question naturally becomes:
Where?
And that's where we start breaking down the geography of Phuket.