Buy Apartment In Phuket - 1 Million Max

[frenchFARANGbkk]

Hi,

Just wondering what kind of apartment you can get in Phuket for 1 million THB.

I'm looking for an apartment in Phuket city, as I guess it's cheaper than any apartment near the beach, but please tell me whatever you know about apartments on Phuket island for 1 million baht maximum.

Also want to know how much cost the cheapest apt in Phuket city, as I know that some of the cheapest apartments in Bangkok cost around 300000 THB.

Thanks a lot.

[stuandchris]

Well there is a question.

It depends what you want, for 1 mill if you mean buy then your options are really limited in Phuket. I know of a duplex in Rawai that is up for 1.3 that is ok, shared pool, thai kitchen but still ok, for your money though you will struggle here.

Might be wrong but I don't think so, sorry.

Beware of people offering you places for that sort of cash in Phuket, chances are it's BS or a complete hole.

[N47HAN]

Well there is a question.

It depends what you want, for 1 mill if you mean buy then your options are really limited in Phuket. I know of a duplex in Rawai that is up for 1.3 that is ok, shared pool, thai kitchen but still ok, for your money though you will struggle here.

Might be wrong but I don't think so, sorry.

Beware of people offering you places for that sort of cash in Phuket, chances are it's BS or a complete hole.

have to agree im afraid

[geriatrickid]

I have looked at a few places over the past 3 years. One thing is constant - Prices keep increasing. I wanted something modern, not too far from the beach, and away from the traffic. For a 2 bedroom place with basic western facilities I was looking at several million baht. Factoring in the maintenance fees and all the other wonderful costs and I realized that for a younger guy like me without a family to look after, I was better off renting. The units that met all of my criteria were up around Bangtao & Nai Thon. Had I moved out there, I'd have been bored within a week and probably drunk myself silly. I'm glad I didn't buy. Read enough of TV and one realizes how hard it is being a single male owner here, particularly if you don't have a Thai spouse/girlfriend to sit shotgun and help one make the right decisions. Not any easier for the expat families either. What I take away from my chit chat with the expat ladies is that they have fulltime jobs as "property managers" making it all run smoothly for their families.

[frenchFARANGbkk]

Well there is a question.

It depends what you want, for 1 mill if you mean buy then your options are really limited in Phuket. I know of a duplex in Rawai that is up for 1.3 that is ok, shared pool, thai kitchen but still ok, for your money though you will struggle here.

Might be wrong but I don't think so, sorry.

Beware of people offering you places for that sort of cash in Phuket, chances are it's BS or a complete hole.

Thanks for reply.

If you know a duplex for 1.3 M I guess you can find a normal Thai style room without kitchen and with only 1 room for less than 1 million as in Bangkok.

[LivinLOS]

Since when is a thai style single room, with no kitchen been an apartment ??

Yes you can probably find such a place at <1 million.. Tho rental would be 5k a month tops in phuket town +-2k I am guessing.

[Sir Burr]

I may be wrong, but, if memory serves; isn't there an apartment complex being built in Soi Bangla with apartments starting at 1,000,000 Baht?

[LivinLOS]

Will be a surprise if they are.. Cheapest in that region I remember are the 2.3mil condos I saw a sign for.. A buddy bought a show box sized one bedder for about 4m !!

[frenchFARANGbkk]

Since when is a thai style single room, with no kitchen been an apartment ??

Yes you can probably find such a place at <1 million.. Tho rental would be 5k a month tops in phuket town +-2k I am guessing.

Sorry, I didn't know that this kind of room is not called apartment.

So if you have ever heard about "rooms" for less than 1 million I guess that it's possible to find two rooms apartment with kitchen for 2 millions.

And yes, you will always find people ready to pay millions for something that should be cheap, but less than 1 million for a room is the "normal" Thai price. people paying more just are stupid.

Thanks.

[Sir Burr]

And yes, you will always find people ready to pay millions for something that should be cheap, but less than 1 million for a room is the "normal" Thai price. people paying more just are stupid.

That sort of depends on location, doesn't it?. Maybe you're the idiot?

Edited March 9, 2008 by Sir Burr

[JonnyF]

A friend of my girlfriend bought a small place in a large block of what I'd call flats in the UK, but maybe you'd call it an apartment/condo in Phuket Town (just off the road from Phuket Town to Chalong) for less than a million.

It's just a large(ish) room with an OK sized bathroom and a tiny but separate kitchen - so yes it is possible to buy at that price away from the tourist areas, but I wouldn't really want to live there. The quality of the construction seemed pretty dismal as well.

[steelepulse]

A friend of my girlfriend bought a small place in a large block of what I'd call flats in the UK, but maybe you'd call it an apartment/condo in Phuket Town (just off the road from Phuket Town to Chalong) for less than a million.

It's just a large(ish) room with an OK sized bathroom and a tiny but separate kitchen - so yes it is possible to buy at that price away from the tourist areas, but I wouldn't really want to live there. The quality of the construction seemed pretty dismal as well.

Sounds more like a hong to me.

[JonnyF]

A friend of my girlfriend bought a small place in a large block of what I'd call flats in the UK, but maybe you'd call it an apartment/condo in Phuket Town (just off the road from Phuket Town to Chalong) for less than a million.

It's just a large(ish) room with an OK sized bathroom and a tiny but separate kitchen - so yes it is possible to buy at that price away from the tourist areas, but I wouldn't really want to live there. The quality of the construction seemed pretty dismal as well.

Sounds more like a hong to me.

Like I said, it's quite a large room (enough for a sleeping area and a dining area) with a separate bathroom and separate kitchen, call it what you like.

I've just checked with my g/f and it was 550,000 - 12 months ago. I'm sure for the extra 450,000 you could get one with a seperate sleeping area if that is what makes it a condo/apartment.

[DrDave]

I may be wrong, but, if memory serves; isn't there an apartment complex being built in Soi Bangla with apartments starting at 1,000,000 Baht?

If you're referring to the Bangla Suites project, then you're off by an order of magnitude on the price . The furniture package alone starts at 1M baht. Not sure what they're going to tear down to build this.

[RigPig]

You should be able to find something. There are always a lot of places "pinned" to power poles around the "villas" in Phuket and most of them seem to be around that price. You should be able to get a place with 2 small bedrooms, bathroom and kitchen with a lounge area. You will be living in a Thai estate, but they are handy to Central and places like that as well as Phuket town and the beach is only 30 minuites or so on a motorbike. But as I said they are advertised on power poles so you will have to go for a drive and look around.

[steelepulse]

You should be able to find something. There are always a lot of places "pinned" to power poles around the "villas" in Phuket and most of them seem to be around that price. You should be able to get a place with 2 small bedrooms, bathroom and kitchen with a lounge area. You will be living in a Thai estate, but they are handy to Central and places like that as well as Phuket town and the beach is only 30 minuites or so on a motorbike. But as I said they are advertised on power poles so you will have to go for a drive and look around.

Come to think of it. I've seen advertised in the gazette for a couple of years now a condo in rawai.  Originally asking price was 250K, but now I think it's 550 or 650.  

Villas in phuket town are not really apartments or condos, so can't be owned for foriegners ( at least the ones like at villa 2 villa 5 etc.)

[Sir Burr]

Villas in phuket town are not really apartments or condos, so can't be owned for foriegners ( at least the ones like at villa 2 villa 5 etc.)

Only a condominium can be owned by a foreigner, not an apartment.

Don't ask me the difference, but, the builder has to register it as a condominium.

[LivinLOS]

The difference between a condo and an apartment is one free one in the block to the tessabaan

[RigPig]

You should be able to find something. There are always a lot of places "pinned" to power poles around the "villas" in Phuket and most of them seem to be around that price. You should be able to get a place with 2 small bedrooms, bathroom and kitchen with a lounge area. You will be living in a Thai estate, but they are handy to Central and places like that as well as Phuket town and the beach is only 30 minuites or so on a motorbike. But as I said they are advertised on power poles so you will have to go for a drive and look around.

Come to think of it. I've seen advertised in the gazette for a couple of years now a condo in rawai. Originally asking price was 250K, but now I think it's 550 or 650.

Villas in phuket town are not really apartments or condos, so can't be owned for foriegners ( at least the ones like at villa 2 villa 5 etc.)

True but you may be able to do it through a company. I've heard they have been cracking down on that but don't know to what degree. A solicitor should be able to tell you. Basically the way I understand it a condo is for sale and an apartment is on a 30 year lease, renewable twice giving you 90 years . A condo block still has to be divided and only 49% (floor space) can be freehold foreign owned so they were selling the rest owned by a "Thai" company, 51%. The Thai shareholders would then sign all there voting rights over to you and you sold the company with the unit (I think they are just nominee shareholders). I think it can still be done but the shareholders have to be real now and not just someone off the street . Those places only rent for between 5000 to 8000 Baht a month anyway so maybe a long term rental would be more viable.