Thailand Resort Property: Phuket Survey Lessons for Samui

A 2026 survey values the Phuket property market at 705 billion baht, led by resort villas and condos. Useful lessons for Samui owners.

A new survey gives a detailed picture of the resort property market in Phuket, Thailand's largest island. The Nation reported on 12 September 2026 that the Thai Real Estate Research and Valuation Center at the Agency for Real Estate Affairs (AREA) counted 90,597 homes and holiday units on the Phuket market in 2026, with a total value of about 705 billion baht. The survey does not cover Koh Samui, but its findings are useful for villa owners and buyers here.

The size of the Phuket market

According to the report, the units are spread across 806 projects, mostly in Thalang, Mueang Phuket and Kathu. About 85% of the units, worth around 528 billion baht, have already been sold. On average, about 5.2% of the available stock sells each month. At that pace, and with no new launches, the remaining stock would take about 19 months to sell.

In 2026, 13,779 new units worth about 176.5 billion baht entered the market, at an average of about 12.8 million baht per unit.

Resort villas and condos lead

Resort villas and resort condominiums make up 52% of the units and about 80% of the value. Some figures from the survey:

43% of resort villas are priced between 20 and 40 million baht.
Resort condos and villas sell at about 4.9% of stock per month, slower than ordinary condominiums at about 8.1%.
About 60% of new projects launched in 2025 and 2026 were resort villa developments, at an average of 32 million baht per unit.
Developers are moving to areas such as northern Thalang, Si Sunthon, Mai Khao, Pa Klok and Chalong.

Who is buying

According to the survey, Thai buyers make up an estimated 15 to 25% of the premium market, mostly for second homes. Foreign demand comes from Russia and other CIS countries, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Western Europe, the Middle East and India. Interest from digital nomads and remote workers is growing. The report estimates rental yields of about 6 to 8% a year for resort condos and villas in Cherng Talay and Bang Tao. These are estimates, not guaranteed returns. AREA's research centre is headed by Dr Sopon Pornchokchai.

What it means for villa owners

Phuket and Koh Samui are different markets, so these numbers cannot be copied to Samui. Three points are still worth noting. First, many buyers compare the two islands, and Phuket has a large supply of new resort villas. Second, villas sell more slowly than condos, so a resale can take time and a realistic price matters. Third, a yield figure only means something when it is based on a full year of real bookings, including the low season. This is news, not investment or tax advice; speak to a Thai lawyer and accountant before you buy or sell. To see what your own villa could earn as a rental, you can request a rental estimate.