Many people who visit Phuket annually have chosen to purchase apartments in Phuket and rent them out the rest of the year when they are not on holiday. Small Phuket apartments or condominiums are a good choice for those who won’t be spending much time in their Phuket apartment, or people who are not interested in the upkeep of a house, villa or bungalow.

Condominiums are not as readily available as low-star Thai-style apartments, but there are some available in Phuket. Apartments in Phuket are plentiful, so there’s sure to be something to suit your taste in terms of design, size, location and price.

It’s easy to find an apartment rental in Phuket by checking local newspaper listings. You can view apartments for rent by going directly to the developers, such as my website at www.patongharborview.com.

Apartment rentals can start from a few thousand baht a month for an unfurnished studio all the way up to tens of thousands for furnished sea view apartments or penthouses in resort-style complexes or even hotels. Contracts are usually for long-term rentals of three to six months or more, but you can also find apartments for one or two months, or even weekly depending on the season.

Of course, apartments in residential parts of the island and without a sea view will be much cheaper. It’s best to decide ahead of time what your needs are and how long you will be staying, as well as your budget. For example, if you are planning on staying long, you will probably want a unit with a kitchen.

But, if you are only staying for a short-term, you may want to find a place that is fully furnished and caters to a certain level of luxury. If you are not going to hire a motorbike or car, you’ll want to rent an apartment within walking distance of a main road so you can catch a tuk tuk or motorbike taxi. You can also rent your own motorbike to avoid this problem if your motorbike skills are of a level of expertise to take on Phuket’s rugged terrain.

Foreigners can purchase an apartment or condominium freehold in Phuket if 51 per cent of the units in the building are Thai-owned. If all the freehold apartments available to foreigners have been purchased, you can still lease an apartment for 30 years with two possible 30-year extensions. This makes apartments an ideal choice for those who want to buy something in Phuket but who are not prepared to deal with setting up a company. Additionally, Phuket apartments are more secure and easier to maintain since they don’t include gardens. Many people also enjoy the social life an apartment complex offers through its common areas and facilities. It’s fun to stay in an apartment with so many different nationalities and kinds of people under one roof.

Apartments in Phuket can range from basic flats to luxurious apartments with full facilities and property management. The buyers of most of these properties are only permitted a short, 30- to 60-day stay each year, which may suit your needs if you only holiday on the island and want a good return on your investment. Prices of apartments in Phuket can range from a very basic studio apartment for about 2 million baht to nice apartments in Patong and other popular areas for up to 30 million baht.

If you are interested in purchasing an apartment in Phuket, please contact us and we will be happy to show you our apartments and others on the island. Prices start at Patong Harbor View for a 98sqm unit at 6.5 million baht. We now have a video posted online you can view if you don’t have time to fly to Phuket to purchase.

Scott Riefler writes about Phuket real estate and finance. Subscribe to his newsletter at www.patongharborview.com.