Buying a House in Phuket - Real Estate in Phuket
I have been living in Phuket since 1999, and after a couple of years renting several apartments and houses, then starting a family it was time to buy a house. We (my wife and I) already knew the areas we liked in Phuket and spent many days driving around looking at houses for sale and even went to a house auction for repossessed properties! Since we have a family, we had to compromise on location - a hillside villa is not idea when a toddler might decide to crawl off the balcony, and although we like the Rawai / Naiharn area, it's just a little remote. We were already living in the Kathu area which is close to town, close to hospitals, close to shopping and markets, close to golf courses (if you like golf) etc.. so that was where we ended up buying our house.
Phuket is a great place to live. I don't write this blog for a living, I write it as a celebration of Phuket! We like living here and after 4 years in our own house we feel very comfortable. Phuket has a local life, great food, festivals and traditions, and also has the tourist scene. You can get just about anything you need here. You can live close to the "action" or you can live off the beaten track. Up to You - it's all out there waiting.
• Want to live in Phuket? Contact Siam Real Estate
When we bought our house, since we knew the area we did not feel the need to contact a Real Estate Agent. If we were selling, we certainly would, as you need help from people who know how to reach potential buyers - all we could do is stick a "For Sale" sign on the gate and hope someone sees it!
I have met Richard, the owner of Siam Real Estate, a couple of times socially. Enough time to have a chat about land and houses and prices - he talks straight, doesn't try to bull**it anyone and has an experienced business brain. He has worked hard and Siam Real Estate is now one of the largest companies on the island. If you want advice about buying a house - that's the place to go.
NEWS! (added March 2009) - Siam Real Estate have introduced a couple of very nice offers to help you to buy in Thailand during these "uncertain economic times" - see the links below for details:
• Airfare Refund Offer
• Easy Buy Terms
Buying a House in Phuket - Useful Links
• Siam Real Estate - Contact Information
• Buying a Property - why choose Siam Real Estate?
• Siam Real Estate - Home Page
• Creme de la Creme Property
• Hot Property
• Condos and Apartments
• Villas and Houses
• Luxury Villas
• Luxury Condos
• Current Phuket Special Offers
Villa and Condo Rentals (often a better deal than a hotel!)
• Holiday House & Villa Rentals in Phuket
• Long Term House & Villa Rentals in Phuket
• Holiday Condo Rentals in Phuket
• Long Term Condo Rentals in Phuket
• Phuket Real Estate - Frequently Asked Questions
• Legal Advice for Buyers
If you have visited Phuket and are thinking of renting or buying a house here - either to retire, or just to use as a holiday home, there are so many options you may not know where to start. You are welcome to contact me - please leave a comment on this post with your email - I'll answer to your comments or I can forward your email to Siam Real Estate so they can contact you (I mean, I know Phuket very well, but they know rather more than me about houses!). Check some of the links above to Siam Real Estate web site allowing you to explore different areas of Phuket and look for that ideal dream house!
If you buy a house or stay here long term, you are welcome to invite me round for a beer! Last word of advice - take your time looking at houses - Phuket is a big place and there are hundreds upon hundreds of houses for sale. The house you are looking for is probably here somwehere!
Jamie's Phuket - The Real Phuket!
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Comments on "Buying a House in Phuket - Real Estate in Phuket"
Giving serious thought to retiring to Phuket. Will follow yr advice and will contact Sima RE. But curious to know how much of a challenge you found learning to speak / read the Thai language. Assume one must do that to get by.
keith.baptist@hahoo.com
Keith,
If you live in Phuket, speaking fluent Thai is not really vital. Certainly worth learning a bit, and there are a number of language schools around to help with that. I've been here 7+ years and still don't speak great Thai!
:)
Jamie
Dear Jamie,
We are thinking of moving back to Thailand in a year or two (I am Thai and my husband is English). Although I had been living in Thailand for 26 years, I have never been to Phuket! I always have this picture in my head that Phuket is too busy with tourists and over constructed (very silly really for someone who lived in BKK for all those years!). Just recently that I've seriously thought Phuket seem to be a good place to settle down when we move back to Thailand and has started to look for houses. I will check out Siam Rea as you suggested. One thing that worries me is work for my husband. He is a chef in the UK and I don't know how difficult for him to find a job in Phuket as well as getting work permit. As you have been living there for ages and know a lot of things around Phuket, could you please give me some advise? Does 5 stars hotels around there employ foreigner chef? Thank you!
Hi autumn,
Yes, for advice on buying, do contact Siam Real Estate.
Work - yes, many of the big hotels employ foreign chefs, but I would guess options are limited. Best bet is to check hotel websites, contact all the 5 star resorts or maybe contact Keith Floyd and see if he needs a hand standing up.. I mean, see if he needs a had cooking :)
I think you'd want to sort a job first, house second unless you have enough savings to live on. Anyways, come to Phuket and check it out!
Hi Jamie, thank you for the message. We are going to Thailand in Jan-Feb 09 and will definitely check out Phuket. Might see you then! Cheers.
Jamie,
Can a foreign national live and work in Phuket? I will visit Phuket in a month and may look to buy a condo and live there one day.
Thanks,
Lance
lya@hawaii.rr.com
Living here is not too hard, but you need to be aware of the rules and regulations - if you have no work here and want to live full time, a retirement visa is best. Coming here and looking for work is a bit hopeful. Setting up a company involves quite a bit of paperwork, but is an option if you have an idea for a business.
Recent immigration regulations have cracked down on the kind of foreigners who just hang around in Thailand - so getting a long term (1 year preferably) visa before coming is a good idea. But first, come and snoop around and see if you like the place!
Hi Jamie,
i am 62 yrs old and I am planning to spend 3 months of our English winter in Phuket, beginning in early Jan 2010. I am hoping the experience will leave me wanting more. My question is this; If I were allowed to live in Phuket would aquiring the relevant certification for teaching English as a foreign language enable me to get a job. I am retired but not a retired teacher. Thanks in advance for any help and congratulations on a great website. Bob.
Hi Bob,
OK, well, Phuket is a great place to live. You are better off thinking in terms of a retirement visa. Getting a TEFL certification puts you at the bottom rung of the ladder and as you may imagine there are a lot of people with the same idea. Your age will be against you no matter how young you look or feel. And no teaching experience? There are plenty of teachers in Phuket with experience and real teaching qualifications. the 2 websites with most information regarding teaching and/or different kinds of visa are:
Ajarn.com (Ajarn is the Thai word for teacher)
ThaiVisa.com (Visa info, Thailand forum and a lot more)
Hi Jamie,
Thanks for taking the trouble to answer my question. I take your comments on board and suspected pretty much what the answer might be. Could I lean on your expertise once more please?
I intend to arrive in Phuket in early January and hopefully stay for a three month period. I plan on finding a reasonable hotel or accommodation initially on arrival and use this as a short term base to look for somewhere nice to let for the remainder of my stay, ( a one or two bed apartment/villa for example ). This is because at the moment I don't know which area would be good to stay in and I don't want to commit myself to booking somewhere I may not be happy with. Is this a sensible thing to do or would you recommend against it?
I would really appreciate your advise and, once again, many thanks in anticipation of your reply. Bob
Yes sure Bob, find a place to stay for a week, look around the island and see if you can find a place that would be suitable for a longer stay. Perfect.
hey mate, my friend and I are looking in buying a condo/small house close to the beach/bangla road nightlife section
only looking to spend around 70,000aus though (i was told this is a decent price). How close can we be for that price? 15-20min drive?
what are the laws with owning and renting out the house while your not there (as we would like to use it as investment while not staying there)
cheers
Hi Jesse,
Thats about 2 million Baht - maybe a small condo somewhere. I'm not the one to ask! Best thing is to Contact Siam Real Estate, tell them your budget and preferred location, let them find some options.. then take a trip to Phuket to check out those options.
Hope you can find something!
Jamie
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