Property in Cape Yamu, Phuket: prices and area guide

Cape Yamu and the Ao Po coast face Phang Nga Bay on Phuket's east side, about 30 minutes from the airport. This is where the island's marinas are: Ao Po Grand Marina has 230 berths with no tide restriction. Property is mostly large villas on big plots. It suits boat owners and buyers who want privacy and calm water. There are no swimming beaches to speak of, and few shops or restaurants.

Cape Yamu and the Ao Po coast are where to buy in Phuket if a boat matters more to you than a beach. This is the island's east side, facing Phang Nga Bay, about 30 minutes from the airport. Ao Po Grand Marina has 230 berths and no tide restriction, and the housing is mostly large villas on generous plots. The compromise is plain: tidal shoreline, few services and a thin resale market.

What it is like to live in Cape Yamu

The east coast is a different island from the west. The water is sheltered and flat, the view is of limestone islands across the bay, and the shore is mangrove and mudflat at low tide. Cape Yamu is a narrow peninsula with a resort at its tip and private estates along its spine. North of it, the coast road runs through rubber plantations and fishing villages to Bang Rong Pier and Ao Po.

It is very quiet. There is no nightlife and little dining outside the resort and the marinas. In exchange, families get a short drive to two of the island's larger international schools. UWC Thailand teaches the International Baccalaureate from pre-kindergarten to Grade 12, and British International School Phuket takes pupils aged 2 to 18. Both offer boarding. Mission Hills, a Jack Nicklaus course, is in the same sub-district. See international schools.

Property in Cape Yamu and what it costs

Villas lead. Pa Khlok, the sub-district covering this coast, took 13.9% of Phuket's villa sales in 2025, second only to Cherngtalay. Stock ranges from estate villas on the cape itself to newer pool-villa schemes inland, and marina residences at Ao Po and at Royal Phuket Marina further south, where some homes come with a private berth.

Expect to pay THB 70,000 to 87,000 per sqm of built area for a villa. Cape Yamu villas asked a median of about THB 87,000 per sqm in June 2026, or THB 39.5 million per house. The island-wide villa median sits at the lower end of that range. Waterfront estates on the cape are priced individually and can sit well outside that range.

Condominiums are scarce, too few to set a fair price per square metre, so value each one against recent sales nearby. All villa purchases are leasehold. Read buying a villa in Thailand and freehold versus leasehold, and plan for succession with inheritance and wills.

Who buys in Cape Yamu and why

Yacht owners, and buyers who want a large private house and are indifferent to beach clubs. In 2026, villa demand was strongest in mixed-use compounds near wellness and sports complexes, retail and international schools. That describes the inland side of this district, near the schools. Buying does not give a right to stay, so check the visa pathfinder and the Long-Term Resident visa.

Rental demand in Cape Yamu

Rental is secondary. Large villas let to holiday groups in the dry season, and marina residences to crews and boat owners, but volumes are small compared with the west coast. If income matters, compare with Bang Tao using the rental yield calculator.

Getting to and around Cape Yamu

COMO Point Yamu, at the tip of the cape, is about 30 minutes by car from Phuket International Airport. The Thepkasattri highway links the district to Phuket Town and its private hospitals, covered in healthcare. The west-coast beaches are a cross-island drive. By sea, Phang Nga Bay and the Koh Yao islands start at the marina wall.

What to watch for in Cape Yamu

Expect resale to take time. The pool of buyers for a large leasehold villa away from the beach is small, so buy at a price that does not depend on a quick exit. See selling property and repatriating funds.

On coastal plots, have a lawyer and a surveyor confirm the title boundary, setbacks and access: title deeds and due diligence explains the documents. And if you are buying for the boat, confirm berth availability, fees and tidal access in writing before you sign for the house. The atlas shows each marina against the district.

What to weigh in Cape Yamu

The east coast is tidal, with mangroves and mudflats at low water. Do not expect west-coast sand or swimming from the shore.

Villas are sold on 30-year registered leases, and the buyer pool for large east-coast houses is small, so resale can be slow.

Restaurants, supermarkets and nightlife are a drive away. The west-coast beaches are across the island.

Marina access differs by site. Ao Po Grand Marina has no tide restriction, but confirm channel depth and tidal windows for your draught at any other marina.

Check coastal plots for setback rules, shoreline erosion and whether the land title reaches the water.

Questions about buying in Cape Yamu

Is the east coast of Phuket good for swimming?

No. The east coast faces Phang Nga Bay and is tidal, with mangroves and mudflats at low water. The attraction is calm, sheltered water for boating and the bay views, not beaches. Owners here use a pool at home and a boat for the islands.

Which marinas serve Cape Yamu and Ao Po?

Ao Po Grand Marina, at the north-east of the island, has 230 berths for vessels up to 499 tons and is accessible 24 hours with no tide restriction. Royal Phuket Marina, further south at Koh Kaew, has 100 wet berths plus dry-stack storage and waterfront residences.

Can a foreigner own a villa at Cape Yamu?

A foreigner can own the building but not the land. The standard route is a registered lease of up to 30 years over the plot. Renewal clauses are contractual promises, not registered rights, so take independent legal advice on the lease and the land title.