Phuket Town is where the island lives and works: the provincial capital, with the main hospitals, Central Phuket and two international schools within a short drive. It is also one of the cheapest places in Phuket to buy. Condominiums asked a median of about THB 83,000 per sqm in June 2026, against about THB 117,000 island-wide. Buy here to live, or to let to people who do. Holidaymakers stay on the beaches.
What it is like to live in Phuket Town
The old town is the centre: streets of Sino-Portuguese shophouses around Thalang Road, now filled with cafes, restaurants, small hotels and shops. Khao Rang, the hill on the town's north-west side, looks out over the town.
Around the old town spread the newer suburbs. Wichit, to the west and south, holds Central Phuket and HeadStart International School. Koh Kaew, to the north, holds British International School Phuket and Royal Phuket Marina. Daily life is Thai and practical: markets, government offices, banks, and both the government Vachira Phuket Hospital and the private Bangkok Hospital Phuket. See healthcare, international schools and banking and daily life.
Property in Phuket Town and what it costs
Most of the stock is built for residents. Residential condominiums were the main product on the market in Mueang Phuket district in 2026, at 11,794 units. Townhouses fill the older suburbs. Since 2024, villas have been going up in inland areas north of town, such as Thepkrasattri, Si Sunthon and Bang Jo, for their short drive to Phuket Town and its services.
Condominiums asked a median of about THB 83,000 per sqm in June 2026, or THB 2.99 million per unit. The wider town area, with Wichit and Si Sunthon, sits at around THB 86,000 per sqm. Buyer interest in Wichit centres lower, at about THB 67,000, so negotiate from the asking price.
Villas asked a median of about THB 72,000 per sqm of built area and THB 22 million per house. Take ordinary townhouses and older homes in Wichit into the count and the figure falls to about THB 34,000 per sqm.
Condominiums can be owned freehold within the foreign quota. Houses cannot: read freehold versus leasehold and buying a villa in Thailand.
The price and the title
The contract
Advanced: appraised value
The Land Department's appraised value is usually below the agreed price, and the transfer fee is charged on it. Ask the developer or your lawyer for the figure. 80% is a working assumption, not a rule.
The home and your own costs
Total cost of buying
฿216,000
An estimate: 1.4% of the agreed price, paid on top of it.
- Transfer fee2% of the registered value, shared equally with the seller
- ฿120,000
- Sinking fundOne-off, 600 THB per sqm
- ฿36,000
- Legal review and due diligenceIndependent lawyer, contract and title review
- ฿60,000
- Price plus costs
- ฿15,216,000
In short
Plan for ฿15,216,000 in all: the price, plus 1.4% in buying costs.
Rates reviewed on 12 November 2026. Seller-side taxes (specific business tax and withholding tax) are normally the seller’s cost, but developers sometimes pass costs on by contract, so read the payment terms. This is an estimate, not a quotation.
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Your figures by email, and an adviser to check them against the contract of a real development.
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Who buys in Phuket Town and why
Buyers on a budget, families, and residents who put daily convenience ahead of a beachfront. In the first half of 2026, villas in mixed-use compounds near international schools, shops and sports facilities sold well. That describes the town's edges.
Rental demand in Phuket Town
Tenants are people who live and work on the island, on monthly or annual leases. In Wichit, people looking to rent outnumber people looking to buy by about four to one. Lets of 30 days or more do not need a hotel licence. See rental income and tax and run the numbers in the rental yield calculator.
Getting to and around Phuket Town
The old town is about 30 kilometres and about 30 minutes from Phuket International Airport. Kathu and Patong lie west over the hill, and Chalong and Rawai and Nai Harn to the south. The old town is walkable; the suburbs need a car.
What to watch for in Phuket Town
Supply. Mueang Phuket had 281 projects with units for sale in 2026, so a new building competes with a long list of alternatives for tenants and resale buyers. Check the developer's completed buildings and read the off-plan buying process.
Then title. On a resale house, confirm whether you are buying a registered lease or shares in a company that owns land: see Thai company ownership risks and title deeds and due diligence.
