Developer renderPrice on request
Off-plan or ready: which to buy in Phuket
“Available immediately or within this year” and “a 2028 handover does not work for me” are two ways of asking the same question, and buyers ask it before any other. The answer is settled once and it sets the price, the payment terms and the month the unit starts earning.
The Phuket catalogue currently holds 108 completed units and 393 with a stated handover date. The rest fall into neither group: for some the source sheet names no date, for others the date has passed while the building is still listed as under construction. We do not present a lapsed promise as either a completion or a date, and it is excluded from the readiness filter as well.
What an off-plan buyer pays with
- Time. Years pass between reservation and keys, with the money committed and nothing to use.
- Schedule risk. A quarter or two of slippage is ordinary in this industry and should be budgeted for.
- Mismatch risk. A render is not a contract: finishes, the view and the size of common areas can differ from the image.
- Developer risk. A frozen project is rare but real, and the developer has to be checked before the reservation, not after.
Part of this is covered by the contract: late-delivery penalties, termination and refund terms, payments tied to construction milestones. Those clauses belong in the reservation agreement, and are best read by the lawyer handling the deal.
What an off-plan buyer gets
- The early-stage price. The price list follows the construction stage, and at groundbreaking it sits below the handover price.
- A payment plan without a bank. Instalments are spread across construction milestones, interest-free, with no credit history required.
- Choice. At launch every floor, view and layout is available; by completion what is left is what nobody took.
How the payment schedules differ between developers, and what happens if an instalment is missed, is covered in a separate guide.
What a ready-property buyer pays with
- Price. The gap between the launch price and the completion price stays with the developer.
- Payment terms. Completed units are rarely sold on a plan: settlement follows shortly after reservation.
- Choice. You take what is left unsold, not the best floor and view.
What a ready-property buyer gets
- Certainty. You see exactly what you are buying: the finish, the view, the neighbours, the real floor area and how the building looks close up.
- Timing. Nothing to wait for; keys follow registration.
- Income from month one rather than from year three.
For the buyer who plans to live in the unit part of the year and let it the rest, the handover date usually decides the matter: waiting two years for a second home is not something everyone will do.
Narrowing it down in the catalogue
The filter panel carries a readiness condition. “Completed” leaves only units that have actually been handed over. A year leaves those promised by the end of it, and lapsed promises are not counted: a building that was due last year and is still under construction fits neither group.
Price and size conditions sit next to it, so comparing ready against off-plan is easier per square metre than project by project: the gap between stages shows up there. The catalogue median is THB 130k/m².
What to check on an off-plan unit
- How many projects the developer has already completed, and whether they can be visited.
- Whether the construction permit and the environmental approval are in place.
- What the contract says about delays and about refunds.
- Whether payments are tied to construction milestones or to the calendar.
- Whether construction reports are issued, and how often.
What to check on a completed unit
- How many units in the building are sold, and how many stand empty.
- The maintenance fee and the state of the sinking fund.
- What the price includes: furniture package, appliances, air conditioning.
- Whether the building runs a rental programme, and on what terms.
- Visible wear in the common areas and how the management company performs.
What is in the catalogue
Phuket holds 571 listings in total, with a median price of THB 10.2M and an entry point of THB 2.1M. Readiness is stated on every card and on every unit page.
Developer renderLaguna Beach Residences Seashore
photos on requestPrice on request
Developer renderPrice on request
SO Origin Residences Bangtao
The City Phuket Phase 2, Building C
photos on requestPrice on request
Developer renderPrice on request
VIBE Residence
Site visit · 31 January 2025Price on request
Sunny Moon
FAQ
Which is cheaper, off-plan or ready?
Off-plan is cheaper, and the gap between the launch price and the completion price stays with the buyer. In exchange the buyer takes on the wait and the risk of delay. Compare per square metre rather than by headline price: units of different sizes cannot be lined up any other way.
How many completed units do you have in Phuket?
Currently 108 completed and 393 with a stated handover date. Some units fall into neither group: the source sheet names no date, or the date has passed while the building is still under construction. We do not present that as a completion.
What happens if the developer misses the handover date?
The contract sets it out: usually a tolerated slippage, late-delivery penalties beyond it, and termination terms with a refund. The figures differ between developers, and they should be read before the reservation.
Can I get a payment plan on a completed unit?
As a rule, no. Interest-free plans are tied to construction milestones, and a finished building has none left. Short schedules over a few months after reservation do occur, but they are the exception.
How far does a finished building differ from the render?
Only a visit answers that. On completed projects it is worth walking the common areas, the parking and the grounds as well as the unit itself: that is where any gap with the image shows up first.
Which is better if the unit is meant for letting?
A completed unit earns from the first month; an off-plan one earns years later but costs less to enter. Both need to be calculated on specific units: the lower entry price may or may not pay for the wait. The yield calculator sits in the investment guide.
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