Renting an Apartment in Phuket and Pattaya in 2026: Prices and Deposits

A one-bedroom apartment on a 12-month contract in 2026 starts at roughly 8,000 THB per month, the going rate in Phuket Town and in east Pattaya. Move-in costs are almost always three months of rent: a two-month deposit plus the first month in advance. If the rent is 15,000 THB, you need 45,000 THB in hand on day one.

Phuket rent by area (furnished, 12-month contract):

• Phuket Town: 8,000-15,000 THB for 1 bedroom, 14,000-24,000 for 2 bedrooms
• Chalong: 12,000-20,000 for 1 bedroom, 18,000-32,000 for 2 bedrooms
• Kata, Karon: 14,000-22,000 for 1 bedroom, 20,000-38,000 for 2 bedrooms
• Rawai, Nai Harn: 15,000-22,000 for 1 bedroom, 22,000-38,000 for 2 bedrooms
• Kamala: 15,000-25,000 for 1 bedroom, 22,000-42,000 for 2 bedrooms
• Patong: 15,000-28,000 for 1 bedroom, 25,000-45,000 for 2 bedrooms
• Surin, Cherng Talay: 18,000-32,000 for 1 bedroom, 28,000-55,000 for 2 bedrooms

Sea views and walking distance to the beach cost the most. You pay roughly double for the same floor area on the waterfront compared with a spot fifteen minutes inland. Pattaya looks similar, with a gentler spread. One-bedroom apartments on a yearly contract run:

• East Pattaya: 8,000-14,000 THB
• Central Pattaya: 9,000-16,000
• Jomtien: 9,000-17,000
• Pratumnak: 12,000-22,000
• Naklua and Wongamat: 13,000-26,000
• Na Jomtien: 14,000-28,000

Two-bedroom units range from 14,000-26,000 THB in east Pattaya to 22,000-48,000 in Naklua and Wongamat.

A caveat on these figures: they are ranges from active listings checked on 31 August 2026, for furnished apartments on 12-month contracts. An individual unit can exceed the upper bound thanks to a fresh renovation or a direct sea view, and an older building without a pool may come in below the lower bound.

Live listings fit the pattern. A 42 sqm studio at Baan Suan Lalana in Nong Prue, Pattaya (completed December 1991, three pools, two tennis courts, gym) is advertised at around £287 per month on a 1-year contract. A 2-bedroom, 60 sqm condo at Phyll Phuket by Central Pattana in Phuket Town is listed at 40,000 THB per month, with some sections of the listing showing 45,000 THB, on the standard 2-month deposit plus 1 month in advance. At the premium end, a 75 sqm 1-bedroom garden-view apartment in Rawai is offered at 37,620 THB per month (about AUD 1,583) with utilities and daily maid service included, again with a 2-month deposit.

If you are relocating rather than vacationing, look at Chalong and Phuket Town instead of Patong. The 7,000-10,000 THB monthly difference covers fuel and insurance with money to spare. If walking barefoot to the water every morning is the whole point, that advice does not apply to you.

Monthly Rentals: A Different Market

Rentals shorter than 30 days in ordinary residential condominiums are restricted by law in Thailand. One month is therefore the minimum unit worth negotiating with a landlord. Anything shorter belongs to hotel territory, with hotel pricing and a front desk.

Landlords want a 12-month contract, and that is what earns the best monthly rate. Renting the same apartment for a single month in peak season is possible, but it will be priced closer to nightly logic than to the tables above. The shorter the term and the closer to December, the worse the conditions.

The classic winter-visitor mistake: arriving on 20 December and starting a four-month search. By then the good options in Rawai and Jomtien were taken in the autumn, and what remains is either expensive or odd.

Negotiate between May and September, when landlords are more flexible, and view apartments in person. Book a hotel in your target area for the first ten to fourteen days and walk through five to seven apartments in that time. Listing photos routinely hide road noise, weak water pressure and odors from the ventilation.

Deposits: What Is Asked and How to Get It Back

In both Phuket and Pattaya the standard is the same: two months of deposit plus one month in advance. Total due at move-in:

• 12,000 THB apartment: 36,000 THB
• 20,000 THB apartment: 60,000 THB
• 2-bedroom house at 35,000 THB: 105,000 THB
• 3-bedroom villa at 60,000 THB: 180,000 THB

For expensive properties, short terms, or tenants with no history in the country, a landlord may ask for three months of deposit. That is not a violation, it is negotiation.

On the standard market the agent's commission, about one month of rent, is paid by the landlord, and tenants are generally not charged. If someone asks you for a separate 'search fee', ask exactly what it covers and compare the unit with similar listings elsewhere.

Now the uncomfortable part. Paperwork helps little if a landlord decides not to return your money. Deposits are typically withheld for cleaning, a scratch on the countertop, a lost air-conditioner remote, or 'early departure'. On move-in day, film the whole apartment with the date visible, photograph every dent, and sign an inventory of furniture and appliances with the landlord. Write into the contract that the exit inspection happens jointly, before you hand over the keys.

And do not plan to live out your last two months 'against the deposit'. Landlords rarely agree, and trying it unilaterally almost guarantees you lose the money.

Lease and Electricity: Where Money Leaks

The government electricity tariff in Phuket in 2026 is about 4.42 THB per kWh. Many landlords and building managers bill 6-9 THB. The markup is not legal but remains common, and arguing about it after signing is nearly pointless.

Ask before you sign: is the electricity billed directly by the utility, or by building management from its own meter? If your air conditioner runs daily through the hot months, a two to four baht gap per kWh adds noticeably to your rent.

Other items to verify in the lease:

• who pays the monthly building maintenance fee and water
• whether internet and cleaning are included
• above what amount minor repairs fall on the landlord, not you
• what happens to the deposit on early termination
• whether the name in the contract matches the name on the ownership document

Also find out whether the landlord will help with proof of address, which you may need for visa extensions and other immigration formalities. Confirm requirements with your local immigration office, as they differ between provinces.

One point rarely discussed: the 2025 consumer rules protect customers of professional operators. A private owner of an apartment in an older building may fall outside that logic, so a clause found in one contract may simply be absent from another.

FAQ

Can I rent an apartment in Phuket for two weeks?

Not in an ordinary residential condominium, since rentals under 30 days are restricted by law. For that length of stay, look at serviced apartments or hotels.

How much cash do I need at move-in?

Three months of rent. At 15,000 THB per month that is 45,000 THB, and at 20,000 THB it is 60,000 THB.

Who pays the agent's commission?

Usually the landlord, around one month of rent. Tenants are most often not charged.

Is it legal to be billed 8 THB per kWh for electricity?

No. The government tariff in Phuket in 2026 is about 4.42 THB per kWh. The markup is common but not legal, and the time to sort it out is before signing the lease.

When is the best time to look for a 12-month rental?

Between May and September. In December and January the choice is smaller and short-term prices drift toward hotel rates.

How much does a sea view add in Patong?

A third-party Patong market review cites sea views adding roughly 5,000-14,500 THB on top of the base rent, and puts typical one-bedroom asking prices higher than our ranges for newer sea-facing buildings. Always compare several listings in the same building.

What is the one habit that saves deposit disputes?

Photograph the electricity meter reading on move-in day and record the number in the signed inventory. It takes five minutes and can save a dispute worth several thousand baht.

Source: Live Phuket / Homes Thailand listings

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