⭐️Three Beaches in Thailand Have Made the World's Top 50 — And It's No Coincidence⭐️

The World's 50 Best Beaches 2026 ranking has just been released. Thailand secured three spots, matching countries like Greece and Australia. But that is not what caught our attention.

🔠 Take a Look at the Evaluation Criteria

The beaches were ranked based on uniqueness, untouched nature, the absence of crowds, pristine landscapes, and tranquility.

Not a single criterion mentioned infrastructure, service, or the number of sun loungers.

The world is growing tired of traditional "resort" beaches. Today, the winners are often the places that are the hardest to reach.

🔠 Thailand's Three Beaches in the Ranking

— #10 — Donald Duck Bay, Similan Islands — closed for half the year to preserve its natural environment.
— #23 — Paradise Beach, Koh Kradan — minimal development, dramatic limestone cliffs, and a cave sanctuary.
— #27 — Freedom Beach, Phuket — accessible only by boat or via a jungle trail. It has remained in the Top 50 for the second consecutive year and climbed one position higher.

Freedom Beach represents a side of Phuket that many people never discover. The island offers far more than Patong and shopping malls.

🔠 Why This Matters for Property Buyers

Rankings like these become powerful marketing tools for entire destinations.

After a beach appears on prestigious global lists, interest in renting and buying property within a 10–15 km radius often increases significantly. We have seen this pattern more than once.

Phuket's presence in the Top 50 for the second year in a row is a consistent signal for the market rather than a one-time news story.

Thailand remains one of the few places where it is still possible to combine an outstanding lifestyle, breathtaking nature, and a clear investment opportunity.

If you would like to explore which areas of Phuket currently offer the strongest potential for investment or living, feel free to contact us—we would be happy to discuss the options with you.

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⭐️How Much Does a Month of Living in Phuket Really Cost?⭐️

Many people arrive in Phuket with a budget of “$1,500 for everything” — and either live perfectly comfortably or find themselves wondering where all the money went by the 20th of the month.

The difference almost always comes down to one thing: where exactly you live in Phuket.

🔠 Housing

Rent is the biggest expense — and also the category with the widest price range.

— Studio in Patong or Karon (tourist areas) — from $400 to $700 per month
— Apartment with a kitchen in Chalong or Rawai (residential areas) — $300–500
— Private house or villa for two or three people — from $700 and up

Residential areas can be 25–35% cheaper than tourist zones. At the same time, based on our clients’ experience, the quality of everyday life there is often better: less noise and more of an authentic local atmosphere.

🔠 Transportation

Getting around Phuket without your own transport can be difficult — the island is large, and public transportation is limited.

— Scooter rental — $80–120 per month (the most popular option)
— Car rental — from $300 per month
— Taxis and Grab — expensive for everyday use, around $15–25 per day

Most long-term residents choose a scooter. That is simply the reality of everyday life on the island.

🔠 Food

You can spend $150 a month on food — or $600. It all depends on your habits.

— Street food and local cafés — $3–5 per dish
— Mid-range restaurants — $10–20 for dinner
— European products in supermarkets such as Makro and Villa Market — around 1.5–2 times more expensive than in Russia

If you cook at home using ingredients from local markets and eat out occasionally, a monthly food budget of around $250–300 is realistic.

🔠 Utilities and Other Expenses

— Utilities (electricity, water, internet) — $80–150. Regular air-conditioning use can noticeably increase the bill
— Mobile service — $10–15
— Healthcare — a basic doctor’s appointment starts at around $30, while insurance can start from approximately $50–80 per month with an annual policy

So, a realistic budget for comfortable living in Phuket is around $1,200–1,800 per month for one person.

This does not mean living like a tourist with excursions and entertainment every day, but it does not require extreme budgeting either.

For a couple, the monthly budget rises to approximately $1,800–2,500. Housing and transportation costs can be shared, while food and personal expenses naturally increase.

Phuket stopped being “cheap Asia” a long time ago. But when it comes to the balance between quality of life and overall cost, it can still compete strongly with many European destinations.

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⭐️Why Phuket’s Traffic Is Becoming a Factor in Property Values⭐️

Have you ever noticed that two properties with similar features and prices can deliver completely different returns? Often, the reason is not the view from the balcony or the quality of the finishes, but how many minutes it actually takes to reach the beach during rush hour.

🔠 Phuket Is Stuck. Literally.

The island, with a population of around 400,000, welcomes 10–12 million tourists annually. Its main road network — including Thepkrasattri Road and Chao Fa West/East — was built for a very different level of traffic.

Today, during the high season from November to April, major routes around Patong, Cherng Talay, and Rawai can become heavily congested.

For a tenant, this is not an abstract inconvenience. It can become a deciding factor when choosing between one property and another.

🔠 Location Is Often Evaluated the Wrong Way

Most buyers look at the distance to the beach in kilometers. But in Phuket, travel time can matter much more.

— Bang Tao and Laguna retain their appeal partly because they offer multiple access routes and strong internal infrastructure. A tenant can live there without constantly relying on the island’s main roads.

— Patong, on the other hand, can be less attractive to some long-term tenants precisely because of traffic congestion, despite being one of Phuket’s best-known destinations.

🔠 How Does This Affect the Numbers?

The difference in annual returns between an easily accessible location and a transport-isolated one can reach 2–3%, even with a comparable entry price.

That is not insignificant. Over a five-year period, it can translate into hundreds of thousands of baht in additional income or lost returns.

Apartments in Cherng Talay with convenient road access can rent out faster and experience less vacancy than similar properties in heavily congested neighborhoods — even when those properties are technically closer to the sea.

🔠 What Is Being Built — and Where?

Phuket authorities have announced road expansion plans in the northern part of the island, while the Phuket Light Rail project has also been discussed as a major future transport initiative.

If implemented, areas along the proposed airport–Phuket Town–Chalong corridor could benefit from improved connectivity.

Buying in these areas today would therefore mean betting not only on tourist demand, but also on potential infrastructure-driven upside.

Transport Accessibility Is No Longer Just About Comfort — It Is About Economics

When analyzing properties in Phuket, we always check the actual route and travel time during peak hours rather than simply measuring the distance on a map. We recommend doing the same.

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⭐️West or East Phuket: How Different Is Everyday Life on the Two Coasts?⭐️

One island — two completely different worlds. And that is not an exaggeration.

When clients ask us, “Where is the best place to buy in Phuket?”, we always ask another question first: how are you planning to live here or rent out the property?

Because Phuket’s west and east coasts are not just about different beaches. They offer different infrastructure, attract different types of tenants, and follow different investment dynamics.

🔠 The West: Phuket’s Tourist Showcase

Patong, Karon, Kata, Kamala, Bang Tao, and Surin — Phuket’s west coast is known around the world. This is where you find the clear waters of the Andaman Sea, famous sunsets, and most of the island’s tourist infrastructure.

Everyday life here is largely built around the hospitality industry: restaurants, spas, shopping centers, international schools, and other services are all within easy reach.

Property prices reflect this demand. Villas in Bang Tao start from around $400,000–500,000, while condominiums near the sea start from approximately $150,000.

With professional management, rental yields on the west coast can reach around 6–9% annually. During the high season from November to April, well-positioned properties can achieve very high occupancy.

🔠 The East: Phuket Beyond the Tourist Image

The eastern side of the island — including Chalong, Rawai, Phuket Town, and areas facing Phang Nga Bay — operates at a completely different pace.

The sea here is generally shallower and less suitable for swimming. But this is also where many Thai residents, expat families, and people planning to stay on the island long term choose to live.

The infrastructure — local markets, clinics, schools, and Chalong’s marina — is geared more toward residents than tourists.

Comparable properties can cost around 20–35% less than on the west coast, depending on the specific location, project, and property type.

The rental market is also different. Long-term contracts of 6–12 months are more common here. Yields may be more moderate, at around 4–6%, but rental income can be more stable and management costs may be lower.

🔠 What Matters for an Investor

This is not really a question of “which side is better?” It is a question of strategy.

— Short-term rentals and maximum tourist traffic → West
— Long-term rentals and personal living → East
— Resale within 3–5 years → West generally offers stronger liquidity
— Budget of up to $120,000–150,000 with growth potential → East can offer a more accessible entry point
— Foreign ownership → Freehold condominium quotas are available on both sides, but units within the foreign ownership quota can be absorbed faster in high-demand western locations

Phuket is not a single, uniform real estate market. Its two coasts serve different purposes, and treating them as interchangeable is one of the most common mistakes buyers can make. That is why we always start the conversation with one question: What kind of life do you imagine for yourself here?

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⭐️Kata: A Resort for Tourists, but Not for Every Property Owner⭐️

Kata is the kind of area where people buy an apartment with a sea view and, six months later, start asking an uncomfortable question: what is it actually like to live here year-round?

Kata Beach is genuinely attractive. It is clean, long, and offers suitable waves for surfing. During the tourist season, from November to April, the area is lively: restaurants are busy, visitors arrive, and rental demand is active.

But Kata is not Rawai or Chalong. It does not offer the same level of infrastructure for people who plan to live here full-time rather than simply spend their holidays here.

🔠 What Does This Mean in Practice?

Local grocery shopping options are relatively limited. For larger shopping trips, many residents travel to Chalong or toward Phuket Town. International schooling options are also limited in the immediate area, so families usually need to travel outside Kata.

Healthcare follows a similar pattern. There are local clinics, but for more complex medical care, residents generally need to travel to larger hospitals elsewhere on the island.

On the other hand, Kata offers restaurants and cafés for almost every taste and budget, as well as surf schools, massage shops, and small boutiques.

It is a comfortable place to spend one or two months. But for families with children considering permanent residence, regular trips outside the area are likely to become part of everyday life.

🔠 Real Estate: What Is Available and Who Is It For?

Much of Kata’s property market consists of condominiums in relatively compact developments, often with swimming pools and views of the hills or the sea. Villas are also available, although the format is less common than in Nai Harn or Rawai.

The rental market works well, but seasonality plays an important role.

During the low season, from May to October, tourist numbers decline, which can directly affect occupancy. Owners who expect the same rental performance throughout the year may therefore find that reality differs from their initial expectations.

Buying a property in Kata and renting it out through a management company can be a realistic strategy, but only with a clear understanding that actual returns depend on the specific property, the quality of management, and the effectiveness of its marketing.

“Guaranteed return” offers from developers are a separate issue and should always be assessed critically.

🔠 Who Is Kata Suitable For — and Who Is It Not?

Kata can be a good choice for buyers looking for a resort property focused on short-term rentals during the high season and who understand that income may be lower outside peak months.

It can also work well for owners who plan to spend several months a year here themselves — living near the sea, surfing, and enjoying the resort lifestyle without having to organize daily trips to schools or other essential services.

If the goal is permanent family living and maximum convenience in everyday life, Chalong, Rawai, and even some parts of Karon may offer a more practical setup.

Not because Kata is a bad area — it simply serves a different purpose.

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⭐️A Large Terrace in Phuket: What Are You Really Paying For?⭐️

In Phuket, terraces have long become a marketing tool in their own right. They often appear among the first features in property descriptions, get dedicated photos, and can account for a significant share of the advertised floor area.

The question is simple: are you paying for something you will genuinely enjoy, or are you overpaying for square meters under the open sky?

🔠 First, let’s look at how the area is calculated.

In Thailand, a terrace is often included in the total advertised area of a property, although the calculation method may vary depending on the developer and property type.

This means that a 60 sq.m apartment with a 15 sq.m terrace may effectively offer only 45 sq.m of indoor living space. Yet the price may still be calculated based on the full 60 sq.m.

That can make a noticeable difference to your budget.

A terrace in Phuket is not quite the same as a standard apartment balcony or a country-house veranda.

🔠 Three things matter here: orientation, floor level, and project type.

On the west coast — in Kamala, Surin, and Bang Tao — a sunset view can turn a terrace into real value. It becomes a place where residents spend their evenings, have dinner, and entertain guests.

On the eastern side of the island or in inland areas — such as Chalong or parts of Rawai without direct sea views — a large open terrace may be used far less often because of the heat and high humidity.

Covered terraces and semi-open spaces with proper roofing are a different story. They can be used much more comfortably throughout the year, offer protection from heavy rain during the wetter months, and may be more attractive to future buyers.

🔠 From a rental perspective:

Tourists do pay attention to terraces with attractive views, especially in the short-term rental market.

But if your target audience is long-term tenants — including expats and digital nomads — the priorities are often different. A practical layout, good air conditioning, and functional indoor space may matter more than a large terrace.

A useful rule of thumb is this: if the terrace accounts for more than 20–25% of the property's total advertised area, take a closer look at the effective price per square meter of indoor living space.

Sometimes, the price difference between two seemingly similar properties comes down to exactly this: one is selling usable square meters, while the other is selling open space with a view.

And open space with a view can certainly be valuable — as long as you understand exactly what you are paying for.

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