Local real estate agencies say Poles now make up about 60% of their clients, a sharp change in a market once dominated by investors from Western Europe and Russia.
Phuket, Thailand’s largest island, drew about 8.6 million visitors in 2024, with average hotel occupancy near 80% for the year. In the peak season from November to March, most rooms are booked, pushing demand for short-term rentals of apartments and houses.
“Property on Phuket remains cheaper than in Europe,” said Martin Phillips of Phuket Plus, which serves Polish clients. He cited luxury condos starting at about PLN 450,000 (EUR 106,000), or roughly PLN 14,000 (EUR 3,300) per square meter, in comments to daily “Fakt.”
Investors are targeting both short-term tourist lets and longer leases, with some owners renting out for much of the year and using the homes themselves in the low season.
In contrast to a slowing European market, parts of Phuket have seen prices jump by tens of percent annually, brokers say. Phillips added that values are “rising at a rapid pace” due to strong demand and increasing land prices.
Analysts point to scarce plots and fast-improving infrastructure—new roads, an expanding airport and a modern marina attracting wealthier visitors—as key drivers of the surge.
Those factors have prompted comparisons with Spain’s property boom two decades ago, with agents saying limited land and continued development could keep prices climbing for years.
(jh)
Source: RMF24, Fakt