Based on our secondary-market monitoring in Phuket, total seller-side transaction costs absorb between 6.3% and 12% of the property's sale price. The agent's commission is typically the single largest line item in that stack, yet many investors factor it in only at the moment they list - not when they buy.
We have tracked listing exposure times and compared asking prices against confirmed transaction prices since 2019. The figures below cover the condominium segment under the foreign freehold quota and villas held under leasehold or Thai company structures, across Phuket and Koh Samui. Data reflects conditions as of Q1 2026.
Agent commission in Thailand is not regulated by statute. There is no MLS equivalent, no standardised fee schedule. Rates are negotiable, but that also means they are opaque for first-time sellers entering the market.
Quick answer
- Standard agent commission on Phuket is 3-5% of the transaction price; Koh Samui sits in a similar range, though in the premium villa segment (above 30 million THB) rates of up to 6% are common
- In the majority of cases the commission is charged to the seller only; the buyer pays nothing formally, so the full fee falls on the selling side
- On top of the agent's fee, sellers face government costs: transfer fee (2%, conventionally split 50/50), Specific Business Tax (3.3% when selling within five years of registration), and withholding tax deducted at the Land Office
- Based on our estimates, the effective discount from asking price on the Phuket resale market in 2026 runs to 5-12% in the sub-200,000 USD condo segment and 8-18% for villas above 500,000 USD
- Average listing exposure for condos in Bang Tao and Laguna is roughly 6-9 months; villas in Layan or Kamala average 10-18 months (as of 2026)
- Reselling an off-plan contract before handover can sidestep some transfer costs, but requires developer consent and typically carries an assignment fee of 1-2%
Options and scenarios
Scenario 1: selling a foreign freehold condo in Phuket
Consider a 45 sq m studio in Bang Tao purchased for 3.9 million THB. The owner held it for four years, earning an average 5.5% gross yield from short-term rentals before a 25-30% management fee. They decide to sell in 2026.
Seller-side exit costs in this case:
- Agent commission: 4% of transaction price
- Specific Business Tax: 3.3% (sale within five years of title registration)
- Transfer fee (seller's share): 1% (half of the statutory 2%)
- Withholding tax at the Land Office: estimated 1-2%, depending on declared income structure
Total seller-side transaction costs: approximately 9.3-10.3% of the sale price.
At a transaction price of 4.2 million THB (a 5% discount from the 4.42 million THB asking price), the nominal capital gain is 300,000 THB against exit costs of roughly 410,000 THB. In isolation, the seller exits at a loss on capital. Add accumulated rental income - approximately 858,000 THB gross over four years - and the overall result turns positive, but the annualised total return falls to roughly 4.2% after all costs.
Scenario 2: selling a leasehold villa on Koh Samui
A villa in Bophut, purchased in 2020 for 12 million THB under a 30+30-year leasehold held via a Thai company structure. Gross rental yield of 6% per year, management cost 30%. Sale in 2026.
Seller-side exit costs:
- Agent commission: 5% (standard for premium villas on Koh Samui)
- No land transfer tax applies (leasehold), but selling shares in the company incurs legal fees of 80,000-150,000 THB
- Buyer due diligence and legal review are conventionally the buyer's cost, though sellers frequently co-fund the company audit to keep the deal moving
- No Specific Business Tax on a share transfer (this is not a direct property sale under Thai law)
Total costs: approximately 5.7-6.5% - lower than the freehold scenario. However, listing exposure on Koh Samui tends to be longer. In our data sets, villas in Bophut and Maenam in the 10-15 million THB bracket take an average of 12-16 months to transact.
Scenario 3: assigning an off-plan contract before handover
An investor signed a purchase agreement for a condo in Surin (Phuket) during the construction phase and paid 30% of the price (1.5 million THB of a 5 million THB contract). They now want to assign that contract before receiving the keys.
Key constraints:
- Most Phuket developers charge an assignment fee of 1-3% of the contract price
- Some contracts prohibit assignment without written developer consent; we have seen clauses that block assignment until 50% of the price has been paid
- Agent commission on an assignment is lower - typically 2-3% - because the transaction is structurally simpler
- The investor's profit depends on the price appreciation between the purchase phase and the assignment date; across Phuket in 2023-2025, we observed gains of 10-20% between pre-sale and completion-phase pricing
Holding-period arithmetic
The figures below are a simplified model for a 5 million THB Phuket foreign freehold condo: gross rental yield 5.5%, management cost 28%, agent commission at exit 4%, annual value appreciation 3%.
3-year horizon:
- Cumulative net rental income: approx. 594,000 THB
- Capital appreciation: approx. 464,000 THB
- Exit costs (commission, SBT 3.3%, transfer fee, withholding tax): approx. 565,000 THB
- Net result: approx. +493,000 THB (annualised return approx. 3.3%)
5-year horizon:
- Cumulative net rental income: approx. 990,000 THB
- Capital appreciation: approx. 796,000 THB
- Exit costs (no SBT after 5 years, stamp duty 0.5% applies): approx. 360,000 THB
- Net result: approx. +1,426,000 THB (annualised return approx. 5.7%)
10-year horizon:
- Cumulative net rental income: approx. 1,980,000 THB
- Capital appreciation: approx. 1,720,000 THB
- Exit costs: approx. 430,000 THB
- Net result: approx. +3,270,000 THB (annualised return approx. 6.5%)
The core finding from this model: Specific Business Tax at 3.3% disappears after five years of ownership. Selling earlier than that threshold meaningfully compresses the real return.
Comparison table
| Parameter | Freehold condo up to 200k USD | Freehold condo above 200k USD | Leasehold villa / company structure | Off-plan assignment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agent commission | 3-4% | 4-5% | 5-6% | 2-3% |
| Specific Business Tax (within 5 years) | 3.3% | 3.3% | 0% (share transfer) | N/A |
| Transfer fee (seller's share) | 1% | 1% | 0-1% (legal fees) | 1-3% (assignment fee) |
| Withholding tax | 1-2% | 1-3% | 0% (share transfer) | 0% |
| Total exit costs | 8-10% | 9-12% | 5.5-7% | 3-6% |
| Average listing exposure (Phuket) | 5-8 months | 8-14 months | 10-18 months | 1-4 months |
| Typical discount from asking price | 5-10% | 8-15% | 10-18% | 0-5% |
Risks and mistakes
Not modelling exit costs at the point of purchase. This is the most consistent gap we see in investor planning. A gross rental yield of 6-7% looks attractive, but once exit costs are factored in over a three-year horizon, the real annualised return can fall to 2-4%.
Overpriced initial listing. Sellers who list 15-20% above market-comparable prices extend their exposure period by an additional 6-12 months on average. The longer the listing sits, the larger the eventual negotiated discount at close.
No exclusive listing arrangement. Listing the same property simultaneously with a dozen agencies is routine on Phuket. The result is that the same unit appears at different prices across portals, which undermines buyer confidence and weakens the seller's negotiating position.
Selling before the five-year mark. Specific Business Tax at 3.3% is the cost most commonly overlooked when modelling an exit. The real cost difference between selling at year four versus year five and one day is approximately 2.8 percentage points (SBT 3.3% replaced by stamp duty 0.5%).
Currency exposure. Investors holding Thai baht assets carry two-way currency risk. The THB/USD rate has moved materially across the 2020-2026 period, and baht depreciation against an investor's home currency reduces the real exit value even when the THB sale price is satisfactory.
Tax obligations in the investor's home jurisdiction. Investors who are tax residents in countries with capital gains rules should verify their reporting obligations on foreign property disposals. Many tax treaties allow a credit for tax paid in Thailand, but they do not eliminate the reporting requirement. We recommend obtaining specialist tax advice before listing.
Company structure scrutiny. Thailand's Revenue Department is applying closer attention to Thai companies where foreign shareholders hold minority stakes and Thai shareholders cannot demonstrate genuine commercial activity. Selling shares in such a structure can encounter legal complications that delay or affect the transaction.
FAQ
What is the standard agent commission for selling a condo in Phuket in 2026?
The standard range is 3-5% of the transaction price. In the sub-200,000 USD condo segment the most common rate is 3-4%. The commission is paid by the seller.
Are agent fees on Koh Samui different from those on Phuket?
The range is broadly similar (3-5%), but in the premium villa segment on Koh Samui (above 30 million THB) agents typically seek 5-6%, reflecting fewer transactions and longer listing periods.
What are the total seller-side costs when selling a property in Phuket?
Based on our estimates, total exit costs - covering commission, government taxes, and transfer fees - run to 6.3-12% of the transaction price, depending on the property type and how long it has been held.
What is Specific Business Tax and when does it apply?
Specific Business Tax (SBT) is levied at 3.3% on the higher of the sale price or the official appraised value. It applies when a property is sold within five years of the title registration date. After five years, SBT is replaced by a stamp duty of 0.5%.
How long does it typically take to sell a resale property in Phuket?
Condos in well-located areas such as Bang Tao, Surin, and Kamala transact in an average of 6-9 months. Premium villas average 10-18 months. These are indicative figures based on our 2026 data set.
Can an off-plan contract be assigned before project completion?
Yes, if the purchase agreement permits it. Most Phuket developers charge an assignment fee of 1-3% of the contract price. Some agreements block assignment until a defined payment milestone - often 50% of the total price - has been reached.
What happens to Specific Business Tax if the property is held for more than five years?
SBT at 3.3% no longer applies. Instead, a stamp duty of 0.5% is charged. This is the single largest tax saving available to longer-term holders, and it makes the five-year threshold a meaningful break-even point in most exit models.
When is the best time of year to list a property in Phuket?
Buyer activity peaks during the high season (November through March). Listing by September allows a property to be visible throughout the full peak period. Years with heavy off-plan completions tend to increase resale supply and competition.
Is the agent commission negotiable?
In the premium segment (above 15 million THB), commission is sometimes negotiable downward by 0.5-1 percentage point, particularly under an exclusive listing arrangement. In the mid-market and economy segments, rates are less flexible.
How does currency movement affect the outcome of a sale?
Investors realise their return in their home currency, so THB exchange rate movement adds a layer of risk or gain on top of the THB-denominated result. Fluctuations in the THB against major currencies between 2020 and 2026 have reached 15% in some pairs. We recommend building at least two currency scenarios into any exit model.
The clearest takeaway from our analysis: model exit costs before buying, not after. Agent commission of 3-5% is only part of the equation. Specific Business Tax, the transfer fee, withholding tax, and currency exposure can together absorb 10-12% of the property's value over a short investment horizon. Based on our estimates, the break-even point at which a Phuket or Koh Samui investment generates a real return above inflation is, in most scenarios, five years of ownership.
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