The yields quoted in Pattaya sales brochures are gross, calculated on full occupancy, and they ignore the service charge, the management fee, the furniture replacement and the months your unit sits empty in the low season.
We would rather show you the net number. It is a smaller number, and it is one you can actually plan around.
Costs that are missing from the brochure
- Common area fees, charged per square metre every year whether the unit is occupied or not.
- The sinking fund, and the special assessments that arrive when a building needs major work.
- Rental management commission, typically a meaningful share of the gross rent.
- Furniture and appliance replacement, which in a rental unit is a recurring cost and not a one off.
- Low season vacancy, which is the single biggest gap between brochure yield and reality here.
- Withholding tax on rental income and the tax position when you eventually sell.
About guaranteed rental schemes
A guaranteed return is only as good as the developer standing behind it, and the guarantee period usually ends exactly when the market rate turns out to be lower than the guarantee was.
They are not automatically a bad deal. But you should price the unit as though the guarantee did not exist, because eventually it will not.
Frequently asked questions
What yield is realistic in Pattaya?
Realistic net yields are considerably below the gross figures quoted in marketing, once vacancy, fees and management are deducted. We will model your specific unit rather than quote a market average, because the spread between a well located unit and a poorly located one is enormous.
Which areas hold value best?
Historically, walkable beachfront locations with limited land for new supply have held up better than large inland developments where the developer can simply build more. Pratumnak and Wongamat have generally been steadier than the mass market inland projects.
Can I get a mortgage as a foreigner?
Thai bank mortgages to foreigners are limited and the conditions are strict. Most foreign purchases here are cash, which is also why the market is sensitive to currency movements.
Want the net number rather than the brochure number?
Send us a unit you are considering. We will model the real yield, including the costs the brochure leaves out.
Related services
- Real estateCondos for sale in PattayaForeign freehold units across Pattaya and Jomtien, with the quota, the title and the transfer costs verified before you pay a deposit.
- Real estateHouses for sale in PattayaFamily homes and pool villas, mostly in East Pattaya and Huay Yai, with a straight explanation of how a foreigner can actually hold them.
- Real estateCondos for rent in PattayaFurnished units from a month to a year, with a written lease and the TM30 filed, so your rental never becomes a visa problem.
- Legal servicesCompany registration in PattayaA Thai limited company set up properly the first time, structured from day one around the work permit you will need.