What is a branded residence?
You want a home in Phuket that is ready when you land: pool clean, kitchen stocked, car at the airport. That is what a branded residence sells. The question few buyers ask in time: can I see the last two years of actual rental figures, not projections?
A branded residence is a private home designed, run or serviced by a hotel brand. You own or lease the home; the hotel group manages it. You get the brand's service: housekeeping, a concierge, security and, in many projects, the resort's spa, pools and restaurants.
Two contracts sit behind every branded home. The first is your purchase or lease. The second is the management agreement between the owners and the hotel group, which sets the service, the fees and how long the brand stays. Read both. The brand name alone does not protect you.
Branded residences suit buyers who want a home that runs itself, for school holidays and long winters. Between visits, the hotel team looks after the home, the garden and the pool. Before you land, the team can stock the kitchen and send a car. Read more in our Live in Thailand guide.
Can foreigners buy a branded residence in Thailand?
Yes, with limits set by Thai law. Under the Condominium Act, section 19 bis, a foreigner may own a condo unit freehold in their own name. Foreign ownership in one building may not exceed 49% of the total unit floor area. The money must come from abroad in foreign currency.
Land is different. The Land Code does not let foreigners own land in their own name. A foreigner can own a building on leased land, so most branded villas are sold to foreign buyers on a registered lease. One lease term runs up to 30 years.
Many villa contracts offer renewals beyond the first 30 years. These are contract terms, not rights in law, so a court may not enforce them. Have your lawyer explain each option in writing. For each step of a purchase, read our guide to buying property in Thailand.
Where are Thailand's branded residences?
Most branded residences in Thailand are in Phuket and Bangkok, with a few on Koh Samui. Phuket's west coast has several resort villa projects sold or run under hotel brands. In Bangkok they include riverside homes linked to five-star hotels. We name only projects the brands confirm on their own pages.
- Phuket: Anantara offers Layan Residences by Anantara and Avadina Hills by Anantara as private pool villas for sale. Anantara says each Layan residence has a private infinity pool and butler service. Trisara lists Private Pool Residences of 2 to 10 bedrooms on its own site. Amanpuri's villas have their own pools and personal chefs, says Aman.
- Bangkok: Four Seasons Private Residences Bangkok at Chao Phraya River is listed on the brand's own residences site.
- Koh Samui: Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui lists seven private residences among its accommodations.
Projects change hands, and some names in older guides no longer exist. Ask us about a project before you fly out to see it. For more, see our guides to property in Phuket and Bangkok.
What to check before you buy
Before you buy, check who owns the land and what the lease says. Then check how long the hotel brand is signed for and what you pay each year. A licensed Thai lawyer should review every document. The brand name sells the home; the contracts decide what you own.
- Land and title: who holds the land title, and is your lease registered at the Land Office?
- Lease wording: the term, the renewal clauses and what happens if the land changes hands.
- Hotel management agreement: its term, and what happens to your home if the brand leaves.
- Service charges: the yearly fee, what it covers and how it can rise.
- Rental pool rules: how many nights you may use the home, and how income is shared.
- Resale rules: any brand approval or fee when you sell.
- Foreign quota: for a condo, how much of the 49% foreign quota is left in the building.
Living in vs renting out
Use a branded residence as a holiday home with hotel service, or put it in the brand's rental programme while you are away. Rental returns are never guaranteed. They depend on the season, the room rate and the costs the manager deducts before you are paid.
Rent from a Thai home is taxed. The Revenue Department says non-residents pay Thai tax on income from sources in Thailand. For rent from a building, it allows a standard 30% deduction for expenses. Ask a tax adviser how this applies to you.
Running costs come before any income: a yearly service charge, a share of the brand's fees, insurance, and upkeep of the pool and garden. In a rental programme, the manager also takes a share of each booking. Ask for the last two years of actual figures, not projections, before you sign.
Branded residences and visas
Buying a branded residence does not give you a Thai visa. For long stays, many buyers choose the Long-Term Resident visa, a 10-year visa run by the Board of Investment. Its fee is ฿50,000 when the visa is collected in Thailand.
Thailand Privilege membership is the other common route. Its Gold tier costs ฿900,000 for 5 years. Read our LTR visa guide before you plan a long stay.
Both routes have their own rules. The LTR has four categories, including Wealthy Global Citizens and Wealthy Pensioners. Thailand Privilege also has Platinum, Diamond and Reserve tiers with longer terms. Thailand Privilege takes a ฿50,000 payment with the application and credits it to the membership fee if you are approved.
Try before you buy
Stay first, then buy. Book the resort or a similar villa for a week and use the spa, the restaurants and the service as an owner would. Come back in the other season too. The sea, the roads and the views change between dry and wet months.
We arrange that stay. We introduce you to a trusted property agent and an independent lawyer, on request, and to licensed tax advisers. See our relocation services for how we help.
Plan your trip with Tanner
Tanner, your planner, books the viewing trip for you. Tell us the places and projects on your list, and we plan the days around them: the stay, a car and a driver. For viewings, we introduce a property agent we trust and a lawyer of your own, on request. You arrive at each home with fresh eyes and clear questions.
You decide which home. The trip, the car and the introductions are ours.
Send your dates and the projects on your list with the button below. We get back to you right away.
