How Do Instalment Plans Work When Buying Off-Plan in Phuket?

Most off-plan projects in Phuket are sold on instalment plans: the buyer pays the price in parts as the building progresses. During construction most projects charge no interest (a 0% instalment plan), and the last payment falls due when the keys are handed over. Some developers let you stretch part of the price into the period after handover as well.

What a 0% instalment plan means and why it is convenient

A 0% instalment plan means the developer charges no interest on payments under the schedule. You pay for the property in parts, so the whole sum is not frozen in construction from day one. The load on your budget is spread over a year or two, and money the developer does not need yet keeps working for you, in other investments for example.

There is another convenience: every payment is tied to a construction stage, so before each instalment you can see that the project is moving. We cover how to confirm a stage before transferring money in our article on construction delays.

What a payment schedule looks like

A schedule usually starts with a reservation fee, followed by a payment on signing the contract and payments at construction stages. The final payment falls on completion of construction and handover of the keys, after which the transfer of ownership is registered at the Land Department. The number of stages and the shares depend on the project: the first payment on signing the contract ranges from 20% to 35%, most often 30%.

Here are concrete examples of how this looks in projects where part of the price can be paid after the keys are handed over.

Laguna Property and Banyan Tree Group

• Standard schedule: five payments of 20% each — on signing the contract, at 25%, 50% and 75% completion, and on completion of construction.
• Deferred plan: 20% on signing, 10% at each of three stages and 50% after construction.

Dominion Rawai

• Main schedule: 25% on signing, 25% after the foundation, 25% after the frame, 15% after the utility lines and 10% when the keys are handed over.
• Deferred plan: 25%, 15%, 15% and 5% at the stages, with the remaining 40% after construction.

Sudara Residences

• Reservation fee: THB 200,000 (about $6,060 at 33 THB per $1).
• Standard schedule: 35% on signing the agreements (the reservation fee is included in this amount), 5% after 90 days, 15% on completion of the roof structure, 20% on completion of the main construction and 25% on handover of the keys and registration of the transfer.
• Extended plan for leasehold units: 35% on signing, 5% after 90 days, 10% at each of two construction stages, and the remaining 40% in four payments of 10% — on handover of the keys, after six months, after one year and after two years.
• Under the terms of the programme, you can move in before the full payment is made.

The terms after handover are easy to compare in a table:

A 0% plan for the construction period is available from most developers, but the terms after handover differ noticeably: some projects charge no interest at all, others go up to 7%. The terms are current as of October 2026.

What to check in the contract before signing

Under Thai law, the contract with a developer rests on the Civil and Commercial Code. Before signing, look in it for:

• the payment schedule: the amounts and the construction stages each payment is tied to;
• the handover date and what happens if it slips (more in our article on construction delays);
• the terms of the plan after handover, if you choose one: the term, the interest and what happens if a payment is late;
• what counts as completion of construction, since the final payment is counted from it.

At Undersun Estate, we help our buyers check contracts before signing.

What to look at in a new build besides the payment plan

Besides the payment plan, a project is judged on several more criteria. The first is reliability: which projects the developer has already delivered and how quickly, and whether the project has a construction permit. How to check a developer from its documents is covered in our article on checking a developer in Phuket. The second is how well the project matches your goals: distance to the beach, entry price and property format. Which of these matters more depends on the purpose of the purchase.

How can you buy off-plan property in Phuket on instalments without coming to Thailand?

The whole journey can be done remotely, from choosing a project online to signing the contract. You pay the developer the instalments on the schedule by international bank transfer, on the dates set in the contract. Once the project is completed, we support the registration of the transfer of ownership at the Land Department, including under a power of attorney, so you do not have to come to the registration either. About half of Undersun Estate's international clients buy this way, without ever having visited Thailand.

About Undersun Estate

Undersun Estate is a real estate agency in Phuket. We co-founded the Phuket Property Association, we are among the partners of the Phuket Real Estate Association (P-REA), and our office is in Kathu, Phuket. If you are looking at a new build, message us on WhatsApp with your budget and the areas you are considering: we will shortlist suitable projects and show you what their payment schedules look like.