Buying Adjoining Condos in Phuket: Check Before Combining Units

Buying two adjoining Phuket condos does not automatically give permission to remove the dividing wall. Treat the purchase and the proposed alteration as separate decisions. If the combined layout is essential, establish feasibility before committing to both units.

Start with the legal and technical boundaries

Ask the building for the approved plans and the status of the dividing wall, structure and services. Have an independent engineer assess the proposed opening and implications for fire separation, escape routes and building systems. Do not begin exploratory demolition during a viewing.

The Department of Lands publishes the Condominium Act, which is a starting point for counsel's review of unit and shared-property rights. Ask counsel and the relevant authorities which consents and permits apply; an agent's verbal approval is insufficient.

Keep the two purchase files separate

Verify each unit's title, owner, encumbrances, quota eligibility, debt clearance and transfer documents. Ask whether titles would remain separate and how any intended change is handled. A connected interior should not be assumed to create one legal unit.

Budget both sets of recurring charges, meters, insurance arrangements and renovation administration until written evidence supports a different treatment. Include design, approvals, work protection and possible reinstatement in the decision.

In a Phuket resort building, check rental-programme restrictions and whether two units can be marketed as one accommodation. Model resale as both a combined offering and two separate homes. If restoring separation is costly, that changes the exit options. Compare the total with an existing larger unit in the same district.

Next step

Review district options and developers, then ask Phuket Stay Pro to compare adjoining units with larger existing homes.

Fact-check flags

Structural feasibility, common-property rights, permits, voting requirements, title treatment, foreign quota and rental use need independent Thai legal and engineering review. Combining units is not guaranteed to be permissible.