Area guide
Cape Yamu and east coast villas
Phuket's east coast faces a different sea. Instead of open ocean and sunsets, Cape Yamu looks across the calm water of Phang Nga Bay to a horizon of limestone islands. It is home to a small number of the island's most private oceanfront estates, and to a growing community around the marinas and northern schools.
The feel
Cape Yamu is a narrow peninsula on the east coast, in the Pa Khlok area of Thalang. The cape itself is small and tightly held, with a short list of oceanfront villas and the COMO Point Yamu resort at its tip.
The atmosphere is closer to a private island than a beach town. There are no beach bars, no traffic and very few shops. You come here for space, privacy and the view, and you drive out for everything else.
The wider east coast shares that calm. Pa Khlok is rural Thalang, with fishing villages, mangroves and rubber, and a scattering of new villa developments for families who want land and quiet. The sea here is sheltered for most of the year, which is why the island's main marinas sit on this side.
Where to live
Cape Yamu
The oceanfront estate villas on the cape itself. Few in number, large, and almost always sold privately. Most face east across Phang Nga Bay, so you get sunrise and moonrise rather than sunset.
Pa Khlok
The district around the cape. A mix of new private pool villas on larger plots, older Thai houses and small housing estates.
Ao Po
North of the cape, around Ao Po Grand Marina. Homes here suit sailors and boat owners who want to keep a yacht close by.
Koh Kaew and the Boat Lagoon side
South towards Phuket Town, around Royal Phuket Marina and Boat Lagoon. This area is home to British International School Phuket and suits families who want the east coast's calm with a shorter school run.
Cape Yamu oceanfront estates trade at a level well above the rest of the east coast. If you are buying on the cape, Khun Mark will source and compare the homes that are quietly available, including those not on any portal.
Daily life
The water
The east coast is for boats rather than beaches. Phang Nga Bay, with its limestone islands, is on the doorstep, and Ao Po Grand Marina, Royal Phuket Marina and Boat Lagoon make it easy to keep a boat. For swimming beaches, most residents drive to the north-west coast.
Dining and shopping
Very little on the cape itself beyond the resort. Pa Khlok has local Thai restaurants and markets. For more choice, Boat Lagoon, Koh Kaew and Phuket Town are a short drive south, and Boat Avenue in Cherngtalay is about 30 minutes across the island.
Schools
This is one of the east coast's strengths. British International School Phuket is in Koh Kaew. UWC Thailand and Glenalmond Phuket International School, which opened in August 2026 within Thanyapura, are both in Thalang, a short drive from Pa Khlok.
Healthcare
Thalang Hospital is the nearest public hospital. The main private hospitals, Bangkok Hospital Phuket and Bangkok Hospital Siriroj, are in Phuket Town.
Getting to the airport
COMO Point Yamu puts the drive at around 30 minutes, and that is a fair guide for the cape.
Who it suits
- Buyers at the very top of the market who want privacy above all else.
- Sailors and boat owners who want a marina close to home.
- Families with children at British International School Phuket, UWC Thailand or Glenalmond, who want space and calm near school.
It suits people less well if they want to walk to a beach, a restaurant or a bar. Life on the east coast is lived by car and by boat.
Buying here
The national rules apply. Foreigners cannot own land in Thailand, so oceanfront villas are usually bought on a registered land lease of up to 30 years, with ownership of the building itself. Lease renewal clauses beyond the first 30 years are contractual promises rather than guaranteed rights, so value a lease on its registered term.
At the top of the market you will also see villas held through Thai companies. A company with genuine Thai shareholders can be legitimate. One built on nominee shareholders is illegal, and the authorities can order the land to be sold. Have your own lawyer review any structure before you pay a deposit.
Resale estates on the cape are few, so due diligence is more personal than process. Check the land title, coastal building permits, estate management arrangements and the condition of the building. A snagging inspection can be arranged, and the construction consultancy can assess a home that needs work.
This is general guidance, not legal advice.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Where do millionaires live in Phuket?
Cape Yamu on the east coast, the headland villas between Kamala and Patong known as Millionaire's Mile, and the private estates of Layan hold Phuket's most expensive homes.
Where is Cape Yamu?
It is a small peninsula on Phuket's east coast, in the Pa Khlok area of Thalang, looking across Phang Nga Bay. It is about 30 minutes by car from Phuket International Airport.
Can foreigners buy a villa on Cape Yamu?
You can own the building and lease the land on a registered lease of up to 30 years. Foreigners cannot own land in their own name.
Is the east coast of Phuket good for families?
Yes, if you value space and schools. British International School Phuket is in Koh Kaew, and UWC Thailand and Glenalmond are in Thalang, all within easy reach of Pa Khlok.
Buying on Cape Yamu?
Most homes here sell quietly. Tell Khun Mark your brief and he will find out what is available, on and off market.
