If you own a condo in Bangkok and are thinking about renting it out, you're asking the right question: which neighborhood will actually give me decent returns? Bangkok's rental market has shifted since 2024, and what worked two years ago might not work now. The truth is, yield depends on three things: how much rent you can charge, how quickly you fill vacancies, and how long tenants stick around. Some areas are pulling 5-6% gross yield, while others are lucky to hit 3%. Let's walk through where the money really is in Bangkok's condo market right now.

Understanding Condo Yield in Bangkok 2026

Yield is straightforward math, but a lot of condo owners get it wrong. You take your annual rental income, divide it by the property price, and multiply by 100. So if you paid 4 million THB for a condo and can rent it for 18,000 THB per month, that's about 5.4% gross yield before expenses. Sounds good until you factor in maintenance fees, property tax, and the cost of finding tenants.

Bangkok's market has gotten more competitive. Expats aren't arriving quite as fast as they did in 2022-2023. Local Thais are moving to new projects farther out on the Skytrain lines rather than crowding into the CBD. And short-term tourists on Airbnb have made it tougher for monthly rentals. The days of buying a 2.5 million THB unit and renting it for 20,000 THB are mostly gone.

That said, there are absolutely neighborhoods where you can still hit 5-6% yield. The trick is knowing where to look and what kind of tenant profile each area actually attracts.

Sukhumvit Soi 4-26: Premium Yield for Premium Tenants

Sukhumvit between Soi 4 and Soi 26 (basically the stretch from BTS Chit Lom to BTS Thonglor) is where corporate expats live. You'll find families working at multinationals, finance professionals, and long-term business expats who need stability and don't mind paying for it.

A typical 1-bedroom condo here runs 25,000-35,000 THB per month. A 2-bed will fetch 40,000-55,000 THB. Prices for the units themselves sit around 3.5-5.5 million THB for a modern 1-bed, depending on the exact soi and building class. Run the math: if you're charging 30,000 THB monthly for a 4 million THB purchase, you're looking at 4.5% gross yield. Not spectacular, but reliable.

The real advantage here is tenant quality. These are people with long-term visas, employment contracts, and references. Vacancy rates are low, typically 2-4 weeks between tenants. You might wait 45 days to fill a unit, but once it's filled, it stays filled for 12+ months. Buildings like Aguston Sukhumvit 31 and Noble Reveal have waitlists of international tenants because the location works for everyone.

One caveat: you'll need to keep the unit furnished and updated. A dated unit here rents for 5,000-8,000 THB less monthly than a newly refurbished one. That extra investment upfront matters.

Ari, Sanam Pao, and Chatuchak: The Local Professional Sweet Spot

Walk along Sukhumvit if you want, but if you want real yield, look at what local Thai professionals are actually renting. Ari (BTS AR 15) has exploded as a mixed Thai-expat neighborhood. You've got startup workers, young professionals, and families who work at King Power or offices nearby. The vibe is young, active, and definitely not backpackers.

Rents here are 15,000-22,000 THB for a 1-bed and 25,000-35,000 THB for a 2-bed. The condo prices are 2.8-4.2 million THB for a decent 1-bedroom unit. That means potential gross yield of 5-6% if you own a properly priced property. Buildings like Ideo Q Sai Yoke and Via 49 (near Sanam Pao BTS) are pulling those kinds of numbers because they attract Thai professionals who rent for 2-3 years and actually pay on time.

Why is this better yield than Sukhumvit? Cheaper properties in the first place. The neighborhood is still desirable, but you're not paying the "Sukhumvit premium" that pushes condo prices to 5+ million THB. You get similar rent levels but lower acquisition costs. That's where yield lives.

Chatuchak is similar. Close to the BTS (BTS MO 5 at Mo Chit), mixed Thai and expat residents, reasonable rents for the quality, and lower purchase prices. A 2-bed here is 3.5-4.5 million THB, and you can rent it for 28,000-38,000 THB monthly. The demographic is slightly younger and more transient than Ari, but families and Thai company employees provide steady demand.

Rama 9, Phetchaburi, and the "Middle Ring" Opportunity

Most condo investors focus on the BTS corridor because it's familiar. But some of the best yield in Bangkok right now is on the MRT, specifically around Rama 9 (MRT HM 9) and Phetchaburi (MRT BP 12). These areas have exploded with young professionals, hospital staff, and university workers over the past 18 months.

A 1-bedroom condo here rents for 12,000-18,000 THB. A 2-bed, 20,000-28,000 THB. Purchase prices sit at 2.2-3.5 million THB for a 1-bed. That's 5-7% potential gross yield, sometimes even hitting 8% on a slightly older building with modern amenities.

Why? Lower property costs combined with genuine demand from Thai residents. You're not competing against wealthy foreign investors or corporate housing teams. You're renting to hospital workers, teachers, and office staff who earn 30,000-50,000 THB monthly and want a clean, safe place to live. Turnover is higher than Sukhumvit, maybe 30-50 days between tenants, but the rental-to-price ratio makes up for it.

The trade-off is tenant management. These tenants are more price-sensitive and sometimes less experienced with rental processes. You'll need a responsive landlord mentality, not an absentee one. If you use a property management company, those costs (typically 5-8% of rent) will cut into your yield.

On Nut, Bang Chak, and the Eastern Corridor

The BTS eastern extension to On Nut (BTS ON 31) and beyond has been sleepy for years, but it's waking up. Young Bangkok professionals are moving out here because rents are cheaper and the BTS is fast. A 1-bedroom condo at On Nut Station or nearby runs 13,000-19,000 THB. Building prices: 2.1-3.2 million THB.

That math gives you 6-7% gross yield before expenses. Bang Chak (BTS BC 27) is even quieter and slightly cheaper. The buildings here attract Thai office workers, company employees with longer commutes, and younger professionals willing to trade neighborhood cachet for affordability and space.

The risk here is vacancy. These areas don't have the established expat networks or corporate housing demand of central Sukhumvit. If a unit sits empty, it can sit empty for 60-90 days. But when it fills, rents are stable and tenants stay. The neighborhood is developing fast. New restaurants, small malls, and retail are following the BTS. In five years, this could be the next "hot" neighborhood, and property prices could appreciate while you're collecting 6-7% yield.

Short-Term vs. Long-Term Rental Yields

One temptation is to list your condo on Airbnb or Agoda and chase short-term rental income. Yes, you could charge 2,500-4,500 THB per night for a 1-bed in a decent location, which theoretically adds up to 75,000-135,000 THB monthly. But reality check: occupancy rates in Bangkok average 50-65% unless you're in a prime location like Sukhumvit 11 or Silom. Factor in platform commissions (15-30%), cleaning costs, and management, and you're looking at 35,000-50,000 THB net at best. That's similar to long-term rents, but with 10 times the operational stress.

Long-term rentals, while less glamorous, are more stable and require almost no work after the initial tenant placement. Most professional investors in Bangkok have moved away from short-term rentals toward monthly rentals, especially since Bangkok's tourism slowed compared to 2019 levels.

Comparison of Condo Yield by Neighborhood

• Sukhumvit Soi 4-26: BTS Chit Lom to Thonglor | 25,000-35,000 | 3,800,000-5,500,000 | 4.5-5.2% | Corporate expats, families
• Ari / Sanam Pao: BTS AR 15 / BTS ST 8 | 15,000-22,000 | 2,800,000-4,200,000 | 5.0-6.5% | Thai professionals, young expats
• Chatuchak: BTS MO 5 (Mo Chit) | 16,000-24,000 | 3,000,000-4,500,000 | 5.1-6.3% | Mixed Thai and international
• Rama 9: MRT HM 9 | 12,000-18,000 | 2,200,000-3,500,000 | 5.8-7.2% | Hospital staff, teachers, professionals
• On Nut / Bang Chak: BTS ON 31 / BC 27 | 13,000-19,000 | 2,100,000-3,200,000 | 6.0-7.5% | Young professionals, commuters

These figures are based on recent market surveys across DDproperty and CBRE Thailand's quarterly reports, which track rental prices and property transactions across Bangkok's major neighborhoods. Gross yield assumes annual rent divided by property purchase price, before maintenance, taxes, and management fees.

Real Bangkok Example: Two Properties, One Lesson

Let's say you have 4.5 million THB to invest. Option A: a 1-bed in Sukhumvit Soi 12 for 4.5 million THB. You rent it for 30,000 THB monthly. That's 4% gross yield. Nice area, corporate tenants, but you're fighting for premium rents in a saturated market.

Option B: the same 4.5 million THB buys you a 2-bed in Rama 9, MRT HM 9 area. You rent it for 28,000 THB monthly. That's also 4% gross yield on paper. But here's the difference: the Sukhumvit property might be vacant for 45 days between tenants. The Rama 9 property fills in 20 days. Over a year, the Rama 9 unit loses 25 days to vacancy, the Sukhumvit unit loses 45 days. That's 2.5% lost income on Sukhumvit versus 1.4% on Rama 9. Real yield after vacancy: 3.7% versus 3.9%. Small difference, but multiply that over 5-10 years, and it matters.

The Practical Reality of Expenses

Gross yield is what you see on a spreadsheet. Net yield is what you actually keep. Don't make the mistake of ignoring this. Bangkok condo expenses typically run 12,000-18,000 THB monthly for a 1-bedroom unit in a decent building. That includes management fees (3-5%), maintenance and repairs, insurance, annual building fees, and property tax.

If you're renting a Rama 9 unit for 15,000 THB and spending 14,000 THB on expenses, you're netting 1,000 THB monthly. That's not yield, that's a headache. The best neighborhoods aren't just high-rent neighborhoods, they're neighborhoods where the rent-to-expense ratio actually works.

Sukhumvit units, while lower percentage yield, often have lower expense ratios because rents are higher. A 30,000 THB rent with 12,000 THB in expenses leaves 18,000 THB net. That 6% gross yield becomes 4.8% net yield, which is still solid. Ari and Sanam Pao typically hit 4-5% net yield after all costs. Rama 9 and On Nut can hit 5-6% net if you manage carefully, but expenses are less predictable.

What Actually Matters for 2026

Bangkok's condo market has matured. You can't just buy anything and expect 8% yield anymore. The formula now is: lower entry price plus reliable demand plus low expense ratio equals actual returns. That points to neighborhoods like Ari, Rama 9, Chatuchak, and On Nut more than traditional Sukhumvit.

If you already own in Sukhumvit, keep it. The neighborhood is stable and yields, while modest, are reliable. If you're shopping for a new investment property, look at the numbers honestly. Don't buy in a neighborhood because it's famous. Buy where the math works.

One more thing: Knight Frank Thailand's annual rental market report shows that Thai professional renters, not expats, now drive 60% of Bangkok's condo rental volume. That's a shift from 2019. It means neighborhoods popular with Thai professionals, not just expats, will have better yields. That's Ari, Rama 9, and the developing areas along the eastern BTS corridor.

If you're seriously looking to buy a condo for rental income in Bangkok, start by checking what actual rents are on Superagent.co, DDproperty, and Fazwaz for your target neighborhood. Talk to property management companies in that area, not just in the CBD. Run real numbers on three to five buildings before committing. The best yield isn't in the flashiest neighborhood, it's in the one where supply, demand, and prices are actually balanced. Take your time with this decision. A 0.5% difference in yield seems small, but over 10 years on a 4 million THB investment, it's the difference between 2 million and 2.5 million THB in cumulative income.

When you're ready to evaluate specific properties or connect with local landlords and property managers who understand these neighborhoods, Superagent.co's platform makes it easy to see current market rents, property details, and find reliable tenants in each area.