Buying and Selling Second-Hand in Phuket: Facebook Groups, Marketplace and Safety

Where to look

Facebook is the main market. Guides list buy and sell groups for Phuket expats and area groups, plus Marketplace with Phuket set as the location, and local second-hand furniture shops in Phuket Town and Kathu. Other classifieds and sites exist, such as Phuket news classifieds and Shopee for smaller goods. Join several groups and set alerts for terms like leaving, moving or sale everything.

Prices and timing

One guide says a departing expat can sell a sofa, dining set, washing machine and air conditioner for tens of thousands of baht that cost several times that new, and that a sofa bought for 15,000 baht three years ago may fetch 3,000 to 6,000. List four to six weeks before you leave, photograph items well and bundle sets. Bargaining is normal. See the furniture guide and the leaving checklist.

Safety

• Meet in public places for small items and view larger items at the seller's home with a friend.
• Never transfer money before seeing the item, and check the seller's profile history.
• Test electricals and air conditioners, and avoid upholstered items you cannot inspect.
• For scooters and cars, check the registration book and ownership paperwork and transfer properly. See the buying a car or scooter guide and the scams guide.
• Do not buy used child car seats or safety gear whose history you cannot verify.

Related

See the cost of living and moving guides if you are setting up or leaving, and the online shopping guide for new items.