Author Alex Frew McMillan visited the island and talked to key people, including Gulu Lalvani of the Royal Phuket Marina.
McMillan was told there have been no property sales at RPM since Lunar New Year, in late January.
''People are not in the mood to buy second homes,'' said Mr Lalvani, whose own Grand Villa covers 1900 square metres at the entrance to the marina, with space for three yachts in front of an expanse of lawn.
Even more to the point is Larry Cunningham, chief executive of Phuket One Real Estate, who told McMillan: ''The market is not slow in Phuket; it is dead. It is absolutely dead.''
