Buying property in Koh Samui: what to compare

Choose for the way you will use the property

Start with your intended use: a home, a holiday base or a rental property. Compare the practical details of each villa rather than treating an island-wide growth claim as evidence for a particular purchase.

Compare like with like

Ask whether the advertised area means indoor space, built-up area or land. Compare bedroom layouts, outdoor space, road access, parking and the condition of the building. Visit the location and check the route to the places you expect to use.

For a development under construction, request the plans, specifications, permits, construction progress, payment schedule and contractual completion terms. Confirm which unit and inclusions the quoted price covers.

Test any rental assumptions

If rental income matters to your decision, request evidence for that property: achieved rates, occupancy, operating costs and the period covered. Separate gross revenue from management fees, utilities, maintenance, taxes and vacancies. A marketing projection is not a verified trading history or a promise of future returns.

Check ownership and total costs

Ask an independent Thai property lawyer to review the title, seller's authority, access rights, permits and proposed ownership or lease. Do not assume a villa and its land are available to you on the same terms as a condominium.

The government describes a foreign condominium quota of up to 49% of total unit floor area. BOI land-ownership permission concerns promoted investment projects and its conditions; it is not a general home-purchase route. Condominium ownership guidance; BOI land procedures.

Build a shortlist

Browse the current LKS listings and request current availability, price and property documents for the villas that interest you. Review the resulting shortlist and an itemised cost estimate with your independent advisers before committing.