The area-level data view of Koh Samui's rental market — condo rents in Chaweng, Bophut/Fisherman's Village, Lamai and Maenam, official C9 Hotelworks price and villa-rental benchmarks, REIC's record 220% foreign-transfer surge, and a disclosed-methodology look at how gross yield is estimated to vary by area. Sourced and methodology-disclosed; indicative and educational, never investment advice.
Koh Samui condo rent runs 25,000-35,000 THB/month for a well-located one- or two-bedroom in Chaweng or Bophut, versus roughly 10,000-18,000 THB/month for budget or inland units, while Lamai's villa-dominated market runs 30,000-60,000 THB/month for a 2-3 bedroom house. C9 Hotelworks' official June 2025 data puts the island-wide median condo sale price at 88,500 THB/sqm, and REIC's official 2025 figures show foreign buyer transfers in Surat Thani province (which includes Samui) surging 220% -- the fastest growth of any Thai province, a sharp contrast with cooling markets like Chiang Mai. No single official CBRE, JLL or REIC gross-yield benchmark exists for Koh Samui; compiled advisory sources cite roughly a 5-8% range depending on area.
Indicative monthly rent ranges compiled from current Koh Samui listings and research, current as of mid-2026. Lamai is listed separately as a villa-dominated market rather than forced into a condo-only comparison:
| Area | Typical monthly rent (THB) | Product type | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chaweng | 25,000 - 35,000 | Condo (1-2 bed) | The island's main tourist and nightlife hub, part of the Bo Phut submarket that accounts for 70% of Samui's total condo supply by unit count -- highest density of new condo development and the closest walk to the main beach strip |
| Bophut / Fisherman's Village | 25,000 - 35,000 | Condo (1-2 bed) | The expat and family favourite -- relaxed village atmosphere, weekly walking street, international-school access; a REIC-linked market commentary forecasts 7-9% growth in top-tier product specifically in this pocket |
| Lamai | 30,000 - 60,000 | House / villa (2-3 bed) | The island's second-largest town and a better-value alternative to Chaweng -- a genuinely different product mix than the north-coast condo corridor, dominated by villas rather than condo towers |
| Maenam / Bang Por | 10,000 - 18,000 (citywide budget band) | Condo / house | Quieter, more residential north-coast area with lower prices than Chaweng or Bophut -- part of the Mae Nam submarket, which holds 9% of island condo supply; no area-specific rent survey could be verified, so this uses Samui's citywide entry-level band as a conservative anchor |
Geographically, C9 Hotelworks' official supply data shows the Bo Phut submarket (which encompasses both Chaweng Beach and the Bophut/Fisherman's Village area, plus the vicinity of Samui Airport) holding 70% of the island's 2,882 primary-market condo units, with Maret at 15% and Mae Nam at 9%. Two large new condominium projects -- Anava Samui (564 units) and Wing Samui (533 units) -- are expanding supply outward toward Maret and Mae Nam, which may soften rent growth in those submarkets over the medium term as new stock comes online. See BAANLYY's Koh Samui rental market guide for area-level detail and the leasing process beyond rent alone.
Thailand's Real Estate Information Center (REIC), under the Government Housing Bank, tracks Koh Samui under Surat Thani province -- and its most recent official data tells a very different story from cooling mainland markets like Chiang Mai:
On the short-term rental side, C9 Hotelworks' official villa-rental data shows a more nuanced picture: independent villa rental supply grew 34% year-on-year as of January 2025, pushing average nightly rates down 11% to THB 13,012 in Q1 2025, even as occupancy rose 5.7 percentage points to 71.5% -- rising demand absorbing rising supply, rather than a market in decline. Read alongside the compiled long-term rent data in Section 01, Koh Samui looks structurally different from mainland cooling markets: strong recorded foreign demand, expanding supply, and resilient (if more price-competitive) occupancy.
As with Phuket and Chiang Mai, BAANLYY could not identify a single official CBRE, JLL or REIC gross-yield benchmark specific to Koh Samui -- so this section relies on compiled estimates from multiple independent Thailand property-advisory sources, cross-checked for consistency, rather than one authoritative survey. Treat the following as directional patterns, not a precise or guaranteed return:
The deepest, most liquid tenant and buyer pool on the island -- both areas sit within the Bo Phut submarket that holds 70% of Samui's condo supply. Multiple independent property-advisory sources place gross yield here in roughly a 5-7% range for well-managed condos, with REIC-linked commentary specifically flagging Bophut and Chaweng Noi as premium pockets forecast for above-average price growth in the top tier.
A different asset class than the north-coast condo corridor -- predominantly villas rather than condo towers -- so condo-style yield comparisons translate imperfectly. Lower purchase prices per sqm than Chaweng or Bophut are the main driver of Lamai's rental economics; advisory sources generally place villa rental yield in a broadly similar 5-8% band, though occupancy is more tourism-dependent and seasonal (see the island-wide seasonality note below).
The most affordable submarket by purchase price, which can produce attractive headline yields on paper, but rental demand is thinner than the Chaweng/Bophut corridor and more tied to longer-stay tenants than short-term tourism. Underwrite vacancy more conservatively here than the headline numbers might suggest -- no dedicated yield survey for this specific submarket could be verified.
Every gross-yield figure above ignores property and rental management fees, vacancy between tenants or bookings, maintenance, common-area fees and tax -- and C9's own villa data shows nightly rates already falling 11% year-on-year as new supply competes for tenants. Deduct several percentage points from any headline gross figure to approximate a realistic net return -- always underwrite your own numbers for a specific property rather than relying on a marketing headline. Also note the same short-term rental legal exposure flagged in BAANLYY's Phuket Rental Market Report 2026 applies here: sub-30-day rental without a hotel license is technically illegal under Thailand's Hotel Act.
This report blends three tiers of source, disclosed here for transparency:
None of these tiers substitutes for a professional valuation, current listing data for a specific property, or official statistics from REIC or the Bank of Thailand. This report is educational market intelligence, not investment advice.
BAANLYY can connect you with vetted agents and property managers to underwrite the numbers on a specific building and unit.
Indicative, educational market data only — not investment, legal or tax advice. Koh Samui rents, prices, occupancy and yields vary by property, area and season and change over time; verify current figures with a licensed agent, appraiser or property manager before relying on them. BAANLYY never takes paid placement.
Sale prices, submarket supply distribution and villa-rental data (Sections 01-02) are from C9 Hotelworks' official June 2025 Samui Property Market Update. Foreign-transfer and residential-transfer figures (Section 02) are official REIC 2025 data for Surat Thani province. Long-term condo and villa rent-by-area figures (Section 01) and gross-yield-by-area figures (Section 03) are compiled from multiple independent Thailand property-research and advisory sources, disclosed as such -- no single official CBRE/JLL/REIC Koh Samui rental-yield or long-term-rent benchmark could be verified, the same gap noted in BAANLYY's Phuket and Chiang Mai Rental Market Reports 2026.