Bophut is the district we would point a family to first on Koh Samui. It has a British-curriculum international school, a walkable village for the evenings, a private hospital nearby and the airport about 15 minutes away. Property is mostly leasehold pool villas on the hills behind the beach, with some condominiums. Condominiums in Chaweng and Bophut, where most of the island's stock is, averaged THB 60,000 to 80,000 per sqm in Q1 2026.
What it is like to live in Bophut
The centre is Fisherman's Village, a street of old shophouses along the beach that now holds restaurants, small hotels and a walking-street market. The Wharf Samui adds shops at its western end.
Behind the ring road the land rises quickly. That is where most villas are, looking north across the bay to Koh Phangan. The International School of Samui is in Bophut, between the village and Chaweng, and teaches from early years through sixth form. Bandon International Hospital is on the same stretch of road, and Bangkok Hospital Samui is in Chaweng, the next district south. Boats to Koh Phangan leave from Bang Rak, just east.
Property in Bophut and what it costs
Bophut sub-district, which also takes in Chaweng and the airport area, is the core of the island's market. In June 2025 it held 2,030 of the 2,882 units on sale, across 66 projects, and 61% of the market by value.
Most projects are small villa developments. Typical schemes on Samui run to 10 to 25 units, and Bophut is one of the areas where new projects cluster. Condominiums are fewer but larger, which is why they made up 52% of the units on sale island-wide. Price a Bophut villa against the island as a whole: a median of THB 60,600 per sqm for landed property and THB 14.9 million for a three-bedroom villa of 250 to 350 sqm.
A foreigner buys a villa here as a registered lease of the land, up to 30 years, with ownership of the building. Our guides to buying a villa in Thailand and freehold vs leasehold explain what that does and does not give you. Condominium units can be owned freehold within the building's foreign quota.
Who buys in Bophut
Buyers are mainly European families and second-home owners. Foreigners make up 85 to 90% of demand on the island. Many let their villa through a manager when they are away.
Island-wide, villas averaged THB 13,692 a night and 56.6% occupancy in 2024, with February the strongest month and September the weakest. Letting for under 30 days requires a hotel licence: see short-term rental rules and rental income and tax.
Getting to and around Bophut
Samui International (USM) is a 15-minute ride from Fisherman's Village. The ring road runs through the district, putting Chaweng to the south-east and Maenam to the west within easy reach. Hillside access roads are steep and some are private, so check who maintains them.
What to watch for in Bophut
Permits are the main risk. In September 2024 officials closed 21 villas on Khao Ma Ngaen in Bophut, part of a group of 46 built without building permits and encroaching on the mountainside. Tenants were told to leave. Before paying a deposit, have a lawyer check the land title, the building permit and that the villa as built matches it: see title deeds and due diligence.
Water is the second. During the 2026 shortage, zoned rationing hit elevated areas hardest. A villa with its own well and generous storage is worth more than one without.
Finally, rain. November averages about 445 mm on Samui. View hillside plots in the wet season if you can, and see climate and seasons. For the island as a whole, return to the Koh Samui overview.
