# Property in Lamai, Koh Samui Source: https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/areas/koh-samui/lamai Updated: 2026-11-14 Publisher: Thailand Property Investor (Omnia Capital Group) Lamai, on Koh Samui's south-east coast, is a full beach town with a slower pace than Chaweng and a cluster of yoga and wellness retreats. It is a secondary property market: Maret sub-district, which covers it, held 15% of the island's units on sale in mid-2025. The price of that calm is distance, 30 minutes or more from the airport. ## Key facts - Condominium asking prices: THB 60,000 to THB 80,000 per sqm (as of 2026-11-12) - Airport: about 30 minutes to Samui International (USM) - Coast: Gulf of Thailand - Coordinates (longitude, latitude): 100.045, 9.468 - Best for: Buyers who want a beach town without Chaweng's intensity; Wellness-minded owners and long-stay residents; Villas and condominiums at a lower entry point than the north-east Lamai suits a buyer who wants a real beach town at a slower pace than Chaweng, and who does not mind a longer drive to the airport. It is the island's second resort centre and a secondary property market: Maret sub-district, which covers it, held 15% of the units on sale in mid-2025. It is also one of the main places on Samui to buy a condominium, at an island average of THB 60,000 to 80,000 per sqm. ## What it is like to live there Lamai Beach is a wide bay on the south-east coast. The town behind it has what a resident needs: supermarkets, a night market, restaurants and a modest bar scene. The area has a strong wellness identity, with yoga and health retreats around the bay, among them Vikasa on the northern headland. The Hin Ta and Hin Yai rocks at the southern end are the local landmark, and Wat Lamai sits just inland. North of the bay, the road climbs over a headland past Silver Beach and Crystal Bay towards Chaweng Noi. The Royal Samui Golf and Country Club is in the hills on that side. Bangkok Hospital Samui, on the ring road at the southern edge of [Chaweng](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/areas/koh-samui/chaweng), is the nearest large private hospital. The International School of Samui is in [Bophut](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/areas/koh-samui/bophut), a long school run from here. ## The property on offer and what it costs Stock is a mix of hillside pool villas above the bay and a small number of condominium buildings near the beach. Maret sub-district accounted for 15% of units on the primary market in June 2025 and 12% of value. A smaller share of value than of units means lower average prices than in the north-east. Price against the island as a whole. Median asking prices in mid-2025 were THB 60,600 per sqm for landed property and THB 88,500 for condominiums. Condominiums averaged THB 60,000 to 80,000 per sqm in Q1 2026, and since Lamai is one of the main condominium locations, that range is the closer guide for a unit here. A condominium unit can be owned freehold within the [foreign quota](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/condominium-foreign-quota). A villa is bought as a lease of up to 30 years with ownership of the building: see [buying a villa in Thailand](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/buying-a-villa-in-thailand). The [purchase cost calculator](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/tools/purchase-cost-calculator) shows the fees on each, including lease registration. ## Who buys and what it earns Lamai tends to attract long-stay residents and retirees, alongside investors looking for a lower entry price. Foreigners make up 85 to 90% of demand across the island. If you plan to live here for much of the year, check your visa route first: the [retirement visa](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/visas/retirement-visa) and the [Destination Thailand Visa](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/visas/destination-thailand-visa) are the common ones. Holiday letting is seasonal. Island-wide villa occupancy was 56.6% in 2024, peaking in February and bottoming out at 38.7% in September. Lamai's distance from the airport makes it less attractive for stays of a few nights, and the island's average stay is 4.6 nights. Read [rental yields in Thailand](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/rental-yields-in-thailand) and [short-term rental rules](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/short-term-rental-rules) before relying on rental income. ## Getting there and around From the southern end of Lamai, Samui International (USM) is 30 to 45 minutes by car, depending on route and traffic. The coast road north over the headland is the direct route and can be slow. ## What to watch for Liquidity is the main consideration. Lamai has fewer buyers than Bophut or Chaweng, so allow time for a resale and do not stretch on price. Our guide to [selling property and repatriating funds](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/selling-property-and-repatriating-funds) explains the exit. Check hillside villas against their building permits. Slopes of 35 to 50% carry a six-metre height limit, and authorities acted on breaches elsewhere on Samui in 2025. See [title deeds and due diligence](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/title-deeds-and-due-diligence). Ask about water and about access in the wet months. November averages about 445 mm of rain on Samui. For the island as a whole, return to the [Koh Samui overview](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/areas/koh-samui). ## What to weigh - The airport is 30 to 45 minutes away by car from the southern end of Lamai, on a single coastal road over the headland. That reduces appeal to short-stay guests. - It is a smaller, thinner market than Bophut. Fewer buyers means a resale can take longer, so buy at a price that allows for it. - Villas are held on leases of up to 30 years, and hillside plots above the bay are subject to the same height and slope limits that authorities enforced elsewhere on the island in 2025. - New supply is spreading south from Bophut into Maret, the sub-district that covers Lamai. - Mains water was rationed across the island in mid-2026. Ask about wells and storage. ## Questions ### Is Lamai cheaper than Chaweng or Bophut? Yes, on average. Maret sub-district, which includes Lamai, held 15% of the island's units on sale but 12% of market value in mid-2025, so average prices run below those in Bophut and Chaweng. Condominiums on the island averaged THB 60,000 to 80,000 per sqm in Q1 2026, and Lamai is one of the main places to find them. ### How long is the drive from Lamai to the airport? From the southern end of Lamai, 30 to 45 minutes by car depending on route and traffic. From the northern end of the bay it is somewhat less. ### Can a foreigner buy freehold in Lamai? Only a condominium unit, within the building's 49% foreign quota. Villas are bought as a registered lease of the land for up to 30 years with ownership of the building. ## Sources - [C9 Hotelworks, Samui Property Market Review, June 2025](https://c9hotelworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Samui-Property-Market-Update-June-2025.pdf) - [The Nation, Colliers on the Koh Samui residential market, Q1 2026 (6 June 2026)](https://www.nationthailand.com/business/property/40067109) - [Rocky's Resort, Lamai, distance from Samui Airport](https://www.rockyresort.com/) - [Khaosod English, villas raided in Koh Samui crackdown (25 July 2025)](https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2025/07/25/ex-beckham-villa-among-properties-raided-in-koh-samui-crackdown/) - [Pattaya Mail, emergency measures for the Koh Samui water shortage (30 July 2026)](https://www.pattayamail.com/?p=559361) - [Wikipedia, Ko Samui (WMO climate normals)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko_Samui) - [OpenStreetMap, place coordinates](https://www.openstreetmap.org/)