Koh Samui news and villa management advice

What is happening on the island – tourism, events and useful information for guests and villa owners.

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2026-10-01

Koh Samui wellness: two new launches on 1 October 2026

On 1 October 2026 Kamalaya launched a lunar retreat and Conrad Koh Samui opened The Pearl, a 766 sq m private wellness…

2026-09-27

Thailand Foreign-Income Tax Relief Is Still Only a Draft

A proposed two-year exemption for foreign income brought into Thailand had not been published in the Royal Gazette by…

2026-09-15

Thailand Cuts Visa-Free Stay to 30 Days: Samui Guide

From 15 September 2026, Thailand gives visa-exempt visitors 30 days instead of 60. Here is what changed and what it…

2026-09-11

Koh Samui on the map for Saudi visitors, TAT says

Thailand's tourism authority says Saudi demand is spreading to Koh Samui as Riyadh Air starts Bangkok flights and a…

2026-09-04

Loy Krathong 2026 on Koh Samui: Date and Where to Go

Loy Krathong 2026 is expected on 24 November, according to a local guide. See where to float a krathong on Koh Samui…

2026-08-16

Samui Property Probe Now Looks at 30-Year Leases

Thai Examiner reports that officials on Koh Samui and Koh Phangan are now examining long leases held by foreigners, and…

2026-08-15

Koh Samui Nominee Crackdown: 60 Cases Opened in One Day

More than 300 officials raided suspected nominee businesses on Koh Samui on 15 August 2026, opening 60 cases tied to…

2026-08-14

Thailand Tourist Fee Set at 450 Baht: Samui Visitors

Thailand's tourism policy board approved a 450 baht entry fee for foreign visitors on 14 August 2026. It is not in…

2026-08-12

Thailand Hotel Act Bills: Where Villa Rentals Stand

Thailand's House accepted Hotel Act amendment bills in principle in July 2026. A committee is now studying how…

2026-07-28

Koh Samui Water Rationing Began on 3 August 2026

The Provincial Waterworks Authority started rotating water supply on Koh Samui from 3 August 2026 after drought cut…

2026-07-20

Koh Samui Cruise Terminal: Opening Now Planned for 2032

The planned Koh Samui cruise terminal at Laem Hin Khom is costed at 12.17 billion baht. Cabinet approval is targeted…

2026-07-07

Koh Samui voted best island in the world for 2026

Readers of Travel + Leisure named Koh Samui the world's best island for 2026 with a score of 95.64, ahead of the…

2026-07-07

Koh Samui Power: New Submarine Cable Contract Signed

The Provincial Electricity Authority signed a THB1.81 billion contract in July 2026 for a 115 kV submarine cable to…

2026-06-21

Samui Half Marathon 2026: race day at Chaweng Lake

The Bangkok Airways Samui Half Marathon took place on 21 June 2026 at Chaweng Lake in Koh Samui, with 21 km, 10 km, 5…

2026-06-19

Samui Tourist Levy Proposed to Pay for Safety and Roads

Thailand's tourism minister has proposed a levy on foreign visitors to Koh Samui to fund roads and safety. It is only a…

2026-06-10

Thailand 99-Year Lease Plan: Still Not Law in 2026

Two years after the Thai government floated 99-year leases and a 75% foreign condo quota, the limits remain 30 years…

2026-05-31

Samui Airport: Ride Apps Face Pickup Problems

Reports from May 2026 say Grab and other ride-app drivers cannot collect passengers inside Samui airport. What visitors…

2026-05-30

Samui Regatta 2026: Team Hollywood wins again off Chaweng

The 23rd Samui Regatta ended on 30 May 2026 off Chaweng Beach. Team Hollywood won the title for the second year in a…

2026-05-29

Alcohol Sale Hours in Samui: 11am to Midnight in 2026

Thailand ended its afternoon alcohol sales ban. A rule signed in May 2026 allows sales from 11am to midnight daily…

2026-04-22

New Koh Samui Flights From Kuala Lumpur With Berjaya Air

Berjaya Air started flights from Kuala Lumpur Subang to Koh Samui on 22 April 2026: three a week, two hours, on a…

2026-04-21

Koh Samui Flights: Higher Fares, Fewer Services in 2026

Bangkok Airways raised domestic fares by 15 to 20 percent in April 2026 and cut some Koh Samui flights to Phuket, Krabi…

2026-04-21

Club Med plans 303-room Koh Samui resort for 2028

Club Med and Central Group Capital announced a 303-room Exclusive Collection resort on the north coast of Koh Samui…

2026-04-07

Thailand Vape Ban: Tourist Fine a Warning for Samui Trips

A tourist said she paid 40,000 baht after vaping on a Thai beach, media reported in April 2026. What Koh Samui visitors…

2026-04-01

Stricter Traffic Fines: What Samui Scooter Riders Face

Thai police ended a warning period and began fining for 10 traffic offences on 1 April 2026. See the helmet and licence…

2026-03-30

Samui Airport Expansion: Works From 2026, Done by 2030

Bangkok Airways plans to expand Samui airport from the second quarter of 2026, with 11 gates and a capacity of 6…

2026-03-26

Koh Samui hotels report cancellations after Mideast war

A Koh Samui hotel director said in March 2026 that 10 to 20% of advance bookings were cancelled as the Middle East war…

2026-03-13

Koh Samui Ferry Fares Rise on Seatran Don Sak Route

Seatran Ferry raised the Don Sak to Koh Samui fare from 170 to 180 baht on 14 March 2026, citing higher fuel costs. The…

2026-02-19

Samui Red Flags: Swimming Banned in February 2026 Winds

Red flags went up on Chaweng and Lamai on 19 February 2026 as strong winds brought waves of one to two metres. What…

2026-02-13

Koh Samui Bridge: 74 Billion Baht Plan Targets 2033

The planned Koh Samui bridge to the mainland is now costed at 74 billion baht. Building could start in 2029 and the…

2026-01-16

Thailand Land and Building Tax 2026: Full Rates Return

No general discount on Thailand's land and building tax has been granted for 2026, and long-unused land now faces a…

2025-12-28

Koh Samui New Year 2026: flights and ferries near full

Before New Year 2026, Bangkok Airways ran up to 60 flights a day to Koh Samui and ferries were almost fully booked, the…

2025-11-27

Samui Stayed Open During the November 2025 Thai Floods

During the southern Thailand floods of late November 2025, Koh Samui stayed open but some ferries were suspended. What…

2025-10-27

Ang Thong Marine Park: Closure Dates for Samui Visitors

Ang Thong Marine Park near Koh Samui closed from 1 November to 15 December 2025. See the usual closure season, entry…

2025-08-05

Koh Samui Villa Market: Supply Up, Nightly Rates Down

C9 Hotelworks counts 3,055 rental villas on Koh Samui and a THB30.3 billion property market, with occupancy higher and…

2025-08-05

Box Jellyfish Near Samui: Warning and How to Swim Safely

Box jellyfish were confirmed near Koh Samui and Koh Phangan in August 2025. A marine expert advised swimming inside…

2025-06-27

Cannabis Rules in Thailand: Prescription Needed in Samui

Since late June 2025, cannabis flower in Thailand may be sold only with a prescription. What the tourism authority…

2025-06-12

Koh Samui air arrivals up 9% in early 2025, C9 report says

Koh Samui airport handled 1.13 million arrivals from January to April 2025, up 9%, while hotel rates and occupancy also…

2025-05-21

Koh Samui Building Rules: Hillside Limits Since May 2025

An environmental notification in force since May 2025 sets height, green-space and slope limits for building on Koh…

2025-05-01

Thailand Digital Arrival Card: Guide for Samui Trips

Since 1 May 2025, all foreign visitors must complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card online before arrival. A simple…

2025-03-26

White Lotus effect lifts Koh Samui bookings by 65%

After The White Lotus was filmed on Koh Samui, hotel bookings for Songkran 2025 rose 65% and searches for the island…

2023-06-12

Sustainable Tourism Initiatives in Koh Samui

How Koh Samui protects its nature: eco-friendly accommodation, community projects, coral reef and mangrove…

2023-03-08

Koh Samui Welcomes First Chengdu Flight in Three Years

In March 2023, Koh Samui Airport welcomed Chengdu Airlines flight EU2807 with 130 Chinese tourists, the first flight…

2023-02-15

5th Samui Open Beach Volleyball Tournament, March 2023

The 5th annual Samui Open Beach Volleyball Tournament was set for March 10 to 12, 2023 on Choeng Mon Beach, Koh Samui…

2023-02-05

Full Moon Party Draws Its Biggest Crowd Since Covid

In February 2023, the Full Moon Party in Haad Rin, Koh Pha Ngan, returned to pre-Covid numbers, with an estimated…

2023-02-05

Speedboat Catches Fire and Sinks off Koh Samui

In February 2023, the speedboat Silver Star caught fire and sank near Bang Rak pier in Bo Phut, Koh Samui, around…

2023-02-03

Wattanapat Samui Hospital Opens on Koh Samui

Wattanapat Samui Hospital opened on Koh Samui in early 2023 with 380 beds, as officials aimed to grow medical and…

2023-01-23

Cannabis in Thailand: Rules for Tourists in 2023

A January 2023 summary of Thailand's cannabis rules for tourists: who could consume it, where, what was sold, and what…

2023-01-20

Koh Samui: Over 200,000 Tourists in January 2023

Koh Samui recorded an influx of over 200,000 tourists in January 2023, a sign of economic recovery for the island after…

2023-01-10

Mein Schiff 5 Cruise Ship Arrives in Koh Samui

In January 2023, the cruise liner Mein Schiff 5 brought over 3,000 European tourists to Koh Samui, generating an…

2023-01-05

Fisherman's Village Makeover Aims for More Tourists

In January 2023, Koh Samui officials began a makeover of Beach Road in Fisherman's Village, Bo Phut, to attract more…

2023-01-03

The Full Moon Party Is Back on Koh Pha Ngan

Koh Pha Ngan's Full Moon Party and New Year countdown drew tens of thousands of visitors at the start of 2023, with…

2022-12-27

Koh Samui Bridge to the Mainland Planned for 2029

In December 2022, plans were reported for a 17-kilometre bridge linking Koh Samui to Khanom on the mainland, costing 25…

2022-12-19

Koh Samui Welcomed Mein Schiff 5 Cruise Ship in 2022

December 2022: the Mein Schiff 5 brought nearly 2,500 European travellers to Koh Samui for a day. 31 cruise ships were…

2022-12-19

Cruise Ships Return to Koh Samui: 31 Planned for 2023

Report from December 2022: Surat Thani officials were optimistic as the Mein Schiff 5 reached Koh Samui, with 31 cruise…

2022-12-18

Heavy Rains Halt Koh Samui Ferries in December 2022

In December 2022 heavy rain and waves of two to four metres stopped ferries to Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao for…

2022-12-12

Cruise Ship Arrival Lifts Koh Samui Tourism Hopes

In December 2022, Surat Thani officials were optimistic about tourism as the Mein Schiff 5 brought nearly 2,500…

2022-12-12

Over 2,000 Tourists Left Koh Samui by Plane in High Waves

In December 2022, waves up to 4 metres stopped all boats on Koh Samui. A total of 2,400 tourists left the island by…

2022-12-10

Tourism Resurgence in Koh Samui: 2.3 Million Visitors

December 2022 report: Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Pha Ngan welcomed 2.3 million visitors in 10 months and earned over 40…

2022-12-07

Christmas Events in Koh Samui: The 2022 Line-Up

A look back at the Christmas 2022 events in Koh Samui: festive dinners and beach parties at ten venues, from…

2022-09-15

Koh Samui Sought Longer Alcohol Sales Hours in 2022

In September 2022, Koh Samui asked the Thai government for special approval to extend alcohol sales hours and to keep…

Controversy Over a Luxury Villa on a Koh Samui Mountain

Residents of Koh Samui complained about a three-storey luxury house on government-owned mountain land in Bo Phut…

Russian Tourism Influx: How Koh Samui Prepared

How Koh Samui's hotels and villas prepared for the return of Russian and European tourists, with visitor numbers…

Exploring the Hidden Gems of Koh Samui

A guide to Koh Samui's lesser-known places: Lipa Noi Beach, Thongson Bay, Ang Thong Marine Park, Na Muang and Hin Lad…

Villa management advice for owners in Koh Samui

Short guides on villa rental and professional villa management in Koh Samui.

What a Villa Management Company in Koh Samui Does