Samui's villa market bounces back
Play
Additional 134 villa units were introduced in Koh Samui in 2013 as economic recovery in the United States rejuvinated demand, according to a research by Knight Frank Thailand.
During 2008-2012, the new supply diminished significantly due to the financial crisis. In 2012, only 16 units were introduced in the southern island.
At the end of the first quarter of 2014, the total number of units stood at 420 villas. There were approximately 213 villa units sold, representing about 55 percent of the supply. The villa units with the highest demand cost around Btt20 to Bt40 million per unit.
The research showed that hotel-branded villas in Samui comprise only 11 per cent of the total supply, whereas non-hotel-branded villas make up around 89 percent.
There are now three hotel-branded villas in Samui, including The Estates, managed by Four Season Hotel; W Koh Samui The Residences, managed by W Retreat; and Conrad Koh Samui Residences, managed by Conrad Hotel.
"The buyers include expatriates based in Hong Kong, nationals from Britain, Australia, France and Russia," said Risinee Sarikaputra, director and head of Research and Consultancy, Knight Frank Chartered (Thailand). "They are looking for a second home and a place for their holidays and retirement. Most of them own properties in more than one place across the world. These buyers pay a lot of attention to the locations, views and immediate environment, including other developments and the availability of amenities in the immediate area."
Most of the villas are located around Cheong Mon, Chaweng and Bophut beaches.
