Property for sale in Plai Laem, Koh Samui

Plai Laem is the cape on Koh Samui’s north-east corner, between Bangrak and the Big Buddha on one side and Choeng Mon on the other. It takes its name from Wat Plai Laem, the temple set on a lake with its many-armed statue of Guanyin, and it has become one of the island’s most active areas for new residential building.

Its location explains the interest. The airport is around ten minutes away, the beaches of Choeng Mon a few minutes further, and Fisherman’s Village in Bophut and the shops of Chaweng are both a short drive. The ferry piers at Bangrak, for Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, are close by. Hospitals, international schools and supermarkets are all within a quarter of an hour.

Most of what we present in Plai Laem is new: gated developments of pool villas and townhouses, often sold off-plan with staged payments, alongside the occasional finished home and a rare stretch of absolute beachfront. The configurations are varied, from one-bedroom villas designed for rental to four-bedroom family houses, so Plai Laem is often where buyers find the widest spread of prices in one area.

Buying off-plan here means looking closely at the developer, the permits and the payment schedule. Many projects are leasehold, some with a freehold option; each listing sets out the proposed structure and the points we are still confirming with the seller.