The island of Koh Samui is fast becoming Thailand’s number one tropical destination for holiday-makers looking for beautiful white sands. This tropical destination offers a huge range of luxury hotels to cater for every budget and taste, but the villa rentals market of Koh Samui is becoming an increasingly popular alternative. So what kind of villas are available for rent, what rental rates should you expect to pay and how do you find the perfect villa for your next luxury holiday?

Koh Samui offers luxurious beach front rentals, sea-view villas, hill-side retreats and hide-aways set in tropical gardens. Villas are available for rent in all areas of the island though the most popular location for holiday rentals is the busy NE coastline of the island in the touristic beach towns of Chaweng, Bophut, Bangrak and Choeng Mon.

The opulent beach front rentals exemplify the luxurious, tropical living lifestyle available on this beautiful island. Beach villas are typically 4-6 bedrooms properties with live-in staff, chef and a villa manager who will cater to your every whim. Rental rates for a truly luxurious 5-bedroom beach villa can set you back around $800-$2,000 USD per night.

Sea view properties come in all shapes, sizes and locations. Rental rates for these villas range from about $200 US per night for a petite 2-bedroom to $2,000 US per night for a luxurious 6-bedroom mountain retreat.

Tropical garden villas (no sea view or beach access) offer a more affordable option for those seeking a luxury villa rental experience. These range from popular 2-bedroom townhouses built around a communal swimming pool available from around $100 US per night to an 8-bedroom all-inclusive palace for $2,000 US per night.

So when is the best time to book a villa in Koh Samui? Peak season is December to January when rental rates can double from low season prices. It’s recommended to book at least a few months ahead at this time, especially if planning your holiday at christmas or New Year. Bargain hunters should try to book up for the quieter seasons of May to June and October to November.

Finally, doing a Google search for villa rentals will bring up a huge choice of short-term holiday rental agencies and many villa owners have launched their own for rent by owner websites which can cut out the agent’s fee.

Thailand is a beautiful country with rich heritage and culture.The exotic naturally beauty, alluring landscapes, and moderate climate will offer great retreat to the travelers. For this reason, it is one of the top tourist destinations and continues to draw new arrivals each year. Many of those coming to Thailand eventually decide to remain in the country as expatriates. When seeking to relocate to any country, the issue of home ownership becomes a paramount concern. Hopefully this piece will shed light upon some of the many facets of Thai Property Law.

Obtaining Real Estate or Property in Thailand: In order to stay in Thailand for the long term many people opt to buy Thai Real Estate. Owning a home in Thailand can be a bit of a risky enterprise since Thailand has many laws that preclude foreign ownership of land. However, there are some ways in which a non-Thai can own or control Thai property.

Thailand Condos: Condos in Thailand are a popular choice for many expats. Under Thai law a foreigner is allowed to own a Thai Condominium provided the Condo meets certain requirements laid out in the Thailand Condominium Act.

Thai Real Estate Lease: A long term lease of Thai Real Estate is another attractive option to many prospective foreign Property owners in Thailand. However, there is some misunderstanding regarding Thai leases. Many people believe that Thai leases are automatically renewable and they can last for over 30 years, this is simply not the case.

Thailand Usufruct: A usufruct of Thai property is another possibility. This is much like a life estate under the common law system in that a usufruct can grant a person the right to the use of land for life. There are many formalities that must be kept in mind when drafting a usufruct which is why it is advisable to have a lawyer prepare a usufruct.

Thai Company Formation for Property Ownership: Another method of “owning” property in Thailand is having a Thai company own the property and have a disproportionate number of voting shares allotted to the non-Thai property “owner,” this method allows a non-Thai to keep control of the property while still adhering to Thai law.