Koh Samui was voted the world’s best island in 2026. Here is what is coming to the island over the next few years.
More flights
Samui Airport has approval to raise its cap from 50 to 73 flights a day. A bigger terminal is planned, with more boarding gates, check in counters and baggage belts, and around 4,000 sqm of shops and restaurants. The airport can already handle around 16,000 passengers a day.
New resorts
A 303 room all inclusive beachfront resort is planned, with more than 200m of beach and about 25 minutes from the airport. It is due to open in the second half of 2028.
A bridge to the mainland
The Expressway Authority of Thailand plans a 37km expressway from Don Sak in Surat Thani to Taling Ngam, on Samui’s quiet west coast. Around 22km of it would cross the sea, making it the longest sea crossing in Thailand. Public hearings ended in February 2026. Construction is planned from 2029, with opening targeted for late 2033. Today the car ferry takes 60 to 90 minutes at sea.
More condominiums
Samui was built on pool villas, but the mix is changing. Condominiums now make up 52% of new homes for sale on the island. That matters for foreign buyers, who can own a condo unit freehold in their own name, while villas and land are held on 30 year leases.
A new freehold condominium near Bophut
Bophut is on Samui’s calm north coast, home to Fisherman’s Village, the island’s old fishing village with wooden shophouses and a Friday night walking street. A new foreign freehold condominium with over 250 homes is coming nearby, with launch details soon.
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