Where Lamai is
Lamai is a beach and village on Koh Samui’s southeast coast. It belongs to Maret subdistrict of Ko Samui district, Surat Thani province; the whole island is run by one city municipality. Maret had 9,489 registered residents in December 2025, the fourth largest subdistrict on the island after Bophut, Ang Thong and Maenam.
The road north leads to Chaweng, 9.8 km away; the beach ends in the south at the Hin Ta and Hin Yai rocks. Inland, the Na Muang waterfalls are 8.5 km from Lamai.
Who Lamai suits
- Families with school-age children. Maret subdistrict has two licensed international schools, Lamai International and Windfield International (our transliteration of the OPEC register names)
- People who shop at markets. OpenStreetMap shows 10 markets within 2.5 km of the beach, including Lamai Fresh Food Market and a night market, plus 8 supermarkets such as Lotus’s and Tops
- People arriving by car from the mainland. Lipa Noi pier is 16.1 km away, 10 km closer than Chaweng
- Summer travellers. From May to September TMD’s Ko Samui station, at Lamai’s latitude, records 102-134 mm of rain a month
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who needs a hospital nearby. Maret has no inpatient hospital: Bangkok Hospital Samui is 9.6 km away, the public Koh Samui Hospital 18.8 km
- Frequent flyers. The airport is 14.8 km away, three times the distance from Chaweng
- Buyers who want a registry-listed condo. Maret has a single condominium on the Treasury registry
- Travellers in October to December. Samui’s rainy season, with 445 mm in November
Lamai by the numbers
| Indicator | Value | Source, date |
|---|---|---|
| Maret subdistrict residents | 9,489 | DOPA, December 2025 |
| Condos on the Treasury registry | 1 (Casa Vela, 71,500 THB/m²) | Treasury, snapshot 5 Aug 2024 |
| International schools | 2 | OPEC, 17 Oct 2026 |
| Private inpatient hospitals | 0 | HSS, 31 Jul 2026 |
| To Samui Airport (USM) | 14.8 km, 17 min | OSRM on OpenStreetMap, 17 Oct 2026 |
| To Chaweng | 9.8 km, 10 min | same |
| To Bangkok Hospital Samui | 9.6 km, 10 min | same |
| Annual rainfall | 1,994 mm | TMD, 1991-2020 normals, Ko Samui station |
| Rent | to be confirmed | we are collecting dated partner listings |
The beach and landmarks
| Place | What we know |
|---|---|
| Lamai Beach | southeast coast, south of Chaweng; TMD’s Ko Samui station stands at the same latitude |
| Hin Ta and Hin Yai rocks | at the southern end of the beach, with fishermen’s huts nearby |
| Na Muang waterfalls | 8.5 km inland, about 10 minutes by car |
| Lamai Fresh Food Market, night market | village markets on OpenStreetMap |
When to go: Samui’s rainy season is offset from Phuket’s, dry from February to September and wet from October to December.
Housing in Lamai
The Treasury registry (snapshot of 5 August 2024) lists one residential condominium with issued unit titles in Maret subdistrict: Casa Vela Hotel Condominium, valued at 71,500 THB/m². A median cannot be drawn from one building, so Lamai cannot be compared with other areas on valuation. For reference, the island-wide median is 46,500 THB/m² across 27 buildings and Bophut subdistrict’s is 45,100.
Why so few: the condominium registry only covers buildings with unit titles. Villas on land and projects whose titles have not yet been issued do not appear in it. Foreigners can buy a condominium unit within the 49% quota but not land for a villa; see our guide to freehold, the 49% quota and leasehold. Lamai projects on sale are listed in our catalogue.
Living in Lamai: schools, hospitals, shops, transport
Schools. The OPEC register lists two international schools in Maret: นานาชาติละไม (Lamai International, 206/36 Moo 4) and นานาชาติวินฟิลด์ (Windfield International, 67/7 Moo 6). There is no licensed Russian school on Samui.
Hospitals. None in the subdistrict. The nearest:
| Hospital | Type | km from Lamai Beach | Minutes without traffic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangkok Hospital Samui | private, 50 beds | 9.6 | 10 |
| Koh Samui Hospital (Nathon) | public | 18.8 | 20 |
Shops. OpenStreetMap shows 18 places within 2.5 km of the beach as of 17 October 2026: 10 markets and 8 supermarkets (Lotus’s, Tops, Family Mart, mini C), plus Lamai Plaza. Addresses were checked against the map only.
Transport. The Raja car ferry from Donsak docks at Lipa Noi, 16.1 km from Lamai, hourly from 05:00 to 19:00. The airport is 14.8 km away. We found no official songthaew routes and do not publish any: people get around by taxi, motorbike or car.
Lamai vs its neighbours
| Area | Subdistrict | To airport | Condos on registry | Valuation, THB/m² | International schools in subdistrict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamai | Maret | 14.8 km | 1 | one building, 71,500 | 2 |
| Chaweng | Bophut | 5.1 km | 19 (all of Bophut) | 45,100 | 2 |
| Lipa Noi | Lipa Noi | 31.9 km | 0 | no buildings | 0 |
Sources: Treasury (snapshot 5 Aug 2024, our calculation), OPEC (17 Oct 2026), OSRM routes on OpenStreetMap (17 Oct 2026).
Homes in Lamai
Green Hills Villas Lamai
Lamai, Koh SamuiVillas
Villa, 3 bedrooms · 350-380 sqm
Naga Kiri Villas Lamai
Lamai, Koh SamuiVillas
Villa, 3 bedrooms · 279 sqm
Nichakul Villas Lamai
Lamai, Koh SamuiVillas
Villa, 2 bedrooms, Villa, 3 bedrooms
ULU Villas Samui
Lamai, Koh SamuiVillas
Villa, 4 bedrooms · 390 sqm
Lamai and nearby areas
Computed from our project registry and catalogue at build time.
| Area | Projects | L1 | Under construction | Completed | On sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamai | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7, from ฿7.9M |
| Chaweng | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7, from ฿2.4M |
| Bophut | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Lipa Noi | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
FAQ
Where is Lamai?
On the southeast coast of Koh Samui, about 10 km south of Chaweng. Administratively it is Maret subdistrict of Ko Samui district, Surat Thani province. The Hin Ta and Hin Yai rocks stand at the southern end of the beach, beyond which the coast runs on to Hua Thanon village.
How far is Lamai from Samui airport?
14.8 km by road, about 17 minutes without traffic according to OSRM on OpenStreetMap data. From Lipa Noi pier, where the mainland car ferry docks, it is 16.1 km and about 19 minutes.
Lamai or Chaweng: which is better to live in?
Chaweng is closer to the airport (5.1 km) and to the private hospitals, all six of which are in Bophut subdistrict. Lamai has no hospital, with Bangkok Hospital Samui 9.6 km away, but Maret subdistrict has two international schools. The beaches are 9.8 km apart, about 10 minutes by car.
Are there international schools in Lamai?
Yes. The Ministry of Education's OPEC register lists two in Maret subdistrict: นานาชาติละไม (Lamai International) and นานาชาติวินฟิลด์ (Windfield International). Four more are elsewhere on the island: two in Bophut subdistrict and one each in Na Mueang and Maenam.
Where is the nearest hospital to Lamai?
There are no licensed inpatient hospitals in Maret subdistrict (HSS list of 31 July 2026). The nearest private one, Bangkok Hospital Samui, is 9.6 km away, about 10 minutes; the public Koh Samui Hospital near Nathon is 18.8 km.
When is the best time to visit Lamai?
February to September. TMD's Ko Samui station stands at Lamai's latitude, and on its 1991-2020 normals February gets 64 mm of rain and March to September 83-134 mm a month. October to December bring 263-445 mm: Samui's rainy season.
How much does an apartment in Lamai cost?
There is no honest average: Maret subdistrict has one condominium on the Treasury registry, Casa Vela Hotel Condominium valued at 71,500 THB/m², and a median cannot be drawn from one building. Lamai projects on sale are collected in our catalogue; we add them after checking with the developer.
Sources
- DOPA, Ministry of Interior. Population by subdistrict, December 2025
- Thai Treasury Department. Condominium valuations (condo_all, snapshot 5 Aug 2024)
- TMD. Climatological Data of Thailand for 30 Year Period (1991-2020), Ko Samui station (48 550)
- OPEC. Private school register (search: Surat Thani, Ko Samui, international)
- Ministry of Public Health, HSS. Licensed private hospitals as of 31 July 2026 (PDF)
- OpenStreetMap, OSRM route: Samui airport to Lamai Beach
- OpenStreetMap, OSRM route: Lamai to Bangkok Hospital Samui
- OpenStreetMap, OSRM route: Lamai to Koh Samui Hospital
- OpenStreetMap, OSRM route: Lipa Noi pier to Lamai
- OpenStreetMap, OSRM route: Lamai to Na Muang waterfall
- OpenStreetMap, Overpass API: shops and markets on Samui, data as of 17 Oct 2026
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