Baan Tulip 4

Baan Tulip 4 is a small, gated collection of 16 private pool villas on Koh Samui, between Chaweng and Bophut. The land sits about a kilometre from Central Samui and a few minutes' drive from the airport. Each villa is single storey, with its own pool, a sunken sala and a walled garden.

There are one, two, three and four bedroom layouts, priced from THB 5.5 million to THB 12 million and offered on a 30-year leasehold. The project is off plan: all images are 3D visualisations supplied by the developer, and final finishes may differ.

The villas are spread over two neighbouring parcels held under chanote title. Parcel 1, about 1,600 sqm, holds a row of five one bedroom villas. Parcel 2, about 5,300 sqm, holds eleven larger villas on plots of roughly 400 to 560 sqm around a private internal road. Sixteen villas on nearly 7,000 sqm is low density by Samui standards.

The design is built around the pool. You step out of the living room onto a covered terrace, then down into the pool area, with a sunken sala at the far end. Garden walls and planting keep each villa private, so you aren't looking into your neighbour's pool.

Inside, the style is warm and calm: light stone floors, timber details, high ceilings with soft cove lighting, and large glass doors that open the living room to the garden. Kitchens are open plan with an island. Bathrooms get freestanding tubs, double vanities and small private gardens behind the glass.

• 1 bedroom (134 sqm): 61 sqm indoors, a sunken lounge, a 13.5 sqm pool, a sala and a covered car park, on plots of about 224 to 245 sqm.
• 3 bedroom (259 sqm): three bedrooms, three bathrooms plus a guest WC, a separate laundry, a 59 sqm kitchen and living space, and a 33 sqm pool.
• 4 bedroom (283 sqm): adds a fourth bedroom with its own bathroom and small terrace. The pool is slightly smaller (27 sqm) but the pool terrace is larger.

The two bedroom floor plan is available on request.

Baan Tulip 4 sits in a residential pocket just off the ring road near Chaweng Lake. You get quick access to the island's main shopping and the airport without living on Chaweng Beach Road.

Approximate straight-line distances from the site (allow a little more by road):

• Central Samui (mall, cinema, supermarket): about 1 km, 3 to 5 minutes
• Chaweng Lake: about 1.3 km
• Chaweng Beach: about 1.5 km
• Samui International Airport: about 1.5 to 2 km, 5 to 10 minutes
• Bangkok Hospital Samui: about 2.5 km
• Bophut and Fisherman's Village: about 4 to 5 km, 10 to 15 minutes

Chaweng has the densest choice of restaurants on the island, from Thai family kitchens to brunch cafés. Several Muay Thai camps and conventional gyms train within a short drive, and spas and yoga studios are spread between Chaweng, Bophut and Choeng Mon. Private hospitals and international schools are within a reasonable drive.

• Holiday home buyers who want a private pool villa close to the airport and to everyday shopping.
• Families relocating to Samui who need hospitals, shops and schools within a short drive.
• People coming to train, whether Muay Thai, fitness or wellness, who want a comfortable base close to the gyms.
• Buyers looking at holiday rentals in the Chaweng and Bophut area, who are comfortable with an off-plan purchase.

Foreigners can't own land in Thailand in their own name, so the villas are offered on a 30-year leasehold. A lease of more than three years has to be registered at the Land Office to be enforceable against third parties, and 30 years is the maximum term for a single registered lease. Your lawyer should confirm the lease is registered on the chanote at transfer.

Any renewal options beyond the first 30 years are a contractual promise between you and the lessor, not a registered right, so how they are drafted matters. Ask for the draft lease and have it reviewed by an independent lawyer before paying a deposit. A leasehold can generally be sold or passed to heirs for the remainder of the term, subject to the lease terms.

The location close to the airport and Central Samui is a practical plus for holiday rentals. We don't quote rental yields for this project because there is no track record yet.

Risks to weigh

• The project is off plan and delivery depends on the developer. Ask for the construction timeline and a payment schedule tied to building stages.
• Ownership is leasehold, not freehold. Read the renewal clauses closely.
• The site is close to the airport. Ask about flight paths during a site visit.