Long stay in Koh Samui: visas, healthcare and where to live

More people now come to Koh Samui for a season or a year rather than a fortnight. The rules for staying changed on 15 September 2026. This is what a long stay involves today.

The 30-day rule

Since 15 September 2026, visitors from 60 countries and territories, including the UK, Germany, France, Hungary and the rest of the EU, can enter Thailand without a visa for up to 30 days, for tourism only. Until then it was 60 days. Anything longer now needs a visa arranged before you travel, and which one depends mainly on your age and your income. Check your own nationality with the Thai embassy first, because the list is not the same for everyone.

Over 50: the retirement visa

The Non-Immigrant O-A visa is for people aged 50 and over. It allows a stay of a year at a time and asks for THB 800,000 in the bank, a monthly income of at least THB 65,000, or a combination of the two. You also need health insurance at the level the embassy sets, a criminal record check and a medical certificate. It is the usual route for people who want to spend the dry season, or the whole year, on the island.

The ten-year option

The Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa runs for ten years, in two terms of five. Its Wealthy Pensioner category is for people aged 50 and over with a passive income of at least USD 80,000 a year, or at least USD 40,000 a year plus USD 250,000 invested in Thai government bonds, a Thai company or Thai property held in your own name. It swaps the 90-day address report for a yearly one, which is the part long-stayers tend to value most. Whether a particular property counts is for the Board of Investment to decide, so ask them before you rely on it.

Under 50, or still working

The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) is valid for five years and allows stays of up to 180 days per entry, extendable once by another 180. It is meant for remote workers and for people who come for a recognised activity, and medical treatment is one of them. Applicants show THB 500,000 in savings. It suits someone who works for clients abroad and wants to spend long stretches of the year here.

Healthcare on the island

Koh Samui has several private hospitals with English-speaking staff. The largest, Bangkok Hospital Samui in Bo Phut, belongs to the Bangkok Dusit group and is the only hospital on the island with an MRI scanner. Samui International Hospital is on the north Chaweng road. For anything the island cannot handle, Bangkok is about an hour away by air.

Inside the resort, the 700 m² Longevity Centre adds diagnostics, recovery, aesthetics and medical care a short walk from the villas. That is the idea behind the place: everyday care close to home, and a hospital for everything else.

Where to base yourself

On a long stay you use the airport far more than on holiday. Plai Laem, on the north-east cape, is 2.7 km from Samui airport and within easy reach of Bangkok Hospital Samui, with Chaweng close enough for an evening and far enough to stay quiet. There is more on the area in our piece on Plai Laem, and why not Chaweng.

Renting or buying

Most people rent for their first long stay, and that is sensible. If you come back for a second, the numbers start to favour owning. The resort's one and two bedroom pool villas start at THB 7.65 million and are managed for you while you are away. The floor plans are on the Residences page, and the questions and answers cover what a foreigner can own.

Visa rules in Thailand change often, and this article reflects them as of September 2026. Confirm the details with the Thai embassy or an immigration lawyer before you plan around them.