Samujana villas in Koh Samui for sale

TUCKED away on a cliff on the northeastern coast of Koh Samui and surrounded by mature trees is the Samujana Villas estate. It contains 27 villas, each with spectacular unobstructed views of the ocean and the beach. Unlike most villa developments, Samujana evolved one villa at a time in the early years.

It was said to be the brainchild of British banker Steve Hayward, who was based in Hong Kong and looking for a beachfront paradise some 15 years ago. When direct flights from Hong Kong to Koh Samui took off, Thailand’s second-largest island quickly became Hayward’s favourite weekend getaway.

He began to search for an ideal site in Koh Samui to build his own holiday villa, and his criteria were that it had to have a dramatic setting with uninterrupted sea view and located not too far from the airport. When he found a secluded site of 45 rai (775,008 sq ft) in the northeastern corner of Koh Samui, he engaged Gary Fell of Gfab Architects to design the villa. It was Fell’s breakout villa project, propelling him to the forefront of villa design in Thailand, Indonesia and India.

The origins

While construction of the villa was underway, Hayward went on a trip to Morocco. The story is that while he was sitting in a café in Marrakesh, he overheard a conversation between two Moroccan gentlemen at the next table. The word jana was mentioned several times in their conversation and Hayward liked the sound of it so much, he turned around and asked them what it meant. They told him jana was the Moroccan word for coral.

On his flight home, Hayward kept mulling over the word and since his new villa in Koh Samui overlooked a coral bay, he named the property Samui Jana, later changing it to Samujana, which remains the name of the property today.

Hayward’s four-bedroom, five-bathroom villa is situated right in the heart of Samujana. It has a built-up area of 8,137.6 sq ft and sits on a 17,319 sq ft plot perched on an outcrop. From the infinity pool, one can enjoy a spectacular view of Hanuman Bay and the island of Koh Matiang. Even though it was the very first villa built in Samujana, it became known as Villa No 7.

Once Hayward’s villa was completed in late 2004/early 2005, it became so popular among his friends that he rarely had a chance to enjoy it. That was when he suggested that they build their own villas on the site. Over the years, 19 villas, including Hayward’s, sprouted up. While the interior of each villa is unique and designed to the specifications of the individual owner, the exterior has a consistent look, and all the villas were designed by Fell.

The initial villa owners in the first phase were mainly British expatriates living in Hong Kong — either Hayward’s friends or friends of friends. All 19 villas were completed five years ago. Over the years, some of the villa owners also rented out their villas to other holidaymakers.

Driving force

Some owners at Samujana have multiple villas. The biggest villa owner is John Kinder, founder and director of privately held investment company Rivertrade. Kinder and his wife are friends of Hayward’s. Five years ago, the Kinders vacationed in Hayward’s Villa No 7, and when he decided to put it up for sale, they bought it from him.

Kinder has placed Samujana in his portfolio of investments in Rivertrade, and he and his wife are now the driving force in the estate. Kinder not only purchased Villa No 7, but undertook the development of eight new villas on the site. That led to the development of Phase 2. Once again, Gfab’s Fell was sought to design all eight villas, which are bigger and have higher specifications. Most of them have at least five bedrooms, two kitchens and a private cinema.

The largest villa at Samujana is in Phase 2. Called “Villa No 22”, it sits on a 28,837 sq ft plot and was originally conceived as two separate villas. It has been built as a super-sized villa with a built-up area of 12,949 sq ft, six bedrooms, nine bathrooms, two kitchens, a private gym, games room, cinema and infinity edge pool with views of the sea. It has a US$5 million (S$7 million) (RM22 million) price tag.

Four of the eight villas in Phase 2 were sold even before they were completed. The buyers were an international mix — from Hong Kong, Israel, Macau and the UK. The remaining four villas are available for sale.

Preserving the value

When Kinder became the biggest stakeholder in Samujana, he and the other villa owners set up a property management company, Samujana Co in 2012. The rationale for the creation of Samujana Co was to have a general manager and a team of professional staff to manage the common areas within the estate and the individual villas on behalf of the owners as well as to run a villa rental programme. The team at Samujana Co will also assist the home owners in overseeing any renovation in their villas. This will ensure that the quality of the estate and capital values are maintained.

Kurt Berman, a former chef turned hotelier, was the general manager for five years after the inception of Samujana Co. The new general manager is Swiss-born Richard Mehr, who comes from a family of hoteliers. Mehr himself has 28 years’ experience in the hotel industry, primarily in Southeast Asia.

To preserve the exclusivity of Samujana, Kinder also purchased the two plots on either side of the estate. The smaller plot is about six rai (103,334 sq ft) and can be developed into six villas; the larger plot is 28 rai (482,227 sq ft).

Some of the owners of villas in the first phase of Samujana have decided to renovate their villas and engaged Fell for this endeavour. For instance, Kinder recently completed an extensive refurbishment of Villa No 7, putting in a private AV room and gym as well as updating the villa to the same standard as the new ones in Phase 2.

Entry price to paradise

Villa No 7 is now on the market at US$2.3 million. Including Villa No 7, there are 12 villas for sale at Samujana. Some of the villas in Phase 1, such as Villa No 7, are sold completely refurbished, while others will be sold with enhancement potential, allowing the new owners to add their personal touch. This is reflected in their asking prices, which range from US$999,000 for a three-bedroom villa to US$4 million for a five-bedroom villa.

For instance, Villa 14 in Phase 1 has the most mature garden and a good layout, even though it is in need of an update. The five-bedroom, six-bathroom villa has a built-up area of 11,313 sq ft and sits on an 18,611 sq ft site. It also has direct access to the beach. The property comes with a saltwater infinity pool, sunken lounge, poolside barbecue area, TV lounge and private garden and is priced at US$1.85 million.

Each villa has its own dedicated staff. Twenty-five of the 27 villas at Samujana have been placed in the rental programme. The occupancy rate of the villas is 35% to 40%. The optimal occupancy rate is around 55%, which will mean a gross rental yield of close to 10% for the owner, according to Samujana general manager Mehr. Villas are available for rent from US$1,200 for a three-bedroom to over US$2,000 for a five-bedroom per night. Each villa has a 30+30+30 year, or 90-year lease, and is held by an offshore company. Those who want to purchase the villa will be buying the offshore company that owns the villa.

Less than three hours from Singapore

While Koh Samui is a popular holiday destination among Singaporeans and Singapore-based expatriates, so far, none of the villa owners are from the city state. However, Kinder is hopeful. “Accessibility from Singapore improved only over the last few years,” he says. He sees increased interest from Asian buyers, especially those from China.

Direct flights between Singapore and Koh Samui mean flight time is just two hours, and as Samujana is just a 20-minute drive from the Koh Samui International Airport, “you could be in your swimming pool in your villa at Samujana in less than three hours”, says Mehr.

This article first appeared in The Edge Property Singapore, a pullout of The Edge Singapore, on April 10, 2017.

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