Koh Samui is home to thousands of private businesses, many of which have foreign co-owners. Anyone who has visited the island knows that it is full of hotels, restaurants, tattoo studios, bars (both alcohol and cannabis-related), massage parlors, and travel agencies. Naturally, many of these businesses are profitable, but competition within these niches is extremely fierce, and bankruptcies are therefore not uncommon. Here, I list a few industries and niches that I believe have strong potential for prospective investors.
Over the years, I have visited quite a few dental clinics on the island, mostly for routine checkups and cleanings, but occasionally to have a cavity filled. Naturally, I blame this on my addiction to salty licorice (I'm Swedish).
What most of the dental clinics I have visited have in common is that they are very often fully booked. Sometimes the waiting time can even be as long as a month! My impression is that the reception staff are often stressed due to the large number of customers trying to book appointments.
So, if you are an investor with solid financial backing, opening a dental clinic on Samui could actually be a very smart idea.
As I mentioned earlier, there are thousands of businesses on the island, and many of them need help with accounting and auditing services. The situation is similar to that of the dental clinics, and some accounting firms are even reluctant to accept new clients because of their heavy workload.
So, if you have the capital and the interest, an accounting or auditing firm on Samui could become a profitable venture.
We have a washing machine at home, yet we still frequently visit a nearby laundromat. These laundromats can best be described as unmanned “hole-in-the-wall” establishments equipped with several high-quality washing machines. They are often well maintained and affordable, which makes them quite popular.
So, if you have some startup capital, opening your own laundromat on Samui could be a smart business idea.
Image: A laundry shop located near Ao Thong Takhian, north of Lamai on Koh Samui. Photographer: Jens
Image: Washing machines inside a laundromat near Lamai Beach. Photographer: Jens
Many people may raise their eyebrows at this suggestion, since the island is already packed with 7-Eleven and Tops stores. However, the ones I visit almost always have customers inside. During the low season, when there are fewer tourists, there are still plenty of locals and migrant workers—primarily from Myanmar—shopping there. Unlike in many other countries, the selection in these convenience stores is more comparable to that of a regular grocery store, and the prices are only slightly higher than at Lotus’s or Makro.
Image: A Tops store in North Lamai I have visited hundreds of times. Photographer: Jens
Image: Late outside a 7-Eleven store in North Lamai on Koh Samui. Photographer: Jens
