Christmas and New Year Villas in Thailand, What Is Still Open for 2026
03 October 2026
It is October, and the Christmas enquiries are arriving in a rush. Many of the best-known villas went months ago, often to families who booked again before last year's decorations were down. But not all of them. When we went through the calendars of the villas we represent in early October, there were still festive weeks open on both Koh Samui and Phuket, including some excellent villas for big family groups. Here is what is still worth chasing, and how the festive weeks work.
Is it too late to book a villa for Christmas or New Year?
No, but the choice narrows every week from here. A villa has exactly one Christmas, so one family taking 20 December to 2 January removes the whole season in a single booking, and the villas that are left tend to be either the very large estates or the ones with a single week still free between two bookings. If you can be flexible by a day or two on arrival, or happy with Christmas or New Year rather than both, you will have noticeably more to choose from.
This year there is one more thing working in your favour. With festive calendars filling up in pieces, some villa managements are accepting shorter stays than usual to fill a gap of four or five nights between existing bookings. Those gaps are few and they go quickly, so send us your dates and we will check them villa by villa.
How do minimum stays work over Christmas and New Year?
On Koh Samui, the norm is seven nights if your stay covers either Christmas or New Year, and ten nights if it covers both. Several Phuket villas work differently, asking seven nights over Christmas, ten over New Year and fourteen if your stay spans both, so it is worth checking before you fall for a property.
- Rates sit in their own festive band, above high season, and most villas charge one flat festive rate whatever the number of bedrooms you use.
- The usual discounts largely switch off. Early-bird and long-stay offers generally exclude the festive weeks, so waiting for a deal rarely ends well.
- Payment comes round quickly. A deposit secures the villa, and with Christmas under three months away the balance often falls due within weeks of booking. We set out the dates clearly before you commit.
- Festive dinners are possible at many villas, cooked by the villa chef; menus and any supplement vary, so we confirm them per villa.
What is the weather really like in Thailand in December?
Phuket is in its dry season, with the Andaman Sea at its calmest and clearest from November to April, which is exactly why December is its peak. Koh Samui runs on a different rhythm. It sits on the Gulf, its rainier window arrives late in the year and some years it spills into December, so a festive week can be dry and bright or properly wet. Yet New Year is still Samui's biggest week, and its villas fill regardless; the best are built for every kind of day, with covered salas, cinema rooms and big pools. If guaranteed sunshine decides it, lean Phuket. If Samui is your island, pick a villa with plenty to do.
Koh Samui villas with festive dates open
Every villa below had Christmas, New Year or both open when we checked in early October. Calendars move daily, so we confirm what is still free the day you enquire.
Koh Koon, Chaweng hillside, 5 to 7 bedrooms (sleeps up to 14 adults and 8 children)
A hilltop estate across seven rai of Chaweng hillside that feels more Mediterranean countryside than tropical island, with rock-clad buildings, terracotta roofs and rolling lawns above the bay. There is a large infinity pool with a pool bar, a shaded pool lounge with a three-metre projector screen for festive film nights, a putting green, pétanque and table tennis, and two dedicated children's rooms that sleep four each. An in-house chef and breakfast are included. It is a sea-view estate rather than a beachfront one, with Chaweng's swimming beach a short drive down. When we checked, it was open across both Christmas and New Year.
Sea Renity, Laem Sor, 4 to 6 bedrooms (sleeps 12 adults and 6 children)
A secluded, west-facing beachfront villa on the quiet south-west coast, built for families who want their own private resort. Six sea-view double bedrooms and a children's bunk room for six, a 21-metre lap pool with a swim-up bar, a separate shallow children's pool, a trampoline, a cinema room, a gym and a sauna, with a private chef and villa manager on hand. Honest note, the beach is swimmable at high tide and too shallow at low tide, so the pool does the work. Open from 20 December through New Year when we checked.
Baan Wanora, Laem Sor, 4 to 6 bedrooms plus a children's room (sleeps up to 12)
Set on the golden sand of Laem Sor on the south coast, with a 20-metre ebony-tiled saltwater pool on the seafront terrace and a poolside sala for long dinners outdoors. It suits a relaxed family Christmas away from the busier east coast, with the restaurants of Taling Ngam and Thong Krut close by. Open across both Christmas and New Year when we checked.
The Secret Beach Villa, Haad Thong Lang, up to 4 bedrooms (sleeps around 8 adults and 4 children)
Something rare on Samui: a secluded bay on the north-west coast with no other properties built onto it, a few steps below the villa. The water is calm and sheltered, which makes it a lovely choice for young children, and the villa is split across three buildings, a principal villa with a connecting family suite, a honeymoon villa with its own jacuzzi and a beach villa, so grandparents and couples get their own space. Expect steps, as the site is built over several levels. Open from 17 December through New Year when we checked.
Mia Ocean, north Chaweng, 4 bedrooms (sleeps 8)
A beachfront villa on the quiet northern end of Chaweng, with direct access to the calm lagoon, a 32-metre lap pool and a separate children's pool. Everything is on one level, which makes it ideal for grandparents and toddlers alike, and a full-time Thai chef and one return airport transfer are included. Open through Christmas and New Year to 4 January when we checked.
Akuvara, Lipa Noi, 3 to 4 bedrooms (sleeps 8)
Directly on Lipa Noi beach on the quiet west coast, looking across to the Five Islands and the sunset. A beachfront infinity-edge pool, a private chef for breakfast, lunch and dinner with breakfast included, a return airport transfer, sea kayaks and a full set of baby and children's kit. Christmas had gone when we checked, but New Year was open from 29 December.
Villa Solana, Tongson Bay, 7 or 9 bedrooms (sleeps up to 18)
A clifftop villa on Samui's northernmost tip, with views over Tongson Bay at both sunrise and sunset. An infinity pool plus a separate shallow pool with sunken sala seating, a cinema, gym and sauna make it a genuine house party villa, and the beach is a three-minute walk down. For the Christmas where everyone comes, it was open across the whole festive fortnight when we checked.
Phuket villas with festive dates open
Phuket's December is dry-season certainty, which makes its festive peak the fiercest booking window in Thailand. These still had dates open in early October.
Villa W Luxury, Nai Harn, 7 bedrooms (sleeps 14 adults and 4 children)
Designed for large family groups, above Ao Sane Beach near family-friendly Nai Harn. All seven bedrooms are sea-view en-suites, with a family room of king and bunk beds, a 29-metre infinity pool with an eight-seat jacuzzi, a second 13-metre pool, a games room, gym, sauna and an 80-seat sunset deck for New Year's Eve. Breakfast and a Thai set lunch are included, along with a minivan and driver on standby each day. Open for New Year from 27 December when we checked.
Baan Paa Talee Estate, Kamala, 7 or 9 bedrooms (sleeps up to 18)
A sleek four-level oceanfront estate on Kamala's Millionaire's Mile, with its own self-contained two-bedroom Ocean Villa for a couple who want a little privacy. A villa manager and private Thai chef look after the party. Built for big celebrations, it was open for Christmas week, 20 to 27 December, when we checked.
Villa Eugenia, Cape Panwa, 4 or 5 bedrooms (sleeps 10)
A sea-view villa on Phuket's quieter south-east coast with its own private beach area, a 14-metre saltwater infinity pool, a gym, an outdoor cinema and karaoke. Breakfast is included and a Thai chef cooks lunch and dinner, with one return airport transfer. Open across both Christmas and New Year when we checked.
Villa Yin, Kamala, 5 bedrooms (sleeps 10)
A four-level hillside villa just south of Kamala Beach, with 750 square metres of living space, an 18-metre saltwater infinity pool with a shallow section for children and a sauna. Breakfast is prepared daily and a private Thai chef cooks lunch and dinner. Open across both Christmas and New Year when we checked.
The festive shortlist at a glance
| Villa | Where | Bedrooms | Sleeps | Open when we checked (early October) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koh Koon | Chaweng hillside, Samui | 5 to 7 | 14 + 8 children | Christmas and New Year |
| Sea Renity | Laem Sor, Samui | 4 to 6 | 12 + 6 children | From 20 December through New Year |
| Baan Wanora | Laem Sor, Samui | 4 to 6 | Up to 12 | Christmas and New Year |
| The Secret Beach Villa | Haad Thong Lang, Samui | Up to 4 | 8 + 4 children | From 17 December through New Year |
| Mia Ocean | North Chaweng, Samui | 4 | 8 | Christmas and New Year, to 4 January |
| Akuvara | Lipa Noi, Samui | 3 to 4 | 8 | New Year, from 29 December |
| Villa Solana | Tongson Bay, Samui | 7 or 9 | Up to 18 | Christmas and New Year |
| Villa W Luxury | Nai Harn, Phuket | 7 | 14 + 4 children | New Year, from 27 December |
| Baan Paa Talee Estate | Kamala, Phuket | 7 or 9 | Up to 18 | Christmas week, 20 to 27 December |
| Villa Eugenia | Cape Panwa, Phuket | 4 or 5 | 10 | Christmas and New Year |
| Villa Yin | Kamala, Phuket | 5 | 10 | Christmas and New Year |
How to book a December villa now
Send us your dates and group size today, even if you are still comparing. We check live availability with each villa's management and can request a complimentary hold, at no obligation, so your shortlist does not vanish while you decide. If a villa has gone, we will say so plainly and show you the closest real alternative, including any shorter gaps a management is willing to fill. Our wider Koh Samui and Phuket collections show everything else we represent.
Frequently asked questions
Can we still find a villa for Christmas or New Year 2026?
Yes. In early October there were still villas open on both Koh Samui and Phuket, from four-bedroom beachfront villas to estates sleeping 18 or more. The choice shrinks every week, so the sooner you send your dates, the more we can offer.
What minimum stay should we expect over the festive period?
On Koh Samui, usually seven nights for Christmas or New Year and ten if you stay for both. Some Phuket villas ask ten nights for New Year and fourteen for both. A few managements are accepting shorter stays this year to fill gaps between bookings, so it is always worth asking.
Are villa prices higher over Christmas and New Year?
Yes. The festive weeks have their own rate, above high season, and most villas charge the same festive rate whatever the number of bedrooms you use. Early-bird and long-stay discounts generally do not apply.
Can the villa chef cook Christmas or New Year's Eve dinner?
At many villas, yes, and it is often the highlight of the stay. Menus and any supplement vary, so we confirm the arrangements for your villa when you book.
Can you hold a villa while we decide?
Often, yes. We can request a complimentary hold with the villa's management while you decide, and we will tell you how long it can be held.
Ready to plan a Thai Christmas? Send us your December dates and group size, and we will come back with what is still open.
