Furnishing a new condo in Bophut: developer package or made to measure?

Most people who buy an off-plan apartment on Koh Samui spend months comparing floor plans, payment schedules and views, and about an afternoon thinking about what will actually go inside. Then the keys arrive and the questions start. Is the kitchen big enough for someone who really cooks? Where do the suitcases go? Will a guest notice that the wardrobe doors don't quite close?

We fit kitchens and wardrobes on the island, so we usually see the end of that story. We are also a furnishing partner for The Astra Samui in Bophut, so the layouts below are ones we know well. This piece is about the beginning: what you get as standard in a new Bophut condo, what the developer's packages add, and where made-to-measure work makes sense. We'll use one project as the example, because general advice about "small apartments" doesn't help much in a 26 m² studio.

The Astra Samui (theastrasamui.com) is a low-rise, resort-style condominium in Bophut: 237 residences across 3 buildings (A, B and C), 4 storeys plus a basement level, built around a 70 m tropical lagoon pool. Handover is planned for December 2028. The apartment types are:

• Studio, about 26 m² • 1 bedroom, 34 to 35 m² • 1 bedroom plus, 40 to 48 m², with an extra room that can be a study, a children's corner or a second sleeping area • 2 bedrooms, 62 to 73 m²

Ceiling height is 2.6 m, which matters more than people think when you're planning a wardrobe. The developer's floor plans also show that each type comes in several variants, many of them mirrored left and right. The 52 studios alone come in seven layout codes, with plan labels between roughly 25.9 and 26.9 m². For furniture this is a real detail: a kitchen run drawn for one studio may need to be flipped, and sometimes shortened, for the unit next door.

If you want to look at the layouts yourself, the site has floor plans for every apartment type (theastrasamui.com/apartments/). Indicative prices start from about THB 3.7 million for foreign freehold (as of 22 October 2026); the official price list confirms the final price of each unit.

New Samui condos rarely come as empty shells, and this one doesn't either. Based on the show apartment, the standard fit-out includes:

• kitchen units with cabinets, a stone worktop, an induction hob and a sink • a sofa and TV unit in the living area • a bed frame with drawers and a mattress • a built-in wardrobe • a balcony set with 2 lounge chairs and a small table • air-conditioning, a water heater and a fitted bathroom with vanity unit, mirror and shower

The final list is confirmed in the sale and purchase agreement. Still, it changes the question. You're not choosing between furnished and unfurnished. You're choosing how far beyond the basics to go.

On top of the standard fit-out, buyers can choose one of two packages. Both include curtains or blinds where they aren't already fitted, hangers and an iron.

Rental Ready covers what a guest needs from the first night: bed linen and towels, kitchen equipment, small appliances, a dining or work table, curtains and basic decor. It's chosen for durability and easy upkeep rather than personality.

Signature Resort is the first package plus full styling: rugs, artwork, lighting, decorative furniture, premium bedding, a dressed balcony, a smart TV and a safe. In 1 bedroom plus and 2 bedroom units with pool access it adds sun loungers.

Both are priced on request by the furnishing partner and installed before handover. The full breakdown by apartment type is on the project's furnishing page (theastrasamui.com/furnishing/).

Packages handle the soft side well: linen, crockery, lamps. They don't change the joinery. That's where custom work comes in, and it depends a lot on how you'll use the place.

If you'll live in it People who move in for the season, or for good, hit the same limits within weeks. A kitchen designed for a show apartment assumes coffee and takeaway. If you cook properly you'll want more drawer space, a tall larder unit, room for a full-size fridge, maybe an extended worktop on the living-room side that doubles as a breakfast bar.

Storage is the other one. A single wardrobe is fine for a holiday; it isn't fine for a year of clothes, sports gear and documents. With 2.6 m ceilings you can take wardrobes close to the ceiling and use the top section for suitcases. In a 1 bedroom plus, the extra room is where made to measure helps most: a fold-down bed with shelving around it, or a desk wall with closed storage, lets one small room work as an office most of the year and a guest room when family visits.

If you'll rent it out You can let your residence yourself or through a rental management company; there's no hotel programme in this project. Either way, what guests need is different from what an owner needs. The priorities are surfaces that survive suitcases and sunscreen, hinges and drawer runners that don't fail after a busy season, and a lockable owner's cupboard so you can leave your own things in the apartment between stays.

Humidity matters on Samui too. Carcasses and edging that cope with a sea-air climate cost a bit more up front and a lot less later.

A few things worth knowing before you plan anything:

• After transfer, limited changes are possible within the building rules. Check with the juristic office before you replace anything fixed. • Measure the actual unit, not the brochure plan. Mirrored layouts and small differences in area add up when you're fitting a kitchen to the millimetre. • Decide early whether the apartment is mainly for you or for guests. It changes almost every choice.

Livo / Thailand Kitchens makes made-to-measure kitchens, wardrobes and built-in joinery and offers interior styling, both for owners who let their apartment and for those who live in it. We have an office and installation team on Koh Samui. If you're buying in Bophut and want a second opinion on a layout before you commit to a package, send us the floor plan and we'll tell you honestly what's worth changing and what isn't.

Disclosure: Livo / Thailand Kitchens is Varsovia Estate's furniture partner. Varsovia Estate is the sales agent for The Astra Samui.

The Astra Samui: https://www.theastrasamui.com/ Floor plans for every apartment type: https://www.theastrasamui.com/apartments/ Furnishing page with both packages: https://www.theastrasamui.com/furnishing/