A Peek Behind the Curtain: Growth, Personal Service & Our Vision for Baan Suay Bantai

“Too bad you'll have less time for everyone. I really liked that personal part.”

A Peek Behind the Curtain: Growth, Personal Service & Our Vision for Baan Suay Bantai

Recently, I was chatting with Jeanette from the Netherlands over Messenger. She and her husband, Jan, along with their Thai friend, Peach, had stayed with us when we only had one vacation rental property—Baan Suay Bantai 1.

She knew we had since expanded and was reaching out to help a friend who wanted to book a stay with us. While discussing our new accommodations, she made a remark that stuck with me: as we grow, it’s a pity that everything will become less personal or our level of personal attention to guests might decrease.

It never occurred to me that people might assume this—but it makes total sense and I completely understand why. However, the reality is quite the opposite.

Photo with Jeanette, Jan, and Peach at Baan Suay Bantai when the time came for them to continue their travel adventures.

Personal Attention is (and Always Will Be) Our Priority

First and foremost, the guest experience remains our number one priority. What makes us different from other vacation rentals, hotels, or resorts in Koh Samui is the level of personal service and availability we offer.

Back when Jeanette and Jan stayed with us, we had just one home. Now, we have two properties and remain fully booked most of the year with more requests than availability. Our 5-star reviews are incredible, and we’re deeply grateful for the success we’ve built. However, this success hasn’t made us rich—far from it. Our operational costs are high, and we prioritize keeping our rates affordable and competitive. We have always been profitable, but we invest our time into our future vision rather than paying ourselves full wages.

Additionally, a portion of our profits goes toward helping the dogs in our village—covering food, medicine support. What many people don’t realize is that we’ve both been working other jobs on the side to cover our own personal living expenses. We’ve always structured our work to remain available to guests at all times, which is why we chose flexible jobs and why we run Baan Suay Bantai together as a team.

With our expansion, we’re now reaching a point where we can dedicate all our time and energy to Baan Suay Bantai and our guests. We also have an amazing team working behind the scenes—chauffeurs, technicians, builders, and five dedicated housekeepers. And if we ever reach a stage where we need additional help to maintain the personal experience we pride ourselves on, we’ll hire an amazing guest manager who aligns with our vision, team culture, and high standards.

So, to be clear: the growth of Baan Suay Bantai will never compromise the personal care and attention we give our guests. In fact, it allows us to serve you even better.

More Than a Stay—A Local Experience

At Baan Suay Bantai, we don’t just offer a place to stay; we serve as your trusted local connection. A vacation is about more than just a clean bed and a shower—it’s about the experience. We share insider tips, can arrange every aspect of your trip, and help you uncover hidden gems on Koh Samui. While we’re always open to personal interaction, we also respect our guests’ privacy and family time and prefer to follow your lead—after all, you’re renting a private home.

I (Misty), have always dreamed of running a small boutique resort somewhere on the other side of the world. Though Koh Samui wasn’t originally on our travel wish list, we feel incredibly grateful to now call Koh Samui home. Years ago, when we were still traveling full-time, and even after moving to Bangkok, we had misconceptions about the island—assuming it was overly touristy and had lost its authenticity.

But when we unexpectedly moved here during the first COVID lockdown, we got to experience the real Koh Samui: an island filled with diverse landscapes, culture, and hidden treasures.

We love sharing our little slice of paradise and helping guests discover the lesser-known side of Koh Samui. Our backgrounds also make this venture a perfect fit—my expertise spans business management, marketing, web design, hospitality, and customer service, while Michel brings experience as a guest and villa manager, as well as a real estate agent on Koh Samui. Having traveled full-time ourselves, we understand what makes a stay truly special, and we have strong ties to the local community.

Why Expansion Was a Natural Step

With so many booking requests—both from new and returning guests—we found ourselves regrettably turning people away due to limited availability. We also had frequent requests for extended stays that we couldn’t accommodate. Expansion was always in our plans, but we were waiting for the right home(s) in the perfect location.

And we found them! Not just one, but two beautiful two-bedroom homes and a small bungalow, all within a fenced garden with a swimming pool. Even better, they’re just a few meters from Baan Suay Bantai 1, keeping everything within walking distance for us and our team and offering the same wonderful location our guests have been loving so much. The homes have charming, older architecture, which we love, but they required significant renovations to meet our standards.

"Before" photo's for a sneak peek of Baan Suay Bantai 3.

We’re getting close—Baan Suay Bantai 3 is taking shape. The old bathroom has been completely gutted, and a brand-new one is almost finished. Tomorrow, we’re installing a stunning teakwood door and window, and after that, it’s time to decorate and wait for the final furniture pieces and curtains to arrive. We’re so excited to welcome guests to our newest addition—the Baan Suay Bantai Pool Villas! And we already started receiving bookings for Baan Suay Bantai 3, which is mind blowing to us.

This expansion doesn’t mean we’ll lose the personal touch. What it does mean is more job opportunities for the community, more business for the local shops, restaurants, massage parlors, and tour operators, more support for local rescue organizations, and soon the ability to fully dedicate our time to our guests without needing additional side jobs.

Giving Back & Looking Forward

Our love for animals and wildlife is a big part of who we are. If you’ve read our previous blog (Our Commitment to Animal Welfare), you’ll know we’re actively involved in feeding, treating, and caring for the dogs in our village and help with snake rescues when we can.

Beyond that, we are committed to supporting the local community, small businesses, and ethical tourism. We partner with small, family-run businesses. We also prioritize buying locally made products for our accommodations when we can and avoid large chain stores like 7-Eleven whenever possible. By growing Baan Suay Bantai, we can increase our impact and donate more to wildlife rescues, shelters, and other community initiatives.

An Authentic Koh Samui Experience

What makes Baan Suay Bantai unique isn’t just the comfort of our homes or our personal service—it’s the experience of staying in a real Thai village. Here, you’ll see things you wouldn’t at most resorts:

• Local coconut harvesters using long bamboo poles to skillfully tap coconuts from the trees.

• Buffaloes grazing in the fields, cooling off in mud baths,
  or even taking a dip in the sea at Bantai Beach.

• A giant, friendly boar roaming around the village—sometimes even stopping by our garden!

Staying with us means experiencing the heart of Koh Samui, not just the tourist hotspots. Whether you want to immerse yourself in local culture or simply relax in your private home, we’re here to
make your trip seamless, memorable, and deeply personal.

We can’t wait to welcome you to Baan Suay Bantai—now, and for many years to come!