Thailand has, over the past few years, seen a
large increase in the number of private villas
available for holiday rent. Here we investigate
the villa market, and make our recommendations
as to how to find and book a villa, and where to
stay on your next holiday.
These alternatives to hotel or resort
accommodation often offer exceptional quality
and high standards, but a number of very second
rate properties are also broadly advertised on
the internet and in some cases offer no more
than a room in a tired condominium in a poor
location: it is important for the holidaymaker
to know how to find an appropriate villa, and to
understand the pricing structures generally in
place, in order to be sure of securing an
enjoyable, clean and properly serviced villa at
the right price.
It is perfectly possible to rent your own
villa in Thailand for your holiday and to enjoy
not only superior accommodation, but also a
plethora of services, at rates that in fact make
such a holiday the sensible alternative to
booking a room - or indeed, for those with
friends and family, a number of rooms - in a
resort.
Why Thailand?
Thailand is a perfect destination for
those who wish to rent their own house or villa,
for a number of reasons:
- the Thais are widely recognized as a
welcoming, smiling people
- The kingdom's cuisine is world-renowned;
whilst most visitors will know the famous dishes
such as Tom Yam Kung, the variety of cuisines
and regional specialties is great, and even a
serious glutton would have trouble trying to
experience the exhaustive array of Thai food
dishes in just one stay.
- Thailand is a shopper's paradise, offering
unique silks, handcrafted furniture and a
plethora of exotic items at a fraction of the
cost of such goods in the West. Clothes, leather
goods and decorative items are often at the top
of the visitor's shopping list.
- Thailand offers exceptional value for
money: even five star hotels cost a fraction of
what they do not only in the West but even in
other Asian capitals such as Hong Kong or
Singapore.
- Thailand welcomes millions of visitors to
its shores annually, and personal safety is
generally excellent. Any reported crimes tend to
be minor, involving jewellery scams and the
like, but the more experienced traveler is
hardly likely to fall for these. Most visitors
will feel infinitely safer in Thailand than they
ever would in equivalent capitals such as
London, Paris, New York etc.
Which Thai region should I visit?
The visitor to Thailand today is spoiled for
choice, with villas available throughout the
kingdom.For shorter stays, we would recommend a
single destination stay, so that you can avoid
the hassles of travelling and fully explore your
chosen location. For longer stays, why not
combine a stay in two very different locations,
allowing you a greater exposure to the country
and its diversity, whilst taking advantage of
its inexpensive domestic travel networks? (see
below)
Thailand is generally divided into four main
regions.
Bangkok and the central Plains
Bangkok is a sprawling metropolis which,
despite its famous gridlocked traffic and
teeming streets, offers a great variety of
things to do and to discover, to those with
patience and a will to explore. The restaurants
in Bangkok are second to none, whether you seek
Thai or foreign cuisines, and its weekend and
other markets deserve to be explored, as do many
of its lesser know temples. A cruise on the
Chaophraya river - perhaps by privately
chartered long-tail boat - is an excellent way
of seeing much of the city without being reduced
to tears by the traffic.
The North
The North of the country is home to cities
such as Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son.
With tropical jungles and hills, the North
attracts those looking to go trekking or seek
out places of natural beauty. Do try to avoid
the larger cities, as tourism is so developed
here that you run the risk of simply being
"processed" through a number of popular elephant
camps and well-trodden hill tribe treks...
The Northeast
The Northeast is the largest region of the
kingdom, yet has been largely untouched by
tourism. The Northeast (or isan) is the
rice-bowl of the country, and is predominantly
agricultural, producing rice, sugarcane,
tapioca, eucalyptus and, increasingly, rubber.
Major centres include Khon Kaen and Udon Thani,
and the mighty Mekong river twists along this
region's borders. The people here are perhaps
the most open and fun-loving in the country,
perhaps because their lives are based on village
traditions where overt consumerism has been much
slower to advance than in the other booming
parts of the nation. Travel to the Northeast is
recommended for those looking for a unique
experience, to get away from the tourist crowds,
and to immerse themselves in something new.
The South
The south of Thailand is renowned for its
famous beaches and seaside resorts, such as
Phuket, Krabi and Koh Samui. Some of the
country's most expensive holiday villas are
found here. Travellers should be aware of the
security issues in the south of the country and
avoid journeys to the southernmost provinces:
your local government's website will post
updated advisories with travel recommendations
and warnings.
The vacation villa market
Holiday villas in Thailand tend to fall into
one of two categories. They are either privately
owned, self-contained homes, or villa units
forming part of a resort complex. These are
quite different propositions!
Resort Villas
The resort-centred villa essentially
comprises a resort's superior room inventory,
and will be priced accordingly. In many cases,
these villas will have been professionally
designed by the hotel designer itself, and then
sold to a third party buyer, who in turn joins
the letting pool operated by the developer to
provide a return on investment on the villa
buyer's acquisition.
The advantage here is that the villa
occupants will generally be able to avail
themselves of the additional facilities or
services provided by the resort, albeit at
resort prices. The disadvantage is that, for
those seeking a more genuine experience, they
will find themselves simply a guests within a
resort complex, and considered as additional -
if well-paying "keys".
Private stand-alone villas
Private villas are generally second homes
owned by individuals, located on an
individually-held land plot.
These may be rented "as is", with the guests
picking up the keys at the start of the trip and
returning them at the end, either with or
without a cleaning or security deposit.
Alternatively, the villa may have its own staff,
generally living off property but available
throughout your stay to take care of cleaning,
laundry, cooking or local visits etc.
Whether you choose a resort villa or
privately held property, you should expect to
pay a partial deposit at the time of booking,
either by credit card guarantee or by a wire
transfer.
Tried and Tested
We tried a number of villa vacations in
Thailand, and below highlight one resort villa
and one private villa - each offering an
exceptional holiday but altogether different
experiences.
Green Gecko, Northeast Thailand
Green Gecko is a privately owned villa
located on a large country estate, surrounded by
woodlands, plantations and rice paddies in the
heart of Thailand's rural northeast, near a town
called Udon Thani. Free airport transfers were
arranged from the airport, which is accessible
via a 50 minute flight from Bangkok on Thai
Airways, or budget airlines Nok Air or Air Asia.
In contrast to more mainstream locations, our
stay here allowed us to discover and experience
the real Thailand, off the beaten tourist track.
The villa's architecture was traditionally
Thai: an impressive wooden staircase led up to
the raised and enclosed wooden deck, where our
delightful private swimming pool was located,
with bucolic views of the surrounding
countryside and the evening sunsets. The steeply
pitched roofs made of terracotta tiles gave the
house an almost temple like appearance. A raised
and covered "sala" here offered protection from
the strong midday sun and became our favourite
spot, with its views over the pool.
Accessible from the deck in two separate
buildings were the two bedrooms (each
air-conditioned), as well as the living and
dining room and kitchens. The master bedroom had
a sturdy teak four-poster, king sized bed, with
a cotton duvet and feather pillows, a large
adjoining bathroom and WC and an outside garden
shower. The second bedroom had a queen sized
four poster, again with a spacious adjoining
bathroom / WC.
The main air-conditioned building housed a
dining room with a dining table and seating for
six, a living room with comfortable sofas and
views onto the pool deck, and a sunken area
decorated with futons for lounging in front of
the large screen LCD television (complete with a
separate high-end home theatre system and
international satellite channels). Leading off
from this area (behind sliding wooden panels)
was an additional WC, and a fully equipped
Western kitchen (with built in microwave, oven
etc), that in turn led out to a stainless steel
Thai kitchen.
We must confess that this all looked very
user-friendly, but that we never used the
kitchens - with the exception of helping
ourselves to a few iced beers from the
refrigerator! As the owner is a former chef, he
prepares all his guests' meals throughout their
stay, varying the spiciness or composition of
these to his guests' tastes. We were delighted
to be shown around the gardens to collect a
number of herbs and spices, which we were then
shown how to spirit into deliciously fresh and
tangy Northeastern dishes. We tried the classics
too: Thai food certainly is mouth-watering, and
staying at a villa like this where all meals are
prepared for you, by a chef who is willing to
share his secrets, was a boon!
We spent a good deal of time just lazing by
the pool in complete privacy, but also enjoyed a
number of excursions with our hosts to
experience some of the sights and sounds of the
Northeast. These included a spectacular trip in
a small wooden boat, across a lake that was
fundamentally a vast expanse of pink lotus
flowers, interrupted only by the occasional
fisherman or wallowing water buffalo (marriage
propositioners, take note!) We also visited a
local museum that seemed to denominate Thailand
as the home of the bronze age, and a number of
rowdy, colourful local festivals and wet
markets, as well as silk and cobra farms. But
our lasting impression was one of rural
simplicity and ever-friendly locals, keen to
ensure we enjoyed our stay and sample an
unending variety of indigenous foods and drinks!
Green Gecko may be booked for stays of 2
nights or more via their website, where
availability and rates may be checked online
(from around US$280 including all transfers,
service and meals.)
Green Gecko
134 Moo 13
Baan Um Jaan
Tabol Um Jaan
A. Prajak Sinlapakhom
Udon Thani
41110 Thailand
www.thaivillarent.com
Green Gecko's sister property, Gecko Villa (www.geckovilla.com)
offers a cheaper three bedroomed alternative to
those on a tighter budget (from around US$160.)
The Villas at Napasai, Southern Thailand
The villas at Napasai are located within
the seafront resort complex on the luxury North
coast of the island of Koh Samui, in Thailand's
southern province of Surat Thani. Koh Samui is
accessible via Bangkok Airways from Bangkok,
with flights taking approximately one hour
(depending or aircraft chosen).
The resort is part of Orient-Express Hotels,
Trains and Cruises: as such, both the villa and
the resort were professionally managed, and we
were able to choose between cooking up our own
Thai meals after a visit to the local markets,
or to simply walk to the resort's excellent Thai
restaurant in the evening.
The villas themselves were located at one end
of the property, stunningly sandwiched between a
steep hillside behind our house and the sea in
front. Each of the villas is tiered down the
hillside to the seafront. We stayed in a two
bedroom villa, but three bedroom properties were
also available. Beyond the two well-appointed
bedrooms, our property had a spacious living and
dining room with its own kitchen, a maid's room,
and, at the ground level, a private swimming
pool and "chill-out" area. The main living room
was well furnished and had a DVD player,
satellite TV, and charming sea view balcony,
where we spent most evenings.
The island of Koh Samui is a major
international tourism hub and as such plenty of
activities are available for the guest, from
exploring waterfalls, to elephant rides,
paintball, sea sports, diving, fishing, golf
etc. The hotel also offers boating activities,
Thai cooking classes, tennis courts, a fitness
centre and a spa.
We booked online at the hotel's own internet
site, taking advantage of a special offer. Rates
for a two bedroom villa are seasonal and start
at around US$850 per night, including
complimentary American breakfast.
Napasai
65/10 Baan Tai
Maenam
Koh Samui
Surat Thani 84330
Thailand Tel: (66-77) 42 92 00
Fax: (66-77) 42 92 01
www.napasai.com
Finding your Thai Villa on the internet
Choosing an appropriate holiday villa on
the internet is easy using Google, Yahoo, MSN
etc. Remember:
- Play with your search terms: use more
specific words to help you drill down to receive
a more "targeted" property. "Rural villa with
pool Thailand" or "seafront Samui private villa"
will give a more specific set of results than
will the generic "Thailand Villa", and will be
less likely to return a listings site.
- Where possible, book directly with the
property owner rather than via a listings site -
in all likelihood such a listings site will be
charging a commission on top of the normal rate.
- Don't be afraid to ask for references.
- Travel in the off season, and book early.
Book ahead, as when a standalone villa is booked
- it is booked!
- Make sure the property you choose has a
telephone and address listed.
- Travel somewhere different! What makes a
stay in a private villa memorable is the way it
can take you out of the tourist centres to enjoy
a more authentic holiday.
Thailand's Airlines
Thailand's flag carrier offers numerous
domestic flights, but travelers "in the know"
will turn to the local discount airlines. These
offer frequent flights at a fraction of the
price and in relative comfort. Try Nok Air or
Air Asia. Koh Samui is served by the "boutique
airline" Bangkok Air.