Casabay Villa 6

Casabay Villa 6 is a crisp, contemporary pool house on the slopes above Rawai, one of a small collection of eleven modern villas with views out over the rooftops to the bay and the islands beyond. Clean white walls, dark timber louvres and big sliding glass doors give it a calm, resort-like feel, and with six king bedrooms it is made for larger families and groups of friends who want space without giving up a sense of home.

Everything opens onto the pool terrace. The twelve-metre pool runs the length of the garden with an infinity edge facing the sea, and a row of cushioned loungers and umbrellas lines the deck for long, lazy afternoons. Inside, a light-filled open-plan living room flows into a long dining table and a modern kitchen with a stone-topped island, all looking straight out through the glass to the water. There is a barbecue for evenings outdoors, and a cook can prepare breakfast, lunch or dinner from a set menu.

The six bedrooms each have a king bed, a television, air conditioning and an en-suite bathroom, and two of them sit apart on the lower level, which older children and teenagers love. Daily housekeeping, a gardener and round-the-clock security take care of the practical side, and the beaches of Rawai, Nai Harn and Kata, the Big Buddha and Chalong Temple are all a short drive away.