Villa Chelay

Villa Chelay sits high on the wooded hillside of Kamala’s Millionaire’s Mile, a private retreat where rainforest tumbles down to the Andaman Sea and the view stretches across Patong Bay. Traditional Thai roofs of dark timber crown a series of pavilions and terraces stepped into the slope, linked by garden paths through palms, ferns and flowering shrubs. Floor-to-ceiling glass pulls the sea and the breeze into almost every room, so the whole house feels light, open and quietly secluded.

The centrepiece is a fifteen-metre infinity pool that seems to spill straight over the cliff edge, with an open-sided sala of white curtains and daybeds at one end for long, lazy afternoons. Terraces above and below the water are set with rattan loungers and armchairs facing west, and as the sun goes down the pool and pavilions glow amber against the darkening bay. Inside, the main living room has soaring timber ceilings, warm hardwood floors and deep grey sofas, while a separate media room with a large screen, foosball table and its own sea view gives everyone somewhere to unwind after a day at the beach.

There are two ways to dine: a glass-walled dining room beneath a shell chandelier, or a breezy covered pavilion beside the pool. The villa’s chef cooks Thai and Western dishes and happily works around most dietary needs. Four king-bedded suites each have their own bathroom, several with deep soaking tubs facing the forest or the sea, and an open-air spa sala with two massage beds overlooks the bay. A team of four staff, daily housekeeping and round-the-clock security take care of the details, and an airport transfer is included in each direction.