Villa Baan Paa Talee

Villa Baan Paa Talee, whose name means “house on the cliff by the sea”, is perched high on the headland above Kamala, with nothing but the Andaman Sea filling the view from almost every room. Designed as a series of open, light-filled levels stepping down the cliff, it pairs tall glass, warm timber and cool slate with deep shaded terraces, so the breeze and the sound of the ocean follow you through the house. With nine bedrooms, close to a thousand square metres of living space and nearly two and a half thousand square metres of tropical gardens, it is one of the most generous homes on this stretch of coast.

The showpiece is a twenty-five-metre infinity pool that seems to pour straight into the sea, lined with daybeds and overlooked by a thatched sala where the sunset turns the water copper. Lounge terraces with plump sofas sit right on the edge, and a long glass-walled dining room seats the whole house at one table with the ocean as a backdrop. A sleek kitchen, a cosy media lounge, a billiards room and a fully equipped gym mean there is always somewhere to slip away to, while a barbecue by the pool makes for easy evenings outdoors.

The bedrooms are spread across several floors, so a large family or a few groups of friends can each have real privacy. Most are king suites with sea views, a couple have two king beds for children or friends sharing, and the best rooms open onto balconies hanging over the water with freestanding tubs and glass walls to the view. A villa manager, chef and housekeeping team look after everything, cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner at the villa, and the beaches, restaurants and markets of Kamala and Patong are a short drive away.