Villa Sabai Jai Jung

Villa Sabai Jai Jung is a walled tropical hideaway near Bang Tao Beach, where a fifteen-metre pool runs the length of a garden courtyard between steep thatched pavilions and sleek stone-clad wings. Frangipani trees lean over the water, a small island planted with a tree sits in the middle of the pool, and stone Buddhas watch over the entrance court. With more than a thousand square metres of living space set in a garden of around sixteen hundred, it feels generous and private for a group of up to ten.

Life here centres on the pool. Loungers line its edge, a timber-roofed sala with deep sofas offers shade for an afternoon nap, and after dark the water glows turquoise under the garden lights. Indoors, the main living room opens through tall glass doors straight onto the pool deck, with a big sofa, a smart TV and polished timber floors. Next door, a long live-edge dining table sits beside a backlit counter with stools, and the modern kitchen behind it is fully equipped for cooking yourself or for a chef.

All five bedrooms have king beds, their own bathrooms and their own terraces or balconies, several looking down over the pool. The décor mixes calm whites and timber with bold artwork, and one bathroom has a freestanding tub beside a window onto the greenery. There is also a quiet study, a laundry with washer and dryer, and a team that keeps the house and garden in order, while a chef, massage, floating breakfasts and a driver can be arranged.