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 Hotel Star cost a fraction of what they are not only in the West but also in other Asian cities like Hong Kong or Singapore.
- Thailand welcomes millions of visitors annually to its shores, and the security staff is generally very good. Each reported crime fell, in general, smaller, with decorative, fraud and the like, but the experienced traveler is unlikely for them. Most visitors feel infinitely safer in Thailand than they ever in comparable cities such asLondon, 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 are waiting to be discovered, like many of his lesser-known temples. A cruise on the Chao Phraya river - perhaps by private chartered boat long tail - is an excellent way to see most of the city's reduced to tears by the market.
The North
The north is home to cities such as Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son with tropical jungle and mountains to the north attracts those looking for trekking and places of natural beauty. You try to avoidthe 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 Select a resort villa or hotel suite, you should expect a partial payment at the time of booking to pay either by credit card or to ensure a transfer from a wire.
Tested
We tried a number of holiday villa in Thailand, and the bottom mark a resort villa and a private villa - each with a great vacation, but very different experience.
Green Gecko, Northeast Thailand
Green Gecko is a privately owned house on alarge estate, surrounded by forests, plantations and rice fields in the heart of rural north-east of Thailand, near a town called Udon Thani. Free airport transfer was arranged by 'airport, Asia, Air, Internet via a 50-minute flight from Bangkok with Thai Airways and budget airlines and Nok Air.
In contrast to mainstream sites, our stay here we were able to discover and experience the real Thailand, off the beaten track.
L '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
