We have been to Thailand several times now and choose to stay in a villa or private house rather than a hotel or resort - it costs less, the facilities are generally better, and it's more fun!

We tried a place called Gecko Villa ( http://www.geckovilla.com) recently which is surrounded by rice fields and had a superb private swimming pool just for us. The couple who looked after us could not have been more helpful, and the Thai dishes they served were exteremely tasty. The house itself was of excellent quality, was very large and hall all the extras we were looking for. This was a great way to live the real Thai life without being tied to a standard hotel.

If anyone knows of other such holiday villas in Thailand, pls post here!

Many thanks