Every winter for the last 9 or so years, I’ve managed to spend at least a few weeks in Thailand. Usually this includes a few days in Bangkok, then somewhere inland or north, like Chiang Mai, followed by the majority of my time on the water, either a coastline down south, or on one of the many beautiful islands (I always prefer being on an ocean than in the mountains, if I have to choose). Everyone on my mom’s side of the family has always remained in and around Bangkok, and I try to visit them before I proceed to run around and enjoy somewhere new – after so many visits back (likely 50+ over the years, as it’s also my hub when flying around Asia), I still manage to find a new and incredible place each trip!

This winter was no exception. I was researching trip ideas for myself and two girlfriends to join for both of their first experiences in Thailand (one also from Vancouver, and one who lives in Berlin). Because I wanted it to be perfect and love to show off my “second home” and my roots, I did a TON of research up front based on what I thought my friends would enjoy, and really loved reminiscing and exploring the country from my laptop.

I came across Thai Mueang based on a broad search for accommodations on Airbnb, where my only criteria were that it was in the southern half of Thailand (so a really broad area), solid wifi (a must, everywhere I go so I can work), a location on a beach (or within a couple hundred metres at most), and that it could sleep the 3 of us. One house showed up in a random location that I hadn’t noticed before. It was halfway between Phuket (where I’ve been a dozen times) and Khao Lak (where I had been for the first time only the year prior). I had to look a lot more closely, as I hadn’t heard of Thai Mueang before, didn’t notice it on any road signs when driving from the Phuket Airport, and really couldn’t uncover much in my searches and from asking around to my contacts in Thailand. Because of that, I was a little hesitant, and couldn’t find really any hotels or other options besides this single house on the beach. The listing mentioned how remote the house was, but the pictures of a 15 km long quiet sandy beach were calling my name. This sounded like bliss.

So after much debating and hemming and hawing over a couple of weeks (can you tell I’m super picky when it comes to places to stay on my travels?), I went to book it for our last week down south, and that day it ended up taken. Luckily, the 4 nights prior were still available, so I booked it right awa, and was happy that I managed to secure a stay within our available timeframe (see, all it took was a little sense of urgency and I was all in)!

Once we arrived, I knew we had hit the jackpot. Our super friendly host, George, an expat from the Philippines, picked us up from the airport, and we drove only about 35 mins north along the coast to reach our final destination. Along the way, we went through a small village (Thai Mueang itself), filled with locals and not a single tourist, only about 1 km from our temporary abode. Now THIS is what I always dream of when coming back to Thailand!  The house had a lawn, with a view to the ocean, and was steps from a restaurant across a small road (more like an alley). And right there was a long, white sand beach, facing west over beautiful sunsets. A very clean place to stay, good food, friendly and warm people, and beachfront – what else could I ask for?

The 4 nights and 5 days we spent there was magical.

Since my Vancouverite friend and I were still jetlagged after only a few nights in Bangkok, we were up before 6 am every morning. I’d get in a little work, then we’d go for a walk along the beach or into the village, in our search for grilled meat (specifically pork) and other breakfast treats. Each day, we’d find a different adventure while we brought along our coffee cups and smiled at the locals we passed. Everyone was so sweet and curious, as they likely don’t often see foreigners in town. As Thai Mueang is a National Park, tourism is not common as no beachfront development is possible – we managed to find the one house that was located on the beach and likely built before it was designated this status (I’ll have to dig deeper and find out more next time I go).

We found little beach bars and restaurants set back on the street behind the beach, walked by fisherman with their few rods lining the shore, and also found a turtle research center (Phang-Nga Coastal Fisheries Research and Development), where the turtles are raised and then released into the ocean each March. In the village, after a few days of searching, we finally came across the daily fresh market, and also spotted all the best spots for iced Thai tea and coffee, grilled chicken (Gai Yang ไก่ย่าง) or pork (Mu Ping หมูปิ้ง) and delicious steamed spicy curried fish (Hor Mok Pla ห่อหมก), and also where groups of men and women would gather at specific restaurants.

During the rest of the mornings, our other friend would wake up (she was on European time, opposite to us), and she’d find us at the beach, laid out on towels with our books and bottles of water. We’d go for random short walks along the beach, stretch or wade along the shore, swim, and walk back and forth to George’s Pizza (a whole 30m or so) for our meals. The area was so quiet, we’d leave our stuff out all day and come and go as we pleased without any concern. In the afternoons, I’d pop back inside the house to spend the hottest parts of the day working in the dining room before going back out for our evening meals during sunset. We were treated like family at the restaurant, and managed to eat everything we felt like based on what we were in the mood for on any given day, on the menu or off.

After we left this beautiful town, we headed over to the area of Klong Muang, Krabi, which even though is also very quiet, didn’t at all compare to our little haven in Thai Mueang.

During our time there, we ended up enjoying many delicious local finds, so I wanted to share them. If you want to pull up the travel map on Google directly, you can also see it all right here!

Food & Drink

Thetsaban Fresh Market	If you’re looking for where all of the locals in the village – both families and restaurants – get their food daily, look no further than this fresh market. Open early (probably from 6 am until late afternoon), you’ll find produce, meat, seafood, and meals and treats of all kinds.
Morning BBQ Chicken Skewers	In the mornings (not sure which days), from about 9:30 onwards, you’ll start to notice smoke from a grill from around this area. There will be sticky rice, grilled chicken breast and other types of chicken skewers available until they run out each day.
Georges Pizza	Right next to our house on the beach, this amazingly warm restaurant atmosphere where George and his team hosted us was our food haven. Only steps away from the beach, with an eclectic array of tables and chairs, and open air ocean views, we enjoyed pretty much the entire menu (and also many things not on it). We stuck with the Thai options, but many locals came by daily to eat the pizza from their wood-fired oven, along with the other Western options.
Noodle Soup / DVD Shop	While walking through the village one morning, we came across a vendor stand where the noodle soup smelled delicious! After passing other options, and not finding anything comparable that drew us in the same way, we ordered from the visual menu, combined with some broken Thai, and got some great yen ta fo (เย็นตาโฟ) and chicken drumstick boat noodle soup (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ) with a dark spicy broth. The best part? The tables were set inside a DVD movie store!
Steamed Fish Shop	Another walk-by, I could smell some curry and see steam rising from freshly made Hor Muk Pla, or steamed curry fish in banana leaves. At about $0.50 each piece, we picked up a couple to give them a shot and kept going back. So spicy and flavourful and definitely their speciality (it’s the only thing they made out of their storefront), we were very happy to stumble upon this savoury treat.

Accommodations

House on the Beach

If you’re looking to stay at one of very few accommodations in the area, this was a wonderful and very clean beachfront house, with amazing, friendly and welcoming hosts. The house has 2 bathrooms and 2 bedrooms (one with the only hot shower in it), and the beds are 4 single beds that can be setup in various configurations for guests. And the wifi was solid!

Sites & Activities

Phang-Nga Coastal Fisheries Research and Development	At this research and development center, turtles of all ages are raised until they are let into the ocean when old enough between March 1-10 every year. Watch out for tons of mosquitos as a result of the standing water – make sure you’re either covered up or have on a lot of bug repellent. The turtles themselves are adorable, and it’s worth stopping by for a short visit if you’re in the area (there are no English guides there, or much signage, so don’t expect to learn – go to watch the turtles).
Thai Massage	There is a house on the corner where a very sweet woman provides various types of Thai massage. You can walk by, give her your name (or not – she won’t forget you), and decide on what time to book a massage if she’s not available when you walk in. Since she works on her own, you won’t be able to book more than one person in at a time, but it’s definitely worth the wait! She has strong hands and good touch, and really focuses on what she’s doing – you can tell she cares.
Thai Mueang Beach (National Park)	A beautiful 15km stretch of beach, with only a few fishermen and locals wandering along it in the evenings, this beach is an amazing spot to wade, swim and enjoy. There were very few large waves while we were there (although we’ve heard that it can get to be a bit much for swimming at times, especially with kids). For us, it was bliss, overlooking at amazing sunset into the Andaman every evening.

I know that it’s gotten super busy nowadays in Thailand with rampant tourism and there are so many places I won’t go back to anymore, but I still manage to find a gem every year – I just have to take the time to look harder. Thai Mueang was an incredible spot, and I will definitely be heading back soon.