Tuesday 9 December 2025
Chillin’ in Thai Mueang, aka Turtle Beach

Today is my first full day in Thai Mueang (Turtle Beach) here on the Andaman coast in the Phang Nga Province in southern Thailand. As I said in the previous blog post, this is a very small village, and there is not much to do but relax and chill.

The beach house, or bungalow, that I rented through Airbnb from Tim Newton is relatively small, but larger than I expected (https://beachhousethailand.com). This house is adjacent to the house in which Tim lives; behind Tim’s house, if one thinks of the road as the “front.” It would be very comfortable for a month or two-month stay.

So, you might ask, what does this beach house look like? I’ll show you. First, a view of the living room, just inside the front door. I did not spend time in this room. When I was in the house, I was typically writing on my tablet at the desk or sleeping in the bedroom. The bedroom is a good size, with a desk for my tablet.

There is a kitchen if I wanted to cook for myself. Right outside the front door is a washer, and there is a clothesline nearby.

Stepping out the front door, looking to the back, there is a decent-sized backyard with an above-ground pool. Looking to the front, past Tim’s house is the gate to the beach road, then across the beach road is the beach and ocean.

In the morning, I walked down the beach road to a restaurant called (this is an approximation) Jib Fae Ler Lai. Tim has recorded a number of his YouTube videos from this restaurant. I told the lady there that I was staying at one of Tim’s houses, and also knew Steve. She became very conversant, saying how much she and the people in Thai Mueang like both Tim and Steve, and a few things I should see. One of Steve’s turtle statues is out front of her restaurant.

Tim made a mountain bike available, and I took a ride 5 kilometers (3 miles) up the beach road towards the national park that was once a large tin mine. Along the ride, I stopped a few times to go through the trees and look at the beach from different places. It does look much the same. I saw a gathering place fairly close to Tim’s. The sign on the left does not translate well with Google Translate. I asked some Thais what it meant, and they said it did not translate directly, but meant something like, “don’t look for something specific or too closely, enjoy the view.” I get that – the view along this beach is worth enjoying.

Then a few photos of the beach…looking the same all along this stretch of road.

Almost all along the Thai Mueang Beach Road there is a 15-20 meter wide swath of trees between the road and the actual beach. In some places, the trees are sparse, and in others, quite dense. Here are a couple of photos from the road itself looking towards the beach. And, yes, the two views look very much the same even though they were taken a good distance apart.

I got to the National Park entrance and decided to turn around. It is hot, about 33C (93F) and very, very humid. Took a photo of the National Park sign, and one looking through the trees towards the ocean. The trees are a little thicker up here.

Rode back to the beach house, started a load of laundry, and went down to visit with Steve Rosse. I had brought Northern Thai coffee beans for both Tim and Steve, so I gave Steve the coffee, and he invited me to sit and talk as he continued work on another turtle statue. Another friend of Steve’s, Patrick from Massachusetts, stopped by, and we spent a couple of hours talking, laughing, and sharing stories. The topic of entertainment in Thai Mueang came up. There are no real entertainment venues in Thai Mueang. However, there are a couple of small karoke places down the road a little ways where you could sit and listen to generally poor karaoke singing and have a drink with some ladies. Patrick seemed interersted in going this evening, and Steve said that if I wanted to go, he would be my wingman and translate. So I agreed to meet back at Steve’s at 7:30.

Another Sunset at Thai Mueang

Before the karaoke, the sun set again over the Andaman Sea, as it does every day. In Thai Mueang, the sunset is dramatic, noteworthy.

Karaoke in Thai Mueang

Steve and I walked down to the karaoke places and chose one. We thought that Patrick would find us later.

We sat in a little bamboo booth-like table outside because the sound system inside was deafening, far too loud for any conversation. Neither Steve nor I drink alcohol, so we ordered a Coke, and the two ladies that sat with us (they just appear) asked if we would buy them a drink, and of course, we agreed. They were very polite about it. The drinks came, more ladies came, and conversation in mixed Thai and English ensued. Steve speaks good conversational Thai, so he and the ladies were talking about the differences between northern Thai, eastern Thai (a large region by Laos and Cambodia known as Isaan), central Thai (Bangkok area), and southern Thai. Every once in a while Steve would tell me what they were saying.

The ladies really gravitated to Steve it seemed, likely because he speaks Thai, is intelligent, and has charisma. I enjoyed the time, too.

In Chiang Mai, there are frequent reports that karoke places will essentially charge you for every lady that talks to you, and the drinks are pricey. I have heard stories of a bill exceeding 30,000 baht ($950) or even more in a very short time. If you question it or refuse to pay, it can lead to threats, physical assault, or forced trips to ATMs. If the police get involved, outcomes can vary. It is still a very real concern in Chiang Mai, and I would not even consider going into a karaoke there.

In Thai Mueang, it was a very chill, low pressure atmosphere. When it was time to leave and the bill came, for probably 20 or more drinks for the ladies and two Cokes for Steve and me, the bill was under 2000 baht ($62). I gladly paid, and we tipped the four ladies who spent the most time with us. Tonight was an unexpected and fun adventure for me, a very good day in Thai Mueang.

Next: Thai Mueang Day 3