Regional Thai-style Houses

Thai-style houses from each of the four regions can be seen at the Royal Arts and Crafts Center at Bang Sai.
Most all Thai-style houses display some unique, but common, architectural characteristics that have resulted from mixing the cultures of diverse ethnic groups. Even at first glance, the harmony that exists between the prevailing architectural style and the Thai climate is notable. For example, the most commonly recognized traditional Thai-style house is built on stilts. This is a consequence of climate and usefulness playing an important role in building the original Thai house. Thailand is situated in a tropic, but monsoon, zone where large amounts of rainfall regularly cause flooding. Consequently, by building the houses on stilts much of the impact of the flooding during the annual rainy season is reduced. Furthermore, the houses are able to stay cooler because the air circulates much more efficiently. Likewise, by having the houses on stilts, the ground floor is left open to store a loom, farming machinery, fishing equipment, and the like. It also serves as a playground for the children. Another common characteristic is the upstairs of traditional Thai house, which was traditionally partitioned into one big bedroom, a kitchen and a bathroom.
However, beyond certain common characteristics, Thai-style houses also reflect regional differences. The regional architectures of the north, central, northeast, and south were developed to meet the needs of daily activities, careers, and personal preferences of the area. The regional differences also reflect the diversity of life styles, economic situations, social structures, concepts of beauty, and beliefs between the regions.
For instance, the architecture of the central region reflects two main characteristics of method and technique. The Ruan Khraung Phook is a simple temporary house, while the Ruan Khraung Sap is a permanent one that was made of hand and tough wood by a sophisticated technique (as can be seen in some old houses that still stand today).


Krabung and Sarack are among the kinds of wickerwork of central Thailand.

A Thai house in the central Thai architecture, built on high stilts with the ground floor left open.


Northern Thai-style houses are easily identified by Kalae, the unique V-shaped wooden carving attached to the opening of the tympanum.

In northern Thailand, the Ruan Khraung Phook is a temporary house made of leaves of Bai Tong Tung or Phluang (Dipterocarpus tuberculatus Roxb) amd vetiver grass. The well-known Ruan Khraung Sap in the north is the Ruan Kalae, which is a style of construction where twin houses were built on one level. The house itself, though, sits on high stilts and the top of the gable is decorated with intertwined small pieces of carved wood called Kalae
An original Thai house of the northeastern region is difficult to find nowadays. From the few that remain, one can see that the Lan Xang culture had a strong influence on this region. Here, spirits, the worship of ancestirs, and the supposed existence of supernatural entities had great effect on the daily lives of the populace. Consequently, rites and rituals played an important role in finding a suitable location for the home, in choosing auspicious kinds of wood for the house, building dates and procedures, and so on.
The traditional Thai house in the south also has its own unique architectural characteristics. The southern Pan Ya houses are not raised as high as those of the central plain or the northeastern parts of Thailand. Instead, they are kept as close to the ground as possible due to the region's unique architectural adaptation to the climate. Since the monssons more heavily affect the southern part of Thailand, design differences are implemented. Support posts are not hammered in the ground, but are rather placed fimly on foundations made of tough hard wood, stone or cement. One advantage of this construction technique is that it prevents the house from sinking or collapsing when an excessive amount of rain softens the ground. Another advantage is that it makes the house the easy to move. In the southern style, planks are laid lengthwise to minimize the force of the wind, and the roofs display mixed styles of the gabled roof and the distinctly southern Pan Ya house. The spacious large open balcony removes any need for air conditioning since the high ceiling allows total air circulation.


A typical Thai house in southern Thailand is kept close to the ground. The spacious, open balcony and high ceiling facilitate air circulation

Today, examples of each of the original Thai-style houses can be seen in one location. Houses from each of the four regions have been built at the Royal Arts and Crafts Center, Bang Sai District, Phranakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, where Thai heritage and architecture are well preserved. To enhance the quality and authenticity of the products, and to create a truly Thai atmosphere, replicas of traditional-style buildings have been constructed on the center's open-air grounds. These houses, in the Arts and Crafts compound, are exact replicas of the rapidly disappearing traditional houses of Thailand, which are becoming scarce due to modernization of the economy and the associated influence of modern architectural styles and construction techniques.
All Thais are well aware that the Royal Arts and Crafts Center at Bang Sai is not just a center for Thai arts and crafts but also a fountainhead for their genesis. It was founded under the gracious patronage of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit and later officially incorporayed into the Supplementary Occupation and Related Techniques (SUPPORT) Foundation on 21 July 1976. Since then the foundation has offered craftsmen from all regions of Thailand opportunities to display their craftsmenship both to the Thai public and visitors from around the world. Thus, they have gained the well-earned recognition they deserved for their rare skill and expertise.
Since 1976 crafts from this center have gained frequent and favorable attention for Thailand and its people. Throughout its 24 years of operation, the center has transformed itselt through the processes of evolutionary development and long-term planning. Early on, a principal role for the center was the encouragement of the sale of handicrafts created by rural village craftsmen. Today, through, its role is considerably more sophisticated. Now, the SUPPORT Foundation has evolved into a highly reputed vocational training center.


Northeastern Thai-style houses and cart.


The hand painting of umbrellas is a northern handicraft skill.


Dan Kwian pottery in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima presents the contemporary (but crude) style of different shapes and designs.


Carving a leather shadow puppet for a shodow play, popular among southern natives. Cutout leather shadow puppets are one item popular as a shopping attraction.


The main building of the Royal Arts and Crafts Center at Bang Sai where the center's handicraft products are for sale.
Regional Thai-style Houses, Saroj Pitarangsi, Thailand Illustrated, May - August 2000, Page 8-13.
Welcome to visit Thailand    Chiang Mai Hotels