The Architecture
The Thai House was built in a traditionalThaistyle of the central plain by craftsmen from Ayutthaya province – the old capital city of Thailand.
The style was the wisdomdeveloped by generations of craftsmen living in inthis tropic climateheat, rain and flood are typical.
Furthermore, in the old time, people lived close to water ways - canals and rivers – as they were the main transport. During rainy season, water usually overflowed into farmlands and naturally fertilized them with residue.
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These factors leads to distinct characteristics of traditional Thai houses as follows:
Pitched gable roof
Steep slope allows rain water to flow down quickly and releases heated air, provides space for windows. As a result, rooms are cool with natural breeze and the high ceiling makes the room feel spacious.
Raised floor on posts
This feature accommodates seasonal flood while the house is still liveable.
In normal time, the shaded wide space underneath can be used during the day as rest or
work area. Breeze can flow through and keep the area cool all day long.
At The Thai house, there are three houses with roofed terrace surrounding the raised patio. This creates the feeling of open space and allows ventilation.
The space underneath the patio is used as dining room. There are folding doors with mosquito screens which will be closed during the night.
There are 42 octagonal posts supporting the raised floor at The Thai House.
Carved wall panels
The wall panels of The Thai House are constructed of carved teak wood pieces assembled
using rabbet joint without a nail.
Some parts of the wall are carved with delicate design such as flowers for decoration purpose. Some are used for specific function like ventilation.
The Spirit House
In Thailand, there is a believe that every house has guardian spirits. Residents worship the spirits in hope that they will ward off misfortune and bring good luck.Thais usually build a small house on their property. In these small houses, we will place a main statue, servant dolls and animal figures such as elephant, horse and cow.
The Thai House has two spirit houses:
“Saan Pra Bhumi”, or angel house which is a replica of The Thai House raised on a single
post. This is a residence for guardian spirit who is represented by a golden statue in the
main house. There are female and male servant dolls as well as elephant and horse figures.
Another one is “Saan Chao Thii” which is also known as “Saan Da Yai” that means the
residence of grandfather and grandmother spirits. Thais believe that these are spirits of the
people who used to live on the land long time ago. This spirit house is usually built in the
form of a small house sat on four posts.
