THAILAND ARCHITECTURE

A. Geographical Influence

Thailand or Prathet Thai, meaning “land of the free”, is in Southeastern Asia, covering
about 514,000 sq km. It shares borders with Burma to the West North-West, Laos to the
North and East, Cambodia to the South-East and Malaysia to the South. Its capital is
Bangkok, also called Krung Thep meaning “city of angels”. Krung thep was adapted
from its original name (listed in the Guinness world book of records as the longest name
of a place).

B. Geological Influence

Physiographical, the country can be divided into four regions; the mountainous
highland in the north and northwest, the khorat plateau in the northeast, the central
plain and the southern peninsular, which are between Andaman Sea and the Gulf of
Thailand.

Materials used for construction were:

Brick – replaced sandstone as the primary building material, mortared with vegetable
glue & then sheathed in stone

Stucco –used to cover the brick walls

Wood – employed in temple construction & craftsmen attained great skill in carving
decorative elements.

Sandstone –used to form door parts, lintels & rectangular windows

Porcelain fragments – influenced by the Chinese, it can be seen in some ornamental

decorations.

Materials such as glass mosaic pieces highlighted gables & pillars, as well as wooden &
stucco figures & other decorative techniques utilized lacquer, gilt, mother-of-pearl inlay,
gold leaf, & porcelain fragments to obtain the desired effect of gleaming elegance

C. Climate Influence

The Thailand climate is controlled by tropical monsoons and the weather in Thailand is
generally hot and humid across most of the country throughout most of the year. While
Thailand’s seasons are generally divided into the hot season, cool season, and rainy
season, in reality it’s relatively hot most of the year.

The country is separated into four natural regions, each with unique landscapes, and
therefore, climatic considerations:

North: mountainous; climate is cooler than any other region; tropical monsoon forests
(where Sukhothai and Chiang Mai are located)

Central Plains: flat alluvial plains of Chao Phraya River Basin; most fertile region in the
country (location of Ayutthaya and Bangkok).

Northeast: 'Korat plateau'; not very fertile and least developed area in Thailand;
experiences frequent flooding because of the tropical storms originating in Laos

South: northern Malay Peninsula; rolling to mountainous landscape; beaches; offshore

islands; more humid climate & constant rainfall throughout the year

D. Religious Influence

Buddhism is the faith of 95% of the population, 4 % are Muslims, 0.5 % are Christians, and
the remainder Hindus, Sikhs and other religion. Despite the fact that Buddhism is the
faith of majority, both the king and the government uphold and support all the religions
accepted by the people.

Most Thai homes and places of business feature a ‘spirit house’ just outside the building,
where offerings are made to appease spirits that might otherwise inhabit their homes or
workplaces. Furthermore, Buddhist monks are often brought to new homes and
businesses to ‘bless them’, and Thai people frequently light incense and make prayers
to both Buddha images and a host of Hindu gods whose shrines are located throughout
Bangkok and the countryside.

E. Social & Political Influence

The society during the Ayutthaya Period was strictly hierarchical. There were 3 classes of
people, 1) king, 2) social, & 3) commoners & slaves. In the 19th& early 20thcenturies, the
social strata included an elite of Thai nobles, a small commercial middle class of
Chinese and

Europeans, and a lower class that included mostly rural farmers. With the development
of a more modern economy, the structure of social stratification has become more
complex. Noble birth continues to have some bearing on status, but the modern class
system is based primarily on wealth. There now is a much larger middle class. The
growth of towns and cities has given rise to a class of urban poor in addition to the
traditional rural poor.

Thailand was never under European colonial rule. It was an absolute monarchy until
1932, when it became a constitutional monarchy. In 1939 the country's name was
changed from Siam to Thailand. Military dictators ruled the nation until the early 1970s;
the military remained a powerful force in national politics into the early 1990s. Since that
time, its role has diminished, and a new constitution was adopted in 1997.

In the past, land was abundant and thus people often moved, especially when couples
married or when the political circumstances necessitated it. The Thai house takes this
fact into consideration by being completely modular. The prefabricated parts of a
traditional Thai house can be disassembled and rebuilt with relative ease, hence,
people literally packed their houses and moved with them. Also in the past, towns were
centers of government administration, Chinese business, and the Buddhist religion,
featuring government offices and housing for civil servants, Chinese shops and storage
facilities, and Buddhist temples. The growth of the cities is reflected in a lack of planning
and growing congestion, but the core features of the cities have not changed.

Wood has given way to cement as the main building material, and new forms of
architecture include high-rise buildings for offices and residences, and air-conditioned
shopping malls. The 1980s witnessed the emergence of suburban housing
developments and shopping complexes. There are few public parks, and urban
planning is focused on building roads. The use of waterways for transportation is
waning.

F. Historical Influence

Thailand (previously known as Siam) has been populated ever since the dawn of
civilization in Asia. The Chao Phraya valley had once been the home of Mon Dvaravati
culture, first known civilization in Thailand. The history of Thailand has been categorized
into five historical periods which have had their own influence on the development of a
Thai architectural style:

1. Nanchao (Dvaravati & Khmer), 650-1250 AD

2. Sukhothai (Sukhodaya), 1238-1378 AD – Thailand gained independence in 1238 &

King Ramkhamhaeng establish eth Thai Alphabet

3. Lanna (mid-13th to 19th centuries) – coexisted with Sukhothai, founded by King

PhyaMangria, wats or temples were the main structures built at this era
4. Ayutthaya (Ayudhya), 1350-1767 AD – in 1360, Ramathibodi declared Theravada

Buddhism as the official religion; had three palaces for its rulers:

Wang Luan (Royal Palace) – occupied by the principal king, situated on the northern
rim of the city

Wang Na (Palace to the Front) built for the 2nd or Vice-King, situated on the
northeastern corner of the city

Wang Lang (Palace to the Rear) – later occupied by princes of the royal blood, situated
on the western part of the city

5. Thonburi (Tonburi), 1767-1772 AD – General Taksin (now known as King Taksin the

Great) managed to reunite the Thai kingdom & declared himself king in 1769

6. Bangkok (Rattanakosin), 1782-present – Thai art, culture, philosophy & literature was
created, developed & mainly influenced by Buddhism & Hinduism religion.

G. Architectural Character
Direct reflection of the diverse ethnic population.
Monochromatic but because of their contact to the Chinese it became polychromatic
Architecture assimilated from Buddhist – Indian architecture religious in character

Principal Materials
- Timber
- Cement

Principal Structures
- Houses
- Palaces
- Temples

Features
- Multi-tiered rooflines
- Ornamental decorations
- Interior murals
- vivid colors
- crafts & gold-adorned Buddha images
Comparative Analysis:
Plan – basic form of houses is a gable structure - built on poles; built of bamboo or wood
unpainted, often near water; can have up to three or more buildings, grouped around
a terrace which functions as a family room and outdoors.
Roof – use of multi-leveled overlapping timber roofs; open high-pitched roof facilitates
air circulation; wide overhanging eaves protect the house from sun and rain.
Rainwater runs off the steep roof quickly and falls through the permeable terrace and
house floors.
Columns - Hardwood is generally used for piles.
Walls – uses prefabricated walls; surfaces were often finished with porcelain tiles,
sometimes the walls are white stuccoed brick, which contrasts with the brightly
coloured glazed tiles of the roofs
Openings –doors & window shutters are of carved wood, lacquered in black & gold, or
painted or inlaid with mother-of-pearl depicting themes of guardian divinities,
enchanted forests, ferns, flowers & still life; Open windows and walls in combination with
a large central terrace provide ideal ventilation and offer relief from the hot and humid
climate.

Ornaments – Angkor-Hindu iconography:

- Naga - is the Sanskrit and Pāli word for a deity or class of entity or being, taking
the form of a very great snake—specifically the king cobra, found in Hinduism,
Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. A female Nāga is anāgī or nāgiṇī.
- Vishnu on garuda
- Shiva on a bull

H. Examples of Thai Structures

1. Traditional Houses – traditional house is raised on a framework of wooden posts to
provide protection from floods and intruders, and to create a multipurpose space
under the house.
This underpart served as a place for women to work, a place to sleep during the hot
season, a storage space, and a place to keep domestic animals. The house is
constructed of prefabricated units that fit together with wooden pegs. The raised part
can be divided into an open area and an enclosed area. The open area includes a
front veranda that is partially shaded. The rear of the house has an open balcony for
washing clothes, doing laundry, and performing other domestic chores. This area also is
used to lie out food to dry, and for spinning and sewing. The interior includes a living
room and a sleeping space.
People usually sit on mats, and there is little furniture. There may be a cooking area in
the living room in smaller houses, but usually there is a separate space for cooking. In
larger houses, there is a separate kitchen and granary. Architectural features vary
throughout the four cultural regions:

Northern Region
a. RuenKa-lae/ Lanna Thai House – originally constructed completely from teak
wood, and built elevated from the ground to protect from flooding during the
wet season; consists of two rectangular rooms sharing the same elevated floor,
yet with two separate roofs. The bedroom or main room is the larger room and is
connected to the kitchen structure by a walkway called a chanhom, or
alternatively, the front veranda porch, called the teon, which also serves as a
guest welcoming area. The bathroom was generally a roofless bamboo-woven-
walled square, usually built away from the house. While glazed clay tiles are used
for the roofing, absolutely no nails, natural stone-concrete, or glass were to be
used. Instead, traditional wooden jointing methods were used.

Features:
- High pitched roof
- Spacious veranda provided by a feet washing stall
- Raised stilts – 6’ to 8’ above the ground
- Surrounding landscape
Outstanding feature – additional rooms from the core as the other members of the
family get married
Water pavilion – houses & holds the water jars for visitors
‘kalae’ – V-shaped hand-carved feature at the ends of the roof

Central Region
b. Ruen Thai Derm –wooden house on a platform raised on posts & a gabled,
elegantly tapering roof.

Components:
- Ngao – curved decoration at the ends of the peaked bargeboards surrounding the
gables
- Panlom – window break on the gable; a flat piece of wood 2.50-3.00 cm thick used to
protect the gabled ends of the roof & roof covering from the wind
- Na Jua – triangular wooden panels constructed in 3 designs protect the gable end of
the roof structure from the wind, sun & rain
50
- Kansart – extended roof; a low-hanging roof projecting on all sides of the house at a
lower level & with a less inclined slope than the main roof
- Pratu – house door; the width of the doors from the bedroom & kitchen are usually 3
times the length of the house owner’s foot
- Nathang – window; cut into the wall panels to provide light & air & are opened or
closed with wooden panels
- Kradai – stairway; in the old days, would not permanently attach to the house,
number of steps come in odd number.

Types:

a. Single Family house – a family residence for a husband, wife & unmarried children

b. Stem Family Clustered House – a single family house become a stem family after one
of the children gets married

c. RuenKhahabodi – a wealthy family house; wealthy people built larger & more
elegant types of cluster houses

d. Kuti – relatively small structure in Thai style designed for a single monk

North-Eastern Region/Isaan

e. RuenYaiMiKhong –large 3-room house built of wood on stilts; The RuenNoi (small
house) built with the length of RuenYai (main house) is similar to the twin
house;compared to houses on the North,the roofs have a gentler slope because there
is less rain and cold during the dry season; has few decoration details & carving;
Corrugated iron roofs are more common than in other regions. Some roofs are covered
with grass thatch.

f. RuenYai – built entirely of hardwood with balk posts. Similar to the ruenyai mi khong, it
is a 3-room house with high-pitched roof & gable end. The difference between the two
types is absence of the ruennoi.

Southern Region

g. RuanKruangPook (tied house) & RuanKruangSab (wooden house) – houses with

hipped roofs, raised floor on posts some 1.20-2.0m high, resting on stone or concrete
footings, decorative details are brightly painted; The walls are made of wooden boards
arranged in such a way that the upper board overlaps the lower one to prevent
rainwater running through the wall on the inside of the house.

Feature:

Plukbaanloi wan – setting the house along the south to north direction & its longer side
oriented in the east to west direction
h. Southern Thai Buddhist Houses – share the general features of houses in the central
region as most of the southern provinces were previous dependencies of the Central
Thai kingdoms, especially Ayutthaya. The ventilation panels typical in Southern
architecture are more colorful.

i. Southern Thai Muslim Houses –generally larger in size & tends to be built in a twin or
clustered house style. The houses are built very close with continuous roofs & floors.

j. RuenPae – houseboat; may be built like a house on earth, with an arched roof, the
roof edges and bottom panels of wood or bamboo. The walls facing the water are
usually made of bamboo matting or corrugated iron hinges, and can be opened more
easily, mostly for displaying goods for sale to passing ships. The house can be
composed of two or three parts, each up to 4 meters by 6. The parts are used
alternately as a kitchen, dormitory, workshop or storage area for goods. There is no
bathroom, because the surroundings are used as such. Under the support of the house,
there was often a floating pontoon made of wood or bamboo. This allowed to adapt
to floods and move home. The posts which supported the traditional house on stilts also
help build directly on the water, rivers, lakes, and this with very minor modifications. It is
then called "BAAN RIM NAAM" which means the house on the water.

2. Thai Villages – types:

Ribbon -type villages along river & road – Thai settlements tended to originate near
canals & rivers because the livelihood of their inhabitants depended mainly on water
for domestic & agricultural use as well as for communication.

Cluster Villages – he villagers would build their houses in a single cluster & worked in the
outlying fields on the edge of the community. This type of village was usually located on
high grounds above the rice fields.

Loose Villages – this type of village would grow out of an alliance of many isolated
houses scattered among their own fields over a large area

3. Wat – a group of religious buildings generally enclosed by a wall with gateways.

Some of the most important buildings found in a Wat are:

Bot – meditation hall; temple with a large nave & side aisles

Vihara – replica of Bot; houses Buddha images

PhraChedi – stupa; domed shrines

Phra Prang – tower-like shrines; similar to stupa

Mondop – hall for holy objects; library or repository of holy objects

Pra Sat – royal throne hall

Kuti – monastery

Sala – open resting pavilion

Ho Trai – library

Ho Rakhang – belfry

Sal Kan Parien – where teaching of Buddhist doctrines are held

Ex. WatPhraKaew, Bangkok – Temple of the Emerald Buddha; officially known as

WatPhra Sri RattanaSatsadaram is regarded as the most important Buddhist temple in

Thailand. Located in the historic centre of Bangkok, within the grounds of the Grand
Palace, it enshrines PhraKaewMorakot (the Emerald Buddha), the highly revered
Buddha image meticulously carved from a single block of jade. The

Emerald Buddha sits atop a huge gold altar in the center of the temple. It is a rather
small, dark statue, just over 2 feet tall. Like many other Buddha statues in Thailand, the
Emerald Buddha is covered in a seasonal costume, which is changed three times a
year to correspond to the summer (crown and jewelry), winter (golden shawl), and
rainy months (gilt robe and headdress). The costume change is an important ritual and
is performed by the Thai king, who also sprinkles water over the monks and the faithful
to bring good fortune during the upcoming season.

Ubosath – main building that houses the Emerald Buddha

Phra Sri Ratanna Chedi - contains relics of the Buddha

WatBenchamabophit, Bangkok – The Marble Temple; constructed in 1899 in the Dusit

area of Bangkok, It is situated on NakhonPathom road next to a canal. The ubosot (bot)
of this temple is designed symmetrically with multiple layered roofs and beautifully
balanced proportions.Best known for the lavish use of Italian carrara marble, which was
an almost priceless construction material at the time. The masonry halls are clad with
large marble tiles and decorated with European-style stucco. The roofs are covered
with glazed Chinese terracotta tiles.