Imagine reclining on hammock swinging in the breeze of a Siamese late afternoon. As you sip your sundowner, the sun dips orange and magnificent, gleaming on the teak terrace of your house. You feel like you're in heaven. With the warmth of the wood and the charm of the soaring roofs, gables and eaves, the Thai style house is a feast for the eyes and the soul.
Though one of the world's most romantic dwellings, the Thai style house actually developed as a practical response to Thailand's monsoon climate. Thailand is hot, sunny and humid for most of the year. And the monsoon rains sweep in in May and ravage the country until November. So any building needs to be able to resist both relentless sunshine and lashing monsoon storms.
The first thing that strikes you about the traditional Thai house is its sense of space and airiness. It is perched a man's height off the ground and is formed of rooms arranged around broad terraces. Then there's the wonderful warm glow of the teak wood that feels so good under your bare feet. Both design and choice of materials are not only pleasing to your eye but also highly functional.
The house is elevated to avoid being touched by the floods during the rainy season. In addition, the space under the house once provided housing for the animals needed for farm work. And not least, the elevation provided protection from the wild animals that once roamed the area.
But the true splendor of the house comes from its construction material. In the past much of Siam was forested so wood was plentiful. Especially prized for house construction was the fabulous golden teak. Golden brown in hue, this teak is easily worked and is rich in natural oils which make it weatherproof. It is also resistant to termite attacks and has low heat conductivity. Due to deforestation, this timber is now very expensive.
The general structure of the Thai style house is of a broad open deck or terrace area. This platform area may account for 40 per cent of the total area of the house. This arrangement allows the flow of cooling breezes and provides a space for relaxing and eating. People also sleep here during the hot summer nights. Around the perimeter are the living rooms and bedrooms. The deck is on a lower level than the dwelling rooms to allow water to drain away. The long deep eaves give protection from the sun and the rain. The rooms have shutters which can be swiftly opened to let in breezes and just as swiftly closed to keep out the rain.
Another striking feature of the Thai house is the ornate roof. Often the designs are based on some traditional motif. For example, the curving ends of the bargeboards represent nagas or celestial serpents. The decorative elements of the traditional Thai house have practical as well as symbolic significance. The steep roofs allow rain to drain off easily and holds air to provide insulation against heat.
In the past, Thai houses were traditionally built along waterways for transport and water supply. A perfect site was amid lush groves of fruit trees and coconut palms which proffered shade. The Thais also built these houses without nails. They were essentially prefab and could be disassembled and moved anywhere. The famous Jim Thompson house in was in fact brought from upcountry and assembled in Bangkok.
To learn more about the Thai house and other wonders of Thai culture, please visit http://hubpages.com/hub/Bangkok-Insiders-Guide
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