Thai style houses in Chiang Mai

Thai style houses in Chiang Mai are common and striking in their architecture.  They are a popular design with people due to their look and features.  There are many commonalities among Thai style houses, and they are built the way they are for many practical reasons that extend beyond just the beauty and appeal of them.  Depending on where you are in Thailand, the Thai houses each have characteristics that have to do with whether the house is located in Central Thailand, North Thailand or South Thailand. 

North Thailand homes tend to be more walled in with less window space and plenty of room for what is known in the northern dialect as toen, or platform.  There is a shelf along one wall for storing water. Walls tend to slant toward the eaves, and the main body of the house is usually surrounded by a lot of open space. Northern Thai houses face east with the roof ridge facing in a north to south direction. This allows the house to get the maximum benefit of the sun without being exposed to the northern winds in the cool season.

In the northeast, the houses are built with regards to the climate of dryness, hot in the summer and cold in the winter.  The roof lines run east to west and there is typically no more than 4 meters between houses.  These houses are designed to be single family dwellings with a bedroom, a hallway, a kitchen, a shelf for water storage and a corridor. There is no real separation of rooms within the house.  Some houses have a Ruan Kong added to the main part.  A Ruan Kong is a hall room that sits opposite the bedroom. 

The southern style Thai house is similar to that of houses in the other regions.  Some characteristics are that the supporting posts rest on stone slabs, which help to prevent termites and dampness from getting into the house.   The roof is set low and there is a lot of space under the houses, which makes this design stand up well against strong winds and rains.  The steep slant of the roof helps rainwater run off the roof quickly and helps get the roof dry at a faster rate.   The aligning posts and walls slant inwards and the walls are made of wooden boards that are overlapping the upper board over the bottom one, keeping rain water from getting inside.

In Central Thailand, the Thai style houses have a high floor level that allows an average height man the ability to walk and still have clearance over his head as well as giving a good amount of space underneath which has benefits such as protection from wild animals and intruders getting in, flooding, storage of farm equipment and is sometimes a good squatting or sitting place for working on their handicrafts.   The roofline slants sharply and is made from earthenware tiles.  There is generally a large platform area that makes up about 40% of the house, and allows for a lot of air circulation and sun exposure.Thai style houses in Chiang Mai