Thai Houses

The accepted impression of the Thai house overseas - a tall, thin structure with a highly angled roof in red tiles, is in fact typical of the region around Ayudhaya in the central plains, rather than native to the entire country. House design across the four main regions of Thailand varies considerably, reflecting geographic, climatic, economic and natural variations, and even spiritual beliefs.

In most small Northeastern villages, older houses are generally made of wooden living areas built on tall wooden pillars. The large, generally red, clay jars to the side or rear of these houses serve to collect rainwater from the roof to be used for drinking water. This arrangement has traditionally served several purposes:

* Water buffalo live underneath the house, both for safety and warmth in the cool season
* The ground level area provides a sitting area to welcome guests and to relax outside 
* The raised living areas provide access to breezes for natural cooling, and also permit damage from floods to be avoided.

Over time, and coinciding with both the economic development of Thailand and the deforestation of the Northeast, villagers in Isaan have tended to replace these older wooden houses with new single level properties constructed out of concrete blocks or bricks, and decorated with ceramic tiles. Often considered a sign of wealth or modernity, these houses however often prove hotter and less practical. 

The typical village is crisscrossed by walkways along the length and width of the village dividing it into groups or "koom". Each koom is given a name for the purpose of records and registration. Generally in each village there will be a temple, a school, a rice mill, a village court of law and a reservoir. 

The layout of the houses in each koom gives no hint of symmetry or systematic planning. The orientation of the roof of each house is invariably along the east west direction. The space between one house and the next is not fixed, but on average about four meters. Most if not all houses are without fences. Each house is generally accompanied by a granary built close to the house either to the north or south of the house. 

The average house is designed for a single family. The house plan is simple consisting of a bed room, corridor, a kitchen, and a shelf for storing water. Some houses may have "ruan kong" added to the main house. Ruan Kong is a hall room built opposite to the bedroom. Most houses have no partitions and assigned areas are not clearly marked off from one another.