THAILAND

Thai Classical House & Sala Thai

Regardless of weather conditions in Thailand the local created a "Thai Classical House" is good to stand for the weather conditions of the country, whether it may rain or shine. Thai Classical Houses are made up with many parts that complement each other. In the old day, builders took the art of housing as unique to Thailand. Basically, there are two main parts, namely, the upper section is composed of "OKKAI" (Ridge of Roof) which is a long wooden plank filled into an aperture of the centrally pillars, coupled with "JUA" (Gable) an apparatus made of a tangle-shaped wood to secure the roof for protection against the wind and the sun. There is "CHANDAN" (Rafter) looking like Jua but hollow, placed to receive the wooden piece placed on purloin or lathes. There is "PANLOM" (Ornamental Gable end) which is a pointed wooden piece placed Chandan to fit in with "KLON" a piece of wood placed atop Pae to serve as the structure for roofing. There is "RANEANG" (Purloin) a piece of wood spliced lengthwise to place roofing tiles and finally comes "CHERNG CHAI"(Eaves) a piece of wood designed to receive the apart of the roof.
The aforementioned parts are called the "Upper Structure". When the upper structure is filled into the lower section composed of floorboards, the beauty of each Thai Classical House rested with a thing called "PANLOM"

"
The beauty of Thai Classical House
lies in the fact that the whole structure
is a product of individual pieces
fitted together without using a nail. However, nails are used when the structure is fitted to the pillars. Formally, builders used strings or wires. Indeed Thai craftsmen did not rely on nails at all
"

as it is the heart of the artistic construction. The advantage lies in the fact that Thai Classical House can be moved from one place to another one without damages or difficulties as they are not secured by nails. An entire house can be moved by mean of rails. Thai Classical Houses are not hot. They are standing tall, can let the wind pass underneath with ease, with house spared from the force of the wind. Moreover, people may sometimes rest under the house. It takes not more than three months to make a Thai Classical House elsewhere without trouble. A Thai Classical House has a long story. For example, Thais choose the most auspicious month of a year to construct a home. Holes are dug in the ground and placed with wood (the first pillar) with good names and as a gesture of goodwill, before setting up the poles. The direction to which a house faces is significant factor which must be observed according to Thai custom in order to bring peace and happiness to the members of a household.
Ancient craftsmen of Thailand invented this craft and passed it on from generation to generation. Today, they stand as witnesses to the glorious days of the past in the eyes of be holders in Thailand, foreigners as well.