Thailand has several fantastic things to offer its tourists, one of which is the highly diverse architectural designs you can find in this city. Anyone can identify Thai architecture from miles away due to its magnificent colors, rich ornamentation, and multi-layered roofs.
It combines several common architectural styles, such as Indian, Chinese, and Burmese. Still, it has become its unique way of cultural expression, and in this article, we are going to learn everything you need to know about this incredible style. Keep reading to learn more about Thailand’s fantastic culture!
Thailand Architecture by Alejandro Cartagena
The History of Thai Architecture
The very first start of Thai architecture dates back to 1780 when King Indraditya created the Sukhothai Kingdom with buildings inspired by classical Buddhist shapes. Nonetheless, this rapidly evolved during the Ayutthaya period, when Thai architecture started portraying the richness of its culture and power.
During this period, an extremely well-known temple was created. Although we can only see its ruins nowadays, it is still a fantastic example of Thai architecture and how it aimed to create several open rooms and complex pavilions with a huge baggage of cultural, Hindu, and Buddhist backgrounds.
Secular Thai Architecture
On the other hand, Thai architecture is much more than temples and religious buildings. Thailand is filled with gorgeous houses near rivers at constant risk of getting flooded.
These houses tend to have a storage area where locals would store all sorts of animals, such as ducks or chickens, and an upper room where they would rest.
Some of the most popular construction materials are wood and bamboo. Moreover, several cultural beliefs shape how these houses are created, as Thai people have strict rules about not rearranging a house once it’s finished, as well as other rules regarding the positioning of the body when sleeping.
Temple in Bangkok by Silvia
Modern Thai Architecture
We have already described the entire cultural background of Thai architecture. Still, today’s Bangkok is way different than that, as it is filled with huge skyscrapers and modern designs built during the 80s and 90s. Some fantastic examples of this are the Silom’s MahaNakhon towers, Bangkok’s tallest building, and the Elephant Building, one of the most iconic buildings in the world and has become a huge tourist attraction throughout the years.
Nonetheless, although Thailand has become more modern over the years, most of its cultural and historic architecture has been appropriately preserved and restored, turning this beautiful city into an exciting mix of tradition and novelty.
Bottom Line
Thai architecture is filled with eye-catching colors and interesting designs. Although not many people know about its wonders, it is still a fantastic thing to remember if you want to visit this incredible country.
Moreover, if you’re interested in art, you’re always free to visit its several amazing museums during your stay at your luxury five stars hotel. If you want to know more about this, please check out the rest of our page and prepare yourself to learn everything you need to know before visiting this fantastic country.
