THAILAND ARCHITECTURE

- Capital Bangkok also called Krung Thep, meaning city of

angles
INFLUENCES
Geographical
- Old name was SIAM and translated to Thailand on 1939
- 514,000 square kilometres lie in the middle of mainland Southeast Asia
- Nations axial position influenced many aspects such as the society and culture of
the land
- Bounded by the countries: Myanmar/Burma & Andaman Sea (W-NW), Cambodia (ESE), Laos (NE), Malaysia & Gulf of Thailand (S)
Geological
PRECAMBRIAN ERA
- Colonel Samak Buravas pioneered the study of the rock and assigned all the high
grade metamorphic rock under study to be of Precambrian Rock
- Expose only in the North, Upper West, East, Lower and Southern part of the
country
PALEOZOIC ERA
LOWER PALEOZOIC ROCK
- Widespread in western mountain area extending from Kachanaburi Province in the
west to Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son and Uttaradit Province in the North, and to
Chon Buri in the East
UPPER PALEOZOIC
- Eastern part of the Peninsula
MESOZOIC ERA
- Consists of marine which was distributed mainly in the northern, western and
eastern parts of the country and non-marine deposits are widespread in the northeastern part (Khorat Plateau) and partly in the southern peninsula
- Marine rocks
o Limestones, mudstones, sandstones, dolomites and conglomerates
- Non-marine
o Reddish-brown to light-grey sandstones, conglomeratic sandstones,
siltstones, claystones and conglomerates
CENOZOIC ERA
TERTRIARY (SEDIMENTARY ROCK)
- Occurs throughout the country, except the Khorat Plateau

Climate

The country is immensely rich in durable and decorative timbers, including teak
and ebony, suitable for all types of constructive work.
The other principal building materials are brick, stone was little used, except for
foundations.

Tropical with a mean annual temperature of 82*F or 28-35*C and high humidity
o Three distinct seasons
Hot season March to May
Cool season November to February
Rainy season June to October

Historical & Social

- Thai people was originally lived in southwestern China and migrated into mainland
Southeast Asia over a period of many centuries
- Their existence is in a 12th century inscription at the Khmer Temple complex of
Angkor Wat in Cambodia, which refers to SYAM/SIEM/SYAMA, or dark brown
people.
- Thai people named their country MUEANG THAI
- SIAM designations by westerners likely from the Portuguese
- BOROMMATRAILOKKANAT king of the Ayutthaya Kingdom from 1448-1488
Gained the epithet KING OF WHITE ELEPHANTS
First king to possess a noble or WHITE ELEPHANT, which according to
Hindus belief, was a glorious and happy sign
(white elephants/ pink elephant abino not white sacred and a
symbol of royal power)
(status of kings has been evaluated by the number of white elephants
in their possession)
Known for his massive reforms of THAI bureaucracy and a successful
campaign against LAN NA and revered as one of the greatest monarchs
of Thailand
(LAN NA rival of Ayutthaya Kingdom)
- Some Indianized Kingdoms such as the MON, the KHMER EMPIREand MALAY
STATES of the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra had ruled the region.
- Thai established their own states which fought each other
o Ngoenyang
o Sukhothai Kingdom
These states were under constant threat from
the
o Kingdom of Chiang Mai Khmers, Burma and Vietnam.
o Kingdom of Lan Na
o Ayutthaya Kingdom
- Survived as the only Southeast Asian state to avoid European colonial rule during
19th and 20th century of power threatening, because the French and the British
decide to be a neutral territory to avoid conflicts between their colonies
- Endured 60 years of almost permanent military rule before the establishment of a
democratically elected-government system and remains unique among the southeast asia despite their foreign intrusions
- Ayudhya/Ayutthaya became the capital in the 14th century
o With direct access to the sea and the Cambodian Trade routes
o Renowned throughout the Indo-Chinese world for wealth and luxury
o Destroyed by the Burmese in 1767

Religion
- Religion in Thailand is varies, no official state religion in the Thai constitution,
which guarantees religious freedom for all citizens, though the king is required by
law to be THERAVADA BUDDHIST.
- Main religion practiced is Buddhist
- Large Thai-Chinese population practice Chinese folk religions, including Taoism and
the ISAN ethnic group
- Significant Muslim populations, mostly Thai-Malays from the southern regions
- Buddhism for 1500 years remained the prevailing influence on art and architecture
- 94% - Hinayana Buddhism or Theravada Buddhism
- 3.9% - Muslims
- 1.7% - Confucianism
- 0.65% - Christians
o The Roman Catholic Church
o The Southern Baptist
o The Seventh day Adventists
5 Major Christian denominations
o The Church of Christ in Thailand
o The Evangelical Fellowship of Thailand
- Hindus and Sikhs
o Hindu deities are worshipped by many Thais alongside Buddhism, such as
the famous Erawan Shrine and the statue of Ganesh, Indra, and Shiva, as
well as numerous symbols relating to Hindu deities are found e.g. GARUDA- a
symbol of the monarchy
Other notes:
NATIONAL FLOWER Ratchaphruek or the Golden Shower color of their national
religion and the color of Monday when His Majesty King of Thailand was born.
NATIONAL ANIMAL Chang Thai or Thai Elephant according to ancient royal Thai
traditions, a white elephant is a noble beast of special importance, exemplifying a kings
honor and glory
NATIONAL ARCHITECTURE Sala Thai or Thai Style Arbor it reflects knowledge of Thai
people. It retains beauty, which is different from architectures of other countries and
foreigners can acknowledge Thai-ness through Sala Thai.
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
Architecture in Thailand reflects the influences of the Buddhist countries and divided
into:
1. DVARAVATI PERIOD lasted from 6th to 13th centuries and mainly from Central Thailand
- Heavily influenced by Indian culture, and played an important role in
introducing Buddhism particularly Buddhist art or form to the region
- Stucco motifs on the religious monuments, including garudas, makaras, and
nagas
o Garuda a large bird-like creature, or humanoid bird that appears in
both Hinduism and Buddhism; - the mount of the Lord Vishnu
o Makara a sea creature in Hindu mythology and generally depicted as
half terrestrial animal in the frontal part, in animal forms of an
elephant, crocodile, stag, or deer and in the hind part as an aquatic

animal, in the form of a fish or seal tail. Sometimes, even a peacock

tail is depicted.; - the goddess of river Ganges and the sea god Vanura
o Naga a deity or class of entity or being, taking the form of a very
great snake specifically the king cobra
- No other architectural remains except fragments of foundations which give
some idea of plans but not the style of the buildings, but constructed of brick
and stone
- The plinths, with moulding similar to those of Buddhist structures have
granite bases with mortise holes for pillars which have supported timber
superstructures.
2. MON KHMER PERIOD lasted from 10th 13th century, from Central and Eastern
Thailand
- Angkor style of architecture was the provincial manifestation of the Khmer
- Jayavarman II founder of the Khmer Empire
- Introduced the use of stone, in place of the traditional brick or rubble bonded
with vegetable glue and some wood elements were used but it has been lost
to decay and other destructive processes.
o Buildings made of bricks:
Preah Ko
*Decorations were usually carved into a stucco
applied to
Lolei
brick, rather than into brick itself.
Bakong
Hariharalaya
o The only stone used by builders was the sandstone
Ta Keo 10th century temple to be constructed more or less
entirely from sandstone
o Used of Laterite a clay that is soft when taken from the ground but
hardens when exposed to sun, used for foundations and other hidden
parts of buildings; - not suitable for decorative curvings, unless first
dressed with stucco
3. THAI PERIOD (13th 17th century) the part of all phases of Siamese building were
played by sculpture, and in interiors, by mural painting important
3 SUBDIVISION OF STYLE:
a. Sukhotai Style sukhothai means dawn of happiness
- Harmoniously ecclectic, employing Indian Mon Dravidian, Mon
pagan, Sinhalese and Khmer motifs
- Buddhist temple couples normally erected on a terrace
- Have a ce3ntral sanctuary which sheltered a colossal
Buddha statue screened by a high wall. The wall had a narrow
arched aperture through which the image was viewed and
worshipped
- Over the sanctuary rose a tapering tower. The only usually
rectangular surrounding stupas carried similar elongated
finials
b. Ayudhya Style the stupa is generally circular in plan, ring-based and bellshaped

Remains was characterized by the prang (reliquary towers) and

gigantic monasteries, give an idea of its past splendour.
c. Chiengmai cosmopolitan influences were less conspicuous
- Custom of copying venerated monuments from abroad as
reminders of the need for religious observance
4. BANGKOK STYLE (18th 19th century) the new capital was designed to emulate the
destroyed City of Ayutthaya
- Many religious buildings and palaces were erected in which traditional forms
were overlaid with ornamentation of Chinese character
- Surfaces were often finished with porcelain tiles
- Walls are white stuccoed brick which contrasts with the brightly-coloured glazed
tiles of the multi-levelled overlapping timber roofs.
- Gables and barge-boards are decorated with Angkor-Hindu Iconography; nagas,
Vishnu and garuda
- Doors and window shutters are of carved wood, lacquered in black and gold, or
painted or inlaid with mother-of-pearl depicting themes of guardian divinities,
enchanted forests ferns, flowers and still life.
EXAMPLES
1. Wat Phra Sri Sarapet, Ayutthaya Thailand
2. Throne Room, Royal Palace, Bangkok Thailand
3. Wat Phra Kaew Thailand most famous temple