Abstract
The aims of this chapter are to understand the spatial characteristics of Khun houses and villages from architectural and ethnographic points of view and to consider the ways in which their houses are built to adapt to the climate. Khun is ethno-linguistically classified into the Tai-Kadai language family. They migrated from Myanmar and settled in the outskirt of Chiang Mai, the most famous old city of Northern Thailand. Khun are known for their dedicated practice of Theravada Buddhism, and active wet paddy rice cultivation is their common livelihood. The house space also has close relationship with them. This chapter shows how their houses are organized according to livelihood, religion, and other cultural features. First, the form and the spatial organization of the house will be described. Second, a typological analysis of the house from the viewpoint of gender relationships and invisible order will be made. Lastly, the most efficient way to adapt the houses to the tropical monsoon climate will be considered.
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- 1.
The surveys were conducted for about 10 days each year from 2014 until 2016 in T village in San Pa Tong district, Chiang Mai prefecture. The survey was carried out with physical measurement of 20 houses, house sites, and the whole village space, together with interviews with 20 villagers. In order to understand local ways of using the space, any furniture and goods in and around the house were included in the drawings. Interviews were based on a questionnaire that was prepared in advance. Examples of questionnaire topics are family structure and economic condition of households, schedule of everyday life, the use of each space inside and outside the house, remodeling history, gender relationships, and spatial perception represented in rituals.
- 2.
The staircase is often placed to climb from east to west.
- 3.
Additionally, even today, males must pay what is called the “bride wealth” to the female side before the wedding.
- 4.
Sao means post. Paya means great or large. Naan means female.
- 5.
Tao means Thevadaa. Tan means above. Si means four directions of north, south, east, and west.
- 6.
Suup means inherit or to extend the life. Chata implies the fate or life of human being.
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Shimizu, I. (2018). Thailand: The Houses of a Khun Village in Chiang Mai. In: Kubota, T., Rijal, H., Takaguchi, H. (eds) Sustainable Houses and Living in the Hot-Humid Climates of Asia. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8465-2_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8465-2_8
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