Architecture

The Sukhothai period (13th-14th centuries) is regarded as the zenith of Thai culture, advancing major achievements in Thai art and architecture. One of the lasting legacies of the Sukhothai period is its sculpture, characterized by the graceful aquiline-nosed Buddha, either sitting in meditation or, more distinctively, walking sinuously. These Buddha images are considered some of the most beautiful representations ever produced. Sukhothai, the city, expanded and furthered the layout and decorative style of the Khmer capitals. With the inclusion of Chinese wooden building techniques and polychromatic schemes and Japanese-influenced carved flowing lines -- the wat, or temple, with its murals, Buddhist sculpture, and spacious religious and administrative buildings, defined the first "pure" Thai Buddhist style. During this period came the mainstays of Thai wat architecture (in order of artistic importance): the phra chedi (stupa), bot, wihaan, phra prang, mondop, and prasat, all of which are explained further.

The dome-shaped phra chedi -- usually called simply chedi and better known in the West as stupa -- is the most venerated structure and an elaboration of the basic mound. Originally it enshrined relics of the Buddha -- later of holy men and kings. A stupa consists of a dome (tumulus), constructed atop a round base (drum) and surmounted by a cubical chair representing the seated Buddha, over which is the chatra (umbrella) in one or several (usually nine) tiers. There are many different forms extant in Thailand: The tallest, oldest, and most sacred is the golden chedi of Nakhon Pathom.

The bot (ubosoth or uposatha) is where the bhikku (monks) meditate and all ceremonies are performed. It consists of either one large nave or one nave with lateral aisles built on a rectangular plan where the Buddha image is enshrined. At the end of each ridge of the roof are graceful finials, called chofa (meaning "sky tassle"), which are reminiscent of animal horns but are thought to represent celestial geese or the Garuda (a mythological monster ridden by the god Shiva). The triangular gables are adorned with gilded wooden ornamentation and glass mosaics.

The wihaan (vihara or viharn) is a replica of the bot (the central shrine in a Buddhist temple) that is used to keep Buddha images.

The phra prang, which originated with the corner tower of the Khmer temple, is a new form of Thai stupa, elliptical in shape and also housing images of the Buddha.

The mondop may be made of wood or brick. On a square pillared base the pyramidal roof is formed by a series of receding stories, enriched with the same decoration tapering off in a pinnacle. It may serve to enshrine some holy object as at Saraburi, where it enshrines the footprint of the Lord Buddha, or it may serve as a kind of library and storeroom for religious ceremonial objects, as it does at Wat Phra Kaeo in Bangkok.

The prasat (castle) is a direct descendant of the Khmer temple, with its round-topped spire and Greek-cross layout. At the center is a square sanctuary with a domed sikhara and four porchlike antechambers that project from the main building, giving the whole a steplike contour. The prasat serves either as the royal throne hall or as a shrine for venerated objects, such as the prasat of Wat Phra Kaeo in Bangkok, which enshrines the statues of the kings of the present dynasty.

Less important architectural structures include the ho trai or library housing palm-leaf books; the sala, an open pavilion used for resting; and the ho rakhang, the Thai belfry.

The Ayutthaya and Bangkok periods furthered the Sukhothai style, bringing refinements in materials and design. During the Ayutthaya period there was a Khmer revival; the Ayutthaya kings briefly flirted with Hinduism and built a number of neo-Khmer-style temples and edifices. The art and architecture evident in early Bangkok were directly inspired by the dominant styles of the former capital. After the destruction of Ayutthaya in the 18th century, the new leaders, having established their foothold in Thonburi, soon moved across the Chao Phraya to Bangkok and tried to copy many of the most distinctive buildings of Ayutthaya. This meant incorporating older Khmer (such as Wat Arun), Chinese, northern Thai, and, to a lesser degree, Western elements into contemporary wats, palaces, sculpture, and murals.

The last major influence in Thailand's architectural and artistic development was Western -- and many would say that it is the single most important style today. Beginning with the opening up of the country to Europe during the later days of the Ayutthaya period, Jesuit missionaries and French merchants brought with them decidedly baroque fashions. Although the country was long reluctant in its relations with the West, European influences eventually became evident. Neoclassical elements were increasingly incorporated, notably in the Marble Wat in Bangkok, which was started by King Chulalongkorn in 1900 and designed by his half-brother, Prince Naris. A few decades later Art Deco became an important style, as can easily be seen today at Hualampong Station and along Ratchadamnoen Avenue, and the style is so prevalent that many writers use the term Thai Deco.

Today, much to the consternation of some leading Thai architects, anything goes, and you can see modernism, Greek revival, Bauhaus, sophisticated Chinese, and native Thai elements melded into eclectic designs that are often interesting and sometimes quite pleasing. Much of Bangkok, however, is almost indistinguishable from other fast-growing Asian capitals, such as Hong Kong and Singapore. Typical Thai wooden house blocks are cleared; klongs (canals), filled in and replaced by wide thoroughfares; modern high-rise office and apartment complexes, hastily erected -- in sharp contrast to the city's vibrant architectural treasures, which are fortunately being well preserved for visitors in search of something truly exotic.