Wolfgang's photos with the keyword: Thai Village

Northeast of the museums complex its rebuilt a original Thai village as the ethic group Lao Song in Thailand are living. This people also called Songdam, they have their own tradition to build houses and villages. The following pictures show the amazing style they still contract their premises in northeast of Thailand in Isaan. Enjoy a look to this samples.

The unique characteristic of Lao Song custom can be seen from their traditional houses. The original dwellings of Lao Song were acquired from the village of Lao Song in Sa Yai Som, Suphan Buri Province.

Pillars and beams of the structure are made of wood. Used to help support the beams, the wooden pillars are forked so they can fit into the beams. The floor and the walls, how ev er, are built of bamboo.

The house is roofed with long grass tied together by vine or rattan (calamus). The whole struc ture is secured together without using a single nail.

From the architectural point of view, the northern Thai house is distinguished from its coun ter part in the central region by the cross at the tip of the gables, known as Ga-Lae. Tra di tion al ly, the Ga-Lae are delicately carved with intricate motifs, unlike the plain triangular gables nor mal ly found in the villages of the central plain area. In the north, a house is normally roofed with small ceramic tiles. The windows are normally small in order to keep people warm during the winter.

The main part of the house is constructed of wood. The common deck together with the water hall (Ruean Nam) are built adjacent to the house. The water hall, considered nec es sary part of the house, is a roofed deck where three to four small pots are placed side by side. Next to the deck, in a larger northern Thai house, there is possibly Pa-Lai or an open hall functioning as a meeting room. Bedrooms are inside the house. Another unique characteristic of the northern Thai house is a carved piece of wood placed above the door. This piece of wood is normally intricately carved with traditional designs and called Ham Yon. It is a mys ti cal sign believed to help protect the residents from all harm.

The Northern Thai Village exhibited in the museum is an authentic example of real villages I've seen in the northern and north eastern part of Thailand. The difference here is missing: every house and compound own satellite dish, the telephone and electricity lines and the hundreds of antennas to watch to the unimportant TV-programs.

I feel sorry for no posting photos from the Songdam people, but we are in a museum showing the exhibition of their villages. In other albums I already posted some photos from the people also called the Tai Dam or Tai Song. Once I met two Tai Dam students in Munich university studying political economy. But after their study they met Germans and remain in Germany for the rest for their life. WHATS A PITY! The Lao Song are descendants of Lao peoples from the areas of Tonkin and areas east of Luang Prabang when they were forcibly removed to the areas of Central Thailand today as slaves and corvée labourers during Siamese annexation during the 18th and 19th centuries. Most were members of the Tai Dam ethnic group (counted by the Chinese government as members of the Dai ethnic group) and the traditional dress, language, and culture is remarkable as a preservation of Tai Dam culture in the heart of Central Thailand and Thaification policies. The Lao Song were used as guards for the royal courts and to help control the powerful Chinese minority, which explains their widespread distribution.

The area in the central part is used as a kitchen and sleeping quarters while the back part serves as a sacred area where the residents will hold rituals to pay respect to their house spirits. According to their tradition, strang ers or guests will not be allowed to enter their homes unless the ho me own er has asked for permission from the spirits beforehand.