THE BUILDING STYLE COLONIAL IN NORTHEAST OF THAILAND

Abstract

          Most of building styles are influenced by French architecture and constructed by Vietnamese builders. Identities of these colonial buildings are: 1) its arch is curved, and there are columns supported between the columns’ range, 2) its balcony is oval and square in shape, and 3) its shutters are built to be high from floor to door casings. Besides French architecture, Italian colonial buildings at Satrirachinuthit School in Udon Thani province and the former provincial hall in Nakhon Phanom province are still patently seen in this region.

Northeastern Thai colonial buildings were constructed by using bearing wall technique. They were also designed and built towards thoughts and ideas of Vietnamese builders. Various buildings of government sectors in Northeastern Thailand are explicit exemplars showing Vietnamese builders’ proficiency in constructing colonial buildings. Discovery of this study leads to valuable evidence revealing patterns and styles of construction in Northeastern Thailand before 1957. In this period, the government had an announcement to have every architect and builder throughout Thailand use the same style of construction model designed by the government; however, most of buildings and Buddhist chapels found in this region were still in style of colonial buildings. The first oldest colonial building in Northeastern Thailand is of Ban Tha Rae Buddhist chapel in Sakon Nakhon province. This Buddhist chapel is a construction model built in the same period that the government’s policy focusing on civilization development was promulgated. Consequently, the former Nakhon Phanom provincial hall also represents the first model of Northeastern Thai civilization which Thai government was involved inevitably.

The existing evidence found through construction which civilization is implied shows construction of colonial buildings are popular among Vietnamese builders. These builders are main labors for construction because their skills are more proficient than those the local Northeastern Thai builders. This circumstance becomes a main factor influencing on the increasing numbers of Northeastern Thai colonial buildings as seen in nowadays. More importantly.