Conservation Practice of Vernacular Houses in the Northeastern Thailand

Abstract

               Northeastern Thailand has various styles of vernacular houses of Tai-Kadai and Mon-Khmer ethnic groups passed as the architectural heritage with the long history of settlement for a few centuries. Since many decades ago, locals and conservationists have preserved the vernacular houses located in many places in the region but now there are only a few researches exposing their practice. This article aims to answer a related question, “How have the ethnic-vernacular houses in the northeastern Thailand been preserved?”. Therefore, an integrated approach to collect data were both from the methods of qualitative research including historical document review and key informant interview, and the architectural observation from 23 case studies across the region. The discussion of the results emphasizes on the concept of conservation with minimum intervention which giving precedence to preserve the authentic value of architectural heritage as much as possible. As a result, the study found that the conservation of vernacular houses came with various techniques and building use different from case to case due to the context and limitation of each specific place. Overall conservation practice could not preserve the authentic value of vernacular houses as it should have been. Strengthening the local awareness and knowledge on the conservation of vernacular houses, and balancing between the authentic preservation and profitable management, are recommendations for the quality enhancement of conservation practice under the concept of minimum intervention.