Architecture

Buddhism has made one of its most significant contributions to Thai culture through architecture. The first great Thai temples rose in the kingdom of Sukhothai when the then Thai King Ramkamhaeng made Buddhism the dominant religion. The increasingly magnificent edifices that earned merit for royal builders reached a peak of splendour in those of the late Ayutthaya and early Bangkok periods. Buddhist architecture provides the most dazzling examples. Each Buddhist temple comprises several structures and buildings. Briefly, the following are the rnost important: The Bot, or main chapel, with its multi-tiered roof, contains the temple's principal Buddha image and is the site of major ceremonies such as ordinations. The Viham, or secondary chapel, houses less important Buddha images and is used for meetings, sermons and collective meditation. The Sala is an open - sided,roofed pavilion used for meditation classes and funeral rites. The sala is often made of wood and elevated on stilts. The Chedi is a gracefully tapering tower. The classic chedicomprises a square or round base which supports a smooth bell shaped dome topped by a series of diminishing discs which gracfully tapcr into a spirc. Traditional Thai dwcllings are distinctive:. Easily dismantablo,and casy to rcasscmblc, thcy are numborcd among the world's first prcfabricatod dwcllings. Stccply gablod roofs and ovcrhanging cavcs providc protcction against rain and sun, and thcir stiltcd clcvation assurcs suitahlc air circulation and protcction against floods and wild animals.