Houses complete with western and Thai kitchen styles

Housing in Thailand has come a long way in the last ten years. Time was that bathroom units and washing machines would be installed without any plumbing, pipes would be accidentally filled with concrete and seated toilets would be placed in the ground like French toilets. That�s not to say that these disasters do not still occur but they are at least far less common than they used to be. People choosing to rent or buy a house in Thailand have the advantage of being able to view a completed building but those that build their own houses have to keep a close eye on the entire development to prevent accidents like these from occurring. Many newcomers to Thailand are often confused as to why the kitchen is outside or underneath the house in many buildings.

This is because in Thailand the cooking is traditionally done outside so the heat, smoke, smells and chilli fumes do not permeate the house. Some houses have exterior cooking areas with western facilities such as ovens included which is probably the most surprising thing to foreigners who cannot fathom why such an expensive thing would be left outside. Modern houses designed for expats now tend to have westernised indoor facilities which makes life a lot easier. Some even have both indoor and outdoor cooking facilities to accommodate both foreign and Thai residents. Foreigners can easily make use of exterior units too as they can make entertaining guests for an evening garden party much easier.