The So Heng Tai Mansion (, from zh, 蘇恒泰) is a nineteenth-century

Chinese courtyard house A ''siheyuan'' (; ɹ̩̂.xɤ̌.ɥɛ̂n is a traditional Chinese architectural style characterized by a courtyard enclosed by buildings on all four sides. This design was prevalent throughout China, notably in Beijing and rural Shanxi. Histo ...

in the historic neighbourhood of

Talat Noi Talat Noi or Talad Noi (, ) is a historic neighbourhood in Bangkok. It roughly occupies the area of the subdistrict of the same name in Samphanthawong District. Located on the periphery of Bangkok's Chinatown, Talat Noi has been home to various e ...

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

. It was built by Phra Aphaiwanit (Chat, of the So ( 蘇) clan, 1813–1849), a

Hokkien Hokkien ( , ) is a Varieties of Chinese, variety of the Southern Min group of Chinese language, Chinese languages. Native to and originating from the Minnan region in the southeastern part of Fujian in southeastern China, it is also referred ...

Chinese bird's nest

tax farmer Farming or tax-farming is a technique of financial management in which the management of a variable revenue stream is assigned by legal contract to a third party and the holder of the revenue stream receives fixed periodic rents from the contra ...

with ancestry from Fujian who eventually joined the nobility under King

Rama III Nangklao (born Thap; 31 March 1788 – 2 April 1851), also known by his regnal name Rama III, was the third king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, ruling from 21 July 1824 to 2 April 1851. Nangklao was the eldest surviving son of King Rama II. ...

. His descendants include many prominent Thai businessmen, celebrities and politicians including

Korn Chatikavanij Korn Chatikavanij (, , born 19 February 1964 in London) is a Thai politician. He was formerly the leader of the Chart Pattana Kla Party and the Kla Party. He was a deputy leader of the Democrat Party. A five-term MP, he served from 2008 to 201 ...

. The house has continuously been inhabited by his descendants, including one branch who now form the Poshyachinda family. It is one of the last remaining traditional Chinese houses in Bangkok and claims to be the oldest private residence in the city. A

Thai Chinese Thai Chinese (also known as Chinese Thais, Sino-Thais) are persons of Chinese people, Chinese descent in Thailand. Thai Chinese are the largest mixed group in the country and the largest overseas Chinese community in the world with a popul ...

tycoon reportedly offered to buy the residence for 2 billion baht, an offer turned down by the family. Today, it also operates as a diving school, a pool having been built in the courtyard in 2004. The house has at times been opened to the public, especially since 2014 when the Talat Noi area was promoted as a cultural tourism destination. Multiple organizations have offered assistance in its restoration, though lack of government support has largely left maintenance of the house to the family's own expense.

References

{{coord, 13, 44, 01, N, 100, 30, 44, E, type:landmark, display=title Buildings and structures in Bangkok Chinese architecture in Thailand Samphanthawong district 19th-century architecture Unregistered ancient monuments in Bangkok

See also

References