Traditional Thai houses are built on stilts to protect inhabitants from floods and wild animals. They are made of wood, bamboo, palm leaves, and reed thatch, with steeply pitched roofs for proper water drainage during monsoon rains. These houses are adaptable to the climate and easy to install, but they require frequent replacement due to heat and damp damage.

The interior of the house consists of a large main room, where meals are eaten and guests are entertained. Around it are one or more raised bedrooms. The space beneath the house is often used for cooking or as a rest area.

The characteristic features of a Thai house show some regional variation. In the North, for example, the windows are smaller than elsewhere in the country so as to conserve heat during the cold season. A house owned by an aristocratic family follows the same basic pattern but has more rooms and is decorated in a more elaborate fashion. It will often be built of teak, a wood known for its strength and durability.

Today, fewer and fewer Thai houses are built of wood. Concrete, brick, tiles, and corrugated iron (for roofing), all of which cost less than wood, have begun to replace it in recent decades.