When we arrived in Phitsanulok, for several days we wondered as we drove around, “Where are all the houses?” Every building seemed to be a business. I wondered if maybe some people lived in the top floors of the business like New York City apartments, but we just did not understand. After being here a week and staying with Thai families, we have learned that many people’s homes are the same as their businesses. Often city families run a business on the first floor and have living space on the top floors. In fact the words for work (wan) and house (ban) are very similar. My confusion was borne in trying to superimpose my Western concepts of urban planning on an Eastern town.

Even some families who live outside of the heart of the city have their business and home on the same property. So although there are free-standing houses, there will probably be a business next door. One of my hostesses explained that Thai cities are not zoned for residential or commercial use. You simply get permission to build your house from the town, and then you can choose to run a business on the same property or not.

Although our hosts have often pointed out the “heart of the city,” it is difficult for my Western eye to discern this. In fact, our first few days in Phitsanulok, most of the group was quite confused where we were going the majority of the time. There are no grid patterns or town squares becauses businesses can be anywhere.

The combination of home and work, along with many other Thai customs, reminds me of how things worked in America 100 to 150 years ago. For example, my current hosts have five house staff and three business employees, and my last hosts had 20 farm workers who lived in houses on their property. Most homes in America no longer have live-in help except for the very rich. Also, many Thai houses also have outdoor kitchens. The cooks prepare the food there to keep the smells and heat out of the house. This has not been common in the United States for quite some time.

Thai houses are also more open to nature. Most townhouses have roll-down gates in the front to lock the business up at night. But during the day, when it is rolled up, the entire front of the building is open to the street. There is no front door. When I was first driving by these places, if the doors were down, I would wonder what that space was used for. Based on the size of the door, I hypothesized wrongly that it was a garage. Lesson for the week: Don’t try to superimpose your cultural ideas onto a new culture.