Previous   Next
Home » Images » 0010 Pictures From History » CPA0004734

Thailand: A Siamese family poses for a photograph on their floating house on the Chao Phraya River near Bangkok, c. 1900.

Thailand: A Siamese family poses for a photograph on their floating house on the Chao Phraya River near Bangkok, c. 1900.

At the turn of the 20th century, the vast majority of Siamese were rice farmers who lived and worked along waterways. Every household had a boat, an estimated 600,000 of which navigated the canals and rivers of Bangkok. Rowing was done from the back of the boat. Most houses were made from wood and bamboo, and were built on stilts with a ladder running to the water.

Quick links to other images in this gallery: