When we first started looking at house plans, I noted that most houses in our price range had this very little room in the back of the house, which they called a kitchen. There was no room for counters, sinks, refrigerators, or cooking ranges.
So, after we selected our house plan, I added to the building expense by modifying the plans and adding room for a proper kitchen. I wanted a kitchen counter that was 36” in height, not the standard Thai 30 inches and large enough to prepare food on. I wanted a sink, upper and lower cabinets, a tiled counter top, additional electrical outlets, and room for a proper size refrigerator plus a cooking range. Thus, a larger room.
The first odd thing I noted when construction started was that the bottom of the back window, which I wanted to be center on the kitchen sink was not centered and was only 30 inches from the floor. I pointed this out and stated that I did not want a 6” recess behind my sink, as that would be an area that would only gather dirt. They looked at me like I was a crazy man from Mars. After drawing pictures, they finally got the idea. Seems as if they forgot about the counter height or centering the window. Bricks were added to raise the window level and to center it, but resulted in a small window that I had wanted. So be it.
Shortly thereafter I noted there were no drain lines, or water lines entering the house in the area of the kitchen. I would ask Mee about this, she would ask the contractor and we would be assured that all was well. This question repeated it’s self each and every months for several months as no lines were being installed. Finally, the light went on, and they realized that I wanted running water in the kitchen and a drain for the sink. I guess they though I would bring buckets of water to the kitchen as a water supply and keep a dish pan or some such object under the sink to catch the water.
What now? Knock holds in the wall, add plumbing, also as I had the rear of the house cemented with walkways, trenches had to be jack hammered in the walkway for the drain pipe. Plaster and paint covers the holes in the house well, but the walkways are now started to crack where they were filled in.
After all this the kitchen is completed, so what now takes place:
Other that the odd coffee cup or glass that I wash the sink gets not much use. Thai's prefer to wash dishes outside so Mee has set up an area for this.
Dishes are not stored in the cabinets I had installed except the ones that I eat out of. All the rest are placed on an outdoor rack and covered with towels.
The expensive range that I bought has at this point in time cooked nothing more than one cheese toast sandwich. The burners have never been turned on. She prefers the old hob.
The microwave and the over part of the range are now used to store Thai food leftovers rather than the large refrigerator I just had to have.
A grass mat is put down and food preparation is done in the middle of the kitchen floor or often times in the back yard if family is visiting. They make a party out of it. Therefore, the counter top is not used for food prep. That spaced is taken up with an old hob we had, and various other items.
Oh well, so much for the best laid plans. Perhaps a small room on the back of the house would have been sufficient.
I have walked around the neighbor hood and have noted that they all have a outdoor dish washing area, a food preparation area and normally a gas cooker in their back yards. I believe this is a left over custom when the area under most houses were devoted to these activities, as well as being the animal (cows, chickens, pigs) pens.
I also have to admit, it's much cooler most days in the covered area of the back yard than in the house.
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