So Heng Tai Mansion

Historic Building in Bangkok

So Heng Tai Mansion
CC BY-SA 2.0 / Peter Mardie

The So Heng Tai Mansion is a nineteenth-century Chinese courtyard house located in the historic Talat Noi neighborhood of Bangkok. Built by Phra Aphaiwanit (Chat) of the So clan (1813–1849), a Hokkien Chinese bird’s nest tax farmer from Fujian who later became part of the nobility under King Rama III, the mansion has remained in the family for generations. His descendants include many notable Thai businessmen, celebrities, and politicians, such as Korn Chatikavanij. The mansion is one of the few remaining traditional Chinese houses in Bangkok and is said to be the oldest private residence in the city.

Despite being offered a staggering 2 billion baht by a Thai-Chinese tycoon, the family declined to sell the property. Today, the house also operates as a diving school, with a pool added to the courtyard in 2004. Since 2014, the house has been periodically opened to the public as part of efforts to promote Talat Noi as a cultural tourism destination.

The So Heng Tai Mansion appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Bangkok!

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Visiting So Heng Tai Mansion

Address: So Heng Tai, Soi Wanit 2, Talat Noi, Samphanthawong, Bangkok, Thailand

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