Eighteenth century house in Bangkok has a unique scuba diving pool in courtyard

2020-02-27 1,289

This is one of the oldest houses in Bangkok and the owner has built a scuba diving pool in the courtyard.

Built 230 years ago, So Heng Tai Mansion is an eighteenth-century Chinese house in the historic neighbourhood of Talat Noi in Bangkok the capital of Thailand.

The house was first built for running an export business of birds nests - a culinary delicacy - from Thailand to China in the early 1800s, while the city was being developed by early Chinese settlers.

The antique mansion consists of four houses. They were built from teak wood in a Thai-Chinese architectural style and decorated in traditional Chinese wall paintings.

But the most interesting feature to have developed at the property is now a 13ft deep diving pool, which is now used for lessons.

The eighth-generation owner Poosak Posayachinda is a keen diver who has transformed the courtyard's original pond into a scuba pool.

Poosak, who travels around the world on diving trips, said: ''We changed the area in the centre to make it into a swimming pool for teaching scuba diving and it's now our main income from the house.

''A lot of Thais and foreigners visit the house every day for taking photos and relaxing at the cafe.''

Poosak, who is speaking in the video, has taught more than 6,000 people for 25 years, making his house as one of the most popular diving pools in Bangkok.

''Not only do the students learn how to scuba dive, but they also learn the history of Thai-Chinese culture,'' the owner added.