By Paula Parker
Chinpracha House is one of Phuket’s cultural attractions, one that many visitors to the island may never think to visit.
During our
last trip, we took some time away from the beaches and explored the streets of
Old Phuket Town.
There are many interesting sights to see, including the decorative Chinese Temples, Chinese shop houses and the beautifully designed Sino-Portuguese mansions.

A good example of Sino-Portuguese-style homes is Chinpracha House, a stately mansion located on Krabi Road.
The house is also known as Baan Chinpracha and was constructed in 1903 by Prapitak Chinpracha.
The current
owners are sixth-generation descendants of the original owner, who today
still live in the mansion.
Although Baan Chinpracha is occupied, the owner has opened up certain areas of
the house to the public; in fact, the entire ground floor area of the home.
The only areas of Baan Chinpracha that are not open
to the public are the rooms on the second floor.

Baan Chinpracha is decorated with the original Italian floor tiles that were imported from Europe and furniture that belonged to the original owners, most of which was imported from China.
The main room in the house is the picture shown at the top of this article; the room is rather large and is centred around an inner courtyard, featuring a beautiful fishpond that is decorated with fresh flowers.
The fishpond was once the original well, which provided water to the house.

The other rooms you are able to wander through on the ground floor include two bedrooms, and a large kitchen where you can see traditional stoves, and an array of brass and clay cooking pots, pans and utensils.
As you walk through Baan Chinpracha, you will notice the walls are lined with old family photos, antiques and memorabilia from years gone by.
Baan Chinpracha has also been used for a couple of movies, including the most recent, "Heaven & Earth".

If you are interested in spending a bit of time at Baan Chinpracha mansion, I would recommend that you do as we did, and combine it with a tour of Old Phuket Town.
To really understand the history of the building, you will need a guided tour by a local who has knowledge about Phuket's history and culture, who can explain in detail the history of the house, which acts as a museum.

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The easiest way to get there is to join an organised tour, or you can visit Chinpracha House independently, by making your way into Phuket Town.
Chinpracha
House is located at 98 Krabi Road, next door to another stately mansion,
the Blue Elephant Restaurant, which, by the way, is also worth visiting
for dinner.
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