We have a traditional Thai house on our farm, now we are looking to build something over our dam so we can fish and 'hang out'.

My hubby wants to build a traditional on-concrete-stilts sala over the water (he would like to make a simpler version of this www.nongnit.com/thaihouse/gazebo1.jpg) but I think they look a bit stupid in dry season when the water levels drop. However we haven't really been able to find any way of floating a roofed structure. And I right in assuming the building structure & roofing would make it too heavy? Have any of you seen such an animal in your travels?

**oops sorry meant to put this in the DIY forum! Sorry ***

Weight per-sé is not your major problem (add more barrels) but if you have a regular (heavy) roof structure your sala may be top heavy and prone to capsize, not something you want.

You could try designing a light weight roof and mitigate the stability problem by keeping the weight in the centre, use guide poles which serve to hold the sala in position whilst allowing it to rise and fall with the water.

Google 'a fishing dock in thailand'

Your photo shows a sala over dry land & I don't think it looks silly at all. Also, don't forget a floating one will sit cattywampus when the water dries up, but a sala on stilts will always remain level. I'm also thinking that a floating design might have higher maintenance costs over the years, but that's just a gut feel & I can't prove it.

Around Bangkok there are a number of "floating hotels" in various rivers.

Kanchanburi have such hotels.

Also here and there close to Chao Phraya, north of Ayudaya.

You should be able to find some through google.com