New here, building soon!

**WarTorn87** · 17-01-2017, 11:15 PM

Just wanted to introduce myself here, my name's Kyle, and I'll be building a house in Thailand soon. After browsing through a bit, this site seems to be a great resource and I plan to make good use of it.

So far I've only had the fill for my house placed and the road built up. Which did not go as planned as the dirt laid for building was placed in the wrong spot, with the driveway laid on the wrong side of the house as well. I won't be back in Thailand for a few months, and thought I could have family and friends supervise this relatively simple task. I even had the area marked with tape and flags, I don't know how the job managed to get bungled so badly! Lesson learned (and paid for!), you always have to be there!

Edit: Quick drawing of issue

Here's as it was done.

And here's how it should have been.

Don't really want the driveway cutting through the middle of the property. Also, definitely want more of a yard in the back of the house (for privacy), instead of the entire yard being in the front and sides. On the right side of the drawing (just past the two ponds) is where the in-laws house is.

**Chico** · 17-01-2017, 11:18 PM

Change the builders quick.

**WarTorn87** · 17-01-2017, 11:26 PM

I'm guessing it had more to do with my in-laws, but I'm definitely considering it. I mean changing the builder, not the in-laws :P

**WarTorn87** · 18-01-2017, 12:16 AM

Forgive my very rough MS Paint job, but here is a rough overview. Here's as it was done.

And here's how it should have been.

Don't really want the driveway cutting through the middle of the property. Also, definitely want more of a yard in the back of the house (for privacy), instead of the entire yard being in the front and sides.

**BaitongBoy** · 18-01-2017, 01:31 AM

Welcome to the Buffalo Board...Luck with it...

**WarTorn87** · 18-01-2017, 02:38 AM

Thanks!

**Wasp** · 18-01-2017, 03:01 AM

Originally Posted by WarTorn87

Thanks!

Read the Threads !

Read the Threads !!!!

Then you'll know you'd better be there ....... or hire a very good manager .

Best of Luck .

Wasp

**David48atTD** · 18-01-2017, 03:20 AM

Originally Posted by WarTorn87

Forgive my very rough MS Paint job, but here is a rough overview. Here's as it was done.

And here's how it should have been.

Don't really want the driveway cutting through the middle of the property. Also, definitely want more of a yard in the back of the house (for privacy), instead of the entire yard being in the front and sides.

What I don't understand is ...

It's only the pad and the road which has been built.

Why not simply move both the pad and the road?

I might delay the build a little to settle the pad, but you have designed your house for a particular sun orientation and it's now been rotated 90o.

Maybe one of the bedrooms was pointing south and the Thais think that is sleeping in the death position (head to the south and feet pointing north ... I think I got it correct) and you wife changed it ... and blamed the builder ...

.

**WarTorn87** · 18-01-2017, 03:27 AM

We are moving it! No question. Just wanted to share the experience. As you said, we had it oriented properly, and changing it 90 degrees throws it all off.

And I suspect you may be right about whose fault it is! haha

**WarTorn87** · 18-01-2017, 03:33 AM

I knew that, but I also thought if I flagged and taped off everything, it would prevent any mishaps. How wrong I was

!

Originally Posted by Wasp

Originally Posted by WarTorn87

Thanks!

Read the Threads !

Read the Threads !!!!

Then you'll know you'd better be there ....... or hire a very good manager .

Best of Luck .

Wasp

**Dead Metal** · 18-01-2017, 04:25 AM

Welcome "wartorn", looking forward to your new build, best of luck with it.

Thailand's a big place, can you be a bit more specific please !

How many rooms ? How big ?

**Norton** · 18-01-2017, 05:45 AM

Originally Posted by WarTorn87

I knew that, but I also thought if I flagged and taped off everything, it would prevent any mishaps. How wrong I was !

Sure the builder only wanted to make sure he didn't disturb the pretty decorationa you spent so much effort to put in.

Welcome to the forum. I see you have mastered our extra special easy to use picture posting proceedure. Well done!

Looking forward to seeing your build progress. Good luck.

**Pragmatic** · 18-01-2017, 07:00 AM

I think you'll be in big trouble if you're not here to supervise the build. No matter how you want things, Thai builders know better.

**Airportwo** · 18-01-2017, 07:32 AM

First & foremost - Good luck with your build, its not easy!
You already realise that you need to be onsite for the build, thats good

What you may not realise is that you have to micro-manage every stage of the build, down to the quality of the screws and water pipe they use, you will be surprised at what they consider is acceptable!
To my cost, I found my in-laws to be the most unreliable people imaginable, they mean well but long story cut short, they are bloody clueless, I should have thought about more & looked at what they live in and find perfectly acceptable.
Cheers

**Pragmatic** · 18-01-2017, 08:47 AM

Originally Posted by Airportwo

I found my in-laws to be the most unreliable people imaginable, they mean well but long story cut short, they are bloody clueless, I should have thought about more & looked at what they live in and find perfectly acceptable.

Exactly.

**John Lennon** · 18-01-2017, 08:52 AM

Living 150km away from the site, we had the good fortune of having the FIL on site 24/7.
A dream come true.
He is being paid off by instalments - Beer Chang.

**VocalNeal** · 18-01-2017, 09:35 AM

Originally Posted by WarTorn87

I won't be back in Thailand for a few months,

It'll all be finished by the time you return and not as you anticipated.

Thai builder knows best.

BTW . can we assume North is up in your diagram?

**VocalNeal** · 18-01-2017, 09:41 AM

Originally Posted by WarTorn87

I won't be back in Thailand for a few months,

It'll all be finished by the time you return and not as you wanted it.

Thai builder knows best.

Originally Posted by WarTorn87

As you said, we had it oriented properly, and changing it 90 degrees throws it all off.

In the equatorial location, north and south walls receive the least intensity and that only for short periods of the year.
East and west facing walls receive the second highest intensities in the equatorial location and consistently large intensities even at the higher latitude.

**Airportwo** · 18-01-2017, 07:39 PM

Originally Posted by WarTorn87

I'm guessing it had more to do with my in-laws, but I'm definitely considering it. I mean changing the builder, not the in-laws :P

It's not a big deal to move the fill around, couple of tractors for the day ~ 3,500 baht jobs done!

**Vettronics** · 18-01-2017, 09:48 PM

Welcome and good luck with the house build.

**runker** · 18-01-2017, 10:53 PM

which way is north?

**Stumpy** · 19-01-2017, 07:23 PM

Welcome WarTorn.

As you noted lots of great information to be had on this site. There are mixed reviews as you will read about horror stories to great results. As we did our build I know I would have done some things differently compared to how are general contractor did them but I also realize it wasn't important enough to become cynical about them.

Originally Posted by Wasp

Then you'll know you'd better be there ....... or hire a very good manager .

^The best up front advice coupled with a missus that understands what you are trying to achieve.

Originally Posted by WarTorn87

Just wanted to share the experience

Share away and do not let too many on the board frustrate you with their one liners. Have some fun with it. I did.

What part of Thailand? 2,3,4 bedroom?

Regardless, Best of luck with the project

**Wasp** · 23-01-2017, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by VocalNeal

It'll all be finished by the time you return and not as you anticipated.

Thai builder knows best.

**runker** · 23-01-2017, 10:44 PM

So, if north is the top of the page then I think your builder is just trying to help save you some money on cooling. I'm going to guess blue is water too, maybe you'll get some cooling effect from the wind blowing across the water towards your house but shade trees would probably do more good.

**bindog** · 25-01-2017, 02:17 PM

Welcome to the board Wartorn.

You have learned a good lesson cheaply - don't complain!

It cost me 17k baht for my lesson, a useless water bore that my policeman brother in law "supervised". We will start over in another spot when we can be there to supervise the next one ourselves.

We want to build a carport / storage shed / temporary living quarters to live in initially, while we build the actual house - got that idea from this site. We talk about getting the BIL to organise it - who could screw up a breeze block and steel carport? Then I think of the water bore. Might have to live in a tent while we build the carport, so we can live in the carport while we build the house.

Which all makes me laugh with delight - this adventure is going to be "interesting"!

And you've inspired me - must go and squiggle lines and blue bits in Paint.

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