Thread: loan for construction of house.chiangmai

If you are building in C.M, and if you decide to use teak, it will probably be from a teak house that has been dismantled (or you will dismantle it). In that case, the teak wood is fairly old and termites are not much of a problem. You may have to go up to 100 miles to get the teak and have to pay poilce bribes to get it to your location. I ended up buying over 1,000,000 baht in teak for my house about 3 years ago and have had no problems with termites.

But, if one is going to be using a lot of teak in their house, it would be far cheaper to use old reclaimed teak rather than new teak.

1 million badt seems a lot for teak wood......especially as you say its reclaimed(and supposed to be cheaper)

A new thai teak house costs about 1.4 million!

Anyway thank you for your advice.......

I am however thinking about something a bit more in line with getting wood from felled trees and having a couple of carpenters work on site, can anyone tell me if this is possible from their experience?????

Does anyone know of any other other hardwoods apart from teak?

The reason for the above questions is that i want something similar to oak that i can get made to personal designs on site.......

thanks once again for your insights!

Originally Posted by koogook

A new thai teak house costs about 1.4 million!

A very small teak house costs that much. Not even 100 sq meters. Teak is expensive as in a sense its finite. There is not enough to go around.

1.4 million for a 2 bedroom 1 bathroom terrace surround with sala and extra rim detail, of course you can count the bottom space too but what else do you need in a house?????????? Unless you got a big family, that wont leave you alone


Though in saying that most new houses are in fact re-worked and painted old teak pieced together from scraps of others that have gone by the way side, so in fact buying one, or bits and pieces is by far cheaper!!!!!!

But still 1 million badt for wood in my estimation would get me a very very VERY BIG house, good teak and massive timbers, i just dont want to build thai style thats the only snag...............

Originally Posted by koogook

But still 1 million badt for wood in my estimation would get me a very very VERY BIG house,

i don't think it would.

i think it would get you a tiny little house with a wooden toilet.

teak is very expensive.

i had initially planned on building with teak.

had to change my mind and build with bricks.

glad i did in the end.
not only a million miles cheaper, but also a lot less crap.

I would agree with you some people pay more then others, i am fortunate enough to know of a few good stock piles and houses where for 1 million badt i get a very big house!!!!!!!!
However brick doesnt suit the look i want, but i think your house as well as others are great projects, top notch reading ad i bet your glad to be at the end!!!!!???

Teak is expensive is you cross provinces and buy new, if you can salvage locally then its cheap!

Originally Posted by koogook

i am fortunate enough to know of a few good stock piles and houses where for 1 million badt i get a very big house!!!!!!!!

If that be the case, And you know all this, then why did you come here and ask questions to this bunch of know nothings, Damned if I can understand why.

Well in truth i actually asked about a loan!!

I then added about wood, but even though i know about teak to this manner i am unsure of its comparison as a hard wood to oak which was my original question, i want something that will be used to make a wood roof using truss's in an Aframe pitch.

If anyone has anything on that, i'm still wanting to know about redwood i'm completely clueless when it comes to what is each its own difference and quality compared to others available in Thailand?????

Originally Posted by koogook

know about redwood

The term redwood (Maai Daeng) in Thailand is Pyinkado. Not the same as California redwood. Makes great flooring. Very hard. Indigenous to the region so available in Thailand.

You asked about other hardwoods.

Mai Kar can be used for building but it is more expensive than teak and harder to find.
It is very similar to mahogany

Originally Posted by koogook

DR.A when you talk about redwood, are you talking about sappanwood?

If not could you enlighten me, you say this is a hardwood presumably that's stronger than teak?

sorry for my naivety, im trying to get something to replicate oak roof truss joists and frame...........

The redwood I am talking about is called "mai deng"! it is a fairly common building wood in CM, all woodyards keep it.

As for replicating oak terusses etc, I would use teak as it is easily worked with, similar to new oak, and it does harden with age

I am however thinking about something a bit more in line with getting wood from felled trees and having a couple of carpenters work on site, can anyone tell me if this is possible from their experience?????

We did this for some of our panelling, not the main structure. We bought teak trunks and had some guys in with portable saws, who sliced it up. There is a government woodyard north of CM, in the Phrao direction, that sells the trunks legally and deliver. Worth a visit! all the wood they have is confiscated, and not too expensive.

Thanks dean for your help, how big is your house???? As i said if you buy secndhand froma good source it is very cheap, i presume you mean your house is worth 4 million badt or do you mean all in cost 4 million??? anyway sounds like a palace!!!!

Thank you everyone else for the redwood explanation i presume that as someone mentioned about using wood on the floor that this redwood is hard enought to keep out termites?????i will be using wood panel for the first floor but i was thinking tiles or birck for the ground floor, though it might have been nice to use wood, if someone is suggesting this is the case???
Thanks DR.A that sounds exactly what im looking for, you say that you pay for the tree trunk and get a carpenter to shape it????? do you remember the cost by chance, and would you know if these are suitable for roof truss's???

lots of questions i know thanks again

There is also a wood yard on the outer ring road out towards San Sai just after you go past the small Tesco Lotus store on the corner of the ring road and 1001, they have trunks and logs and do sawing there I am sure, never did pay that much attention .

thanks once agin ill check both out when next in Chiangmai!!!!!!

cheers gentleman