Thai Dhupp and Princess Joy's Thai House Build

[Buckaroo Banzai]

I will have that 2-way speak thing too, BB! I am in Thailand again, and we are just fitting it now. We have 8 cameras on a 30 day continuous loop, so like you, footage will be available.

I see in your profile that like me you are also confused about your location. Sometimes when I am asked where I am , I have to look out the window. LOL If like me you are away from home often, also get some "Smart electric plugs, and or switches, (Lazada has a few) or get them when you are overseas next time. It helps to be able to operate devices remotely and it also makes the house look occupied. Plug in a radio and blast music every once in a while when you are away. Or better yet play recordings of ghost noises, It will certainly keep the locals away LOL.
I love freaking the dogs by yelling at them through the camera , especially the one who likes to dig in my flower beds, the start running around barking and looking for me all confused. I know it is mean but I just cant help myself!

[Norton]

Different strokes for different folks but for me all the gadgets are just things which will breakdown and need repair or replacement.

None the less enjoy.

[Buckaroo Banzai]

Different strokes for different folks but for me all the gadgets are just things which will breakdown and need repair or replacement.

None the less enjoy.

I get it. I am not above resisting new technologies and understand the complexity conundrum. K,I.S,S,
Keep It Simple Stupid. but I bet you there is a smart plug or switch in your future as there are LED bulbs if you don't already have them.
The smart plug technology is becoming widespread , at least in the US it is, and the costs are coming down , soon they will be comparable to conventional switches and plugs. so replacing them would be comparable to conventionals, tough I agree they are probably more susceptible to breaking down.
By the way they can be operated manually. And By the way my wife hates them also (one more reason to get them LOL) and don't like replacing them ,though I suspect she would not mind replacing me!! LOL

[Buckaroo Banzai]

I have lost the ability to edit my posts ! Am I in Jail already? so please excuse my numerous typos.

[David48atTD]

I have lost the ability to edit my posts ! Am I in Jail already? so please excuse my numerous typos.

No ... it's not you.

Seems a quirk of the software that if the thread becomes 'pinned' no re-editing is available.

Weird huh

[Gallowspole]

I notice you did not mention an alarm? You did not have one? did not activate it? i have a 2 alarm system so their presence is being announced before they even get to the house.

Unfortunately no alarm. Anything of real value is now kept in a safe. I forgot to mention that after the first break-in we fitted an internal security gate at the bottom of the stairs going to the bedrooms.

[cyrille]

Unfortunately no alarm. Anything of real value is now kept in a safe. I forgot to mention that after the first break-in we fitted an internal security gate at the bottom of the stairs

We were robbed a few years ago when we lived in Pattaya.

We now have a different approach.

We have nothing of real value except money in the bank.

[Thai Dhupp]

I see in your profile that like me you are also confused about your location. Sometimes when I am asked where I am , I have to look out the window. LOL If like me you are away from home often, also get some "Smart electric plugs, and or switches, (Lazada has a few) or get them when you are overseas next time. It helps to be able to operate devices remotely and it also makes the house look occupied. Plug in a radio and blast music every once in a while when you are away. Or better yet play recordings of ghost noises, It will certainly keep the locals away LOL.
I love freaking the dogs by yelling at them through the camera , especially the one who likes to dig in my flower beds, the start running around barking and looking for me all confused. I know it is mean but I just cant help myself!

lol... i cant wait to drop the 'UAE' bit and put Thailand only. i had enough of work after 11 years in the sand pit!

we are checking out those switches this week

[Thai Dhupp]

I have lost the ability to edit my posts ! Am I in Jail already? so please excuse my numerous typos.

I had the same issue -i think its due to going to 'Famous threads'..at least, thats when i noticed it...?

[Thai Dhupp]

Unfortunately no alarm. Anything of real value is now kept in a safe. I forgot to mention that after the first break-in we fitted an internal security gate at the bottom of the stairs going to the bedrooms.

is that the one with the 5000 Volts running through the downstairs handle...?

[Thai Dhupp]

We were robbed a few years ago when we lived in Pattaya.

We now have a different approach.

We have nothing of real value except money in the bank.

Lol...i should be clean n clear then Cyrille 'cos after this build I have not even got the money to worry about....

[lom]

...after this build I have not even got the money to worry about.

The sandpit is calling out for you.

[Thai Dhupp]

The sandpit is calling out for you.

It can be shouting, Iom... I have developed selective deaf ears!

[mikenot]

Apparently you are not famous any more TD ? I was looking for any update and saw you have been relegated back to mere mortal status.

[Thai Dhupp]

Apparently you are not famous any more TD ? I was looking for any update and saw you have been relegated back to mere mortal status.

yeah Mike... there was a 'massive' falling out over copyright to my forthcoming book. apparently i don't own my own thread?

Im not so keen on 'not being famous' so legal representation was brought in, apologies have been accepted and hopefully its all been sorted o....

OK OK,.... we were running an editing test on my thread because i have been unable to edit any post posted, i think, ever since i went ballisti... i mean, 'famous'

i think others have had the same problem?

so we temporarily (jeez, i hope...?) moved me down to the ''lower' part of the forum and low n behold.. editing privileges were restored.

of course this is a disaster and i believe the powers that be are now working 'round the pu... clock to get it fixed.

As a stop-gap measure though, and since twas me wat discovered it, those same powers have agreed to move me down to the lower house every time i need to make a change, wait for said change, then move me back to those dizzy height above.

Seems fair to me but it might get a bit tedious for them as i tend to be gammon fistted on ye keybored and will probably required this special service 2 or 3 times a night (just like everything else)

[Thai Dhupp]

Yes.... its 'update time'....

OK.. so I got back to BKK on Friday morning, and had a recovery/relaxation hour or two while PJ plotted on how we were going to spend my house cash

lol.. yeah like that really happened!... too many real things to sort out and the clock was ticking, and careful account balancing were the order of the ..holiday. so that's her out straight away, on the budgeting front.

We had to meet with K.Pot, the OrBorTor, the Amphur, the electricians, the PEA, the water supplier, umm... who else? that's a start anyway, but our actual task for Friday was to sort out a few purchases still required for K.Pot to finalise stage 8 (and of course, get paid.

Off we went to Thai Watsadu, to follow up on the water tank and pump. Wearily we had to sit through the 'salesman ' telling us we were choosing the wrong pump (as selected by k.Pot) and his over-pressured (and of course over-priced) alternative was the way to go. The deal breaker though, was that they has no 3000L tank and could not deliver one for 12 days.

One rapid exit later and we are in Boonthavorn... again no tank and similar delivery, but at least their salesman had the sense to sell us the pump we asked for.

Purchase one: Mitsubishi water pump, to go with the tank we did not yet have! 6750 THB

Next we went to Lamptitude - the purpose here... last minute lighting, plus the major purchase of the lights to go over the dining table. our luck was 'in' as the whole place was having an 'up to 50% sale'

We were distracted by some of the furniture, which we had looked at before, at 15% discount. we really liked the bed the last time and now... 40% off.

Purchase two: 1 budgeted king size walnut wood sleigh bed. 58,800 THB (ooops)

moving to the discount (lol) lighting section we discovered a nice light cluster with 50% off and just right for the stair well. while waiting for the sales guy to complete the requisition paperwork, i spied a nice crystal globe light, and my mind extended it to 3 units to go over.... the dining table. cue a second request to the salesman about availability of 3 and discount price for them.

Purchase three: table and staircase lightning: 11,800 THB

Whoops, and I thought SHE was the impulse buyer.. gotta reign this in or we will be eating butter sandwiches in the apartment for 10 days!

One more thing to secure, but we ended up following up the OrBorTor office tip for the water tank. a shop towards Chonburi centre. PJ called them, they has 3000 L tanks, and we should pop over to see them. We fixed that visit for Saturday, so that was the end of the spending for the day

thank goodness!!

[Thai Dhupp]

Saturday Update

Sorry - this is running a bit behind because... err...I am on holiday!

Saturday morning we were up bright and.. well.. bright at least, and off we went to Lamptitude !? yeah really...

We had arranged a truck to take the bed, lighting and a load of boxes currently cluttering up the KingKeaw Apt and go clutter up TD Towers.

Got the Lamptitude consignment, next stop PJ's mums house for more, then finally our apartment for the last pickup. The driver and his mate were still smiling, just

Then we drove to the new house. We had K.Pots trusty workforce to assist with carrying the stuff in.... just as well... the new bedhead alone weighed around 100 KGs!

By this time, the truck driver was not smiling - he worked out the distance wrong and was hoping for an extra payment but he made the mistake of unloading everything before mentioning time and distance etc. PJ said well if you are finished, better get going! lol

We did not hang about either as we had to get to Chonburi City, and that tank shop. Bearing in mind the best tank price was 13,500 including the discount, but 10 day delivery, and this was a small shop, we were not expecting miracles.

Finally found the shop, checked out the tank selection, chose the 3000 L one ....and the price sir? ....that will be 11,000 THB!! and free delivery. on Monday, wow - need to consider smaller traders more often i think.

So that's the water part completed, apart from the connection. more on that in the next post...

[Airportwo]

Finally found the shop, checked out the tank selection, chose the 3000 L one ....and the price sir? ....that will be 11,000 THB!! and free delivery. on Monday, wow - need to consider smaller traders more often i think.

If you have the time and patience well worth looking around, or at least looking on Lazada, the big stores, are unlike similar in many countries, they hardly discount unless it is on special - even then? Their preference is to charge full whack, their business model seems to be based on quick credit and easy credit for the masses, took me a while to realise, I thought they would be cheaper as they were Big for the longest time - wrong!
Enjoy your holidays

[Thai Dhupp]

Sunday update

shopping for school clothes etc - day off

Monday update

We had a fixed visit to the Amphur. We needed the blue book in order to fix the permanent water and electricity connections.

After a visit to the house to see what the electrician had done with the dining room lights, we set off to the Amphur. the OrBorTor suggested that a little something might smooth thiungs along and not to be surprised if this was raised during the conversation.

We got there at 12.45, generally lunchtime so waited in the room with others.

A desk girl called PJ over to enquire what it was 'about'?

There then followed a convo where this 'receptionist'claimed to have never heard of a foreigner building, buying or owning any property in Thailand and saying that the book could only be issued in PJ's name. IE she owned TD Towers!

Fair play to PJ... she stuck at tit and finally this administrator said she was going to 'check it with colleagues elsewhere' and let us know.

Nothing more to do so we went for late lunch then back to TD Towers to await the water tank delivery. While waiting we watched the dining room lights and stairs lighting being fixed.

Tank arrived as planned and we went back to BKK, bit frustrated with the Amphur office

We got a call on the way home... Amphur herslf called. We were right. . we could have the blue book showing me as the owner. Yes come back tomorrow and she would ensure it all went smoothly. and... we could even choose our house number!

I was waiting for the downside.....


.... all for just...10,000 THB

[lom]

We were right. . we could have the blue book showing me as the owner.

Foreign owner gets a yellow book, blue book is for Thai's only. Money can obviously change that rule..

[Norton]

we could have the blue book showing me as the owner

Interesting. Never heard of this before. Owner of the structure? Can't be the land. Must be in your wifes name.

[Norton]

Foreign owner gets a yellow book,

Figure this is what TD will get and wife the blue book.

[lom]

Figure this is what TD will get and wife the blue book.

Still wrong, innit? I don't think a house can have two house books.
He should get the yellow one with him registered as owner and her registered in it as living there.

[Norton]

Still wrong, innit?

No. I have yellow book in my name. Simply shows where I reside. Wife has blue book which shows ownership of land and folks residing there. Kids and me.

[Thai Dhupp]

Thanks for all the replies and comments

we have a legitimate BLUE BOOK now

(after paying the 10k of course!)

1. Blue book shows ME as the OWNER of the house, which is legal in Thai law
2. Blue book shows PJ as the resident of the home and controller of water, electric, internet, phone,m etc and she can confirm I live in the home!
3. Later, when i have the appropriate visa, I will get the YELLOW book confirming I reside in the home (that I own)
4. PJ owns the land as detailed on the Chanote
5. I have a 30 yr lease controlling that same land, also detailed on the Chanote

No shenanigans with any of that.. the 10k was not to beat the law... it was to fast track the blue book (within 24hr) with the correct details in it

This book was accepted by PEA and Water supply companies

Additionally we were able to choose the house number.

We now have the house number 99/9