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  1. #26
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    sunsetter's Avatar
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    Whos that peeking over the wall in post 24? A ghost?

  2. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by Roobarb
    Borgesque
    The Borg, a collective who selfishly assimilate anything that they need for themselves with no thought for their victims...




    I'm liking that wall a lot; makes me feel much better about my porch...

  3. #28
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    ..................................

    A little bit of inside work ..................




    With expert fallang working standards !!!



    But see that doorway to the right ? That didn't stay very long . Missy was into her stride and wanted to extend that way also .
    Making a passageway with cupboards and fridge - leading even later to a bathroom / toilet .

    A life lived upstairs was moving completely downstairs .

    Her wish was to construct a good enough home for the others downstairs and then leave her to the space upstairs .


    .................................................. ..................................
    Last edited by Wasp; 02-01-2014 at 02:02 AM.

  4. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bettyboo View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Roobarb
    Borgesque
    The Borg, a collective who selfishly assimilate anything that they need for themselves with no thought for their victims...
    Ah, I see.

    And there was me wondering if it was a reference to the Borgesian Conundrum, a philosophical question of metaphysics. Specifically it asks whether a story is created by the author, or the author created by their story.

    So it's a Star Trek thing then Betty...

    Having just looked it up in Wikipedia, it says that 'the Borg's ultimate goal is achieving perfection'. If they ever did happen stop off in Thailand and think it a nice spot to knock up a wee holiday house - you know, somewhere they could escape the day to day pressures of life at the Unicomplex - then I reckon even they they would have their work cut out for them getting Somchai to do the job properly.

    As an aside, I was amused to see that the Borg were introduced because The Ferengi, the Star Trek writers' intended enemy for the Federation, had a 'comical, unintimidating appearance and (their) devotion to capitalist accumulation by free enterprise failed to portray them as a convincing threat. They were subsequently reassigned as comic relief'.

    Ferengi - Farang, there really is truth behind much of the fiction in Star Trek...

    A very happy new year to you too Wasp, sorry to divert your thread.

    A question that comes to mind is that without clear and undisputed access to the road is it worth improving the property, or are the other relatives making it difficult in the hope you'll abandon it?

    Also, and I know it's been asked already, but whose is the head appearing above the wall? Is that the Aunt?

  5. #30
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    OYYY !!!!!!!

    What's all this Borg stuff doing here ? I'm busy grouting here and trying not to look at some dodgy wall construction !!!!

  6. #31
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    That's the Aunt's daughter .


    Roobarb
    " A question that comes to mind is that without clear and undisputed access to the road is it worth improving the property, or are the other relatives making it difficult in the hope you'll abandon it? "



    On the question of the access . It was once one big block . The great-granddad died leaving it to Missy's granddad and the granddad's 5 sisters ......... who promptly built all around the edges .

    Granddad was too placid to fight and now 30 years later it's a problem .

    But there are solutions . Maybe if Missy builds an 80 metre road from the tarmacked road serving this property and the neighbour's property the neighbours might give her perpetual access . Effectively selling her the strip of land on which she builds the road .

    Other idea ........... All those shitty vampire sisters have their plots in hock to the Bank. They could eventually lose them . So maybe pay a debt and have a strip coming in .

    There are ideas . But this is not my build . I just said I'd pay . Miss has always lived there and she won a Court case to be able to walk in and out . For her it's worth having a decent house when she had only had a future of debt and destitution .


    Wasp

  7. #32
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    ^ Sounds like a nightmare family situation Wasp, glad there are solutions in the offing. Good on you for getting stuck in and helping where you can.

    BTW, sorry about all the Borg stuff. My posts are generally best ignored...

  8. #33
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    Roob ........ The land access is not such a nightmare really . An inconvenience . The granddad is likely to die soonish and of course the sisters not long after . I have more fear about the greedy distant cousins who live in Bangkok and may see an extortion opportunity . Missy doesn't anticipate so far ahead . But this is not where my build will be ... and the father has a gun which he will happily use if anyone makes his daughter's life difficult . Additionally the local folk do have an idea about fairness and they can make your life Hell if you behave badly . As I'm sure you already know .

    The Borg stuff just came as a shock . I was beginning to think nobody was really looking at this but I'm happy enough that you and Boobiddyboo have had a look .

    You're a funny pair .

    Now then ............ apart from one important item the First Renovation is done .



    Of course it got doors , and windows and inside was tiled .
    What you can't see is the more expensive item of removing the awful , HOT corrugated iron roof and replacing it with much cooler material .

    Here is the happy crew who got the Miss to the end of Stage 1.




    That skinny young man in the blue tee shirt holding up the bowl of rice is actually the Miss !


    ..........................................
    Last edited by Wasp; 02-01-2014 at 03:07 AM.

  9. #34
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    I'm enjoying the read too, Wasp. Keep it coming.

    What's the story with the arrowed pillar?

  10. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wasp
    Not a House Building Thread
    ...but a jolly little tale none the less. Keep it coming please!

  11. #36
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    Interesting Wasp- keep it coming.

  12. #37
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    Well thank you fellers . Other ( more serious ) threads get lots of responses and interest . I feared my small tale might be wasting my time ... except I did find that Roobee and Boobydiddlydoo were looking - and then Kojak .

    And although I'm enjoying putting it together it DOES take time even for such a small story . Finding relevant photos is the main time-consumer .

    But as you guys are interested too I'll continue .

    Actually all I wanted was not to be the lowest read thread ..... which had 218 views . i was prepared to read it myself 219 times .

    But I'm beyond that score so I'm content .

    NEVERNA ........... that arrow becomes relevant later because I promised the end result would be majorly surprising .... and that arrowed column will be my reference point.

    Thank you for the interest .

    WASP

  13. #38
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    SECOND Renovation .................


    Missy was very VERY happy with the changes .

    Nice Louvred windows went in . Decent doors . Tiles on the floor . A basic kitchen which was still the stuff of Lottery fantasies for her .
    A tiled clean toilet .

    Most importantly the corrugated iron roofing was removed and replaced by much cooler panels which looks like compacted asbestos but it's not . Much cooler and much quieter too in the bouncing torrential rainfalls .

    And she was happy .

    What impressed me most was that she didn't want anything more . She hadn't even asked for the first renovation . It was my idea ... and it could only ever be my idea because it could only have ever been paid for by me .

    So she asked and expected nothing more .

    But that upstairs was looking pretty crap to my eyes . And besides I loved having that crew around and I liked being able to put some money in their pockets .
    I think at that time they were working on 120 Baht a day. And that was £2 .

    NOBODY EVER showed any signs of even wanting to take any advantage of a stupid fallang . I don't believe they ever did .

    So my decision again ....
    " Tell them to take off all that crap and put up nice clean stuff ."


    .................................................. .................................................. ..................................

  14. #39
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    Good thread Wasp, keep it comin

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    .................................................. ............................................

    " Tell them to take off that crap " .............. so here they go ...........




    Normal Thai building practice severely adhered to .

    In the foreground is the Boss saying " That looks near enough to vertical . "

    And in the background is Missy's dad looking at the latest hole in the ground and asking if there's any whisky left . Much whisky discussion ensues . They decide 100 Pipers is the best .


    { Thank you Dillinger ! }

    .................................................. ...........................................

  16. #41
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    ..........................

    A further view of the dwelling as it stood at the start of the Second Renovation ....

    You might notice that one reason I'm so slow is that these are actual physical photos -- so I have to find them , then scan them into the computer and try to adjust Contrast et cetera and even then send them up to Photobucket and get a URL to put them in here .
    If I look a bit dribby drabby that's the reason .

    Feel tired myself now .




  17. #42
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    A very enjoyable thread. Looking forward to seeing how the top turns out.

  18. #43
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    Nice effort, Wasp. Although, I'm pretty sure that rear extension will need a second floor imminently (you may want to check that the foundations are strong enough for a 3rd floor in time...).

    Have you considered bars on the windows and a strong outside lock for that downstairs bedroom?
    Cycling should be banned!!!

  19. #44
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    ...........................................

    I think all of dass crappen has gone now and replacement wall boards are going in .




    In the next image there's a guy clearly standing on her new awning roof and there's no question about that .

    I simply cannot figure out why anyone would think differently .


    Last edited by Wasp; 02-01-2014 at 07:11 PM.

  20. #45
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    Quote Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog View Post
    A very enjoyable thread. Looking forward to seeing how the top turns out.

    I have to keep to my promise of a surprising ending .

  21. #46
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    ^^ The guy on the right is standing.

  22. #47
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bettyboo View Post
    Nice effort, Wasp. Although, I'm pretty sure that rear extension will need a second floor imminently (you may want to check that the foundations are strong enough for a 3rd floor in time...).

    Have you considered bars on the windows and a strong outside lock for that downstairs bedroom?
    This was all 6 years ago Bettyboo . I was considering a second floor above that extension for maybe this year but I don't think a 3rd is a likelihood .

    Bars on the window ?? No . It's a bit of an encircled compound and there's always someone sitting around . Grandma chewing betel . Grandpa sharpening his machete and looking at Grandma sitting there with her brown teeth . Always someone about .
    The Grandpa always seems to be holding his machete just behind his back when he asks me for 20 Baht to buy whisky .


    I had to remove a tree and was waving a machete at it and bouncing off it . I must be 3 times the weight of the scrawney grandpa ..... who finally rolled his eyes and brought his machete . One big slicing chop . Two . And with number 3 it was down . Now I know we're talking about natives here but it's still embarrassing as a representative of her Britannic Majesty's Country .


    Padlock for the downstairs bedroom ? It has a tv , several dogs , unwashed clothes , a zillion fleas . It would be quite an endurance to even go in there . He can move his anus and do some digging if he wants a padlock .


    .................................................. .........................
    Last edited by Wasp; 02-01-2014 at 07:17 PM.

  23. #48
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    Quote Originally Posted by Neverna View Post
    ^^ The guy on the right is standing.

    That's never been obvious to me Neverna .

    My eyes were distracted by that diagonal item which I thought he was sitting on somehow .

    So not clever at all ! Maybe I can delete the daft question and leave your answer hovering as mysteriously as I thought he was doing !!!!!

  24. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by Neverna View Post
    ^^ The guy on the right is standing.
    Absolutely right Neverna . You and I agree .



    Wasp

  25. #50
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    Have to rummage about again for pictures . Sorry .

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