Thread: Building our Retirement Home in Nan Province

I'm 11 months and 3 days into giving up beer David as a bit of self sacrifice/incentive to lose some weight (it's working). Seriously thinking about breaking the drought once I've hit twelve months. Notice there is some sort of boutique micro-brewery opposite Nan airport so likely I'll check that out. Not going to break a drought for any everyday beer. Just had a thought...has anyone else built a home without drinking? Regards, -BiP

Originally Posted by David48atTD

Gold Medal for that compilation ...

Static viewpoint image population.

All it needed was you, under the carport in a rocking chair, downing a beer as the final image ...

Originally Posted by BoganInParasite

has anyone else built a home without drinking?

Welcome, I am very new at this forum as well. Have a look at my thread as I have just started building in Khonkaen. Best of luck with your build. MD

Thanks Mantadive, my build is now complete. Been lurking in your thread and enjoying it. Regards, -BiP

Originally Posted by Mantadive

Welcome, I am very new at this forum as well. Have a look at my thread as I have just started building in Khonkaen. Best of luck with your build. MD

Well it ended up being a pretty good day today. Current leakage in the kitchen under sink HWH is fixed and water flow increased as well and the 55" Sony television from the US is also now working.

New Spirit House 21 February 2019

So we got a message today that everyone was ready for the new spirit house and accompanying ceremony. Slight news to us since we hadn't yet purchased a new spirit house nor known others wanted to be involved. Turns out it was Mart our builder who was driving it. So we headed off this morning and purchased a new spirit house that was delivered an hour later. This afternoon at 3:30pm folks started to turn up and by 4:00pm the ceremony was underway. After the ceremony the core group sat around eating the food (the major item of which was a cooked pigs head) and drinking the local white spirit which they described as being distilled from sticky rice. I was sociable for a change and drank nine shots of this local liquor. Had a bit of a kick but I knew I was safe since an incident in Rio in the 90s involving a similar white spirit suggested I could handle thirteen. (It was the fourteenth that got me, exacerbated by the later overnight flight to Miami in the worst turbulence I've ever experienced as we flew across the Amazon. To this day I have no memory of flight switching at Miami nor clearing customs and immigration.)

Good work having fun but dodging the 14th shot BiP, from own experience that I cant remember that’s definitely the one that does it.. Congratulations on your build must be a great feeling having completed it all!

Thanks knowsitlike. You know if they had been drinking first class champagne, a Krug or a Dom Perignon, I could have attempted a personal record in that category. Think it is eight but since I was the one counting last time, there is some doubt on that. Regards, -BiP

Originally Posted by knowsitlike

Good work having fun but dodging the 14th shot BiP, from own experience that I cant remember that’s definitely the one that does it.. Congratulations on your build must be a great feeling having completed it all!

Originally Posted by BoganInParasite

Well it ended up being a pretty good day today. Current leakage in the kitchen under sink HWH is fixed and water flow increased as well and the 55" Sony television from the US is also now working.

BiP great result. I have to say with the gardening sometimes a pause isn't a bad thing as it gives you time to do what you'll be doing in the future and that is looking at it and pondering - going full on sometimes means you overegg the place. I've spent 6 years putting stuff in and 2 taking stuff out....

Originally Posted by NamPikToot

BiP great result. I have to say with the gardening sometimes a pause isn't a bad thing as it gives you time to do what you'll be doing in the future and that is looking at it and pondering - going full on sometimes means you overegg the place. I've spent 6 years putting stuff in and 2 taking stuff out....

Sure.
The nature of a garden.
Changes - be they proposed or cyclical - in time, take on the composition and character of the property.

Originally Posted by NamPikToot

I've spent 6 years putting stuff in and 2 taking stuff out....

There's something wrong isn't there? I spend a lot of time in the garden cutting stuff back that I planted!

Got the mosaic tiles for the back splashes in the kitchen and kitchenette installed today. Neither tile was what we really wanted but after exhausting options locally and online we settled for these tiles. Installation job is maybe 5/10 in the kitchen and 7/10 in the kitchenette. However it is likely the things I notice that cause such low scores are unlikely to be observed by the casual observer.

It has been almost six weeks since we moved in and we continue to be delighted by our home. Mart our builder has been attentive however nothing has required his attention for almost a month now. The only concern we have is that it is obvious the power being supplied by PEA is not up to standard. However I've not had it measured properly yet nor made any attempt to get PEA to remedy it. I expect the outcome of a request like that to be close to zero. We continue to be surprised by local Thais who turn up at our door and ask if they can see the house. Most seemed to have been told by someone who already has that it is a worthwhile visit. We are delighted to do so and in many cases even where I cannot understand what they are saying it is clear they are impressed. The wife has had several calls asking if we need a maid or gardener or other such help, some of the folks seemed surprised when she tells them we do those things ourselves.

Kitchen - Before & After Pictures

Kitchenette Backsplash

Your kitchen looks really nice, BiP.

Originally Posted by BoganInParasite

We continue to be surprised by local Thais who turn up at our door and ask if they can see the house. Most seemed to have been told by someone who already has that it is a worthwhile visit. We are delighted to do so and in many cases even where I cannot understand what they are saying it is clear they are impressed.

I hope none of them were eyeing it up with a view to robbing you at a later date. It has happened before! Fingers crossed for you that it's not the case and it doesn't happen.

rearly impressive BIP.take on what NEV.posts about security.forget cctv.those who want to rob you will be covered from head to toe.
we had Maxwell risco alarm system[rokonet wisdom] ours is a big house but we got every corner covered as well as the kitchen roof,a place where they like to come in,by removing tiles.our cost was 42,000bht.
if I remember you have got your beloved dogs coming over,if so take care,there is danger everywhere.before they arrive get a pest control co.to treat the whole area and every yr.following.perfectly safe as long as the dogs are kept inside 2hrs.
as for parasites most seem to recommend bravecto.any advice on keeping your beloved safe I would be more than happy to oblige.
one more get yourself up to date with whats venomous and whats not.see SNAKES OF THAILAND.
T.I.T.TAFFY IN THAILAND.

So far no-one dodgy has turned up but of course you never know who they talk with. The house will be continuous occupied and visibly so through to early April when I turn my attention to installing surveillance and alarm systems.

Originally Posted by Neverna

Your kitchen looks really nice, BiP.


I hope none of them were eyeing it up with a view to robbing you at a later date. It has happened before! Fingers crossed for you that it's not the case and it doesn't happen.

Fences will be fully in place by mid-April HH so the wife is on the lookout for some decently breed young dogs. Despite their often fragile genetic based flaws, we are still intending to go for labradors. Love their personalities.

Originally Posted by headhunter

rearly impressive BIP.take on what NEV.posts about security.forget cctv.those who want to rob you will be covered from head to toe.
we had Maxwell risco alarm system[rokonet wisdom] ours is a big house but we got every corner covered as well as the kitchen roof,a place where they like to come in,by removing tiles.our cost was 42,000bht.
if I remember you have got your beloved dogs coming over,if so take care,there is danger everywhere.before they arrive get a pest control co.to treat the whole area and every yr.following.perfectly safe as long as the dogs are kept inside 2hrs.
as for parasites most seem to recommend bravecto.any advice on keeping your beloved safe I would be more than happy to oblige.
one more get yourself up to date with whats venomous and whats not.see SNAKES OF THAILAND.
T.I.T.TAFFY IN THAILAND.

No mountain views this week. In fact this morning no view of the ridge only 500 meters away.

Originally Posted by BoganInParasite

we are still intending to go for labradors. Love their personalities.

Absolutely. They are always with you, never bored by your activity, always following you:

Absolutely Klondyke. Will PM you early April when I get back from Australia. Regards, -BiP

Originally Posted by Klondyke

Absolutely. They are always with you, never bored by your activity, always following you:

BIP: and there is a certain patience required (not by myself) to get frequently the poor guys rid of thousands of beastly ticks (hep เห็บ), despite any possible chemicals and injections precautions...

Originally Posted by Neverna

Your kitchen looks really nice, BiP.


I hope none of them were eyeing it up with a view to robbing you at a later date. It has happened before! Fingers crossed for you that it's not the case and it doesn't happen.

Hoping BIP can recognize or distinguish the dodgy types from far off that heard this and that as opposed to the immediate neighbors...

Used to check our dogs for ticks when I was a teenager living in the rainforests of northern New South Wales.

Originally Posted by Klondyke

BIP: and there is a certain patience required (not by myself) to get frequently the poor guys rid of thousands of beastly ticks (hep เห็บ), despite any possible chemicals and injections precautions...