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Loombucket

Day one

Our old friend with the tractor arrives at the crack of far too early, to reprofile the side and back of the building area.



His English is worse than my Thai but we managed to communicate. He than managed a passable version of what I wanted.



It is still early when the team arrive, in the Company flagship, and start unloading.

,
This little beauty has the latest Isaan style, paint injected front hubs.



...and is loaded with high tech soil cutting equipment.



On first inspection, the crew seem to be a bit standoffish. The large chap is the gang foreman by the name of A? (like it's a question).



In truth, they spent a long time discussing such burning issues as why there were only four of them, just how much they were getting and dodging large piles of sand and stones that were being dumped all over the working area. Actually, we would have any number of twelve members of the gang, at any one time, on an ad hoc basis. After A left, the guys started to loosen up a bit.

That's God, the joker, on the left and Sing, the string man, on the right.



Here is Chit, the rebar man, making the all important soil test and a few holes for leveling poles.



The lads soon got on with it and started on the marking out.



Sing copied everything down into his notebook,



...and started to set up the first of many string lines.



Here, we hit our first problem. The preposed site wasn't square.

Loombucket

Fortunately, P & P are soon on the scene. Note the pink umbrella and Sing's look of 'ok, ok, just go away'.



Digging soon starts in earnest, after a trench has been dug in the sand pile.



The first lot of steel then arrives and my good feelings start to return.



At the end of the day, we have our first hole. Personally, I think it's a bit over the top and too far into the drive but I have learned to keep quiet.



Sing then makes a start on the fence posts down the long side.

crazy dog

interesting, how long is it and how much?

DrAndy

^ the thread goes on forever and will cost nothing

enjoy

Rigger

Good Idea as if you want a decent fence your going to need some good strainer posts to pull against other wise you will end up with one of those fences were the barb wire is strung out like chrismas lights

spliff

Though he was building a "wall".

dirtydog

^Think you will find rigger is right looking at the posts.
Although that would leave no use for the rebar he has bought.

lom

I think he is taking down his old fence in order to make a wall instead.

baldrick

what is the price difference between a normal Thai brick monstrosity and a fence of cyclone panels ?

Johnny Longprong

Bloody big hole. Is this a wall or a football stadium?

Loombucket

It's blooming hot already and the chaps arrive with some, well used, multi-perpose, metal bars. That's Lee perched on top.



The old fence posts are recovered using a bit of metal bar and an old fan belt.



Then there's a rush to get the metal work started. Ties are cut,



...rebar is straightened,



....and knitting it all together commences. That is June with the one eye.



Meanwhile, Sing checks, and rechecks, the depths of the available holes with the string line. You can just make out the elastic bands that mark where the pillars will go.



Here is a rare shot of the 'Lower Isaan men's synchronised jodding team', practicing the high swing and giggle.



This one shows the differing levels of us and next door and why we need such a complicated wall. The level changes as we proceed through the thread.



By lunch time, we have the makings of our first pillars.

hillbilly

Come on now, I love these threads that show the reality of living and building in Thailand.

oldgit

A lot of work just to keep the three tortoise next to the barrow from escaping
I love these building threads am waiting for you to do a Rolf Harris and say ''can you tell what it is yet''?

Loombucket

After lunch there is just one plate to finish,



...then it's all hands to the mixing tank.



Base pad goes in,



...gets jodded down,



...pillar assembly (sow) goes in and is covered up to the first binder,



...and so on down the line,



...and around the corner.



There is a small problem with the tree. The stupid Farrang wants to keep it. No probs, I was told, but it was to become a major headache for Sing.



Back at the clubhouse, the team endure a quick game of who is buying the beer. It was to become a game we played every day. Most times A? bought it, but sometimes it was me.

Boon Mee

"At the end of the day, we have our first hole. Personally, I think it's a bit over the top and too far into the drive but I have learned to keep quiet"

I have utterly no idea how I will achieve that feat.
Guess I've got to get one of the brothers-in-law to "point out their mistakes" - make him the foreman...

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blackgang

Yep, that will fuck you for sure, I ran my bro in law off when we were building, Thai do not understand and it is plain to see if you look at the houses, all the same faults and Thai think they are advantages.

WujouMao

i like this tread. sounds amusing. the Thai's [as well as most folks in Asia] are pretty pimative when buidling, but they get the job done in the end.

love to see more

DrAndy

Maybe they think that!

I have had some excellent Thai builders; I suppose you get what you pay for, as in most things

blackgang

I have spent my life doing all forms of construction work from a carpenters labor when was 16 to a master mech and Equipment superintendent at the end and owned a heavy equipment contract repair business and I have seen some fair construction in Thailand but have never seen "Excellent" Work done by Thai here or anywhere else in the world that they have worked for me.
That smoker I had built here was the closest to craftsmanship I have ever seem by a Thai.
Usually "Close enough is good enough" for them.

Fact is, it was Thai welders that did the welding on the Oil loading facility out of Basra Iraq that I had to pay 2 Rolex watches for Xray film of welds that did not pass from the Brit welding inspectors.

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Did you know the average male is 6 inches long, and the average female is 8 inches deep? So in New York City alone there is over 3 miles of unused pussy!

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Loombucket

The temperature has dropped by about 25 degrees today and there is a slow start. Sing is sporting a new haircut and keeps his coat on.



Some of the team realise that they can shelter in the handy holes that were dug earlier.



Meanwhile, the pillars that were planted yesterday are blocked,



...filled and rodded.



After lunch, they actually make a fire and start to enjoy themselves.



Suitably de-frosted, the team leap into action and start digging holes down the back.



After a frenzy of activity, most of the team go back to the metalwork. The two chief hole hiders get to dig a little more. Here for the Khaan at the front,




...and here for the Khaan at the side. The young guy at the back is Nuy.



As soon as he can get in the trench, Sing chips away at the, still soft, pillar,



...exposing the bottom binder. This will give the khaan something to hang on to as it drops a level.