Dam Breach..,..to build or not to build

**Tubtaywun** · 30-07-2010, 01:55 AM

I have put a deposit on land about 1km downstream from Ubonrat dam. The land was quite expensive so I checked for flooding etc before the deposit. There were floods in 2008 and the dam had to release 10,000,000 meters sq of water a day and although this flooded Khon kaen there was no flooding on my land......Sorry,my wifes land.

I then joked with someone that I hope that they used enough cement when making the dam, started to get a bit worried and decided to start checking info on dams.

While I was trying to gather info on various dams etc ....I came home from work and on the yahoo main page I was confronted with this. It had happened on the day I saw it.

It breached on 24 july and took just hours to drain. This dam was 90 years old.

I had found out that when dams were built in the 60's they were given a life expectancy of 50 years ...this has been conveniently changed to 75 years by governments that do not want to replace them.

Ubonrat Dam is 50 years old.

We have been looking for land for 5 years and love this place.

If I pull out of the deal I will loose 5500euro and the place I want to live.

Floods can happen anywhere, sunami have happened lots of other disasters could happen.

Am I worrying about nothing.....build or not to build

**sabang** · 30-07-2010, 03:03 AM

Heck, build. If you're a nervous ninny just get insurance.

**Tubtaywun** · 30-07-2010, 05:21 AM

Originally Posted by sabang

Heck, build. If you're a nervous ninny just get insurance.

Can't insure children...

**Perota** · 30-07-2010, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by acudlipp

I have put a deposit on land about 1km downstream from Ubonrat dam. The land was quite expensive so I checked for flooding etc before the deposit. ....

If I pull out of the deal I will loose 5500euro and the place I want to live.

Floods can happen anywhere, sunami have happened lots of other disasters could happen.

Am I worrying about nothing.....build or not to build

Buy the land, make some minor improvements and sell it for a nice profit to an other naive falang

**Tubtaywun** · 30-07-2010, 03:00 PM

Originally Posted by Perota

Buy the land, make some minor improvements and sell it for a nice profit to an other naive falang

The land will cost 2,000,000 baht ...I was hoping for something more permanent.

Heres a few pictures of a place about 200 meters from the land. I did not buy this because of the level of the land. There is a steeper bank on the land I bought and is also flater from the bank to the road so the water run off is minimal.

**Tubtaywun** · 30-07-2010, 03:08 PM

Heres a couple more

**Carnwadrick** · 30-07-2010, 08:49 PM

Build up a dirt bank around your property then add another meter or so of wall and shoot any neighbor you see doing a rain dance

**Tubtaywun** · 30-07-2010, 10:30 PM

Originally Posted by Carnwadrick

Build up a dirt bank around your property then add another meter or so of wall and shoot any neighbor you see doing a rain dance

Yea Ill do that.....I am also goin to strap a load of barrels to the underside of the house so it can float....only problem is if it floats downstream to someone elses land!!!

**mongo1936** · 31-07-2010, 11:52 AM

Yeah! Do it.
If it is floating it ain't 'on' somebody else's land.
Also, if it is floating it ain't a house it is a boat.

**Takeovers** · 31-07-2010, 01:59 PM

If you have the chance to live in a place as beautiful as this, go for it.

**Takeovers** · 31-07-2010, 02:01 PM

And think positive, like this picture.

**Takeovers** · 31-07-2010, 02:03 PM

Forget about the other scenario

**terry57** · 31-07-2010, 02:10 PM

Worrying about nothing mate. Just use a bit of common sense that being if there's a massive fok off hundred year flood you bolt into kon khan, book into a top hotel and get on the turps for a week.

But really considering all the things in Thailand one can die off you'd have to be very lucky to get killed because the friggin dam burst.

**dirtydog** · 31-07-2010, 03:20 PM

Got to agree with terry, probably never will happen, although obviously keep a video camera handy as it makes great youtube videos

**Airportwo** · 31-07-2010, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by acudlipp

Originally Posted by Carnwadrick

Build up a dirt bank around your property then add another meter or so of wall and shoot any neighbor you see doing a rain dance

Yea Ill do that.....I am also goin to strap a load of barrels to the underside of the house so it can float....only problem is if it floats downstream to someone elses land!!!

We will be neighbors! - One day, I have some land 2 km from the main road, on the road to the dam that I intend building on - One day, - anyway do stay in touch as should the dam breech in the future you could call and warn me to get out of Dodge! Or i could buy a boat and just evacuate to it and sit and wait

**Tubtaywun** · 31-07-2010, 04:57 PM

Thanks all for trying to make me FEEL BETTER

Takeovers ....I liked the first diagram better...I suppose looking at the bright side......There are no little dead people in the little broken house.

DD....nice video thanks....I hope I never have a deja vu experience thinkin "i have seen this somewhere before" as my house breaks in half.

Ill also give you the password for my cctv cameras so you can watch it live

Now for the icing on the cake.

My neighbour wants me to call him and warn him that the dam has broken. Then he is going to sit in his boat and wait for the water to come so he can paddle to safety.

WHAT ABOUT THE RESCUE ATTEMPT FOR THE GUY WHO WARNED YOU!!!

fok that....Im stayin in Ireland...............

**Tubtaywun** · 31-07-2010, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by terry57

Worrying about nothing mate. Just use a bit of common sense that being if there's a massive fok off hundred year flood you bolt into kon khan, book into a top hotel and get on the turps for a week.

But really considering all the things in Thailand one can die off you'd have to be very lucky to get killed because the friggin dam burst.

Yea I was kinda thinkin that myself.

Heres another one last year

**Tubtaywun** · 20-09-2010, 01:03 AM

I have just returned from los and am absolutely bolloxed!!!

I hate aeroplanes....small space for a long time ..straped to a chair...my ass is killin me!! and no I was'nt shagged as I slept coz I didn't sleep.

When going long distance in the air and being strapped into a small space in what can only call a gimp's wet dream I keep hoping I don't get a big fat fuker beside me .....but I am starting to realize my fears were missplaced...watch out for the thin french girl with the broadsheet newspaper under the arm. I do not have a photographic memory but I could tell you exactly what her elbow looked like. I should have told her that if I want to pick my nose I am well capable of doing it myself and I would not use my elbow to do it!!!

I would love to go business class but 2500euro would keep me alive in los for two months.

So here I am....33 hours later ...3 planes and several pains....2 in the ass one physical and the other metaphorical.

I have left one country where I can live outside and can go swimming any day of the year in lake or river in warm water ..... then to go back to what I once called home...Ireland....pissin rain and cold..go swimmin here and your nuts would crack with the cold....... this an irish summer??? No wonder we have a reputation for being pissed all the time...............drunk that is.

So back to construction...

When I started this thread I had expected to be called a madman....(not for the first time ..or second.... truth be told quite a few more than that) in fact I am getting used to the phrase "your fukin mad" I quote. But I did expect to hear about a Thai's relationship with cement....as far as I can make out there are some Thai's that believe that there is enough cement in the mix if it goes hard...I started to believe that durability in thai is "mai ben rai".. but I found out it really means dont worry/no problem.......the rest of the cement not used is extra and can be sold off....MMmmmm who built the dam?

mai ben rai the dam was built by the government...and they are not corrupt....are they?

Anyway enough..... thanks to TD my fears were waylaid and the land bought.

Sorry I would continue but I need a whole post for the land office day.

**jandajoy** · 20-09-2010, 01:39 AM

Good to hear you got back safe.

When are you back to LOS?

**Tubtaywun** · 20-09-2010, 02:03 PM

Hi JJ,

Going back around christmas for two or three weeks. Hoping to have my house in Ireland sold by then so I can start making a few plans for a build.

**Tubtaywun** · 20-09-2010, 08:26 PM

The land is in there...somewhere!!!

This place was going to be a resort 20 years ago but was reposessed by the bank. It has electricity about 80 meters from the land and under all the overgrowth there is a concrete road which will probably neeed some work but will do for some time.

Opened up the road to the land. We only had two days to clear as much as we could so as to see where I could put things and make some plans.

This is the road from the other side with the electric poles on the left and the neighbours house on the right.

The neighbours house about 80 meters from my land. The river is at the back of the house. Top left over the roof you can see the top of the water tower which is filled from the river and does all their basic water needs. Drinking water is brought from her village. they are nearer the the bend in the river and can see up and down the river...I should have got some photos. The land is 2 rai, cost them 1.5 million baht but was bought 5 years ago. Mine is 1.25 rai and cost me 2 million baht and was bought last week. Here is another shot of their land to the right of the house. Their house cost 1.5 million baht to build.

Now I have 1.5 days to clear 1.25 rai of jungle.

**jandajoy** · 20-09-2010, 08:39 PM

Fantastic, mate.

Good luck to you.

Lovely spot.

What kind of house are you thinking of.

Point to note, in case of dam failure a wooden house will float a lot more than a concrete falang block.

Each to their own.

**jandajoy** · 20-09-2010, 08:40 PM

Oh, keep the trees. Don't lose the trees. Trees are good.

**Tubtaywun** · 20-09-2010, 09:01 PM

Gonna do some before and after photos.

These two photos are not really taken from the same angle. The picture on the top is right of center in the picture on the bottom. There was no point in taking wide shots before clearance coz you could'nt make anything out. This was probably the toughest 2 days I have ever done. The first day their was no breeze especially when clearing the road. I could not get the water in to me fast enough coz it was sweatin out twice as quick. Every 15 minutes I had to remove my tee shirt and wring it out and it would produce about half a pint of water which was of great amusement to the thais giving me a hand.

The trees on the left is where the land starts to be flat to the left and the slope to the right. The gap between the trees is where I hope to put a long wooden deck with the trees on the left growing up through it. The deck will run from this section to the house wich will be on the left.

**jandajoy** · 20-09-2010, 09:11 PM

It look great mate. I'm really jealous. Wish I was near water like that.

Bit of a boat and a few rods.

Fantastic.

good luck to you.

Will you build a deck out over the water?

Thread: Dam Breach..,..to build or not to build

Thread Tools

Display

Dam Breach..,..to build or not to build

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

Posting Permissions