#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Construction in Thailand >  >  > Building in Thailand Famous Threads >  >  The construction of Ms. Buad hai's house

## Anonymous Coward

Continued from:

Buadhai's home in progress...

The foundation forms were removed on 20 November:





The steel roof members went up soon after:



Ms. AC seriously reviews the progress:

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## Anonymous Coward

Tiling the roof started December 1st:



The playground is coming along nicely. Basketball court. Pavilion. Some nice big trees brought in.



The moo baan entrance is looking OK as well:



The kitchen plans have changed a bit:

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## stroller

What, you tile the roof before building the walls? 
First time I see this being done!

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## Anonymous Coward

I've watched this company do construction for nearly two years now. Usually, they do the roof first. But, I've also seen them do up the walls before they tile the roof. I'm not at all sure why the difference unless it depends on the availability of either the masonry or roofing crew.

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## Spin

Are they putting that thin aluminium sheeting under the roof tiles?

I cant see it, if they are not, shout STOP! and get them to do it.

You will feel hot enough with the sheeting but not having it is a very bad idea indeed

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## dirtydog

> Are they putting that thin aluminium sheeting under the roof tiles?


They are not but I don't believe it makes that much differance anyway.

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## Silent Ninja

The house looks quite big. Any chance of seeing the floor plans in this thread?

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## machangezi

Now what software's that coward using. Anybody?

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## man with no head

SketchUp.

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## Anonymous Coward

> Are they putting that thin aluminium sheeting under the roof tiles?


Yes, they are....

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## Anonymous Coward

The slab was poured the weekend of December 9th. I've been out of town for a while so didn't get to see it:



Here's another view. You can see the bathrooms on the left with the blue plastic pipe:



It's odd that they did half the roof and then stopped. Same with several of the other houses being built. I think maybe they're waiting for a supply of the reflective vapor barrier.

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## Lily

^That's a big house BH.

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## Anonymous Coward

It's only 115 square meters: three bedroom, two bathrooms.

BTW, I'll be "home" for Christmas so I won't be able to document construction until mid-January.

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## Anonymous Coward

They started building the walls the weekend of December 23rd:



They are a combination of Super-Block on the sun-exposed walls and ordinary clay brick elsewhere.

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## blackgang

> Originally Posted by Helicopter
> 
> Are they putting that thin aluminium sheeting under the roof tiles?
> 
> 
> Yes, they are....


Strange, but they put that foil insulation stuff that is about 1/8 inch thick on the rafters and then put the purlins on top of the foil.
I can't post pics but it is in the page 16 or so in the fotki album "Thailand pics"

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## Anonymous Coward

They mostly finished the roof tiles on January 3, 2007:



And, the window frames were delivered the same day:



We stuck with wood frames because changing to either aluminum or vinyl would have been way beyond our budget.

None of the wood in the house will be painted; just coated with a wood preservative.

I hate paint.

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## Fabian

What's the budget for this house?

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## The_Dude

Is this building block material Q-Con or Super Block? And is it easy to install? Anything to comment on with the product(Pros/Cons)?

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## Anonymous Coward

> What's the budget for this house?


The house is in a moo baan known as "Homeland" in Korat. The price of the house and land (corner lot) is 1.8 million. We paid quite a bit extra for the corner lot and bigger piece of land. I think the cost would have been 1.5 million on a standard sized block of land.




> Is this building block material Q-Con or Super Block? And is it easy to install? Anything to comment on with the product(Pros/Cons)?


It's Super Block. This is my first experience with it so I don't know yet whether or not it insulates as well as it is supposed to.

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## dirtydog

I think it is Q Con?

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## Anonymous Coward

> I think it is Q Con?


Nah, the blocks say "Super Block" on them.

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## AntRobertson

> The house is in a moo baan known as "Homeland" in Korat. The price of the house and land (corner lot) is 1.8 million. We paid quite a bit extra for the corner lot and bigger piece of land. I think the cost would have been 1.5 million on a standard sized block of land.


That is pretty bloody cheap!  All relative of course but I highly doubt you'd find/build anything similar to that here in Chiang Mai for that price.

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## Anonymous Coward

> That is pretty bloody cheap!  All relative of course but I highly doubt you'd find/build anything similar to that here in Chiang Mai for that price.


For Korat it's rather expensive. Nearby is a development where a 3 bedroom 2 bathroom house about the same size, but on a smaller lot, sells for about 900,000 baht. But, the construction is not as nice, the designs not as good, and no Q-Con/SuperBlock used.

I guess it's all about what the market will bear.

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## ChiangMai noon

I disagree with Ant.

Your house is almost identical to mine and is in a very similar price range. (taking into account the extra land you have)
Ant hobnobs it with the rich 6 bedroom types and has never really seen how normal people live.

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## MeMock

> Originally Posted by Fabian
> 
> What's the budget for this house?
> 
> 
> The house is in a moo baan known as "Homeland" in Korat. The price of the house and land (corner lot) is 1.8 million. We paid quite a bit extra for the corner lot and bigger piece of land. I think the cost would have been 1.5 million on a standard sized block of land.


Does this include fittings and if so what type?

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## Anonymous Coward

> Does this include fittings and if so what type?


It includes bathroom fittings only. The kitchen is just a bare room with plumbing stubbed in. The bathrooms have an ordinary sink, a "American Standard" toilet and plumbing and electrical stubbed in for a hot water heater/shower. (We substituted a proper squat toilet for the one they wanted to put in.)

There are no closets or other storage. You have to build that out yourself.

It does include light fixtures.

The electrical outlets are all grounded (earthed) three wire circuits.

Floors are all decent quality ceramic tile.

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## AntRobertson

> Ant hobnobs it with the rich 6 bedroom types and has never really seen how normal people live.


I beg to differ!  I see normal people all the time, my maid and gardener for instance - they're normal people.  Heck, I even talk to them sometimes.  Doing my bit and all.  :Smile:

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## Anonymous Coward

Oh Geeze, I forgot the quarters for the maid, gardener, nanny and chauffeur. Any suggestions on where I can house these folks?

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## AntRobertson

> Any suggestions on where I can house these folks?


Hmmm, I'm of the opinion that you don't want to spoil them - interferes with their proper undertakings of tasks you see - so bearing that in mind I'd say a 5x4 semi-detached room should be sufficient... for the lot of them.  :Smile:

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## Thetyim

> I'd say a 5x4 semi-detached room should be sufficient... for the lot of them.


Nah,    you'll end up with loads of little baby nannies, gardeners and chauffeurs.  Put each one in a different corner of the garden

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## AntRobertson

> Nah, you'll end up with loads of little baby nannies, gardeners and chauffeurs


True but that's part of the beauty of it... free replacements for when you wear the old ones out you see.  Brilliant!

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## Anonymous Coward

Thanks, but all I really need is me, Ms. AC and Ms. AC Jr....

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## Anonymous Coward

After a fews days off for the New Year, work resumed:


Work on the walls continues.


This is the northeast corner of the house taken January 11th.


The park and playground are pretty much done. The space in front is for the spirit house.


The entrance is nearly complete and most of the roads are paved. Too much concrete for my taste.

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## Anonymous Coward

This first photo was taken on October 30, 2006. just before construction began:


The second was taken today, January 15, 2007, and shows that the walls are nearly complete and the window frames installed:




This is the back of the house. The kitchen is on the right. We had to ask them to move the kitchen windows up a bit (to 95cm from the floor) so that the kitchen counter wouldn't have to be too low. (Well, too low for me....)


Inside walls are clay brick and mortar. Outside walls (except in the bathroom) are aerated concrete Super Block.


Living room on the left. Computer room is right front facing the garden.


View out of the computer room's front window.

It all seems rather small and cramped compared to my 13,000 square meter block on Saipan. But, I was due for a change, anyway.

A whole collection of construction photos here:

Homeland House Construction

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## Anonymous Coward

January 24, 2007. Looks like all the brick work is done except around the front entrance. Perhaps they're ready to start plastering the walls.

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## Anonymous Coward

Front Entrance Being Finished Up



This is a view (telephoto) from the kitchen through the living room to the front entrance which is just being completed. The front door is flanked by full length windows.

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## Lily

^Looks great!

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## Anonymous Coward

They started on the electrical conduit today. The shot below is of the kitchen. The outlet below the window is for the oven. The others are for counter-top appliances.

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## a. boozer

Would love to comment on how the place looks, but the pictures won't open! Can anyone tell me why?

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## ChiangMai noon

^
Anonymous Coward has taken them all down.

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## Thetyim

Hey Mr Boozer

You can view the piccies here :
Mike Newman's Slide Show

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## Anonymous Coward

I can't seem to find the original (well, second original) thread on this and I can't be bothered to look for it. Anyway, things are coming right along:


Lot view February 8, 2007. Exterior plastering is done. Ceiling is being installed. Roof is being finished. Perimeter wall is being built.


Rear view.


Ceiling being put up in carport. This is Siam Cement's "Super Board" which is some sort of autoclaved mixture of cement and fiber.


Plastering (rendering?) the living room. What a mess....

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## stroller

> I can't seem to find the original (well, second original) thread on this and I can't be bothered to look for it.


It might have been taken off the visible part of the forum, seems the pics didn't show due to server probs or whatever.
I am sure admin could put it back up if you asked them.  :Smile:

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## Anonymous Coward

Thanks to whomever restored the thread. Oddly, I got a note from MeMock telling me that photos on another of my web pages had disappeared. I could still see them, but all he got were the descriptions. 

Very odd....

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## Anonymous Coward

I'm about to buy a few things for the house:

- Air conditioners
- Water heaters
- Ceiling fans

Anybody have particular advice as to brand, model or type on any of these times?

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## lom

> I'm about to buy a few things for the house:  - Air conditioners 
> - Water heaters 
> - Ceiling fans



Mitsubishi for air conditioners. 
The smaller ones , around 20.000 baht, can cover more than what they recommend if you only use them to get the temperature down a few degrees.

Stiebel-Eltron makes good water heaters. 6000 - 8000 baht depending on power/capacity. 
You can use them for multi-taps. 

Fans. 
I have bought many different type of fans from Hatari.
They are cheap but lasts long. 
Must be the most popular brand here in Thailand, you see them everywhere.

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## Anonymous Coward

Thanks Lom. Can the Hatari fans be fitted with a light?

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## lom

> Can the Hatari fans be fitted with a light?


Don't recall having seen that, I think they just make fans.

If you want a lamp with fan, you'll probably end up with getting something manufactured in China with a funny brand name.
I don't know any better than others from there.
HomePro usually have a large assortments of them, I recently bought two and picked the type I thought looked most reliable. But that's no guarantee that they are better..

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## Anonymous Coward

Yeah, Home Pro has quite a selection, but looking at them from afar it's pretty hard to tell what might be good quality. A while back they had some made-in-Thailand Hunter brand fans. But I haven't seen those lately.

I've had good luck with Hunter fans. I had a a very old one in my house in Saipan which I "harvested" from a warehouse in California. It was manufactured in the late 1940's and was still going strong when I left Saipan a couple years ago.

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## dirtydog

The fans with lights are not very strong cooling wise  :Sad:

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## stroller

Mitsubishi also do 'reversible' airconditioners, which are very durable. 'Reversible' meaning you can use them for heating, ie. warming the air rather than cooling.
I wish I'd opted for this, considering this cold winter up 'ere.

For water heaters, there is some good advice in El Gibbon's "moving to the...." thread.

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## Anonymous Coward

> For water heaters, there is some good advice in El Gibbon's "moving to the...." thread.


Thanks, forgot about that. I take it the general advice is to get a 4.5KW minimum Japanese-made heater?

We picked out the floor tile last week:


Front porch


Living room, bedrooms and kitchen


Bathroom. Walls on the left, floor on the right.

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## The_Dude

> Mitsubishi also do 'reversible' airconditioners, which are very durable. 'Reversible' meaning you can use them for heating, ie. warming the air rather than cooling.
> I wish I'd opted for this, considering this cold winter up 'ere.
> 
> For water heaters, there is some good advice in El Gibbon's "moving to the...." thread.


The correct term, is "Heat Pump' which has a reversing valve and check valve to make sure proper refrigerant flow is established reversing the indoor coil commonly named the evaporator in a/c term. and the outdoor coil commonly named condensing coil in a/c term.

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## Spin

those tiles for the bathroom walls will make the room look smaller, better to have plain tiles?

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## Marmite the Dog

> those tiles for the bathroom walls will make the room look smaller, better to have plain tiles?


Nonsense. The bathroom wall tiles are light & those floor tiles won't make much difference.

If you want an expert's opinion, I'd PM Stroller.  :Smile:

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## Anonymous Coward

As usual, life is full of compromises. I would have picked a plain tile for the walls. The architect suggested tiles with heavy contrasting patterns and a band of narrow tiles separating the lower wall from the upper wall. Way to busy for me.

The pattern we ended up with is about as subtle as we could get.

I'm happy with it....

 :Wink:

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## Thetyim

^Change your architect not your tiles

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## Anonymous Coward

^He works for the construction company but is easily swayed....

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## Spin

> Nonsense


You and Stoller must have some nasty decor

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## Marmite the Dog

> Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog
> 
> Nonsense
> 
> 
> You and Stoller must have some nasty decor


Yes. My bathroom is horrendous, but it was done by a Thai.

I didn't say the tiles were nice, only that they were too light to make the room feel smaller than it actually is.

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## El Gibbon

Hmmmmm    

AC how much time do you intend on spending in the bathroom?  nuff said... straight on m'man.   :Cool: 

I've got almost the same and until today I really haven't paid a whit's attention to them   :Smile: 

E. G.

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## donmeurett

It depends on the angle of the blades and size of fan motor.
to get air moving the way it should. Have not found any fans here in LOS that did much good. The lights have nothing to do with air movement.

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## Anonymous Coward

This is the sort of look I was struggling to avoid:



The houses they built as models all have something similar.

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## Anonymous Coward

I noticed today that they are putting this insect screen in all the soffit vents:

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## klongmaster

> I'm about to buy a few things for the house:  - Air conditioners -  Anybody have particular advice as to brand, model or type on any of these times?


I recently bought a new A/C for my bedroom and received some good advice which is posted on another thread here

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## hillbilly

> I noticed today that they are putting this insect screen in all the soffit vents:


Sorry, to say but this is the cheap Thai way. This was suggested to the hillbilly and dismissed. :Smile:

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## Anonymous Coward

^Thanks for making me feel good.

I think maybe this thread has gotten too much for me.

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## hillbilly

> ^Thanks for making me feel good.
> 
> I think maybe this thread has gotten too much for me.


Hell, just remember i have been wrong most of the time.  :Smile:  

The house looks good, please keep the pics and comments coming.

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## dirtydog

hell nothing wrong with that stuff, he is building a medium class house, you want it 100 percent then you use stainless gauze, 700 percent more expensive at least and only used on mansions, and I had to travel 50kms each way to buy the stuff, a good example of the variations of building costings is flooring, this can vary from 100baht to 10,000baht per square meter, lino or granite, ceramic tiles at 400baht per square meter laid is cheap shite compared to African black Granite at 7,000baht per square meter.

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## Anonymous Coward

Seems I posted the last batch of photos with no narrative. That's what I get for composing in an external editor and uploading without looking....


Living room tile going down.


This is the bench on the front porch. They wanted to put it all around the porch but we had them put in some steps down to the garden (on the left) instead.


Window detail in the back. We'll need to plant some tall trees back here.


Bathroom plumbing.


So, they finish the wall and then break it to stub in the kitchen plumbing. This was how it was done on Saipan as well. Why don't they plan ahead. Oh, yeah....

Same with the development infrastructure. First they put in the roads and fences and now they're digging things up to put in the water and underground electrical mains. Totally nuts.


This stuff is for the drains that go around the perimeter of the block of land. The shower, kitchen sink and septic tank overflow all go into these drains which empty into the development's storm drains which probably flow right into Lam Takhong.

(Sorry, it was too late to edit the original post. It can be deleted....)

As for the vent screens: When I built my house on Saipan I imported the best metal window screen I could find in the US. It didn't stand up to the tropics. I ended up replacing it all with fabric screen: easier to clean, easier to maintain and easier to repair and replace.

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## Anonymous Coward

This is how the house looked on February 16.


Bathroom tile going up.


Front porch tile. 


Back wall. I guess there won't be room for that tennis court I was wanting.

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## peterpan

Its going to be quite a pleasant looking house, pity they don't throw in a bit more land around it tho'.  If I phone ahead will you have scones and tea ready for me, on my manthly trip Udon to BKK ?

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## Anonymous Coward

Fortunately we're on a corner lot, so only two neighbors. We moved the house away from the side neighbor, but couldn't do anything about the back one.

I'm trying to decide what sort of trees to plant as a screen. Any ideas?

I'll give the scones my best shot. I've baked them before, so I'm willing to try again....

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## The_Dude

The house looks like it is coming along well. Great pics! Keep it up, many ideas are collected from your shots.

 Thank you. 
   The Dude  :Smile:

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## Airportwo

> I'm trying to decide what sort of trees to plant as a screen. Any idea


Banana Palms make for excellent screens once they start growing?
Cheers

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## Anonymous Coward

> Banana Palms make for excellent screens once they start growing?
> Cheers


Do you think they'd get enough sun there? This is on the north side of the house and the house behind has two floors. I'd like bananas if they'd grow there.

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## huahin

Hi guys, have asked this question before but no reply, so I'll post again.  My wife and I are planning to build a modest house in Nakhon Sawan at the end the year.  I would like to know if one needs lawyers for contracts, are house plans available from the builder or does one need to find a architect??  Does anyone know of any reputible builders in Nakhon sawan??  I would welcome any advice or recommendations.
Thanks

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## Airportwo

> Do you think they'd get enough sun there? This is on the north side of the house and the house behind has two floors. I'd like bananas if they'd grow there.


Sorry got the name wrong, just looked it up, called "fan' palm, they don't need a lot of sun. Fast growing, I planted some three years ago and they are now trees with about a metre of trunk - there huge!
Cheers

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## peterpan

> .
> 
> I'm trying to decide what sort of trees to plant as a screen. Any ideas?


 I would like to help because I get a lot of pleasure (non sexual of course) from your posts. BUT asking me for horticultural advice is a little like asking Nana tart for financial investment assistance.

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## Anonymous Coward

I ended up buying this water heater:



It's a 4.5KW unit by Mazuma of Thailand.

We'd used one in a guest house and liked it. (Nothing like hands on.) And the owner seemed to like how reliable they were.

Another decision based on totally unreliable information....

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## klongmaster

you don't look like you've got much room there so you need something that won't devlop huge roots...not sure bananas would be the best choice there...

one thing I have noticed is that lots of people plant in those huge pots rather than in the ground... maybe that's why...this way they can control the roots?..

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## Anonymous Coward

I was thinking of Heliconia. This plant was formerly classified as a relative of bananas, but has a narrower trunk and a more attractive flower. The roots tend to be smaller than bananas. They come in a huge range of sizes and flower types. This wiki article has some photos: Heliconia

This photo shows how dense it can get:



Some tall ginger might do the trick as well.

Still thinking....

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## in4zip

> Originally Posted by Anonymous Coward
> 
> 
> .
> 
> I'm trying to decide what sort of trees to plant as a screen. Any ideas?
> 
> 
> 
>  I would like to help because I get a lot of pleasure (non sexual of course) from your posts. BUT asking me for horticultural advice is a little like asking *Nana tart* *for financial investment assistance*.


beg to differ PP 
Nana tarts are one of the best Investment Ass..istants money can buy, your money of course, provided you invest in ass..ets dear to your adviser of the moment e.g.: upcountry real estate,  human and/or bovine pharmaceuticals, roofing repair companies and last but not least hair saloons and managed (by her/_him_ depending on personal proclivity) entertainment avenues. :Very Happy:

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## Anonymous Coward

It looks like the house is sliding toward completion in mid-March. Not sure how ready we are, but there's no pressure to move right away.

The floor tile is nearly complete. The big remaining tasks are:

- Pulling the electrical wiring
- Putting up the ceiling
- Installing electrical and plumbing fittings
- Painting
- Landscaping (just turf, I think)

We're madly using Ms. AC's days off (one per week) to figure out the following:

- Ceiling fans (still haven't found any I like at the right price)
- Kitchen sink (Home Pro has a promotion on one from Teka)
- Cooktop (ditto)
- Fridge
- Cabinetmaker to build out the kitchen and do some shelving and stuff

Finally got the check from the bank for the final balloon payment. Ms. AC will deposit today. Funds should be available by the time the payment is due at the end of March.

I wish the dollar weren't in such a hole, but it looks to slide further so we need to do the dollar/baht conversion sooner rather than later.

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## Anonymous Coward

Front porch tile is done:


Bathroom floor tile started:


Living room, kitchen and bedrooms done:

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## lom

> I was thinking of Heliconia. This plant was formerly classified as a relative of bananas, but has a narrower trunk and a more attractive flower.


Also known as "bird of paradise".

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## Anonymous Coward

Actually, Heliconia are in the family "Heliconiaceae" while Bird of Paradise are in the family "Strelitziaceae". Same order, though: "Zingiberales"

Heliconia are sometimes called "false bird of paradise" because they look similar.

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## Airportwo

> Heliconia are sometimes called "false bird of paradise" because they look similar.


The only problem I have with these are they prolifiate! you have to cut them back a lot, they spread like weeds.
Cheers

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## Anonymous Coward

> The only problem I have with these are they prolifiate! you have to cut them back a lot, they spread like weeds.


Agreed, they can be a problem.

So, I'm still looking for something tall to screen out the neighbors in that narrow space that won't have invasive roots and won't be hard to control....

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## Anonymous Coward

Lots of plants going in at the moo baan entrance.


Window frames going in. Cheap hardware....


This is the side yard next to the neighbor. Not a lot of room here, either.


This is the front yard. Toward the back will be some small fruit trees. In front will be a pond and decorative garden.


I really like the way the bathroom tile turned out.


This is the moo baan central park. They put some huge trees in there including this massive areca palm.

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## Marmite the Dog

> I really like the way the bathroom tile turned out.


Nowt wrong with that. You should see mine!  :Surprised:

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## Thetyim

Is that your incoming power line on the right.

If it is I would not bother purchasing any more electrical appliances

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## Anonymous Coward

> Is that your incoming power line on the right.


They're promising and upgrade "real soon now"....

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## Anonymous Coward

Of course my family in the US has never heard of the sort of water heaters used here. They asked for a photo of the innards and here it is:

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## klongmaster

we don't have these in NZ either but I think they are more efficient than heating a bloody great cylinder and keeping it hot all day for the odd moment when someone wants hot water...

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## Anonymous Coward

> we don't have these in NZ either but I think they are more efficient than heating a bloody great cylinder and keeping it hot all day for the odd moment when someone wants hot water...


I first used one of these types of heaters in the early 80's on Saipan. The only one I could find was manufactured by a company in New Zealand and I ordered it from there. They claimed it would be long lasting because the heating chamber was made of Lexan plastic. After a few months of use the chamber sprung a leak and squirted me with a small stream of incredibly hot water.

Perhaps that's why you no longer see them in New Zealand.

Anyway, the company couldn't believe the thing leaked. I sent it to them and they sent me a new one, but the second one failed after a few months as well.

I hope the ones I bought for the new house last a bit longer....

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## The_Dude

> Of course my family in the US has never heard of the sort of water heaters used here. They asked for a photo of the innards and here it is:


AC, point of use water heaters are common in the west coast. Either gas or electric heaters. Sell in home depot outlets and other stores like Lowes.

The Dude

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## The_Dude

Question, is you system wired with a GFIC breaker?

The Dude.

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## Anonymous Coward

> Question, is you system wired with a GFIC breaker?


The water heater has one and the whole house also has one in the breaker box. (Referred to as an ELCB in Thailand and, I guess, everywhere else except the US, but more properly called a Residual-current device.)

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## Lily

> we don't have these in NZ either but I think they are more efficient than heating a bloody great cylinder and keeping it hot all day for the odd moment when someone wants hot water...


I agree. I had never used one of the small ones until I came to Thailand and I think they are great.
It must cut down the energy used too.

I used to hate it when the whopping big hot water system which took a lot of space in the laundry needed a new element and you would have no hot water until someone came to fix it.

In the house I have now at home, I've got two of the buggers; one upstairs and one downstairs. I am thinking seriously of having them replaced by a small instant one in the bathrooms and kichen.

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## Anonymous Coward

I finally got a look at our new neighbors; the ones building the massive two story house behind us that will enable to peer down at our little lives at will. They were friendly and smiled and waved and said "hello".

They're Chinese.

No, wait, strike that. I don't want to be accused of bragging about my neighbors!

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## lom

> They're Chinese.


Lucky you, they are usually well behaved..

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## Anonymous Coward

> Originally Posted by Anonymous Coward
> 
> They're Chinese.
> 
> 
> Lucky you, they are usually well behaved..


Maybe....

It was sort of an odd couple. Both women in their mid-20's; one very chunky, the other very skinny. No idea about the rest of the family. It will be interesting to continue to observe....

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## Anonymous Coward

Six or seven years ago a friend of mine bought a condo in Cha Am. He installed curtains with traverse rods (the ones where you pull a cord to open and close the curtains). Of course, these were an instant failure. The cords got tangled. The curtains pulled off the hooks. People yanked so hard on the cords that the brackets got pulled from the walls. It seemed like I was doing curtain repair every time I went down for a visit. (My buddy is not much of a handy man.)

Last time I was down I was happy to see that he'd abandoned the old curtains and installed these much simpler ones:







This is the sort I want to put in our new house. Today's outing will be in search of a shop to make them.

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## in4zip

> I finally got a look at our new neighbors; the ones building the massive two story house behind us that will enable to peer down at our little lives at will. They were friendly and smiled and waved and said "hello".
> 
> They're Chinese.
> 
> No, wait, strike that. I don't want to be accused of bragging about my neighbors!


as I said elsewhere AC, find out if they got some formal university education, police affiliation...  without that the bragging dont get you nowhere  :Cool: 

btw nice curtains

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## Anonymous Coward

> find out if they got some formal university education


They all have degrees, but most of them are from Rajabat; which sort of moves this out of the realm of bragging. They all work for finance companies, too, so a lot of our furnishings are repos....

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## Marmite the Dog

I've got curtains like that. They don't pull across the pole very easily.

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## Anonymous Coward

> I've got curtains like that. They don't pull across the pole very easily.


Spray the rod with a little silicone lubricant and they'll slide like the breeze.

(Not, not THAT rod and not THAT sort of silicone lubricant....)

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## Anonymous Coward

The money to pay for this house has been in a US bank account jointly owned by Ms. AC and me. Since my bank doesn't do foreign wire transfers we decided to have them send a check. We'd done this before and it worked well. If you plan ahead it's actually cheaper than doing a wire transfer and the exchange rate is good. Bangkok Bank says it takes up to 45 days. Last time it took us about 20. This is fine. We won't actually need it until the end of March.

However, because of the changes in the law regarding incoming foreign funds we were concerned about the 30% rule. We asked at the bank several times and were told that there would be no problem and that no proof of what the money was to be used for would be required. We later asked a Bangkok Bank official who was in from Bangkok to attend the "Money Expo" in Korat. She also said there would be no problem and there would be no need to prove that the money would be used to purchase a house.

The check arrived early this week and Ms. AC went to deposit it on Wednesday. As advertised, no problem. However, she failed to again ask about the 30% and I urged her to call the bank the following. She did. Again, no problem.

That evening the bank called and told her she had to come in to file the required report under the "Foreign Business Act". Of course, no mention of this had been made previously. When asked about it, the bank people said that they didn't know the report was required. Ms. AC has just been to the bank to fill out the required form. Oddly, she was told to fill it out in English, not Thai. It asked things like the source (address) of the money, the previous owner of the money (us) and the purpose of the money.

Ms. AC asked the bank if proof of the purpose of the money was required. She had taken along the house contract, just in case. The bank official said she didn't think proof was required, but Ms. AC gave it to her anyway.

And, so it goes.

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## Anonymous Coward

First Beer


Front door in and fence almost done.


Anyone know why they put four hinges and in this arrangement? Is it because the hinges are sold in pairs and they didn't know what to do with the fourth one?


View from the front porch. Ours is the smallest house in the neighborhood.

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## hillbilly

Good job, please keep it up!

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## Thetyim

> Anyone know why they put four hinges


Because the doors are teak and bloody heavy

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## daveboy

> Because the doors are teak and bloody heavy


Why aren't they equally spaced

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## Anonymous Coward

> Why aren't they equally spaced


Exactly what I was wondering. Maybe because of the window on top? Door's not so strong there so needs more support?

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## daveboy

> Maybe because of the window on top? Door's not so strong there so needs more support?


Yes thats probably the reason

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## weescotsguy66

have you decided on your cabinet maker yer I saw a example in another forum linked to this is that your maker ???

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## Anonymous Coward

Still looking at cabinetmakers. The one you saw looks good, but I think he has a tendency to overdo a bit. We want to see a few more before making a decision. As you can see from the house, we kind of like things plain and understated. We want cabinets that are plain, simple and well-made.

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## Spin

> Anyone know why they put four hinges and in this arrangement? Is it because the hinges are sold in pairs and they didn't know what to do with the fourth one?


Weight is not the issue. 2 of those hinges will do the job unless the door is warped all over the place and then the other hinges are used as forcible straighteners :Surprised:  

There not evenly spaced because even spacing is not something that your average Thai construction worker has ever pondered :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):  

At my old job with a local construction company i noticed that they put 4 hinges on internal doors. now these doors are made of cardboard and dont weigh nothing.
i pointed out to the MD that he was wasting money.
He did not look too concerned until i told him that at his current construction rates he was wasting nearly 200,000 Baht per year on hinges.
he soon changed the expression on his face.

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## Anonymous Coward

> He did not look too concerned until i told him that at his current construction rates he was wasting nearly 200,000 Baht per year on hinges.


The amount of wasted materials is astounding. My guess is that they overbought the floor tile by about 40&#37;. There's tons of it just sitting around and the number of broken pieces is huge. Ditto with cement and concrete. Huge amounts of it just sitting around discarded because it hardened in the mixing container.

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## ChiangMai noon

> The amount of wasted materials is astounding. My guess is that they overbought the floor tile by about 40&#37;.


They overcooked ours aswell.
Used what was left when we built the kitchen extension.

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## Spin

> they overbought the floor tile by about 40&#37;. There's tons of it just sitting around


grap a couple boxes of each tile. later when you have moved in and cleaned the floors you will find maunufacturing blemishes or chips.
you will have some spares from the same batch to make repairs.

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## stroller

Mistakes cannot be corrected later, I was told by the bright guy who managed to place a few tiles pointing the wrong way in the pattern.  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## Spin

^ he didn't want to chisel out the wrong ones then?

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## Anonymous Coward

Good advice. One overhanging tile on the front porch is already chipped. Some idiot walked on it before the facing edge was finished. That *will* have to be chiseled out and replaced....

Not much happening over the last few days. Ms. AC's day off today so we went inspecting after lunch:

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## BallBreaker

I've noticed that exteriors are painted in the LOS.  Is there a reason a coloring agent is not used in the final render coat here in Thailand?

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## Thetyim

^ They would never get the colour even.

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## Anonymous Coward

when I built the concrete portion of my house in Saipan I used a concrete stain instead of paint. After 25 years in the tropics it was still good.

I haven't seen that here, either.

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## dirtydog

Its just Iron Oxide, and as Thetyim says the color will never be even, best to mix it in in the end and go for an olde worlde look.

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## Fingers_in_pies

Are there always problems with building developments in Thailand? it seems that way due to the Thai people being a little slow or bad project management.

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## Anonymous Coward

> Its just Iron Oxide, and as Thetyim says the color will never be even, best to mix it in in the end and go for an olde worlde look.


The "concrete stain" I used was a penetrating colored stain much like that is used for wood. It penetrates the concrete and gives a long lasting color. You can't get dark colors with this stuff, but for things like tan or beige it's very good and lasts forever. Plus, if you apply it evenly (with a spray gun) there are no problems with uneven coloring.

I've looked for a similar product here in Thailand, but haven't seen it. All of the major paint manufacturers in the US have concrete stain products.

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## Thetyim

> if you apply it evenly (with a spray gun)


Sorry I thought you meant something that was mixed into the wet concrete.  I have never seen a stain as you describe.

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## Spin

> Sorry I thought you meant something that was mixed into the wet concrete


No, thats the lazy relatives.

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## BallBreaker

> Originally Posted by Anonymous Coward
> 
> if you apply it evenly (with a spray gun)
> 
> 
> Sorry I thought you meant something that was mixed into the wet concrete.  I have never seen a stain as you describe.


I am talking about something that is mixed into wet concrete.  Its a powered non fading mineral oxide that will disperse in wet concrete.  It is mixed in the final render coat.  If the mix is measured the same for each batch even color over entire exterior should no be problem.  Comes in many colors and last for decades.

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## Anonymous Coward

What I'm talking about is a penetrating stain, much like wood stain, that you apply after the rendering coat is fully cured. It works great as long as the plaster is porous. If the plasterers have made the finish too smooth the stain won't soak in.

The advantage of this is that the color is applied after the plaster is hard, so you don't run into the problem of mixing. It comes pre-mixed like ordinary stain and can be applied by brush or by spray.

I've searched for it here, but haven't found it.

It also lasts for decades.

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## Anonymous Coward

> The check arrived early this week and Ms. AC went to deposit it on Wednesday.


The check in question was a US dollar bank check. Ms. AC deposited at the Bangkok Bank branch in Korat on Wednesday February 21st. My bank paid the check to Bangkok Bank only a week later, on Februrary 28th (Thailand time).

Now the question is, what exchange rate will we get?

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## Spin

^ I just checked the cheque rate for that day and I reckon you will get around 35.29.

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## Anonymous Coward

^That'll be OK. What I'm wondering is whether they'll use that day's rate or the date that they actually credit the baht to Ms. AC's savings account?

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## BallBreaker

> so you don't run into the problem of mixing.


The powdered oxide is dumped in while concrete is mixing so it would not be a problem.  Its just another ingredient like sand for the mix.

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## Spin

> ^That'll be OK. What I'm wondering is whether they'll use that day's rate or the date that they actually credit the baht to Ms. AC's savings account?


Now thats anybody's guess :Smile:  

Just cross your fingers

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## Anonymous Coward

> The powdered oxide is dumped in while concrete is mixing so it would not be a problem.  Its just another ingredient like sand for the mix.


I think Thetyim's earlier comment:




> ^ They would never get the colour even.


was based on the assumption that the Thai workers can not be counted on to mix concrete in the same proportions every time. You just have to watch them one time to realize the likelihood that different batches of colored cement probably wouldn't match very well.

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## Anonymous Coward

I have a friend in the Netherlands who has been following the construction of our house. He noticed the four hinges unevenly placed on the front door, asked around and wrote this:




> A front door (as I can see this one too!!!) is  mostly a heavy weight door !! When the door opens the weight of the door is full on the lowest side (hinge) of the door so the highest hinge is ''the weakest link in the chain " So in the modern way of building houses they use 2 hinges above !!!
> 
> In that way the door is much stronger!!!!
> 
> I think I can see your door is a ''hard-wood-door'' so a heavy door!!
> So your contracting firm is modern and very good!!!!
> 
> My neighbour is owner of a contracting firm and he builts houses every day !! He often takes a look at the site and follows the building of your house (I gave him the link!!)
> 
> ...

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## lom

^ The explanation of the weight on the hinge is not something which is logical to me. 
The weight of a door will be split evenly on all of its hinges.

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## Anonymous Coward

> ^ The explanation of the weight on the hinge is not something which is logical to me. 
> The weight of a door will be split evenly on all of its hinges.


Same here....

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## friscofrankie

> Originally Posted by lom
> 
> ^ The explanation of the weight on the hinge is not something which is logical to me. 
> The weight of a door will be split evenly on all of its hinges.
> 
> 
> Same here....


The weight is cantilevered out from the bottom hinge, the majority of the weight is then trying to rotate the weight out & down from the top hinge using the bottom most hinge as pivot point, the force on the bottom hinge is in & down.  Heavy doors will attempt to pull the hinge free of the jamb and if the attachment is strong enough may deform the upper hinge.  

Ultimately the top hinge assembly could fail or at least make the door difficult to open/close or the latch mechanism to be misaligned.  I have this problem where I live now I have a solid teak & rosewood door hung without doubled hinges.

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## Anonymous Coward

^ You know, I searched high and low on the Internet for door hanging examples and couldn't come up with anything that showed the uneven spacing of four hinges. Yes, there were sites that recommended four hinges for heavy doors, but none offered any arrangement but even spacing.

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## Spin

> I searched high and low on the Internet for door hanging examples


An exciting weekend then AC? :Wink:

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## Anonymous Coward

> An exciting weekend then AC?


Well, the sister-in-law's ass-hugging, skin-tight pink jeans were another big highlight.

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## a. boozer

> The fans with lights are not very strong cooling wise


Methinks, maybe 'Helicopter' has a manual for tuning the rotors!

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## Thetyim

I have never thought much about hinges before.
Frankie's theory sounds good to me.

I have just checked the hinges in my house.
I have five on the external doors and four on the internal doors.
The spacing is the same as AC's, the top ones are closer.

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## Anonymous Coward

> I have five on the external doors and four on the internal doors.
> The spacing is the same as AC's, the top ones are closer.


They probably knew you were going to swing on them now and then.

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## Dougal

> The weight is cantilevered out from the bottom hinge, the majority of the weight is then trying to rotate the weight out & down from the top hinge using the bottom most hinge as pivot point, the force on the bottom hinge is in & down. Heavy doors will attempt to pull the hinge free of the jamb and if the attachment is strong enough may deform the upper hinge. Ultimately the top hinge assembly could fail or at least make the door difficult to open/close or the latch mechanism to be misaligned.


I agree but there is also an inner rotation at the bottom pivoted around the top hinge. The big difference of course is that at the top the rotation is pulling the door away from the jamb and at the bottom it is pushing it into it. The distortion effect on the two hinge pieces should be equal but the screws on the bottom hinge plate are almost unneccesary.

Older Thai houses used to use doors that bi-folded upon themselves to open the entire front of the house. The outward stresses on the top hinges must have been considerably greater than on a more conventional 200*80 door and 4 or more hinges would have been essential - and I'm sure that hinges with bearings where far less common then than now.

For a normal door I expect that two hinges would be adequate but I suspect that there is an element of 'it's always been done this way and so why change'. Anyway labour is cheap and hinges aren't exactly costing the earth so I'm fitting four hinges too.  :Smile:

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## friscofrankie

I deleted a paragraph where I mentioned that newer methods and materials probably preclude teh need for the additional hinge, but this being where we are, the comment would have little or no bearing in any discussion with a thai contractor  :Smile:

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## Anonymous Coward

> the comment would have little or no bearing in any discussion with a thai contractor


But, could you convince Dougal?

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## friscofrankie

> For a normal door I expect that two hinges would be adequate but I suspect that there is an element of 'it's always been done this way and so why change'. Anyway labour is cheap and hinges aren't exactly costing the earth so I'm fitting four hinges too


 :Very Happy:  Doubtful.
He'll be dealing with a Thai contractor I imagine.  The weakest point is usually the attachment (Wood Screws?) and the extra hinge will help 'specially if they use something like 1/2" #8 screws, or smaller.

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## Dougal

> but this being where we are, the comment would have little or no bearing in any discussion with a thai contractor


Absolutely! The potential benefits obtained against the costs measured in terms of my sanity simply don't make it worthwhile.

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## Anonymous Coward

> The potential benefits obtained against the costs measured in terms of my sanity simply don't make it worthwhile.


The voice of a man with experience....

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## Anonymous Coward

Not much going on during the holiday weekend. When I went by today there were about a dozen workers plus the architect at the house with the cave-like kitchen. Work on this house has been accelerated lately and we figure they've paid to have it done quickly. Odd thing is, there's no power or water yet, so what's the use paying tea money to get the house done when you can't realistically occupy it?

Anyway, landscaping the entrance seems to be done and looks OK if you like Thai-style formal gardens. Frankly, I don't, and you won't see this sort of stuff in our yard:



A couple of the coconut palms in the background (behind the guard shack) blew down in the severe storm we had on Saturday. Back up today though.

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## Spin

> and the extra hinge will help 'specially if they use something like 1/2" #8 screws, or smaller.


Well, that depends if said screws are driven in by rotation of the clockwise direction or driven in by the linear direction with a fokin big hammer!

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## Anonymous Coward

> The money to pay for this house has been in a US bank account jointly owned by Ms. AC and me. Since my bank doesn't do foreign wire transfers we decided to have them send a check. We'd done this before and it worked well.... Bangkok Bank says it takes up to 45 days. Last time it took us about 20. This is fine. We won't actually need it until the end of March.


Interesting development: Based on my online bank statement the check cleared on February 27th. The money was withdrawn from my account on that date showing that the check was paid. I got an online copy of the check showing it was paid to Bangkok Bank. But, Bangkok Bank still hasn't put the money in the local account.

Ms. AC called them today and asked why not. They tried to explain that the money really hadn't been taken out of our US account. What BS. Bangkok Bank has the money, has full use of it, but still hasn't credited our account with it.

Is this sort of rip-off standard practice? I guess we'll march in there with the proof they have the money and see what the local bank manager has to say.

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## breezer1

ALL banks like to hold onto money they can put it on the overnite market and gain interest for the bank ,the bank managers only doing his job  :Smile:  .

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## El Gibbon

Bangkok Bank is notorious for this. Many many times I've heard the same story.

I was going to Direct Deposit a monthly check into Bangkok Bank, but, was told that the money would NOT be available until it "cleared"... Flock them a Direct Deposit i.e. money into an account requires no clearing.

Bunch of bastards..... they get the free use of the money for x days on the international Money Market without having to spend a dime.

Sadly BB is the only Thai bank that has a direct deposit facility from the US....

Flock em I'll continue to use my CC.

One of these days the banking system in Thailand will get upgraded. But, only when a major international player forces the issue. One bright note is G E Finance taking a major position (40+%?) in Bank of Authaya. Maybe this will force the issue.

Until then we are stuck with substandard banking...

Oh, yeah one other caveat was that I can only open the DD account in the Bangkok main office. They would issue a "check card" but then I would pay a "fee" if I took money from any other branch... flockers!

E. G.

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## Marmite the Dog

> Until then we are stuck with substandard banking...


Still better than UK banking. Even a cash deposit takes days to clear. It's all Dougal's fault btw...  :Wank:

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## friscofrankie

> One bright note is G E Finance taking a major position (40+&#37;?) in Bank of Authaya. Maybe this will force the issue.


C'mon man do you really think it's the banks stellar performance and NOT banking regulations that dictate the timeliness of transactions?  

I can see it all now; Banker gets money, thinks, " :33:  Hmmm, I could take this money and use it, along with thousands of other transactions with generous (or none) time limits on them,  to pad out our lucrative speculation in the international money market for a week or three without any interest costs whatsoever.  Hell there may even some additional costs I can tack on while I'm at it!"

"NAH, I'm a nice guy. I wouldn't take advantage of my customers that way, here let's put in his account right away and do it for free since he is allowing us to use his money."
 :Very Happy:

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## DrAndy

> Originally Posted by Anonymous Coward
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Originally Posted by lom
> ...


 

I knew you would not be able to resist that one FF

----------


## ceburat

Will you have a/c?  If so will it be solar?

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## Anonymous Coward

This is how they finished up (mostly) the moo baan entrance.


These supports are what the dry wall (gypsum board) for the ceiling will be fastened to.


View from the back.


I was surprised to see they actually use conduit, flex and metal junction boxes.


As of March 19th the roof was almost done....

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## Anonymous Coward

Here's how the front porch looks with the door and windows installed.


As of March 30th the roof was still "amost done".


This is the side yard will the pond will go. We told them no jalousie windows but they put this one in anyway. Note the guy on the roof finally finishing it.


We'll put some fruit trees in this side yard. Note the massive house going in behind us.


This is the view our neighbor has of our back yard from their master bedroom.


This is their view of our side yard. Don't be fooled by the soil. The dumped a bunch of construction garbage, spread it out and then put a thin layer of topsoil on top. Ms. AC is determined to get them to remove the junk. Good luck.


They started the ceiling on April 2nd.

We had a look at the lighting fixtures they planned to instal. Ugly. Ugly. Ugly. So, we decided to buy our own. I went to Home Pro and out of the hundreds of fixtures they have on display there was not a one I'd put in my own house. Ditto for Home Mart. We went to an interesting shop in downtown Korat this morning and bought nine fixtures that I actually like. Some are actually made out of real wood and glass. The total price for all nine? About 6K baht.

----------


## William

^it's looking nice mate.  Is Mrs. AC happy with things?

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## Anonymous Coward

Thanks William.

I think both of us are pretty happy with the place. It gets about 7 or 8 out of 10. Where we're both unhappy is with the specific instructions they've ignored:

- No glass brick in the bedroom, put it in the bathrooms instead
- Put some vents in the roof peaks
- No color or shiny finish on the wood
- No glass jalousie windows
- Add some extra outdoor electrical outlets
- Don't use as soil the construction debris you've dumped there

None of it is major; just irritating. I believe Ms. AC is starting to feel a bit of lost face. I'm still waiting to see if it's graeng jai all the way or a Chinese firecracker blowup.

----------


## ChiangMai noon

> - Don't use as soil the construction debris you've dumped there


that's a big one.
took months of complaining for us to get some proper stuff thrown down.

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## William

^you guys are lucky - I had truck my own stuff in  :Sad: 

ps - and I probably shouldn't say this: but it looks like it has plenty of room for a little one to crawl around in  :Smile:  .

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## blackgang

Looks very nice A/C, but I know how hard it is to get done what you asked for, I even stood right there all day and watched and made em do it right, but if you go to pee then it will be screwed.
I did get them to put peak vents in my roof and I hade up some of those turbo vent things to fit on and it works swell, will take some pics someday if I get off my ass and do it.
But you do have a house to be proud of as far as I can see.

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## Marmite the Dog

I was talking to a friend over the weekend who has just built a lovely house. He said that he had to physically restrain the 'builders' from fucking up most of the time.

I'm looking forward to seeing the finished piccies of the house.

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## jumbo

It house is looking fine AC how long before you move in. My wife and I are at about the same stage that you are. My return in two weeks will see the doors and windows fitted and tileing started. I could not help notice one of the pics with plastic bags on the ground, why are some people so untidy, we have been on the plot picking up rubbish every day and workers will follow behind dropping food containers and plastic bags, it make me want to screem.

----------


## dickie

> I was talking to a friend over the weekend who has just built a lovely house. He said that he had to physically restrain the 'builders' from fucking up most of the time.
> 
> I'm looking forward to seeing the finished piccies of the house.


Totally agree Marmite, that why I try to offer my service, but as usual most people want me to work for nothing, dream on!!!

Builders Thai or Farang need to be kept an eye on a regular basis, otherwise a disaster is waiting to happen?

House Building Consultant Pattaya Thailand | New House Developments | Real Estate Pattaya | Thailand Property

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## Anonymous Coward

> it looks like it has plenty of room for a little one to crawl around in


Don't go there, William!  :Surprised:  




> did get them to put peak vents in my roof and I hade up some of those turbo vent things to fit on and it works swell


I'm planning the same. The architect said that there wasn't room for the peak vents and that the turbine vents are too ugly. He's clearly wrong on the first point. Maybe right on the second, but I think the effect will be worth the eyesore.




> It house is looking fine AC how long before you move in.


They continue to claim that it will be done by Songkran, when most of the workers will disappear for a week. But, they won't start the kitchen until after Songkran, so we probably won't move in until the kitchen is done. We had originally planned to have the kitchen built out by a cabinetmaker, but it was just too costly. We're having the contractor build the counter out of concrete with wooden cabinet doors and drawers. The counter will be granite. This is turning out to be about 25&#37; cheaper than having the cabinets made from all wood.




> I could not help notice one of the pics with plastic bags on the ground, why are some people so untidy


It's amazing how much crap accumulates. I guess they'd rather clean up just once. But, I did a little experiment: I left my empty beer cans on the front porch. Of course, since they have value they were gone by the next morning.

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## blackgang

Damn no trouble at all, just get up from puter, open window and shoot.
I made the mounting from flat plate and a short 6"pipe with 3 bolts to secure it to the stub that is made on the roof vent tiles so the bolts are finger tight below the collar of the tile and can not ever blow off in a heavy wind.
Maybe not to pretty but sure makes my inside thermometer look better and the green light on my big aircon only comes on less that half as much as it used to.

----------


## hunter

> Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog
> 
> 
> I was talking to a friend over the weekend who has just built a lovely house. He said that he had to physically restrain the 'builders' from fucking up most of the time.
> 
> I'm looking forward to seeing the finished piccies of the house.
> 
> 
> Totally agree Marmite, that why I try to offer my service, but as usual most people want me to work for nothing, dream on!!!
> ...


How do you charge for your services dickie ?

----------


## dickie

> Originally Posted by dickie
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog
> ...


Hunter my fees are based on a monthly basis, there is a link to my contract below.

House Building Consultant Pattaya Thailand | New House Developments | Sample Building Contract

Your also see there is a get out clause in there, for both sides?

If your intersted in hiring my services send me a pm & I'll reply although my contact details are on the contact page of my web site.

I'm of to KL on Friday morning so if I don't reply to early next week please bare with me

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## Thetyim

> I don't reply to early next week please bare with me


Hmmm......and you call yourself dickie  do you    :Smile:

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## Anonymous Coward

> I made the mounting from flat plate and a short 6"pipe...


Blackgang: Why did you mount it like that instead of using one that slips in under the roof tiles? Were you afraid of leaks or what?

----------


## dirtydog

That actually looks a better way of doing it, ie it is right at the top so gets all the hot air, rather than a meter or so down the roof where it is easier to get the tiles out, also I don't think they have the profile for the monier type tiles so they tend to bodge up the fitting, ok maybe now they make a proper profile for that type of roof tile but they never used to.

----------


## hillbilly

After much thought, have to agree with the dawg.

----------


## Thetyim

Can someone explain what a roof vent tile is.

Is it a special  ridge tile ?

----------


## blackgang

Special ridge tile' To mount this turbo vent which was 17" open at the bottom, I made a 1/8 inch plate to fit, drilled 3 holes in the plate where the cross braces are in the bottom of vent, welded a 6" piece of 6" thin wall pipe over the 5 3/4" hole in the center on it, put a 1/4" J bolt in the 3 holes, fitted the plate in the bottom of the turbo vent and bolted it in with the J bolts to the cross braces, welded 3 -3/8" nuts to the pipe 1 1/2 inch up from the bottom end and those are for the bolts that go under the collar on the tile to keep wind from blowing the turbo vent off.
Sorry so long but I do not explain well in type. If I can talk and tell you then I get to swear a lot and make myself understood..555

Also the reason for it being at the top is as the DD said, and if you look at the pics in the fotki link for Thailand pics[ page 16 or so] you will see the alum sheet insulation that is under the purlins and so the air comes in the bottom end of the tiles and goes out the top as the foil goes to the top of the tiles at the ridge.plus as was also stated by DD is that is the only vent tile they make and a flat plate under the tiles wouldn't have been for shit, altho they do not make a vent to go over that hole, it is made for lightening rods or a cosmetically pretty rooster. you know that Thai know shit about removing or keeping heat out of a house.

----------


## Thetyim

^ Thanks.  That is  what I had imagined it to look like but I have never seen one before.

So it would be a fairly simple job to remove an existing ridge tile and replace it with a vented one ?

----------


## blackgang

Yes, they didn't get mine til the roof was done, and they got 3 and put em all up, so I made em take one down and thats it In took a pic of, it was up there for a couple weeks.
But the rooster that they make to fit the tile is actually a wind vane, Big Rooster too,,when ya get the tiles they have a rubber cap on the hole.

----------


## Anonymous Coward

This is the sort of light fixture that we were avoiding:



I did a quick walk-through some of the other houses and it appears that the builder is putting this exact fixture in every room of every house unless the buyer asks or buys something different.

----------


## El Gibbon

Would make a great 'dish' for your Golden Retriever's food.

E. G.

----------


## Anonymous Coward

It appears that the contractor is making a big push to get the house done before Songkran; probably so that the developer will pay them so they can pay their workers before the big holiday. Anyway, lots of action over the last few days and lots of mistakes to go with it.


Here they've installed the metal part of the fence. Of course, they had to break into the wall that had already been plastered and painted to fit the metal.

Other than to show respect for their time-worn custom of refusing to plan ahead, why do Thai builders plaster and paint concrete only to break it again a few days later to install plumbing, electrical or something? I can understand their lack of concern over the time this wastes, but, given their devotion to cold hard cash, don't they realize how much money they're blowing by working this way? Unbelievable.


Here you can see the slab for the carport and some of the exterior lights. If you look closely you can see how they had to break concrete to install the conduit in the fence pillar and the wire leading to the light on the carport pillar.


Here's the front porch. The overhead light fixture was our choice; the one on the wall theirs. I like them both.


Here's the ceiling fan and ceiling light fixture in the living room. The ceiling fan was the plainest one we could find. The light fixture is still too decorative for my taste, but at least it's made out of real wood and not overly gaudy.


Here's the "laundry area". Not sure why they poured the slab all the way to the fence. I guess it was easier that way. The pipe sticking up leads to the drainage system. I guess that's where you stick the washing machine drain hose. Note the crappy fluorescent fixture above the back door. That will be replaced as soon as I find something better. (Shouldn't be difficult.)


Here's an exterior shot from this morning. I've taken such shots from the same point since the beginning. It's almost done now and looking OK to me.

During our visit today we got a glimpse of the incredibly crappy bathroom mirror/shelf/towel rack set that they were going to install. This inspired us to make an emergency trek to Home Mart where we managed to find decent mirrors and OK stainless steel shelving and towel hangers.

In the US it's the practice of housing tract developers to offer upgrades to buyers: better appliances, better lighting fixtures, better bathroom fittings, etc. I'm surprised this isn't done here, at least at this moo baan. Would be a great way to fatten up the profits.

I suspect that we'll be told we can move in late next week. We have a rather long list of things that need to be "fixed" (including outdoor electrical outlets with no ground wire....) and we plan to wait until all that's done. Also, the kitchen build-out won't start until after Songkran. We'll wait for that to be done as well.

----------


## Thetyim

Looks like the fitting will get wet there

----------


## Anonymous Coward

> Looks like the fitting will get wet there


Really stupid, isn't it?

----------


## Thetyim

^ Is there room for it under the hood or will the door hit it ?

----------


## Anonymous Coward

> ^ Is there room for it under the hood or will the door hit it ?


There's room under there for a different sort of fixture. Maybe one that's not too wide that uses a screw-in bulb.

----------


## blackgang

Looks like wooden sash and windows??

----------


## Anonymous Coward

> Looks like wooden sash and windows??


Yes, all wood. Supposed to just have wood preservative on it but instead they used a glossy wood stain.

Grrrr.....

----------


## Anonymous Coward

I believe this is the conduit for the underground power lines. It seems as if this should have been one of the first infrastructure items to be installed, not one of the last. The water mains have also not yet been laid down. 

I'm not sure how they will bury the conduit and water mains underneath the concrete streets and walls they've been building for the last six months, but I suppose they'll find a way; even if it means unnecessary work and ripping out stuff resulting in the usual cosmetic blemishes....

----------


## lom

> even if it means unnecessary work and ripping out stuff resulting in the usual cosmetic blemishes....


If you don't have enough work - create it  :Smile: 
My experience from Thai building crews is that half of their workday is  spent fixing yesterdays mistakess and the other half to create new for tomorrow.

----------


## MeMock

^ always employed i gather  :Smile:

----------


## Anonymous Coward

Since photos of house wiring are rather boring, I've only posted a few. However, one of my major concerns about any house is how well the electrical work is done. One of the favorite tricks on Saipan was to have ground (earth) wires that extended only a few inches into the conduit and then to use the neutral wire as a common neutral/ground. Naughty, naughty.

I have been explaining to Ms. AC things like why a ground wire is necessary, why it's not a good idea to put the electric oven on the same circuit as the kitchen utility outlets, etc. She tried to convince them to wire the oven separately, but was unsuccessful. My response? "No worries, we'll take care of it after the fire."

Yesterday she went to the big book fair in Bangkok and returned with but a single volume which is entitled "Chang Fai Fai Nai Baan".

The woman's in to it!

----------


## Thetyim

^ You are absolutely correct to insist that electrical work is done properly.
Our house is 5 years old and the kitchen has developed a fault.
There's about 18 sockets on one breaker.
The wiring has shorted.  The wiring of course is embedded in the wall so tiling and rendering will have to come off to fix it properly.

I have just moved my Computer down to the groundfloor room and now find that none of the GF sockets have an earth. 

Chang Fai Fa is not a popular word with me

----------


## Anonymous Coward

> Chang Fai Fa is not a popular word with me


Sorry to remind you of your troubles....

We plan to buy a proper outdoor light fixture today to replace the junk they put on the back porch.

During the breaking in period I plan to load as many appliances as I can muster on the kitchen outlets, turn on the oven and see what blows....

I have been looking for a plug in circuit tester but haven't found one. The type I want has a series of LED's that let you know if you have a proper ground, etc. Anyone seen one?

----------


## Anonymous Coward

Here's a shot of the light fixture we're replacing. 



Note that the one they put in is clearly not designed for outdoor use. Also note the crappy work in installing it. They had to dig a channel in the concrete for the wires and cracked the plaster in the process.

Here's what happened here. The kitchen (window on the right) was originally supposed to have glass jalousie windows. We substituted hinged windows. That left no room for the light fixture because the windows swing where the fixture was to be mounted. So, instead of getting a new fixture and installing it where there was room, they just used the one they had and put it in this unlikely location. Lazy, lazy, lazy.

----------


## stroller

> The wiring of course is embedded in the wall


Mistake. Wires may not look pretty, but you can repair or move them as necessary outside.

----------


## Thetyim

^^ So was there not room to mount it vertically between the door and the window.

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## Dougal

> I have been looking for a plug in circuit tester but haven't found one.


Try this surge protector that you shoudl be able to pick up at any reasonable electrical shop.

----------


## Anonymous Coward

> ^^ So was there not room to mount it vertically between the door and the window.


Of course that would have worked as well. We bought a new one this morning that will, with luck, cover up all the crummy concrete work and actually last out of doors.

----------


## Anonymous Coward

> Try this surge protector that you shoudl be able to pick up at any reasonable electrical shop.


Dougal - This is what I'm looking for, but for 220 volt circuits:





> Tests any standard 110VAC grounded outlet Detects correct wiring or following faults: open ground, reversed polarity, open hot,open neutral, hot & ground wires reversed,hot on neutral with hot open Checks the operation of G.F.C.I. protected circuits

----------


## Anonymous Coward

Work is proceeding at a furious pace now. I'm sure they want to "finish" the house before Songkran. Yesterday they finished the front porch and began building the steps:



They've also grouted the interior tile and installed all the bathroom fixtures. No photo yet as the house is now locked when work is finished and I'm too shy to take photos while the workers are there.

Inside they still need to paint, put in the baseboards and and install the wiring for the air cons and water heaters.

Of course, there's still no permanent water or power in the entire moo baan and that will not be installed until after Songkran....

----------


## stroller

So Songkran with the lovely family it will be...

----------


## Anonymous Coward

Lucky me, they're all leaving for the weekend. Half up to Lamphun and the other half to Koh Chang. I'll be home alone and up to no good.

----------


## Anonymous Coward

The bathrooms look a little bare. Perhaps some fine art will liven things up a bit:

----------


## blackgang

What is that in the second pic,, your inlaws shitter perhaps??

Looks like Thai been washing in your sinks too.

----------


## Anonymous Coward

Blackgang, I first used the proper squat type toilet when I was in the Peace Corps in Truk (Micronesia) back in 1971 and I have preferred them ever since. Hence the squat unit in the master bath. We put a throne toilet in the other room to accommodate visitors who are either unwilling or unable to perform this vital function as God intended....

----------


## blackgang

Well I was young the first time I used one too, was in a paper whore house in Japan, But just never could get comfortable out in the woods humped up like a monkey fukin a jug.
we put european thrones in both our bathrooms, wife wanted em too.

----------


## Anonymous Coward

> humped up like a monkey fukin a jug


 :Very Happy:   - Such a vision that creates. A big green for you, sir.

----------


## blackgang

Thanks friend, was gonna return it, but says I got to fuk with someone else first.

----------


## Thetyim

> I have preferred them ever since


I didn't get to learn how to squat until I was in my mid forties.
I  prefer doing squat thrusts.   :Smile:

----------


## Anonymous Coward

> I  prefer doing squat thrusts.


Is that on the toilet or in bed?

----------


## Thetyim

I guess that stainless thingy is a door closer.

But what's the thing on the door surface, it looks like electric cable ?

----------


## lom

> I guess that stainless thingy is a door closer.


I'd say it is a towel hanger.

----------


## Thetyim

> I'd say it is a towel hanger.


Yep, I see now.
The perspective made it look like it was against the door at first glance

I got fitted up with new glasses two days ago.
I demand a refund  :Smile:

----------


## Anonymous Coward

Sorry, but the bathroom is rather narrow and difficult to photograph with a simple camera. The stainless steel thingy is indeed a towel hanger and replaces the plastic piece of crap they wanted to install.

I'm not sure what Thetyim is asking about on the door surface. It's a standard plastic door with grooves to simulate some other material.

The shelf above the sink is also stainless, in place of another plastic piece of crap. We ended up having to order decent mirrors as the only ones in stock here in Korat are also plastic framed pieces of crap.

The work crew mostly disappeared this afternoon astride heavily laden pickup trucks. I don't expect any work to be done until next week.

----------


## blackgang

It's looking good Dude..

----------


## Anonymous Coward

A few of the construction crew actually showed up this morning, so work in the moo baan continues. No one at our house except for the steel workers who have set up shop in our carport. I guess it's nice and cool under there.

----------


## lom

^ Expect a week or so of delay in moving.
This is the season of crew change, some of them stay home to make rice, some of them just come back late.
I'm a bit surprised that some arrived already..  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

----------


## Anonymous Coward

> I'm a bit surprised that some arrived already..


Same here. Our house is actually done except for the landscaping and one bit of driveway.

Of course, the big job left to be done are the water mains and underground power lines. Why they left these for last when they'll have to be put under streets, fences and houses is beyond me.

In any event, we don't plan to move until at least mid-May....

----------


## Eliminator

They're putting electrical lines "underground" in Thailand, damn that's gotta be scarey.

----------


## Anonymous Coward

> They're putting electrical lines "underground" in Thailand, damn that's gotta be scarey.


Indeed. I'm very anxious to see how they do it. They've got proper conduit. Of course, installing it and getting it all to work is a totally different story....

----------


## Anonymous Coward

This big block of land has been for sale for some time. I guess it sold as the signs are down and just before Songkran they cleared and graded it.

Now I'm curious as to what will go in here. It's probably most appropriate for housing, but it will probably be an annoying plastic fork factory or some such thing.

Our new house is in the moo baan about 300 meters down the road and on the right, just about where the big red arrow is:

----------


## El Gibbon

Could be worse, maybe a pig farm, or a steel factory or a coal fired power plant. You really never know here. aha bet its a recycling center. :dev+ang: 

E. G.

----------


## Fabian

Probably it will be a chemical waste storage.

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## Spin

> underground power lines


Does the entire moo barn have totally underground electrical supply? ie. no poles in any street. Or are you talking about the underground section between you house and a pole in the street outside?

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## Dougal

> Now I'm curious as to what will go in here. It's probably most appropriate for housing, but it will probably be an annoying plastic fork factory or some such thing.


There was a similar situation near me where developers bought land about three hundred meters back from the main road and built an estate of bungalows, which had a nice view of the hills. What no one told the residents was that the strip in front of their estate was earmarked for a low cost housing project of some 500 apartments. 

Their nice view of the hills is now being replaced by a three story concrete box which will doubtless be painted in tasteful orange and blue.

----------


## Butterfly

> What no one told the residents was that the strip in front of their estate was earmarked for a low cost housing project of some 500 apartments.


Usually they build night markets or some other commercial development property in front of residential moo ban, creating a cahos of traffic.

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## hillbilly

The house looks like it is coming along just great! Good luck with the empty land down the street. Remember TIT! :Smile:

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## buad hai

> Does the entire moo barn have totally underground electrical supply? ie. no poles in any street.


That's right, the entire moo baan. Unfortunately, they still have not started burying either the electric or water mains. So, our house sits there, finished, but unoccupied. 

Apparently they failed to get their plans for the underground electric mains approved by the Provincial Electrical Authority.

Of course, the downside for the developer is that they can not now get final payment on any of the houses that they have finished. Perhaps this explains why the number of workers on site has gone from well over 100 pre-Songkran to only a couple of dozen now. I'm sure they expected to start receiving money as the houses were completed beginning right around Songkran. Now they're saying late June for occupancy. I'm both fed up and pissed off.

----------


## buad hai



----------


## William

^welcome back mate.  Good to see you round again.

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## Spin

> I'm both fed up and pissed off.


Understanably. I think the underground cabling will be well worth the wait.

It makes the street ambience soooo much better without all that Thai spaghetti strung everywhere :Smile:

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

I just read the entire topic from the start: Congratulations!!  I think you got a great house on a very very good budget. 

Main gripe, which has nothing to do with the house itself, is the wall around your property, particularly in the back.  I see this in lots of compounds: Why the need to build such a monstrous wall that even partly blocks the view from the windows?  What's wrong with a good old hedge in this country I wonder.  :Smile: 

Second thing, the roof ends a bit prematurely I think.. One thing I like about more traditional Thai style building is that they continue the roof on down past the wall a bit lower, so you then don't need those concrete sun/weather covers above the windows.

This picture shows both things very clearly:

----------


## buad hai

You're right on both counts. I'd much prefer to use plants for screening rather than the wall. In fact, the wall is really too low for privacy and too high for getting a good view of the surrounds. If you follow the garden thread Buadhai's New Garden you'll see how I'm going to use plants to enhance the privacy a bit.

The roof baffles me. It wouldn't take much to extend it as you suggest, but instead they go to the trouble to build those concrete awnings which are really too shallow to do any real good. I plan on putting outdoor bamboo blinds over the windows that will get the most sun.

Alas, these are some of the sacrifices one makes when buying in to a development like this.

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

I found a pic of a single floor 3 bedroom house that does extend the roof a bit, and even manages those wooden supports that give it even more of a Thai style look. (Not sure if those are actually supporting or merely decoration; probably the latter)

Of course it costs a good deal more than what you paid. 



(I'm house hunting.  :Smile:  )

Original link to this propery is here:  House outside Chiang Mai

[I like this site in general because they include a Google Earth / Google Maps link to where the property is, so you can actually just go take a look rather than waste time talking with the real estate company's office staff. It's in Chiang Mai though]

----------


## buad hai

Today is the day they were supposed to install the curtains (matchstick blinds, really). Ms. B did her best to organize things. She called the developer to let them know that the curtain people would be by the office at 9 AM this morning to pick up the keys. She called the curtain people to make sure that they would drop by the office first to pick up the keys.

At 9 AM I get a call from her (she's working today) telling me that the curtain people are there, but forgot to pick up the keys. Would I go over. So, I pour a jug of coffee, collect my book and peddle on over. By the time I get there they've been to the office and back to report that the keys are not there. The construction boss has one set and no one knows where he is. The other set is with the subcontractor who installed the window screens last week. He's 50K away in Sikhiu. 

At this point I suggest we reschedule, but the curtain guy wants to wait for the keys as he has no other work today and won't have a free day for at least two weeks. OK. We wait. I sit on the porch with my book and coffee.

At about 10:15 someone arrives with keys, but I can see at a glance that they are the wrong ones. Ours have an orange or yellow tag and this one is blue. (They also gave this very same wrong set to another contractor that we'd hired to do wooden baseboards.) They try them anyway.

Finally about 10:35 the contractor with the keys arrives and makes the handoff. We open the front door and the curtain guys start to unload. I open the windows to get some circulation. While doing so I get my first look at what must be the ugliest sliding front door screen that I've ever seen. It looks like it was pulled from Alcatraz. It must go, and soon.

I settle into the kitchen (the only room they won't be working in) enjoying the breeze and my book. Pretty soon I hear one of the guys say to the other, "Mai mee fai". (No electricity.) Of course not. Since the builder failed to get Provincial Electrical Authority permission to bury the electric cable there is no power to any of the houses. No water either. 

I go out into the living room where they are setting up; their electric drills plugged in to the powerless wall outlets. When I confirm "Mai mee fai", their jaws drop. One guy jumps in their truck, driving off to the office I suppose to borrow a long extension cord. He returns to report that there is none available. They quickly pack up and as they are leaving tell me to call back when we have some power.

No wonder this project is three months behind schedule. And counting.

----------


## buad hai

*Flash* - Just got a call from Ms. B. The curtain guys have arranged a long extension cord and are going to try again this afternoon.

Photos at 9.

----------


## Marmite the Dog

> The curtain guys have arranged a long extension cord and are going to try again this afternoon.


Chock dee, na.

----------


## buad hai

I'm supposed to get a phone call before the guys start installing the shades so I can supervise. No call, so I ride over on my bicycle to see what's up. Sure enough, they're there. The have installed one shade and are working on the second. Unfortunately, they have installed them too low. So low that the window screens, which are hinged and swing in, can no longer be opened.

Once again their jaws drop and they stare at each other for a moment.

I suspect the screens that were custom made based on their measurements (and our instructions about being high enough for the screens to open....) are not long enough.

I couldn't stand it anymore and rode off to the tune of electric screw drivers humming away. I bought a nice ice cream as a reward for my perseverance.

Fortunately, we are only in to these guys for 2000 baht. And, that's all it's going to be until the job is perfect.

Ha!

----------


## buad hai

The world's ugliest sliding screen door. This has got to go.

----------


## buad hai

After all the drama the blinds came out OK. They had to remount about half of them because they were too low....


Living Room


Bedroom blinds are backed with fabric for more privacy and a darker night.

----------


## sledge

some shots from my window

----------


## sledge



----------


## buad hai

We heard yesterday that the underground power lines have not been installed because the Provincial Electrical Authority has a rule which says that underground power mains can be installed only in a development with 200 or more houses. There will never be 200 houses in this subdivision. We also heard that the builder may put in temporary power lines "until the situation gets sorted out" (read: "until sufficient tea money is collected and paid up").

----------


## Thetyim

^ are we supposed to believe that the developer didn't know this ?
He is either incompetent or a liar.

Does your contract state that you will get underground power lines ?

----------


## buad hai

> ^ are we supposed to believe that the developer didn't know this ?
> He is either incompetent or a liar.


Based on observation and experience to date I'd have to agree on both counts. 

I honestly think that they just didn't bother to check in advance. They seem to have selected a subcontractor, bought the materials, and heavily advertised the feature all without finding out in advance what the rules were.




> Does your contract state that you will get underground power lines ?


Yes.

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

The main issue seems to be with a backward policy by the electricity company.   Good luck getting that turned around.. 

Oh well, [everyone, say with me.. 1.. 2... 3...:] This is Thailand..!!!

Seriously though, a compound is basically a private property isn't it.. At my company we have underground power lines between the buildings; it's our land, we can stick anything in the ground we want.

----------


## Thetyim

> Yes.


Well no more payments until you get what you signed up for then.

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

Then again, perhaps Thais just love to look at nice modern cabling.

----------


## Thetyim

> At my company we have underground power lines between the buildings; it's our land, we can stick anything in the ground we want.


Those cables are after the meter and your responsibility.
This is pre-meter and the responsibility of the Leccy company.

----------


## buad hai

> Seriously though, a compound is basically a private property isn't it.. At my company we have underground power lines between the buildings; it's our land, we can stick anything in the ground we want.


Which may just mean that they're lying about this as well....




> Well no more payments until you get what you signed up for then.


We haven't made a payment since January.

----------


## buad hai

> This is pre-meter and the responsibility of the Leccy company.


Yep, I think you're right.

Why would the PEA care where the lines are if the developer is paying and doing the work? The 200 house limit doesn't make much sense to me.

----------


## klongmaster

why is this?



> http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index....=post&id=24632





> Thaivisa: Sorry, but you do not have permission to use this feature.

----------


## dirtydog

That was cos of mad dog nicking all there pictures and making up stories about them.

----------


## William

> Originally Posted by Thetyim
> 
> This is pre-meter and the responsibility of the Leccy company.
> 
> 
> Yep, I think you're right.
> 
> Why would the PEA care where the lines are if the developer is paying and doing the work? *The 200 house limit doesn't make much sense to me*.


A 200 house project would likely need an EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment).  Anything less would likely not.  That said, I always thought the EIA requirement was based on number of Rai of the development and not units constructed.

----------


## lom

> Those cables are after the meter and your responsibility. This is pre-meter and the responsibility of the Leccy company.


Exactly, and electric company usually demands that the meter is placed so it is no doubt to which house it belongs.

Furthermore, a cement pole based cable feed can easily be extended to a nearby area while an underground feed is a closed system.

----------


## buad hai

> Exactly, and electric company usually demands that the meter is placed so it is no doubt to which house it belongs.


I understand that the meters are to be installed on the perimeter wall. It looks like there is conduit in place to accomplish this.




> Furthermore, a cement pole based cable feed can easily be extended to a nearby area while an underground feed is a closed system.


This makes sense. In this case, though, the moo baan has elevated power mains on the roads that run on either side of it. So, running power to other areas wouldn't involve extending lines from within the moo baan.

----------


## DrAndy

I suppose the number of houses is important because of the high cost of putting the lines underground. if you have enough houses, then that investment is worthwhile

----------


## ceburat

A/C I just updated myself by reading the rest of this thread.  Your house is looking good.  

I have one question.  Air turbins are great and so are attic fans for cooling down the house.  Has any of the builders in your sub-division installed or mentioned attic fans?  Have you seen any in the Khorat area?

Sorry, that was two questions.

----------


## buad hai

I have not seen any attic fans or turbine fans installed yet. But, only a few houses are at that stage. Have a look at this thread over on Korat Farang:

Roof Insulation. The guy "Dutch" mentions that he has attic fans but offers no other detail. He's a very helpful guy so you might write and ask.

Update on my house: Still no word on the underground power cables. So, the house is done, but we still can't occupy. Very frustrating.

Any suggestions?

----------


## klongmaster

> So, the house is done, but we still can't occupy. Very frustrating.  Any suggestions?


only that you need to be there every day BH to keep the squatters out!..

you are more patient that I would be...once the house is finished you really want to move in...sorry but I have no suggestions as to how you can get them to speed the process up...I'm only empathising with you...



.

----------


## buad hai

> only that you need to be there every day BH to keep the squatters out!..


We have a key now and I'm there twice a day to water the garden, mist the orchids and keep the place clean.

In fact, I'm on my way now...

----------


## Marmite the Dog

> Any suggestions?


Get a long extension cable.

Get a generator.

----------


## buad hai

^Don't think I haven't though seriously about this.

After a huge typhoon hit Saipan I lived quite nicely for six months on a small generator while they repaired the power distribution system.

----------


## Thetyim



----------


## ChiangMai noon

> After a huge typhoon hit Saipan I lived quite nicely for six months on a small generator while they repaired the power distribution system.


Did you have any sort of penalty clause written into your contract?
I think mine was 1000 baht a day for late completion.

They moved us in way before anyone else in the village and gave us a temporary water and electric supply, even a private security guard.
I loved it back in those days.
The only people in the village for 3 months.

Used to entertain myself by looking at the bathroom designs in all the other houses.
I wish I'd taken pics, some of them were priceless.

----------


## buad hai

> Did you have any sort of penalty clause written into your contract?


Nope. Turns out to have been a major f*ck up on my part.

One of the other buyers told us that the developer is thinking of putting in "temporary" power for the houses that are done. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I'd like to move in, but I'm loathe to make any more payment until the house is completed as advertised and as agreed to.

----------


## Marmite the Dog

> 


Not one of your better posts.  :Smile:

----------


## Thetyim

If they put in temporary power then move in but don't pay the full amount due.  You must hold back a decent lump until everything is completed, as in the contract, or it will never get done. 
By the sounds of it you will never get the underground cables so hold back as much as you can.

----------


## El Gibbon

BH, sounds a little like you were an early adopter, one of the first to buy off the plan and then get your home completed.

If this assumption is correct you may be fighting an uphill battle until a greater percentage of the homes are ready to be occupied.

I've seen a lot of 'buy-off-plan', both here and in Malaysia, that just don't work out very well for the initial construction phases. No implication in regard to your situation but just not something I would like to do. 

Purpose built on an individual basis OK, but not in a 'development' of any type here in Asia. And, it is an Asian deal.

In Malaysia one of my engineers made "house" payments for a year prior to the breaking of ground. After 37 months of making payments he was ready to go in and knock down some walls to get his modifications done. Seems they build only one style and anything else is up to the owner to accomplish after taking over the property. Gist of it was that it was 4 years after making a down payment and monthly payments that he actually moved into his home.

Hope your not caught up in a similar situation.

E. G.

----------


## buad hai

> BH, sounds a little like you were an early adopter, one of the first to buy off the plan and then get your home completed.


I don't know what "off the plan" means. Please explain.

We're certainly not the first to buy. I would say at this point about 1/4 of the houses are done or nearly done.

We put 20&#37; down and haven't made any payment since then.

No one will make any more payments until they move in so I don't see what the advantage is to the developer to delay things. They have already purchased all the stuff they need for the underground power, so the delay seems at least as disadvantageous to them as it is to us.

----------


## Thetyim

> I don't know what "off the plan" means. Please explain.


Means buying without seeing the house.
You only saw the plans and maybe a cute little model and an artists impression.

----------


## buad hai

> Means buying without seeing the house.
> You only saw the plans and maybe a cute little model and an artists impression.


No, five houses identical to ours were finished or nearly finished when we made our deposit. They built those as "model" homes before they even started selling. Some of those have been sold since then. I think only one of those remains unsold.

Of course, in phase 1, across the road, there are dozens of houses just like ours; built and occupied for three or four years now.

----------


## El Gibbon

Good that you've got 80% of the money in your control... 

Does phase 1 have underground untilities????

E. G.

----------


## buad hai

> Does phase 1 have underground untilities????


No. I don't know of any subdivision in this area with underground power lines.

----------


## Spin

^ not even Land and Houses Company's estate in west Korat has underground power lines and they were the first company to go national with it.

----------


## buad hai

Latest word is the we should know "by the end of this month".

I'm out of patience....

----------


## William

^need some help? (as a friend?)

----------


## buad hai

^Sure, you have an idea?

----------


## William

no, but send me some docs - "where there's a will, there's a way  :Smile: "

----------


## buad hai

You mean the house contract? PM me your e-mail address and I'll send you a scan.

----------


## buad hai

We had originally asked the developer to build out the kitchen. They had promised to start right after Songkran, but it hasn't happened. So, we found someone else who is supposed to start today or tomorrow. We bought "Smart Kitchen" cabinet faces. The salesman did up this plan for the builder:



-----

Yesterday I counted 15 houses that are completed or will be complete within a week. This out of a total of about 53 plots of land available. So, they've got lots of product ready for sale which they can't move until they sort out the power problem. We will talk to them today about temporary power....

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

Noyce.   I like it that so many builders these days can come up with proper drawings, often even in 3D rendering..

----------


## buad hai

Well, we're just back and the good news is....

The developer has finally received approval for the underground power lines. They will start to do the work within the week and promise we can move in by the beginning of next month. We'll see....

The kitchen builder will buy the materials today and start work tomorrow. Completion in four or five days. We'll see....

----------


## Marmite the Dog

It's so exciting!

----------


## buad hai

Or, perhaps, anticlimactic....

----------


## ChiangMai noon

Glad about that BH.
Now go and buy a couple of changs to celebrate.

----------


## klongmaster

well that's good news BH...and nooners is on the button...time for a few beers to celebrate...even if it is for next month...

----------


## buad hai

The kitchen materials have arrived: cement, gravel, sand, bricks, rebar, lumber:



Now time for those beers....

----------


## ChiangMai noon

Are you sure they've delivered enough sand?
I sense another crisis..

 :wales:

----------


## buad hai

^Thanks loads....

I have no idea. There's lots in big piles all over the development. Perhaps they ordered a minimum amount for show and plan to nick the rest. (We were about to suggest midnight shopping anyway.)

----------


## El Gibbon

> The kitchen materials have arrived: cement, gravel, sand, bricks, rebar, lumber:
> 
> 
> 
> Now time for those beers....


Make sure they don't "mix" on your patio!   normal practice here. 

Nice to hear your making some progress, are all the orchids ready to move?

E. G.

----------


## buad hai

We'll be there tomorrow morning watching the concrete mixing.

The orchids have been ready for a while. I stopped fertilizing to limit growth. But, I need to live in the house for a bit to watch the sunshine patterns and figure out where to put them all!

----------


## Jet Gorgon

Ah, underground wiring. Now I know why you have had delays. It flips them, that. All the PVC pipe to put the wires in and such. Also, maintenance will be interesting. Hope you keep copies of the exact location of the wiring. All the critters that like to chew. Had that at a friend's property. After seven years, the electric blitzed and they couldn't find the friggin lines to see where the break was.
Nevertheless, it's great things are going forward, BH. Really happy for you and will toast you on your move in! Let us know, please.

----------


## buad hai

They've had the flexible conduit for the underground wiring on site for some time:



I will take lots of photos of where and how the bury it for future reference.

----------


## buad hai

> Are you sure they've delivered enough sand?


Another pile of sand mysteriously showed up this morning. Wasn't there at 8 PM last night. Midnight shopping?

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

> But, I need to live in the house for a bit to watch the sunshine patterns and figure out where to put them all!


It usually comes from above, in a downward direction.

Anyway, I like orchids.  I like plants that aren't fuzzy and don't die on me when you ignore them for a couple months. (or forever  :Smile:

----------


## buad hai

> It usually comes from above, in a downward direction.


Except in the morning when it comes from the East at a rather steep angle and in the afternoon when it comes from the West at a similarly steep angle. Then there are the shadows from the house, wall and other plants.....
 :Very Happy:

----------


## a. boozer

> We'll be there tomorrow morning watching the concrete mixing.


 
Isn't that like watching paint drying?


 :saythat:

----------


## buad hai

> Isn't that like watching paint drying?


This is Korat, remember. Moments this exciting are few and far between.

----------


## ChiangMai noon

^
I've just started looking for a 100 talang wah plot of land.
Should be an adventure.
Plenty of misery to come from me I suspect BH.

----------


## Spin

> Plenty of misery to come from me


Theres a thread open for that already :Smile:

----------


## buad hai

We took the cabinet face frames over to the house this morning and had some discussions with the guy who's going to be doing the kitchen. Seems like a lot of cabinets for a small kitchen:



We had an interesting discussion on the counter height. I wanted 90cm but the chang pointed out that the cabinet faces were made for an 80cm counter. The extra space above or below would look bad if the counter was 90. So, we settled on 80. Perfect for Ms. B; a little low for me.

----------


## buad hai

Lucky us. They mixed in the street instead of on our driveway.


Hmmm. I wonder about this crew. Sure looks awful at this stage.

----------


## Eliminator

BH, unless they wash all that stuff away every day, you're road in front is going to look the same as your driveway would if they had done it there. Tell them to get the big black oval shaped bucket (or whatever they call it) to mix in. Believe me it's a pain in the ass to get rid of it after it's hardened.

----------


## buad hai

^They don't even have a truck. I don't know how they'd get it.

Just one more f*ck up in a long line of them.

----------


## El Gibbon

Take a hose and wash it down when they are finished. Done the same day it should spread out the crap and smooth it out. Plus they got a nice damp base to work on tomorrow.

E. G.

----------


## dirtydog

> The extra space above or below would look bad if the counter was 90


You would normally have a 10cm skirt on the ground anyway.

----------


## buad hai

> You would normally have a 10cm skirt on the ground anyway.


Yeah, this is what the cabinets are designed for. If we made the counter 90, we'd have an extra 10 cm to either add to the skirt or the space between the counter top and cabinet. A world of never ending compromise....




> Take a hose and wash it down when they are finished.


If only we had water and a hose....

----------


## klongmaster

^^so how far do they have to go to get their water for their mix?..

----------


## buad hai

> ^^so how far do they have to go to get their water for their mix?..


About 100 meters. They are using my watering can to cary the water. Luck I bought one day before yesterday or they'd be SOL.

They did a good job of cleaning the street though. You can hardly tell that someone mixed their mortar there....

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

> You would normally have a 10cm skirt on the ground anyway.


Any skirts over 10 cm are a waste.   10 cms, silvery fabric and matching platform boots.. Perfection.

----------


## buad hai



----------


## WhiteLotusLane

> They did a good job of cleaning the street though. You can hardly tell that someone mixed their mortar there....


Still... There'd be less cleaning to do and even less visible if they'd just bring one of these:

----------


## buad hai

> Still... There'd be less cleaning to do and even less visible if they'd just bring one of these:


As I said, they don't have a truck. The three of them arrive all on one motorcycle. This morning they also brought a power cross-cut saw. It was quite a sight to see. Sorry I didn't get a pic.

On the other hand. There are plenty of those concrete mixing tubs scattered around the subdivision. I guess I could advise them to nick one this evening around midnight.

----------


## DrAndy

> ^
> I've just started looking for a 100 talang wah plot of land.
> Should be an adventure.
> Plenty of misery to come from me I suspect BH.


 
If you are not in too much of a hurry CMN, we have some land we will be selling in Mae Rim, near our house

at the moment it is rice fields, but we plan on building up the level and putting in an access road

----------


## buad hai

Now I've been with Ms. B nearly four years. In that time I've never, ever seen her get angry or display any sort of displeasure for more than a second or two.

Until yesterday when she saw this:





WTF is this guy thinking? What a god awful mess. Why pour a big slab when the kitchen counter is going to be a nice thick hunk of granite? Why use 1/8" veneer plywood to make a form for concrete? (Ever heard of Plyform?)

Anyway, all through dinner last night Ms. B's jaw was clinched in anger her hands shaking with fury. She called "Khun Chang" and told him to do no more work until she talks to him more. She's taking a half day off to meet with him this afternoon.

I'd say the first step involves a sledge hammer.

Of course, I went over to the house before her and solved the problem in the usual manner: lots and lots of Beer Chang.

----------


## breezer1

> Now I've been with Ms. B nearly four years. In that time I've never, ever seen her get angry or display any sort of displeasure for more than a second or two.
> 
> Until yesterday when she saw this:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> WTF is this guy thinking? What a god awful mess. Why pour a big slab when the kitchen counter is going to be a nice thick hunk of granite? Why use 1/8" veneer plywood to make a form for concrete? (Ever heard of Plyform?)
> ...


 
That has got to be the worst piece of building i have ever seen in my life .

----------


## kingwilly

excuse my ignorance, but wot wrong wiv it?

----------


## breezer1

> excuse my ignorance, but wot wrong wiv it?


Kw do you wear glasses ? if you dont then you need to  :rofl:

----------


## kingwilly

serious question.

----------


## buad hai

The bricklaying sucks. The forms sag. There wasn't supposed to be a slab on the countertop at all. He was supposed to pour concrete on the floor so the cabinet bottoms would be level with the door. As Breezer said, I've never seen work so poor.

Oddly, we hired this guy because he built the kitchen at one of the restaurants we frequent. It's very nice. And, the owner of the restaurant hired him again to do work at her home. We saw that work in progress. Again, very nice.

I guess he decided to use our kitchen to regain his amateur status....

----------


## kingwilly

ok. i still dont really unnertand, but dat ok.

----------


## buad hai

^So, you think it looks OK?!?

----------


## kingwilly

as i said i dont really unnerstand. but i believe yers when u say it no good.

----------


## DrAndy

I can see KWs point

that is work in progress; after the brickwork is rendered it will work fine. The slab will support your granite, so that will be nice and strong

it is only the basic structure

----------


## buad hai

I hope you're right Dr. Andy. Perhaps I should tell Ms. B to stay home until it's done. 

As for the slab, maybe he figured we were going to be butchering pigs with meat cleavers and pounding up a huge mess of som tam on a daily basis.

----------


## buad hai

I just spoke to Ms. B on the phone and told her that both DrAndy and kingwillyhggtb (I hope I pronounced that right) approve of the kitchen work so far so she's going to call Khun Chang and tell him to continue on.

More later.

----------


## Marmite the Dog

> I just spoke to Ms. B on the phone and told her that both DrAndy and kingwillyhggtb (I hope I pronounced that right) approve of the kitchen work so far so she's going to call Khun Chang and tell him to continue on.


Wow! The power of TD!

----------


## dirtydog

> excuse my ignorance, but wot wrong wiv it?


Got to agree with KW, I cant see what you think is wrong with it, ok if the floor is going to be raised it would have been easier to do that first, but then there would be wasted wood for making that form, most customers start whinging when the price is too expensive, so the guy has done it the normal cheapest way to be able to be competitive on price, as for the slab, any less than 8 to 10cms and it would just collapse in on itself.

----------


## buad hai

^Thanks for weighing in. I'll let Ms. B know that all is well....

----------


## Thetyim

I guess she is angry at the mess.

You might have some dirty grouting when they have finished

----------


## buad hai

> I guess she is angry at the mess.


That may be part of it. But she was really angry that he didn't follow instructions. It appears they have now made a face-saving deal.

We'll see how it goes.

----------


## breezer1

The brickwork is not straight and when rendered will look worse , are units going in this brickwork ? i will take even money they dont fit . these guys are not builders this work is terrible .

Will be interesting to see how it pans out .

Good luck breezer

----------


## Gerbil

Looks ok to me as well.

No point doing perfectly straight brickwork if you're going to render it off anyway.

----------


## buad hai

> are units going in this brickwork


Yep, they are. Face-frame cabinet doors and drawer units. I measured. They'll fit if they don't screw up the rendering too much.




> No point doing perfectly straight brickwork if you're going to render it off anyway.


Other than pride of craftsmanship, you mean?

----------


## Gerbil

> Quote: Originally Posted by Gerbil No point doing perfectly straight brickwork if you're going to render it off anyway. Other than pride of craftsmanship, you mean?


I don't think you'll find guys on 150 baht a day regard themselves as 'craftsmen' really.  :Smile:

----------


## dirtydog

The bricks aint straight anyway so your fighting a losing battle to lay them straight, plus the render hides that anyway so is pretty irelevant,

The cupboard door frames will be fitted first, probably with the doors still in and then the rendering will be done.

----------


## breezer1

Well i am glad i will not be there to see this type of work being done when we start our house , i will have the sledge hammer ready .

Breezer

----------


## dirtydog

> The brickwork is not straight and when rendered will look worse


No when rendered will look better.




> are units going in this brickwork ? i will take even money they dont fit


Obviously you haven't done this type of thing before.

----------


## buad hai

> I don't think you'll find guys on 150 baht a day regard themselves as 'craftsmen' really.


Three people. Four or five days work. 6000 baht. That's a bit better than 150 baht per day.

----------


## Gerbil

^ Except the boss will take the biggest chunk of course.  :Smile:

----------


## breezer1

> Originally Posted by breezer
> 
> The brickwork is not straight and when rendered will look worse
> 
> 
> No when rendered will look better.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
The brickwork is pisspoor it will be interesting to see how this kitchen turns out . Keep us posted and good luck .

Breezer

----------


## NickA

> Three people. Four or five days work. 6000 baht. That's a bit better than 150 baht per day.


Bet it takes 6 or 7 days at least in the end.

----------


## dirtydog

It's actually 4 or 5 days work, but alas concrete don't harden up quick enough, so it will probably be 7 or 8 days of easy work, ie they aint going to be taking the wooden supports out in the next couple of days so that slows down progress.

----------


## Gerbil

> Originally Posted by dirtydog
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Originally Posted by breezer
> ...


This Breezer obviously knows his stuff DD, maybe you should hire him as a consultant?  :bunny3:  :Aussie:  :bunny3:

----------


## NickA

DD used to know his stuff, but I'm pretty sure I've done more building than him in the last 12 months :rofl:

----------


## ChiangMai noon

> If you are not in too much of a hurry CMN, we have some land we will be selling in Mae Rim, near our house
> 
> at the moment it is rice fields, but we plan on building up the level and putting in an access road


That would be the perfect area andy.
have you thought about a price yet?

----------


## NickA

^Yes, he's thought of a price - and now he's just doubled it :St George:

----------


## breezer1

> Originally Posted by breezer
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Originally Posted by dirtydog
> ...


If DD thinks the brickwork is ok then he is just another bodge merchant himself . Looking at some of DDs work i would guess he is a self taught builder . No city and guilds for DD  :rofl: 

Breezer

----------


## Gerbil

> Originally Posted by Gerbil
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Originally Posted by breezer
> ...


Here's one I had done earlier: 

https://teakdoor.com/construction-in-...extension.html

As you'll notice, the brickwork is pretty similar as you'll probably find in nearly all construction work here. 'Western bricklaying' is mostly used when the bricks are intended to be seen in the finished result. This is pretty much never seen here.

----------


## dirtydog

> If DD thinks the brickwork is ok then he is just another bodge merchant himself


In a civilised country would you have to use materials like these?



Take a close look at these bricks.

----------


## Rigger

I wouldnt worry buad hai my kitchens all looked like that when they started to build them but turned out nice and havent had any problems with cracks or anything else

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

Guess the argument boils down to the different function of bricks in Thai construction vs in the West;    A skilled Western bricklayer must die a thousand deaths looking at just about any kind of construction in Thailand.

But then in Thailand bricks are just far less important; they're never structural, it's mere chunky filling to keep the cement standing up straight.

Or 'somewhat straight', I guess.  :Smile:

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

> WTF is this guy thinking? What a god awful mess. Why pour a big slab when the kitchen counter is going to be a nice thick hunk of granite?


On the plus side, with a big slab of concrete, the top may be a couple centimetres higher, meaning less back-ache for those occasions you're longer in the kitchen than the time it takes to grab a Chang beer from the fridge.

----------


## buad hai

I grew up in California where, of course, everything is made of wood: houses, kitchens, etc. Concrete is reserved for foundations, patios, swimming pools and concrete block walls.

I first moved to the Asia-Pacific region 30 years and was always struck by the way concrete is used. In Hawaii the majority of houses are built from concrete block; what the locals call "hollow tile". The masons and bricklayers do such a good job that most low end houses are not even rendered off.

On Saipan the vast majority of construction workers are Filipinos and the quality of masonry is much poorer than in Hawaii. When I had a concrete extension added to the wood house I built I spent months looking for a crew that knew how to lay block properly and do up a decent corner. (Most Filipinos will lay up two adjacent walls first and then pour a column for the corner because they don't lay block well enough to have the two walls actually meet in the corner....)

But, after moving here I look back upon the Filipino work product with fondness. When they built a kitchen they'd use concrete block for the sides (with rebar inside) and they'd use proper lumber and PlyForm to make the forms for the countertop slab. Sometimes they'd even make the entire kitchen counter, sides and top, in one continuous pour into a big mold fashioned out of PlyForm and 2 X 4's.

Since moving here I have observed the construction of quite a few kitchens in the development where out new house is and elsewhere. I have never seen work as sloppy as what the guy we hired is doing.

It came as a bit of a shock.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for weighing in on this. We both feel better as a result of the positive comments and encouragement.

And, of course you know that I'll keep posting photos of the progress, or lack thereof.

----------


## a. boozer

[/quote]Any skirts over 10 cm are a waste. 10 cms, silvery fabric and matching platform boots.. Perfection.[/quote]

 :iagree:

----------


## stroller

> they'd use proper lumber and PlyForm to make the forms for the countertop slab.


I should have taken pics of the bamboo-matting they used for boxing the concrete in our place!  :Smile: 

Btw, why use bricks? It looks much neater before rendering with breeze-blocks, if that is important and you want to frame some of the work-in-progress pics later... :Razz:

----------


## buad hai

^I tried to get them to use SuperBlock. Less of a heat sink. Keep the oven heat in. They said it wasn't strong enough, as if the pile of brick and mortar they put in is any stronger....

----------


## Thetyim

> They said it wasn't strong enough,


I find that hard to believe.
They are harder to cut which is maybe the real reason

----------


## buad hai

> They are harder to cut which is maybe the real reason


Our house is built with SuperBlock. They use a cross-cut bow saw that you'd use to saw a tree limb. They seem to go through it pretty quickly.

But, they use a special mortar for it and maybe guys who haven't worked with it aren't game to try.

Anyway, I didn't press them on it.

----------


## gos

I am looking forward to seeing the finished kitchen could you have got a carpenter to build your cupboards or is that not strong enough for the granite top great thread good luck

----------


## buad hai

> I am looking forward to seeing the finished kitchen could you have got a carpenter to build your cupboards or is that not strong enough for the granite top great thread good luck


The cost of having a cabinetmaker do the work was quite high. About twice what this is costing. There are some guys who do some very nice work; just out of my pocketbook range.

And, the wood cabinets would have been fine for the weight of the granite top. They do it all the time.

----------


## DrAndy

> As for the slab, maybe he figured we were going to be butchering pigs with meat cleavers and pounding up a huge mess of som tam on a daily basis.


 
what!, you were thinking that will not be happening?

----------


## Thetyim

> They use a cross-cut bow saw


Don't move to Phrae. They use a hammer



> they use a special mortar for it


Don't move to Phrae. They use the same stuff

----------


## buad hai

^Hmmm. No wonder they think it's hard to cut. Have you told them yet that hammers are for installing nails and saws are for cutting stuff?

----------


## Thetyim

^" Maybe in farangland but this is how we do it in thailand and our houses don't fall down"    :Banghead:

----------


## stroller

^^
With a closed mind like this you will never be happy in the LOS!  :rofl: 

Btw, my neighbour just had a porch-roof added on, priceless!
I bet they'll call on me after the first rain, our roof seems to be the rare one which doesn't leak in the village (mind you, took me half a year to get this sorted)
Squatters rules OK.  :goldcup:

----------


## DrAndy

> Originally Posted by gos
> 
> I am looking forward to seeing the finished kitchen could you have got a carpenter to build your cupboards or is that not strong enough for the granite top great thread good luck
> 
> 
> The cost of having a cabinetmaker do the work was quite high. About twice what this is costing. There are some guys who do some very nice work; just out of my pocketbook range.
> 
> And, the wood cabinets would have been fine for the weight of the granite top. They do it all the time.


I made a wooden framework for a granite top; it is easily strong enough - I often stand on top of it as well to change light bulbs etc

----------


## Spin

> They said it wasn't strong enough,


Thats BS, Superblock is structurally sound and strong enough for your house to not have any concrete beam uprights.
A company in KK builds two story hoses with this stuff and uses no vertical columns on the second floor. for the roof a "c" section beam is bolted to along the lenght of the top of the blocks using those bolts that expand and then the angled beams that carry the tiles are welded to to the beam. This takes at least 2 weeks off the build time.

----------


## buad hai

> Thats BS


I know that, but I've learned that it's pretty much useless to get a Thai person to either change their mind or do something they really don't want to do....

----------


## in4zip

> .......
> 
> But, after moving here I look back upon the Filipino work product with fondness. ............
> 
> I have never seen work as sloppy as what the guy we hired is doing.
> 
> It came as a bit of a shock..


for nearly 2 decades I've had loads of stuff  built in Africa and when I came here, I was pleasantly surprised of the 'not so bad' quality of thai craftsmen compared to ... 

everything is relative innit?  :Cool:

----------


## buad hai

> everything is relative innit?


Indeed. Part of the pleasure of living in different parts of the world.

----------


## Spin

> I've learned that it's pretty much useless to get a Thai person to either change their mind or do something they really don't want to do....


Then just escort them out of your house and pay them up and say goodbye.

Who's in charge here, the man with the money or the employee?

----------


## buad hai

> Who's in charge here, the man with the money or the employee?


Who's in charge is the woman who can actually speak to the employees. Along with a lot of other things I've learned that Ms. B is a strong devotee of the concept of Graeng Jai; she has a very limited ability to say anything negative, contradict anyone, or point out that someone is incorrect or has done something wrong.

I have to carefully pick and choose how I direct her or else she simply runs out of gas.

For example, the nitwit electrician who wired the kitchen put the oven (which draws up to 22 amps) on the same 16 amp circuit with the kitchen utility outlets. This, of course, is wired with 2.5mm wire. The oven needs a circuit of its own with 4mm wire. I told Ms. B to inform the architect of the error. She did. He said it would be OK and there ended her ability to be contradictory.

Only when she actually read her "Chang Fai Fa Nai Baan" book and an article on kitchen wiring in a "Baan Lae Suan" magazine did she realize how serious the error was. Armed with both the book and magazine she finally worked up the courage to insist that the circuits be rewired.

I knew in advance that while she'd be able to ask Khun Chang about using Super Block she never would have worked up the courage to contradict his assertion that they were insufficiently strong.

And, there you have it: Mr. and Mrs. Meek.

----------


## Spin

^ Greng Jai's bang on if there is a small problem with a check bin but burning to death is another matter.
Thai's have to wake up and smell the coffee regarding safety and competancy, especially when selling to foreigners i reckon.




> He said it would be OK


Why would you let that situation continue knowing full well he was talking nonsense?

----------


## DrAndy

> everything is relative innit?


 
It is if you live in Isaan

----------


## buad hai

Of course, the afternoon was not a total loss. I did see this beautiful sky:


And, on the way home this crew of mostly female steel workers were happy to have their photo taken:

----------


## buad hai

> you got any electricity yet?


No, and no sign of it.

Kitchen crew seems to have given up as well....

----------


## dano

i suggest listening to the Beach Boys "In My Room" for 2.5 hrs at various speeds or joining me for a 60km bike ride.....couldn't hurt

----------


## DrAndy

depends on your saddle

as for the wife not being able to contradict the workers/architect, it is reasonable

I too would not contradict any tradesman etc if I did not have sufficient knowledge to do so. She read up on the facts and then had the courage and facts to back her assertions

good for her

----------


## buad hai

> Kitchen crew seems to have given up as well....


Ms. B called Khun Chang this morning to ask when he's going to finish the job. He said he'd come on Sunday and finish it. I have no idea why the week long gap between pouring the counter slab and finishing up. Also, I can't believe he will be able to finish it in one day. Doesn't he have to let the mortar on the tiles harden up before he puts in the cabinet faces?

----------


## dirtydog

The cabinet faces go in first.

----------


## buad hai

> The cabinet faces go in first.


The instructions that came with them say that the concrete should be dry before the cabinet faces are installed.

----------


## dirtydog

They are protecting themselves from any liabiliaty, the frames will be fitted and then cemented in.

----------


## buad hai

^So, you don't think it's a problem to mount wooden cabinet faces in wet cement? Or, is it a case of: they've always done it that way so that's they way they're going to do it, no matter what?

----------


## dirtydog

If they done it by the instructions, they would end up having to plane down the frames and doors to try and get it all to fit in, how do you think Thai door frames or window frames are fitted?

----------


## buad hai

Well, the instructions are pretty clear. Make the openings in the front of the kitchen counter to a specific size. Fit the cabinet face frames with the hardware supplied. These are not designed to be mortared in the way they do door and window frames and those plastic cabinet face frames, as demonstrated in the photo above. The cabinet faces have a flange which is designed to be screwed in to the counter after the surface has been rendered and the tile affixed. Trying to mount the face frames and mortar around them will defeat the purpose of the design.

Of course, now we run in to the problem of trying to tell a Thai, especially a Thai artisan, that what he knows or the way he's always done it is wrong. They simply decline to be influenced by either logic or evidence.

Sure, I can tell him how I want it done, but this gives him license to fail, doesn't it. "See, you made me do it this way and I f*cked it up. It would have been OK had you let me do it the way I've always done it."

So, do I make him do it the way the manufacturer intended or let him do it his way?

----------


## a. boozer

> So, do I make him do it the way the manufacturer intended or let him do it his way?



Let him do it his way!

 :saythat:

----------


## a. boozer

> Of course, now we run in to the problem of trying to tell a Thai, especially a Thai artisan, that what he knows or the way he's always done it is wrong. They simply decline to be influenced by either logic or evidence.



Logic is something that should be confiscated by customs on entry to the LOS. as it is a meaningless word here!

 :saythat:    ..................................................  ................ :St George:

----------


## Propagator

> Logic is something that should be confiscated by customs on entry to the LOS. as it is a meaningless word here!


Very true - can't green you for that must spead the loving around

----------


## stroller

> The instructions that came with them say that the concrete should be dry before the cabinet faces are installed.


Well, yeah, but just because it's printed, doesn't mean this is the only way to do it.

If you want it to be done, let him do it his way, of course he'll smear cement all over the frames, as they usually do, but TIT.

----------


## buad hai

^I'll get some photos of the cabinet faces this morning and post later on. They're really not deep enough to cement in the way they normally. I'm interested in other opinions.

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## buad hai

This is what the cabinet face frames look like.


The hole below the hinge is where you're supposed to screw the frame into the kitchen counter.


I want the frame of the cabinet to overlap the tile, like this. I don't see how they can do this if they mortar the face frame into the counter. I do not want the tile butted up against the cabinet face frame.

----------


## Spin

If they do it any other way than you describe it will look shit. I would do that job myself for sure.
If i were you I would have them make up a dummy frame 5mm wider and higher that the proper frame. Let the _installation technicians_ use the dummy to build thier bricks and mortar round. When it drys a bit rip out the dummy frame and move to the next spot where will be a cupboard.
The whole idea of spending good money on nice frames is for them to look good and not have some lacky half cover them in cement.

----------


## buad hai

> I would do that job myself for sure.


I'm beginning to think that I should have done this kitchen myself....

The last one I did didn't look half bad....


The kitchen is about 20 years old in this photo.

----------


## Thetyim

I haven't seen frames like that in LOS before.

You are right, got to do the tiling first
The lip looks to be over an inch, if he can't get the measurement that accurate then he shouldn't be a brickie

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## buad hai

> I haven't seen frames like that in LOS before.


They're made here out of rubber wood. I first saw them at a home show at The Mall almost a year ago. The company is Smart Kitchen. Their stuff is sold at Home Pro, Home Mart and other home supply places.

Here's a scan of their brochure showing how the cabinets are supposed to be installed:

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## DrAndy

waiting is fun

does your builder look like her?

anyway, just show the guy all the pics, I am sure he will understand

make sure he puts them in facing the right way

----------


## buad hai

> waiting is fun


Waiting are you waiting for?

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## DrAndy

waiting for your builder to return

is this thread about Mrs ACs house?

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## buad hai

> waiting for your builder to return


Tomorrow. Ms. B is taking the day off to supervise his work. She's got a clear picture of how it is supposed to be done and how he plans to do it.

I'm waiting to see if she can overcome _graeng jai_ and insist on him doing it properly....

----------


## NickA

^bit off topic - how are the top cupboards attached to the wall? 

I bought some and they just had a rail at the top and that was hooked over a couple of screws. Didn't look sufficient to me for the weight they would hold, so I added about another 50 screws all over the place just to make sure :Smile: 

Is that normal?

----------


## DrAndy

as I have said somewhere else, builders all over the world know how to do  things the way they always have, If you ask them to do something new, it often throws them. 

If they are smart, then they can learn and find it interesting

if not.....

----------


## DrAndy

> ^bit off topic - how are the top cupboards attached to the wall? 
> 
> I bought some and they just had a rail at the top and that was hooked over a couple of screws. Didn't look sufficient to me for the weight they would hold, so I added about another 50 screws all over the place just to make sure
> 
> Is that normal?


 
yes; several moons ago I bought some flatpack cupboards from IKEA

they had to be fixed to the wall through the back panel with two screws. The panel was made from hardboard but took the weight

I left the house over a winter (in Portugal); when I returned one cupboard was on the floor and another almost off the wall. The hardboard had taken in the moisture and bent and slipped out of the grooves holding it

I had to make up extra supports and put in 50 screws

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## buad hai

> so I added about another 50 screws all over the place just to make sure


Well, that should do it....

On a wall-mounted cabinet the force is down so you're dealing with the shear strength of the fasteners. Two to four anchor bolts (if you're hanging on a concrete wall) should be enough.

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## Thetyim

The CMN Builders Training Course.
If he does it wrong, hit him with a door

Are you having the inside of the cabinets tiled like in the piccy ?
Very posh

----------


## DrAndy

> Originally Posted by NickA
> 
> so I added about another 50 screws all over the place just to make sure
> 
> 
> Well, that should do it....
> 
> On a wall-mounted cabinet the force is down so you're dealing with the shear strength of the fasteners. Two to four anchor bolts (if you're hanging on a concrete wall) should be enough.


 
well, a lot of the force is down, but there is also the outwards force from the weight of the contents. Remember they are several inches out from the wall

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## buad hai

> Are you having the inside of the cabinets tiled like in the piccy ?


No, we're not. I thought that was a bit much.

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## DrAndy

The way you are having the cabinets built is a nice way of avoiding any warping due to moisture. If you had used a wooden frame you would have had to be careful to build with that in mind

Rubber wood is nice too

go on, tile the bases inside at least

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## buad hai

> go on, tile the bases inside at least


I'm out of coin, Dr Andy. Every satang hurts.

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## buad hai

OK, so I went out and bought one:



Granted, the kitchen guy is either done or finished, depending on how you look at it. 

But, I've got the pond to build and a few other projects so I figure it's money well spent.

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## Marmite the Dog

> OK, so I went out and bought one:
> 
> 
> 
> Granted, the kitchen guy is either done or finished, depending on how you look at it. 
> 
> But, I've got the pond to build and a few other projects so I figure it's money well spent.


Just need to get a dog now.

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## klongmaster

pity you're married BH: others on this forum would consider that an ideal place to entertain young young ladies...fill it with water...put it outside somewhere and call it a spa...that galt guy is a prize tosser...

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## DrAndy

> Originally Posted by DrAndy
> 
> go on, tile the bases inside at least
> 
> 
> I'm out of coin, Dr Andy. Every satang hurts.





> OK, so I went out and bought one:


hah, I suppose it is all a question of priorities

Tiles are very cheap, and as it inside the cupboard, you could do it yourself easily

box of cheap white tiles 70B or so

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## buad hai

> Tiles are very cheap, and as it inside the cupboard, you could do it yourself easily


OK. I may do. What would be the advantage other than the POSH look?

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## El Gibbon

^ easy to clean?

Besides it will give you something to do while trying to figure out what to do about your next haircut.

E. G.

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## buad hai

> ^ easy to clean?


Good point....

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## WhiteLotusLane

Easier to clean and keep clean I would think?

[Oops, got beaten on this before I submitted this post..  :Smile:  ]

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## DrAndy

yep, easy to clean, nicer than paint

not POSH at all, just effective

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## buad hai

First off, thanks to all for the comments on the kitchen; especially on tiling the inside floor of the cabinets.

We met with the kitchen guy this morning and he's clear on how to build the counter: Tile first and then the face frames get attached. He will tile inside floors of the cabinets. He sent us to buy the tile. As usual, this was an adventure.

We didn't have enough cash to pay for the tile so we stopped at an ATM. No luck. The screen was blank. Next bank. No luck. Power outage. So, we figure we can just pay with plastic at Home Mart.

Pick out tile. No luck. Out of stock. Pick another one. Four boxes at 109 baht each. Uh oh, minimum plastic purchase is 500 baht. Well, we always need a few tools, don't we. Bought a trowel (for the pond) and a hacksaw (we all need one).

Plastic works fine. Cashier needs to enter transaction from credit card machine into their point of sale system. Bad news. The guy who wrote the point of sale system includes a drop-down menu for the bank issuing the credit card but only includes Thai banks. Total confusion as my card is a US issued debit card. They finally settle on pretending it was a cash transaction.

We drop off the tile just as Khun Chang is discovering that the hole he made in the concrete counter top is just a bit too small for the sink. We'll find out later how he solves that one....


Ooops! The opening for the sink is too small....



Ms. Mortar just loves her new cementing mixing tub.

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## WhiteLotusLane

Living in Thailand is such an adventure..   Love it.   And the pic of 'Ms Mortar and her new tub' is pretty priceless.  :Smile:

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## buad hai

Now that the kitchen is nearing completion we're thinking about the fridge. Due to a serious miscalculation on my part we need one that is no more than 65-70cm wide....

At The Mall today they had a 9.5 cubic foot Samsung narrow profile fridge on sale for 9,500 baht. A good price, but I know nothing of Samsung as a fridge manufacturer.

Any experience or opinions?

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## WhiteLotusLane

Seems there's little that Samsung DOESN'T make these days.  :Smile:  

Personally when it comes to fridges and air conditioners I try to always go with Mitsubishi, tough they're not the cheapest.  

If it's an ok looking no-frost model then I'd just go for the Samsung.

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## Marmite the Dog

> Any experience or opinions?


It should be ok.

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## Lily

^I agree. I have a Samsung washing machine and have had no trouble with it, and fridges really aren't that complicated, are they?

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## El Gibbon

We  got a Toshiba GR M24KT for about the same. 57 CM wide and frost free. Works like a charm and quiet. 

E. G.

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## buad hai

Thanks. Greens where I could. Sorry EG, already greened you....

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## WhiteLotusLane

> and fridges really aren't that complicated, are they?


Some have electric motors that generate a lot of heat and noise.

Some aren't really 'no frost' and you end up with icebergs around the freezer partition.

Some the white material on the inside peels off

Some have a 'water cooler' tap on the outside that however only produces a tiny trickle.

To name a few.  :Smile:

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## buad hai

^Care to make a recommendation then?

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## DrAndy

we have a nice Toshiba that works well

They are usually not wider than your hole, so to speak

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## Thetyim

I've had four fridges since I got here and the Toshiba was definitely the best one. Whirlpool was the worst

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## WhiteLotusLane

> ^Care to make a recommendation then?



Gave a recommendation earlier: Mitsubishi; but if it's much more expensive or you can't find the right size, then I'd go with the Samsung.

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## NickA

> Whirlpool was the worst


Yep, I have a little crappy Whirlpool one. 

My Hitachi is OK.

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## TizMe

> we need one that is no more than 65-70cm wide....
> 
> Any experience or opinions?


If its the only one that will fit then it doesn't really matter if they are crap, its still the one that you have to buy!

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## Spin

> Whirlpool was the worst


Had my Whirlpool for 2 years with no problems, at any rate a fridge is about 10k so if they do pack up it should not be the end of the world as we know it.

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## buad hai

> If its the only one that will fit then it doesn't really matter if they are crap, its still the one that you have to buy!


There are plenty that will fit, but this one is about 3K baht less than all the others of the same size. On sale until the end of this month.

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## DrAndy

now you have changed your mind BH




> Due to a serious miscalculation on my part we need one that is no more than 65-70cm wide....


as you say, there are lots that will fit that gap; now you just need to know the best one for your purposes

decide on cubic volume (get the biggest, more or less), if you need a freezer compartment, ice water dispenser etc etc, then look at the options

any of the big makers are usually fine

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## buad hai

Given the width limit, about the biggest we can get is 9 or 10 cubic feet. Anything bigger than that is quite a bit wider. Given that the one here is 6 cubic feet and never full, I think that 9.5 will be sufficient for out needs. I had originally thought of buying a Mitsubishi, but the Samsung is so much cheaper, that it seems hard to resist. I don't need anything fancy. Just a freezer with a separate door, ice cube trays, and auto-defrost. (The one we have now is manual defrost and I really hate it.)

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## Thetyim

Has the Samsung got two thermostats ?
One controlling top and one controlling the bottom.

If it only has one then forget it

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## buad hai

Thanks Thetyim. Advice I can use....

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## NickA

^^I think I'd pay a bit extra for the best fridge....if the Samsung is the best fridge then you're quids in as well :Smile:

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## dirtydog

> and auto-defrost.


I think they are all frost free now.




> Has the Samsung got two thermostats ?


I think they all have 2 thermostats nowadays, please try to keep up with the times  :Smile:

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## Marmite the Dog

> I think they all have 2 thermostats nowadays, please try to keep up with the times


My one hasn't, but it was a cheapie.

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## buad hai

> ^^I think I'd pay a bit extra for the best fridge


And, therein lies the problem. What's best? In the US I would have a look at "Consumer Reports" Frequency of Repair records for fridges and choose the brand that is most trouble-free. If there is the equivalent for products made in Thailand I'm not aware of it. Word of mouth seems to be the best alternative.

In any event, the fridge needs to go against the wall on the right. Hence the need for a tall narrow one:



Poor Ms. B freaked out again when she saw how Khun Chang is fitting the cabinets. At least the tile on the cabinet floors is OK:



And me. Well, I'm freaking out because everything seems to be such a tight fit. I measured and remeasured this kitchen 'as built' and used those measurements in the drawing programs I used to design the kitchen. Those same measurements were used by the guy who produced the "Smart Kitchen" CAD drawing. In spite of all that the cabinets barely fit. There will be zero space between the cabinet frames on all sides. And, I'm wondering if the drawers will run into the door handles on the adjacent side. What a cock-up....

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## WhiteLotusLane

For crying out loud, give the man a broom to clean up at the end of the day!  :Smile:

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## buad hai

> For crying out loud, give the man a broom to clean up at the end of the day!


I did. Ms. Mortar used it to sweep the front porch and the living room but left the kitchen a mess. Maybe she knows something....

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## buad hai

I wrote about about how, in spite of carefully measuring and using CAD to design the kitchen, nothing seems to fit as expected. Here's why: Khun Chang made the counter 83 cm wide instead of 60. This has the effect of making the central kitchen area 46 cm narrower and 23 cm less deep than planned. Hence the problem with fitting in a large fridge.

 

So, the counter where the oven is also ends up 46 cm shorter in front than it should be. That's why there's no space between the oven and the cabinets on either side and no nice green tile showing between them....

 

It also means no space between the pairs of drawers under where Khun Krabeung is standing.

Note Ms. Mortar happily working away on the nice green tile.

The arm and white shirt belong to Khun Granite who is measuring for the counter top. Of course, the newly enlarged counter will cost a bit more than we planned.

Grrrrr.

All that said and in spite of it being a bit tight, I think it will look OK....

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## WhiteLotusLane

> That's why there's no space between the oven and the cabinets on either side and no nice green tile showing between them....


Err... I would call that a Good Thing tm !!   Far too much tile is used in this country as it is!  :Smile: 




> The arm and white shirt belong to Khun Granite who is measuring for the counter top. Of course, the newly enlarged counter will cost a bit more than we planned.


On the plus side, you're saving on the Nice Green Tiles.




> All that said and in spite of it being a bit tight, I think it will look OK....


I think so too!!

And strangely smirk-worthy that the perky little CAD drawing had absolutely NO influence on the way things materialized...  

Oh well.  Let go, use the Force..  :Smile:

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## WhiteLotusLane

And, it's good that construction in Thailand happens in stages.. With each next phase measuring and working with the results of the previous stage.  In other places people might be tempted to design the whole thing, then order all the materials according to the design including the specified size for the granite..    

Instead, they work around the inevitable variance..   And they build-to-size, like a tailored suit.      How beautiful is that!

----------


## buad hai

> Err... I would call that a Good Thing tm !! Far too much tile is used in this country as it is!


I think just a few centimeters of green in between the cabinet fames would have looked nice....

----------


## El Gibbon

'fraid I would have made somchai rip it out and do it the right width. ANY reduction in walk around space in a small kitchen is an absolute cardinal sin.  

Hate to say it but your gonna bitch about it forever.

E. G.

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## buad hai

> Hate to say it but your gonna bitch about it forever.


Actually, neither of us cook so it won't make much difference at all....

----------


## dirtydog

My kitchen is too big, it's about a 10 meter walk from the cooker to the sink, then again I clean it more often than I cook in it, and it aint very often I clean it  :Smile:

----------


## buad hai

^Yeah, I'm trying to put a positive spin on things. Less floor to sweep and more counter space for all those rarely used appliances!

----------


## NickA

^23 cm is a big error, did he know he was supposed to be doing 60 cm, or did he just do it the "normal" size?

----------


## dirtydog

Normal size is 60cm going up in multiples of 30cms.

----------


## NickA

^Yep, I just measured, mine is 60 cm. 

Put it this way, BH, you will have plenty of workspace

----------


## buad hai

> ^23 cm is a big error, did he know he was supposed to be doing 60 cm, or did he just do it the "normal" size?


He originally built for 60, but using the old fashioned method of mortaring in the cabinet face frames. When we showed him how we wanted it done he had to add to the front of the the structure he had already built. This added about 15 cm. Then when you add the thickness of the cabinet doors and the overhang of the granite counter top you end up with 83 instead of 60.

Oddly, I had originally wanted 30 inches or about 75 cm, but everyone I talked with talked me out of that.

The final irony is that I ended up getting the wide counter tops that I wanted in the first place.

We did a walk through this evening after Khun Chang went home and the floor space in the kitchen is just right. The only real problem is the limitation on the size of the fridge.

----------


## DrAndy

you still on about your fridge size!!  It will fit, just buy one

anyway, I think it all will look good, and the wide counters are very nice

----------


## Jet Gorgon

I was only happy when I had a big fridge. And a separate freezer.

----------


## buad hai

> I was only happy when I had a big fridge. And a separate freezer.


Fridge size is a bone of contention between me and Ms. B. I want one big enough to "stock up", while she's more of a minimalist. (She doesn't cook, so that may influence her opinion.)

Anyway, now that Khun Chang is almost done and the tools, equipment and materials are out of the way I can better gauge what size fridge we can fit in.





I have no idea why he put the green tile on the inside walls of the cabinets. I guess he had some left over. The arrangement was to put white tile on the bottoms and leave the sides cement.

----------


## klongmaster

> I was only happy when I had a big fridge. And a separate freezer.


sometimes Jet...we just got him convinced that it will be okay and then you come back with this....

----------


## buad hai

The footprint of the fridge has to be about 65 cm X 65 cm. If it's deeper, it has to be narrower and vice versa.


The fridge goes on the wall on the right. The dimensions shown are in centimeters. The shot is taken from the living room through the kitchen to the back door.


The fridge would go where the 65 X 65 square is.

----------


## Marmite the Dog

It looks pretty good. I like the green tiles.

Your floor should only take around 9 months to get clean going by the tiles in my bathroom.

----------


## El Gibbon

BH
I mentioned the Toshiba earlier, now that you have a better idea of what's needed here is mine.



The actual footprint is 57 Cm by 57 Cm... don't forget that you need a minimum of 6 Cm behind it for the electical plug and some ventilation.

E. G.

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

Or can you have the fridge around the corner? So just outside the kitchen?

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

> BH
> I mentioned the Toshiba earlier, now that you have a better idea of what's needed here is mine.


Yousa health-freak or sometin'?  Where's the beer?  :Smile: 

Fruit juice, diet coke, ice tea, milk, low-fat Kraft dressing..   Thank God there's the dead frogs in the zip-lock bag in the freezer or else I wouldn't have though this to be Thailand.  :Wink:

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

> Or can you have the fridge around the corner? So just outside the kitchen?


Also, as the fridge will be partly blockign one of the exits from your home, you may get into trouble with the Feng-Shui gestapo.  For starters, your out-bound Chi will get cold.

----------


## buad hai

EG - You happy with that size of fridge? It looks about right for the spot I have in mind.

As for "around the corner", there's no electrical outlet there (the space would be between the bedroom door and kitchen entrance) and I don't like the idea of having the fridge in the living room.




> Where's the beer?


At the mini-mart where it belongs. I gotta buy my ration on a daily basis or I'll drink everything in the house....

----------


## NickA

> As for "around the corner", there's no electrical outlet there (the space would be between the bedroom door and kitchen entrance) and I don't like the idea of having the fridge in the living room.


I don't know, sounds like a good idea - if you don't do much cooking, the main use of the fridge will be for drinks and snacks. I've often wanted a fridge upstairs so i don't have to go downstairs for a cold drink.

----------


## buad hai

> you may get into trouble with the Feng-Shui gestapo


I'll have no truck with the supernatural in my home. I don't mind enjoying the ritual and the holidays and paying respect to the various images and icons but stop short of letting it interfere with either common sense or logic.

----------


## NickA

^I don't think Feng-Shui is too much about the supernatural, it's more to do with ergonomics and design.

----------


## El Gibbon

> EG - You happy with that size of fridge? It looks about right for the spot I have in mind.
> 
> As for "around the corner", there's no electrical outlet there (the space would be between the bedroom door and kitchen entrance) and I don't like the idea of having the fridge in the living room.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yeah, its good for basics, we do mostly fresh from the local market so only need to store stuff not readily available. Fresh breads (I bake two at a time- err not bake but mix up), chicken patties, pork chops etc we buy on a weekly basis. It looks kinda empty at the moment as we are heading for  Bangers tomorrow for a couple of days. Will be full when we return.

WTL.... good observation. Beer is kept in an area NOT CONTAMINATED  by food :saythat: 

E. G.

----------


## buad hai

> You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to El Gibbon again.


Thanks for your help EG.

----------


## DrAndy

> Originally Posted by WhiteLotusLane
> 
> you may get into trouble with the Feng-Shui gestapo
> 
> 
> I'll have no truck with the supernatural in my home. I don't mind enjoying the ritual and the holidays and paying respect to the various images and icons but stop short of letting it interfere with either common sense or logic.


 
well BH, feng shui is just that, logic and common sense with a bit of style thrown in. It certainly is not supernatural, although there are charlatan practioners who would have you believe that

WLL has a point, the fridge blocking the door essentially does give a "feeling" of discomfort. If you can live with that, no problem. It will come down to how many times you want to access the door, I suppose

----------


## klongmaster

BH: what's on the other side of the wall?..maybe an easy and practical way out would be to recess the fridge into that wall and make a feature of the space on the other side...ie in t'other room...make a good place to hang the new 40 inch LCD TV if it's the lounge...

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

> BH: what's on the other side of the wall?..maybe an easy and practical way out would be to recess the fridge into that wall and make a feature of the space on the other side...


Assuming I've been paying attention: The computer room is on the other side.  :Smile:  

See here for pictures that sort of show the layout: https://teakdoor.com/construction-in-...tml#post241220

I like the recess idea.. You could partly recess it so this 'block' sticks out into the computer room, on top of which you could, I don't know, build in a safe or something.  Not sure how much of a dent that would make to the computer room of course..

Edit: Oh wait... the fride might not like being built in that much; possibly not enough ventilation for the heat to get out.

----------


## buad hai

This is the plan we gave Khun Chang. It clearly shows all the dimensions including the counter depth of 60 cm. He lost the first copy. I printed another. I never saw it again. Neither did he. When we showed him the plan and compared it to his 75 cm counters he said, "That's just the plan. You told me 80 cm." Poor man; 80 cm was the height of the counter, not the depth....


Here's the "as built" photo along with drawn in "as planned" dimensions. By increasing the depth of the counter he left too little room for the cabinet faces and drawers.


We semi-solved the problem by substituting a 40 cm wide cabinet face for the 50 cm wide set of drawers that we bought, which are non-returnable and on which we lose about 7000 baht....


Note the mess where the kitchen sink will go. No matter how many times we explained it, Khun Chang could never grasp the concept of having the granite go under the sink flanges. Last night I found him mortaring the sink on to the concrete counter top. I kept saying (in Thai) that the granite goes under the sink. I thought he got it, but when I arrived this morning there was the sink stuck to the counter. I got underneath and kicked it out. When he came by and saw what I'd done he finally got it.

Mr. Granite has rough-cut the countertop and will come by tomorrow or Thursday to install it and do the cutouts for the sink and cooktop.

----------


## buad hai

> BH: what's on the other side of the wall?


It's the living room (lounge), not the computer room. And, the wall is the wall where the couch will go. The room is really too narrow to have something like a fridge recess stick out.

We'll be able to find a fridge that fits. Just not one quite as large as I want. (But, just right in Ms. B's view.)

However, we didn't buy the one that was on sale. The day we saw it I measured it. We planned to come back if it would fit OK. We asked the salesman how long the sale would last. All month, he says. So, we can come back on Saturday (June 30th)? Yes.

We go back Saturday and the fridge is back to the normal price (3K baht more). We find the salesman and ask him why when he told us the sale last through the end of the month. He says, "The company sent a paper ending the sale early."

Yeah, right.

----------


## Marmite the Dog

It's amazing how things kinds turn out alright in the end despite being built by a bunch of chimps.

----------


## sakaew

I put 6 inches thick insulation inside my ceiling.
I'm sorry to have to say that it doesn't seem any cooler.
Good Luck with the alum foil.

----------


## buad hai

> I am in Jail


No wonder....

----------


## buad hai

I just learned that Mr. Granite will install the kitchen countertop tomorrow morning. Ms. B is taking the day off. I am now charging the camera batteries in anticipation of a great photo op. Stay tuned.

----------


## dirtydog

I think you will find he will probably do 2 more cuts and he is finished, at most 5, so get there early otherwise he will be gone  :Smile:

----------


## buad hai

> I think you will find he will probably do 2 more cuts and he is finished, at most 5, so get there early otherwise he will be gone


I've got the key....

----------


## buad hai

The good news is that the subcontractor arrived to install the underground power lines. They do not yet have all the equipment they need, but at least they've actually started....



The granite guys arrived and have started work. They said it will take all day. Here's a guy cutting some stone:

----------


## lom

> The good news is that the subcontractor arrived to install the underground power lines.


Just a few days until you're moving in then. Congrats!

----------


## klongmaster

well that's a sight for sore eyes BH...

----------


## breezer1

Whens the house warming party ? it looks like you finally made it congrats to you and the mrs .

Breezer

----------


## buad hai

> When's the house warming party?


Still to be determined. Would anyone actually come?


The granite's not fastened down yet, but I'm pleased with the way it's turning out.

----------


## breezer1

> Originally Posted by breezer
> 
> When's the house warming party?
> 
> 
> Still to be determined. Would anyone actually come?
> 
> 
> The granite's not fastened down yet, but I'm pleased with the way it's turning out.


You should be pleased its a realy nice kitchen .

Happy that the boys are getting the electric in for you .

Breezer

----------


## Lily

Looks great. Full of light.

----------


## buad hai

> Looks great. Full of light.


Thanks. I got a great deal of help here on the design and dimensions. I appreciate that very much.

----------


## lom

Looks good BH.
And the bench is deep enough to give you a good work space even after all elecrtic appliances has been lined up.

----------


## buad hai

> even after all elecrtic appliances has been lined up.


Have to line up some cash, first!

----------


## buad hai

The granite boys almost finished and then the power went out so they weren't able to finish the cutout for the cooktop. Tomorrow....

----------


## DrAndy

> Originally Posted by breezer
> 
> When's the house warming party?
> 
> 
> Still to be determined. Would anyone actually come?
> 
> 
> The granite's not fastened down yet, but I'm pleased with the way it's turning out.


 
yes, it looks fine; the lack of gap between the bottom cupboards is actually good, it matches the top cupboards

the only worry is still the fridge position - you will find out if the fridge blocks you or not once it is in.

----------


## buad hai

> the only worry is still the fridge position


Turns out to be less of a problem than I thought. Now the task is to convince Ms. B that we need 20 cubic feet for those shopping runs to Bangkok....

----------


## klongmaster

> Quote: Originally Posted by breezer When's the house warming party? Still to be determined. *Would anyone actually come?*


everyone will come for sure, just for the pleasure of finally meeting you...keep us posted please...

oh and this looks great, especially when compared the the shitty mess they created whilst doing the job...how much do you reckon the kitchen-fit has cost BH?

----------


## buad hai

> just for the pleasure of finally meeting you...keep us posted please...


OK. Will do.




> how much do you reckon the kitchen-fit has cost BH?


The wooden cabinet faces were about 20K. The granite was 11K. The kitchen chang got 6K for labor and the materials were about 3K including the tile. The sink was 4K, the oven and cooktop were about 10K each. (Ms. B has all the receipts somewhere....)

So, the kitchen without appliances was 40K. Another 24K for sink, oven and cooktop. So, 64K all tolled, unless my math is bad.

----------


## NickA

^Sounds cheap....where did you get an oven for 10k?

----------


## buad hai

> ^Sounds cheap....where did you get an oven for 10k?


It's a Fagor that we bought at Home Pro. I think Dougal bought the same one. Perhaps he can report on its performance?

----------


## ChiangMai noon

^
Very nice.

 :France: 

I would also like to hear about the oven's performance.
I'm in need of a new one.

----------


## NickA

I got to say it does look nice and the wide worktops seem to be a bonus... it will also give you much more cupboard space.

----------


## Marmite the Dog

> I'm in need of a new one.


Best get a new house first.

Looks good BH. Let us know when the party is, so we can wander around the moo baan avoiding each other.  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic): 

GoW and I will be driving through Korat at the end of the month. Wanna do breakfast?

----------


## klongmaster

> The granite was 11K


I'm surprised that's it was so cheap...had the idea that it was going to be more than than...looks real good and I'm sure in hindsight that you'll be grateful for the extra width of the bench tops...more space to put all the electrical crud...

----------


## buad hai

> GoW and I will be driving through Korat at the end of the month. Wanna do breakfast?


OK....




> I'm surprised that's it was so cheap...had the idea that it was going to be more than than...looks real good and I'm sure in hindsight that you'll be grateful for the extra width of the bench tops...more space to put all the electrical crud...


When we went to pay it was actually 10,700. We gave the extra 300 to the guys who did the work. They did a great job. I'm liking the extra width more and more every time I see it. Especially when I realize there is more space for the fridge than I thought.

----------


## gos

Congratulations BH it looks great I bet Mrs BH is a very happy lady and you have scored many brownie points with her I wish I could be there for the house warming

----------


## a. boozer

Certainly does look very smart. What have you done for shelving in the cupboards?

----------


## buad hai

> What have you done for shelving in the cupboards?


Nothing, yet, in the cupboards under the counter. Hanging cupboards have three shelves each.

We don't have enough kitchen "stuff" yet to decide how we want to configure the lower cabinets.

----------


## El Gibbon

Looks pretty decent BH, perspective is a little difficult without a person standing in the free space. 

Don't get a fridge so big you can't open the oven door!  :Smile: 

Well done.

E. G.

----------


## jumbo

Very nice buad hai, looks great, good thread I have been following it from the start, failed to make the move into our new build thins were getting to rushed befor I had to return to work, so it will have to wait until next month. Good luck with your move, and so what about the fridge, if it holds enough beer for one day that all you need.
Regards.

----------


## buad hai

> Looks pretty decent BH, perspective is a little difficult without a person standing in the free space.


Good point. I'll get Ms. B to dress up in her kitchen finest and take some snaps.

I figure the passage between counter and fridge should be 70 cm. That leaves a fridge footprint of 70 X 70. Should be OK unless we get some very large guests.




> so what about the fridge, if it holds enough beer for one day that all you need.


Excellent point....

----------


## buad hai

Well, instead of me photographing Ms. B she took these snaps of me to give you a better job of the kitchen proportions. The piece of wood I'm holding shows where the edge of the fridge would be and tries to show the distance between the corner of the counter and the corner of the fridge.

----------


## NickA

^If you didn't need to use the back door I would put the firdge infront of it, but I guess you need it.

Otherwise, what about a small fridge that could go on the worktop or something like that????

----------


## El Gibbon

Looks pretty good BH, enough room for two if necessary. I would still go with the small fridge though, give more room around the oven and two folks really don't need a lot of fridge space. Especially if "you don't cook" as you mentioned.

Well done, bet your breathing a little easier than you were a week ago. 

How is the electric progressing?

E. G.

EDIT:  forgot to add that with the small fridge we have it is still plenty of room. Even when the teenager is home from school for 6 weeks. We would have a LOT more room if there wasn't a 10 year supply of perfume taking up half of one shelf.... Ms G loves her perfume, her only extravagance.

----------


## dano

:dont feed the troll:         that t shirt is 16 yrs old!!

----------


## Spin

mmmmm that fridge at 70x70 is quite big. I just measured mine, its 55x55cm and 170cm high Its plenty big enough. I wonder what you will be cramming in there, its not like your a big fat guy who eats 24x7 :Smile: , you look healthy to me. Also you already told us that you dont keep booze at home so its not going to be full  of beer. If that were my kitchen i would look for a small fridge and if nessacerry have another running in a spare bedroom or under the porch out back or something. just my fiddy satangs worth :Smile:

----------


## a. boozer

> I figure the passage between counter and fridge should be 70 cm. That leaves a fridge footprint of 70 X 70. *Should be OK unless we get some very large guests.*
> 
> Excellent point....


*I am very large, and should the open invitation to the housewarming stand, intend to make the trip up through the hills!  


..................................................  ....................
*

----------


## klongmaster

hard to see but it appears that behind you there's a wall and an open space - I mean no kitchen door- so why not put the fridge there...I'm sure you'll quickly get pissed of with walking around it where you've indicated on the floor, especially after you've barked your shins a couple of times...

----------


## buad hai

The consensus seems to be "buy a small fridge". In other words, you all agree with Ms. B. OK.

KM - Not sure what you mean by "behind you there's a wall and an open space". That open space is the only way to get into the kitchen. So, why would I put the fridge there?

Or, am I yet again the victim of obscure British Empire humour?

(At least I can spell it right now....)

----------


## a. boozer

> hard to see but it appears that behind you there's a wall and an open space - I mean no kitchen door- so why not put the fridge there...I'm sure you'll quickly get pissed of with walking around it where you've indicated on the floor, especially after you've barked your shins a couple of times...



Especially with the fridge door hinged on the right hand side!

We are all damned good at giving advice about a house that we are not going to be living in. At the end of the day it comes back to : "He who pays the piper, calls the tune".

Just as long as the fridge is going to be full of nice cold beer, for the housewarming............. "Frankly, I couldn't give a damn" where in the house it is situated!

 :saythat: ..................................................  ...................... :St George:

----------


## buad hai

Look at the kitchen layout (which everyone agreed was swell way back in November) again:



The wall behind the fridge has the lounge on the other side. Just outside the kitchen you can see the door to one of the bathrooms.

I just don't see any other place to put it but where it is.

----------


## friscofrankie

I like a nice tight kitchen. Sink to stove to refer all looks to be abot two steps or less.  Good place between the sink & stovetop to keep thngs just washed and ready to go in the pot,  Nice unobstructed workspace to the left plenty of rom for chopping, stacking, etc. two steps from the sink.
The refer kind of breaks the kitchen up and blocks the back door Good light and venilation with two windows...  The walk space into the work area is kind of tight but once in you have a great place to work.    
Sad though, the refrigerator  door will open to fully block the walk through and those late night runs for a snack or beer will require you to full enter the kitchen before opening the door.  Can you gert one that opens left?
BTW I bought a Samsung 9.5 Cu Ft fridge for 9994 baht  frost free two thermos glass selves in the fridge part  This was what sold me.  Glass is just easier to clean longer lasting and I like it.  Only had about 5 - 6 weeks though so all I can say is, there ain;t no frost in the freezer.  Nice having separate freezer/fridge sections.  My kitchens about half (less) the size of yours, more like a galley really.  It fits in nicely

----------


## buad hai

> Can you gert one that opens left?


The fridges sold in the US have doors you can easily switch from right to left. All the ones I've checked here open right only. Bummer....

As for the power and water: no joy.

----------


## Thetyim

How many times a day will you use the back porch door ?

----------


## Spin

> All the ones I've checked here open right only


I switched my Thai bought Whirlpool easily enough, you sure they are right hand open only?

----------


## buad hai

> How many times a day will you use the back porch door ?


The laundry will be out there. We do the clothes washing every other day or so. Other than that, never.




> I switched my Thai bought Whirlpool easily enough, you sure they are right hand open only?


I checked several brands (not Whirlpool) and there were all right hand open only (no way to switch that I could see). I'll check the Whirlpool. Are you happy with the Whirlpool fridge? That was always my brand of choice for US made stuff, but it seems not so popular here. The brand is highly rated by the US magazine "Consumer Reports".

----------


## NickA

^My whirlpool fridge is pretty crappy, but it is only a little one door thing that cost 4k baht, so the bigger ones might be better.

----------


## buad hai

> it is only a little one door thing that cost 4k baht


How many beers does it hold?

----------


## NickA

^It's got one can in it that has been there for 3 or 4 months... will probably be there another 6 months before it gets drunk.

----------


## buad hai

Oddly, mine has one can in it as well. But it's only been there since last night. For some reason I overestimated my Friday drinking ability. Planned on ten and only managed nine.

----------


## Thetyim

If you are only going to use the back door every two days then why worry about the size of the fridge as long as you can get past with a laundry basket.

I had a small two door Whirlpool and it was crap.
It was not made in the US.  ,

I now have a large Whirlpool twin door and am very pleased with it.
Not sure where this one was made.

----------


## buad hai

> If you are only going to use the back door every two days then why worry about the size of the fridge as long as you can get past with a laundry basket.


Good point. The passage between fridge and counter where the back door is will be used rarely and can be smaller than the passage between kitchen and lounge. We can locate the fridge accordingly.

----------


## Thetyim

Just had a measure of my Whirlpool, it is 73 x 62 which might be better for your location.  73cm is the width.

Not sure of the model, might be an Elegance, but it has worked almost silently for 6 years and never had a problem.  Frost free and uses less electricity then the shitty Whirlpool half the size.

----------


## buad hai

> Just had a measure of my Whirlpool, it is 73 x 62 which might be better for your location. 73cm is the width.


Indeed, that would be a good size.

----------


## klongmaster

> KM - Not sure what you mean by "behind you there's a wall and an open space". That open space is the only way to get into the kitchen. So, why would I put the fridge there? Or, am I yet again the victim of obscure British Empire humour?


nope not kidding BH: thought you could position it about over your left shoulder with the door in line with the wall and the body of the fridge in whatever room that is - dining room?...

sorry i'm at work so can't make any fancy arrows etc on your piccie...

----------


## buad hai

> you could position it about over your left shoulder with the door in line with the wall and the body of the fridge in whatever room that is - dining room?...


Now I get it. It's a possibility....

----------


## gos

Good photos bh but maybe the hand on the hip is not a good thing it is a wonder none of the other tds have not commented I like your wall cupboards

----------


## buad hai

> maybe the hand on the hip is not a good thing it is a wonder none of the other tds have not commented


I'm secure in my masculinity. How about you?

----------


## Marmite the Dog

> Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog
> 
> GoW and I will be driving through Korat at the end of the month. Wanna do breakfast?
> 
> 
> OK....


Great! Looking forward to it!

----------


## stroller

> Just had a measure of my Whirlpool, it is 73 x 62 which might be better for your location. 73cm is the width.


Only good for one, didn't your best of the crop 'merkin contractors talk sense into you?  :Smile:

----------


## jumbo

Great thread, never thaught the positioning and size if a fridge could generate so much interest. Well done.

----------


## buad hai

> I like your wall cupboards


The cupboards are made in Thailand out of rubber wood and are marketed under the brand name "Smart Kitchen". The same company also does PVC cupboards and face frames. The quality of both the wood and hardware seems good. Easy to adjust the doors. The drawers slide easily. They have a number of styles and colors. Sadly, no website that I can find.




> Great! Looking forward to it!


What date?

----------


## buad hai

> Originally Posted by Thetyim
> 
> Just had a measure of my Whirlpool, it is 73 x 62 which might be better for your location. 73cm is the width.
> 
> 
> Only good for one, didn't your best of the crop 'merkin contractors talk sense into you?


Does anyone know what Stroller is trying to say here?

----------


## Thetyim

^ Yes I had to read it twice.

I think he is refering to a whirlpool as a bath thingy

----------


## buad hai

> I think he is refering to a whirlpool as a bath thingy


Thank-you. I note he posted just after 3 AM....

----------


## Marmite the Dog

> What date?


Breakfast on Sat 28th sound ok?

----------


## klongmaster

> Does anyone know what Stroller is trying to say here?





> ^ Yes I had to read it twice.


thank god for that...thought i was the only daft one here who didn't have a clue what he was on about...

----------


## a. boozer

> Originally Posted by Thetyim
> 
> I think he is refering to a whirlpool as a bath thingy
> 
> 
> Thank-you. I note he posted just after 3 AM....


At that time I am normally snoring my head off! Still, I suppose the internet speed is higher then, although quite obviously, the brain speed is proportionally slower! 

..................................................  ................................... :St George:

----------


## klongmaster

> Breakfast on Sat 28th sound ok?


you headed to Ubon too for that weekend Marmers?

----------


## buad hai

> Breakfast on Sat 28th sound ok?


Yes, indeed. About what time?




> who didn't have a clue what he was on about...


I think he might be one of those foreigners....

----------


## Marmite the Dog

> you headed to Ubon too for that weekend Marmers?


Nong Kahi then Vientiane, Loei, Chiang Mai then home.

----------


## Marmite the Dog

> Yes, indeed. About what time?


GoW isn't convinced you'll show, but we should be in Korat around 9am.

Is there somewhere that does a proper breakfast around there?

----------


## buad hai

> GoW isn't convinced you'll show, but we should be in Korat around 9am.


Tell her I'm counting on her to get me out of this anti-social rut....




> Is there somewhere that does a proper breakfast around there?


I've been out to breakfast once since I moved here, two years ago. That was the buffet at the Sima Thani. It was a better-than-average but not great hotel buffet breakfast. If you're driving on, the Sima Thani might be the easiest and most convenient place to stop.

How was breakfast at the Rachaphruek?

----------


## buad hai

I missed the post about your going on to Nong Khai. In that case Sima Thani is probably the best. Easy to get from there to the bypass up to Nong Khai and you avoid driving through central Korat.

----------


## Marmite the Dog

OK. We will break our fast at the Sima Thani at around 9am on Saturday July 28th.

If you decide not to come I won't give you any grief. (GoW will though)

----------


## Goddess of Whatever

> Tell her I'm counting on her to get me out of this anti-social rut....


I hope it works this time.






> If you decide not to come I won't give you any grief. (GoW will though)


I'm not that bad.

----------


## buad hai

In the Renovation thread we were discussing sloppy paint work. Here's a couple of nasty areas that need to be corrected on the new house:

 
A few things wrong here. The boundary between the upper and lower paint tones on the wall is really crooked (the added red line is straight) and the painting of the window frame and the cement moulding is quite sloppy.

 
How they gonna fix this? The paint line is level, but the groove in the plaster is not. I don't want them to rip off the plaster to repair the groove, but I don't see any other way. Maybe leave as is and just put some plants in to hide it.

----------


## buad hai

Ms. B called the Moo Baan office today and was told that burying of the power lines will begin today and is expected to take the rest of the month. If it's not done by August 1st they will give us temporary power and water at that time.

Bummer.

----------


## klongmaster

> How was breakfast at the Rachaphruek?


pretty average really...but the trainees were rather nice...of course this comment is only for the lovely GoW...

----------


## buad hai

KM, I thought you stayed at the Raya Grand, or did you have breakfast at the Rachaphruek?

----------


## Marmite the Dog

> How was breakfast at the Rachaphruek?


I believe it was an 'American breakfast' - I'm sure you guys don't really eat wet ham, thai style sausages and cold fried eggs for breakfast.

----------


## buad hai

> cold fried eggs for breakfast


Why am I not surprised. Ms. B says that one of the most common complaints at the hotel is the cold food at the breakfast buffet....

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

> In the Renovation thread we were discussing sloppy paint work. Here's a couple of nasty areas that need to be corrected on the new house:
> 
>  
> A few things wrong here. The boundary between the upper and lower paint tones on the wall is really crooked (the added red line is straight) and the painting of the window frame and the cement moulding is quite sloppy.
> 
>  
> How they gonna fix this? The paint line is level, but the groove in the plaster is not. I don't want them to rip off the plaster to repair the groove, but I don't see any other way. Maybe leave as is and just put some plants in to hide it.


Ah!   The main issue here is that there's no clear markation between the two colors.   Typically there'd be some kind of profile/feature/relief/concrete-profile-stuff to separate the top color from the bottom color.   See the topic in 'concrete profiling stuff' elsewhere in this forum.  They'd fix a bunch of those on the wall and then suddenly it's all natural and clear to everyone (painter and observer alike) where the paint should go and where the change in paint color happens.

Almost everywhere on my house it was easy to see where the separation happened between top and bottom, except for one small section.  I had a good painter who noticed this and pointed it out instantly, so then he put in some extra concrete bits;   even if those aren't 'straight' in a water-bubble-thingy sense (what do you call those) , to the eye it will appear the paint is straight.

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

> I don't want them to rip off the plaster to repair the groove,


Actually: Why not?  It's what they do. They fuck things up, then rip it open and do it right as a best-case scenario.  

Common-case-scenario is to then have to rip&fix one more time after that.   :Very Happy: 

[ BTW, it's actually pretty uncanny how similar the colors are that I picked for my house.  :Smile:  ]

----------


## Thetyim

> water-bubble-thingy sense (what do you call those)


Spirit level ?

----------


## klongmaster

> KM, I thought you stayed at the Raya Grand, or did you have breakfast at the Rachaphruek?


you're quite correct BH" breakfast as described by MtD...

----------


## buad hai

> Actually: Why not? It's what they do. They fuck things up, then rip it open and do it right as a best-case scenario.


But, the most common case scenario is that the second time is worse than the first....

----------


## El Gibbon

BH, don't worry about the squigglies between the two colors, no visitor other than an anal "A" type personality will even notice. Other than the owner of course... 

Your idea with the plants is prolly the quickest easiest solution for the major F/U... Beside your gonna have plenty of plants to deal with anyway.

As for the slop on the window frame area, will give you something ELSE to do while waiting for a haircut.

E. G.

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

> BH, don't worry about the squigglies between the two colors, no visitor other than an anal "A" type personality will even notice. Other than the owner of course...


VERY true.  Usually when getting something built you're watching things with a level of detail as if you were looking at something super-delicate, but really for things the size of houses, nobody ever notices if there's some imperfection.

Today I checked my own house and waddayaknow: Also not straight:



I hadn't noticed this myself before taking the picture!  Note the bit of concrete profile around, so even though it's not straight, at least the demarkation between paint colors appears normal to the eye.

Then, this is the bit where a profile strip was 'missing'. On the right the profile was there, but not in the middle.  So when painting a house in a duo-tone scheme, you do kind of need to have some feature there, not just a line of paint.  So they just put an extra ready-made strip of concrete before painting.   Looks okay.



[ And it does seem we share the same taste in colors, doesn't it..  :Very Happy:  ]

----------


## buad hai

Thanks EG and WLL. I guess I'm a little too compulsive about things like this. When I built my last house I put a magazine rack in the bathroom. The screwdriver slipped and I put a small dent in the wood. I'm sure no one ever noticed it. But me. Every time I went in there my eye went straight to that damn little dent. 25 years of guilt!

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

I used to be like that, bordering obsessive-compulsive about the most irrelevant of things (framed pictures on the wall that aren't entirely straight, etc.)

Anyway, moving to Thailand sure cured me.

----------


## buad hai

They finally started digging the trenches for the power and water mains. Maybe we'll be able to move in a few weeks....

----------


## jumbo

The trench looks quite deep, supprising really, the Thai authorities must be tightening up on the regulations.
Must laugh at the guy doing the electrical work on my place insisting on double isolated cable within a plastic duct for all outdoor lighting, even the door bell on the front gate has 2.5mm cable, then you look in the attic and fig all is terminated as you would expect in Europe.

----------


## buad hai

> The trench looks quite deep, supprising really


I thought so, too. But I think they're going to also put water mains, telephone and TV cable all in the same trench....

----------


## a. boozer

> Originally Posted by WhiteLotusLane
> 
> water-bubble-thingy sense (what do you call those)
> 
> 
> Spirit level ?


Modern spirit levels were not used by our builders, all levels were found by the old method of (clear) plastic hose filled with water!



..................................................  ...................................... :St George:

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

It's highly unlikely that any vessel in my home would still contain enough spirit for a bubble to form.

----------


## buad hai

When they poured the slab in our carport the assumed we'd want to tile over it. We don't. As a result, the slab is about 3cm lower than it should be. I suspect that they will want to pour a 3cm slab over the existing concrete to make up the difference. I figure that such a thin slab will just crack and break away.

Am I right?

Any suggestions on how to add 3cm to the existing slab?

----------


## buad hai

They started putting the electrical conduit in the trenches this afternoon:





Here's what the trench looks like when they dig it next to an existing house and wall. Note how the wall has been undermined. Also note the end of the trench. That's where it runs into the storm drain access which spans the distance from the wall to the street.

I'm still wondering how they'll run the conduit under the existing streets. I guess they'll just send in Lao midgets to dig tunnels with trowels the way they did when they connected up to the Tessabaan water mains.

----------


## jumbo

Good to see that they are making the effort to lay the services underground, nothing looks so untidy as bunches of cable hanging from overhead lines.

----------


## The_Dude

> When they poured the slab in our carport the assumed we'd want to tile over it. We don't. As a result, the slab is about 3cm lower than it should be. I suspect that they will want to pour a 3cm slab over the existing concrete to make up the difference. I figure that such a thin slab will just crack and break away.
> 
> Am I right?
> 
> Any suggestions on how to add 3cm to the existing slab?


In the States there is a product that is self leveling (does'nt do any good on a sloped surface ie., driveway). It is a thin set resurfacer , very expensive other then that the mud will crack after a short time due to expansion and contraction also compression of heavy objects (cars, fat expats) and so on. Also, the seperation of both surfaces due to the film of dirt between them. There are products that help bond the two together but I doubt that the locals can do the job well. Good luck, maybe tiles are in your future.

----------


## Spin

> I'm still wondering how they'll run the conduit under the existing streets


They will break up the existing new road surface and then concrete over again once the trench across the street has its cables. This conduit should have been the first thing that went down. TIT

----------


## The_Dude

> Originally Posted by buad hai
> 
> I'm still wondering how they'll run the conduit under the existing streets
> 
> 
> They will break up the existing new road surface and then concrete over again once the trench across the street has its cables. This conduit should have been the first thing that went down. TIT


 They may use a DitchWitch, you won't have to disturb any of the roads. They use this equipment in the States and I've seen it used in LOS. I hope this is the route they will use or at the least saw cut the road rather then bust it up!

----------


## Little Chuchok

^Actually called "Directional drilling" (from where I come from).Seen a couple of Vermeer used here as well,but only the little ones.The big buggers can put a cable well over 100metres under the dirt.

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## buad hai

They put a six inch water line under an existing public road. They did actually send some tiny Lao women with hand shovels in to tunnel under the road. The tunnel was about 10 meters long, two meters deep and about a meter in diameter. I bet they do the same thing for the conduit.

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## buad hai

I'm looking for a kitchen faucet. Because the sink is under a window and the screen opens inward, I need a faucet that is less than 18 cm high; something like this which is fairly standard in the US:



All I can seem to find here is stuff like this with a tall neck:

 

I've looked at Home Mart, Home Pro, The Mall and a few hardware stores, but haven't found anything appropriate.

----------


## Marmite the Dog

Will you ever open the screens?

----------


## buad hai

> Will you ever open the screens?


You have to open the screens to open and close the windows. (Didn't this come up somewhere else?) So, yeah. From time to time, although I suspect that we will leave the subject window open all the time unless we're absent for an extended period of time.

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## Thetyim

:: novatrenda.co.th ::

Model DM-100000.00

Model 15000.00

----------


## Marmite the Dog

You might have to come back to Bangkok and take a look at the couple of big bathroom specialists near Huay Kwang. 

I don't know where you visited Home Pro, but I'd be surprised if their branch near the Thailand UnCultural Centre didn't have what you were looking for.

----------


## buad hai

> Model 15000.00


So that's half what you spent on your kitchen tap, right?

A "free" long necked tap came with the sink. I had intended to immediately replace it, but maybe I'll leave it in and see if we can live with it.

----------


## Thetyim

^ That one is 6750 baht 15000 is the model number




this one is 3350 baht

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## buad hai

^That's still more than the sink and "free" tap cost....

But, thanks. I'll look a little harder. Bound to be something around.

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## buad hai

> I don't know where you visited Home Pro, but I'd be surprised if their branch near the Thailand UnCultural Centre didn't have what you were looking for.


Actually, I didn't have time for taps in Bangkok. I've only actually looked here in Korat.

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## Thetyim

Sorry, just realised you cannot fit either of the ones I picked out because they are for a single hole sink and it looks like you have a two hole sink

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## buad hai

^No, my fault. It is a single hole sink. I just found the tap photos quickly and they were for the double hole sinks common in the US.

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## buad hai

It looks like they anticipated the problem of installing the conduit under the streets they poured. In several places they put a big concrete pipe (for the electrical cables?) and a smaller steel one (for the water mains?) crossing the roads underground. I guess they know how to plan ahead after all:



This is the transformer for the entire development and is the point where the wires disappear underground. I don't know that much about it, but the transformer looks small for 60 big houses (and my small one):

----------


## Curious George

BH,
Thai Wife said that there is a local hardware shop in KhokKruad that you could try, if you haven't done so already. They have some things not found elsewhere, and they can speak English. As with many Thai stores, the person behind the counter may say they "no have", but talk to the (Chinese) owner. We're not sure what selection they have, but it may not hurt to become familiar with their shop. They are very helpful and may find what you need.

It is called "KhokKruad Kha Mai", and is on the west side of Route 2217 just south of the tracks. Route 2217 is the northbound road to Kham Thale So, from Route 2.

----------


## Spin

> In several places they put a big concrete pipe (for the electrical cables?)


Eureka!

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## buad hai

> It is called "KhokKruad Kha Mai"


Thanks. I ride my bicycle there all the time so I'll have a look. Thanks to Thai Wife as well. I was just reading her Spirit House thread again yesterday (we're going to put one up soon) and thought how much I missed her knowledgeable and interesting posts.

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## forreachingme

There is a nw Tap shop in Korat, they open a few month ago...

It's found on the middle road toward yamoo...


klang-Plaza road... to fire trucks
/
/
Market road to traffic ligth and just after  Tap Here
/
/
Dragon road  /Party h.----pasine--



Don't know what quality, but plenty of taps on display...

Cheers

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## buad hai

> There is a nw Tap shop in Korat


Thanks. I'll look for it.

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## buad hai

The conduit was buried in a layer of sand topped by these concrete slabs. The water pipe goes in next.

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## buad hai

I haven't posted anything here for a bit, so here's an update:

They still haven't finished with the conduit for the underground power. Maybe one soi (ours) to go. No sign of the actual electrical cable yet, though.

I've spent the last three days repairing and redoing the mess made by the cretin we hired to do the kitchen....

- Where the drawers and cabinet are side by side he didn't put anything to attach the frames to. Instead he tried to screw them together with a very long wood screw. Unfortunately, this screw had to span a 10cm gap. So, every time you opened the drawers or cabinet door this joint flexed and the grout fell out. So, I anchored a couple of blocks of wood to the concrete and screwed the cabinet frames to that. Now solid as a rock.

- The drawers came defective from the factory. The screws holding the drawer slides were put in crooked so that the slide wheel caught on the screw head every time you pulled the drawer out. As you remember, I have a spare set of drawers because we had to pull one and replace it with the narrower cabinet. I was going to swap. Unfortunately, the Kitchen Chang decided that he ought to fasten the frame for the drawers to the slab using big fat concrete nails. That thing is there forever. So, I disassembled the drawer slides and reinstalled them putting the screws in nice and straight. That problem is solved. The drawers slide very nicely now.

- The cabinet wall that is next to the oven has such a thick coat of plaster that the oven is shoved over to one side about 1 cm. This prevented the mounting screw from actually penetrating the cabinet frame. I spent about three hours with a hammer and cold chisel removing plaster so that the oven will fit in properly. Still not quite done with that job, but my hand is so bruised from inaccurate hammering that I'll give it a day or two before I start again.

- The wide cabinet under the sink was so poorly installed that only two of four screws actually connected with anything. I removed it, installed new anchors in places where there is actually concrete in which to mount them. I used 2" screws to fasten the cabinet frame. It is rock solid.

- The base of the "free" tap that came with the kitchen sink is actually smaller than the hole to which it is supposed to be mounted. As a result, even with the supplied rubber gasket it is quite wobbly. I either need a big washer or a completely different tap.

- The builder put the drain inlet in the wall in a place where it is completely inaccessible using the drain kit that came with the sink. I've searched high and low for the proper parts. I even saw them in a Thai language home plumbing guide. They are simply not available in Korat. So, I kludged a Rube Goldberg workaround that will probably leak and which certainly reduces the amount of available space under the counter.

Next job: All the grout the cretin Chang put between the cabinet frames and the tile on the counter has fallen out. I will replace it with silicon sealer. I'm still trying to decide if I should use clear (more forgiving of mistakes) or black (matches the grout it is replacing).

----------


## Spin

Jaayzus, did this chang fellow arrive on a horse each morning?

----------


## stroller

You haven't paid the guy yet, I hope, or have you???



> I've searched high and low for the proper parts. I even saw them in a Thai language home plumbing guide. They are simply not available in Korat. So, I kludged a Rube Goldberg workaround that will probably leak and which certainly reduces the amount of available space under the counter.


This may sound very unprofessional, but motorcycle inner tubes have just the right diameter. Lived with one of those under the sink for 6 years during my squatting days. Easy to clean if it ever gets blocked as well.  :Smile:

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## klongmaster

you're obviously handy around the house BH: what you should do is do the work yourself with a "chang" beside you as a lackey...this way you'd only have to do it once and he would be the one with the bruised hand...

of course when you eventually move in and everything is done you'll be bored stiff and looking around for things to do...

and I don't mean teaching the 20yr old's sis!!!

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## buad hai

> Jaayzus, did this chang fellow arrive on a horse each morning?


By ancient motorcycle. His wife sat pillion backwards and held the trailer on which their tools and supplies were hauled.




> You haven't paid the guy yet, I hope, or have you???


Only a portion of what we agreed on....

I'm sure he decided he was not up to the job and just bailed.




> what you should do is do the work yourself with a "chang" beside you as a lackey...


In hindsight, you are completely correct. I'm not good at concrete work, but I could have directed someone on how I wanted it done and done the crucial work myself the first time.

Live and learn, even at this advanced age....

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## gos

We can all be wise after the event

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## lom

> - The builder put the drain inlet in the wall in a place where it is completely inaccessible using the drain kit that came with the sink. I've searched high and low for the proper parts. I even saw them in a Thai language home plumbing guide. They are simply not available in Korat. So, I kludged a Rube Goldberg workaround that will probably leak and which certainly reduces the amount of available space under the counter.


The included drain kits are usually 1" or very close, while I guess your drain inlet is 2".

What you could use is:
PVC 2" -> 1" converter
Short pieces of 2" and 1" PVC , maybe also a 2" or 1" 45 degree bend if the drain inlet is pointing 45 degree upwards.
A 1" extender (adapter) to put where your 1" PVC connects to your drain kit.
Small can of PVC glue , and a tube of silicon for sealing the connection between the drain kit and the 1" PVC tube.

You can do it yourself, it's like LEGO! And fun also!

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## buad hai

All the plastering on the brick has to be removed so the oven will fit properly into the wooden frame....


The kitchen sink kludge. (As you suggested, Lom. Not quite done.)


The conduit finally arrives at Chez Buadhai


I believe this small conduit is for the public street lighting which will be mounted on the column cleverly marked with the big red arrow.

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## buad hai

I had intended to head out to the pub for some beers last night but just after watering the garden at the new house the skies opened up and I was trapped. I was on the bicycle, so no way to get out. I took advantage of that and re-installed the kitchen tap using the washer given to me by forreachingme. Worked great. I also finished plumbing the drain pipe as advised by Lom. No leaks!

And, I installed the cooktop. All that's left is a little clean up, some caulking and buying the fridge. Oh, yeah, the gas supply for the cooktop. Still haven't decided if the bottle will go under the counter or outdoors.

----------


## William

^it's really coming together nicely mate

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## Thetyim

> Still haven't decided if the bottle will go under the counter or outdoors.


Outside is safer and makes bottle changing easier

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## buad hai

> Outside is safer and makes bottle changing easier


I agree. On Saipan I had my gas tank under the elevated water tank. I figure if it exploded the fiberglass tank would melt and put the fire out!

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## Jet Gorgon

> Originally Posted by Thetyim
> 
> Outside is safer and makes bottle changing easier
> 
> 
> I agree. On Saipan I had my gas tank under the elevated water tank. I figure if it exploded the fiberglass tank would melt and put the fire out!


hehe. I like the outdoor idea better, too. Then you can get those super-size tanks and keep a spare for immediate switch-over.
BH, how high are the counters? They look the perfect height for me. 
And your plumbing under the sink -- is that metal or PVC in a nifty new metal gray colour?
I like all the windows, too. Very bright.
Great work.

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## buad hai

^I'm glad you like the kitchen, Jet. I'm pleased with the way it turned out; with the exception of some minor details.

The drain pipe under the sink is PVC and come with the sink. It seems to be pretty good quality. No leaks after the big bucket test.

The counter is 85 cm.

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## Jet Gorgon

^ I'm 163 or 174-178 in my heels, so is that about right? 
I like taking those under-the-sink PVC pipes apart to clean all the gunk out. It's so easy and very satisfying.

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## buad hai

> ^ I'm 163 or 174-178 in my heels, so is that about right?


It would be good for you. It's a little low for me. Ms B is only about 150, so it's just about right for her. (Now, if she'd only learn to cook....)

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## ChiangMai noon

It does look very nice BH.

I think I'd like something similar for my new place.
Any idea when you'll be moving in permanantly?

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## buad hai

> Any idea when you'll be moving in permanantly?


Right after vice is totally eliminated from Northern Thailand. That was a three week project, right?
.
.
.
.
Sorry. No idea. The company doing the conduit is not working this four day weekend. They had to rip out some of the conduit they'd laid, and some heavy rains caused their ditches to collapse. No sign of any actual wire and the water pipe needs to go on top of the conduit.

I hesitate to guess, but if we're not in there by the end of August I think I'll give up and go back to the US for a while. I've been putting off visiting my folks "until we move".....

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## jizzybloke

I feel for you bh this must make you really angry!
I really hope you get some good news soon!!

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## buad hai

> I feel for you bh this must make you really angry!


I'm beyond anger now....

The sad thing is that my initial enthusiasm for the place is gone and I'm just losing interest.

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## klongmaster

> The sad thing is that my initial enthusiasm for the place is gone and I'm just losing interest.


However, you'll find it will amazingly rekindle once you move in...not it's not fun but in retrospect a month here or there will seem like nothing...

oh, and wondering how the breakfast went...or is that in t'other thread?..

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## buad hai

> oh, and wondering how the breakfast went...or is that in t'other thread?..


In another thread, but it went fine. Actually, we met up the night before at a birthday party for forreachingme's wife and daughter. In spite of the crowd, I had a fine time. (Well, I did have a jug of beer before I arrived.)

The breakfast food was just so-so; typical hotel fare. But, it was great to chat with MtD and GoW. After breakfast they came by to see the new house.

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## klongmaster

^excellent news...bet you even had a good time!

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## Marmite the Dog

> The sad thing is that my initial enthusiasm for the place is gone and I'm just losing interest.


That's bollocks and you know it.

You will move in before too long and you've got a nice place there. You were made up showing us around it the other day, and rightly so.

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## WhiteLotusLane

Awwwwwwwww that's so sweeet of you Marmy!!   You hide it well, but this shows you're a caring person, a strong shoulder to cry on.  Brings a tear to my eye, it really does.  :Very Happy:

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## buad hai

Just frustrated is all. There was a time when I went over twice a day to fool around in the garden, water the orchids, etc. Now  when it rains I think, "Oh, good, I don't have to go...."

But, I planted the new palm this afternoon: 



And almost finished redoing this small table that I found on the back porch of this house. It was a mess; water damaged and broken. Plus, the original fine wood was covered with stain and lacquer. It's not an antique or anything but it is hand made and the joinery quite nicely done:

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## Sir Burr

> I'm beyond anger now....
> 
> The sad thing is that my initial enthusiasm for the place is gone and I'm just losing interest.


M,
There is no way you have faced the heartache that I did when getting my house built. I was still having to go offshore, so, couldn't keep an eye on the builders. It was always two steps forward, one step back. I spent my holidays doing an average of 100 Kms a day in Phuket running around. I hated the aggro and the house. Started October 1999, moved in in March 2001.
But....once it's finished and the builders are gone, you move in and start making a home, all the shit disappears and you realise that it was all worth it in the end.

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## El Gibbon

BH  great job on the table. If you wouldn't mind I would love to have close-up profiles of the front and one side of the legs.

Used to do solid wood furniture in another life and appreciate good design. These legs look unusual.

E. G.

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## buad hai

> If you wouldn't mind I would love to have close-up profiles of the front and one side of the legs.


I'll do it tomorrow. They are not uncommon. This design is used for the indoor sort of shrine where they pile table upon table. I still haven't quite sussed out the leg joining method. One is a bit shaky and I need to reinforce it. We are using the smaller tables that normally sit on top of the big one as bedside tables!

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## buad hai

> I would love to have close-up profiles of the front and one side of the legs.


I hope this is what you had in mind....

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## buad hai

I hope you all appreciate this photo. While wandering around this house, which is about a block from ours, a cement truck ran over my bicycle....



This garden was "installed" in one day. I'm not real fond of this sort of landscaping, but there it is. I once read that because they had to work so hard to fight back the rain forest, Thais tend to have gardens that demonstrate mastery over rather than harmony with nature. 

I give the "pond" no more than three weeks. That clear plastic liner will degrade in the sun in about that time. And, the interlocking blocks are not actually interlocked....

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

> I hope you all appreciate this photo. While wandering around this house, which is about a block from ours, a cement truck ran over my bicycle....


No picture of the bicycle then?

----------


## buad hai

> No picture of the bicycle then?


Not a chance....

It's actually not that bad. Handlebar a bit bent. Handlebar bag crushed. One brake lever and gear shifter mangled. Bar end bent. Still rideable....

----------


## El Gibbon

> Originally Posted by El Gibbon
> 
> I would love to have close-up profiles of the front and one side of the legs.
> 
> 
> I hope this is what you had in mind....


Thanks BH, exactly what I had in mind. Nice craftsmanship. It is tough to do the 'ball and claw' type foot without splintering the grain.

E. G.

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## El Gibbon

> Originally Posted by WhiteLotusLane
> 
> No picture of the bicycle then?
> 
> 
> Not a chance....
> 
> It's actually not that bad. Handlebar a bit bent. Handlebar bag crushed. One brake lever and gear shifter mangled. Bar end bent. Still rideable....


Did the driver run away?

E. G.

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## buad hai

> Did the driver run away?


No. When we got out in front of the house he was down on the ground picking up all the stuff that had fallen out of my carrier bag. He looked terrified. When I saw the bike was rideable I just thanked him for picking up the stuff and we rode away.

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## El Gibbon

^Damn
If that had happened in Pattaya there would have been 300,000 baht in the carrier and it would have been gone.

You could have at least minged a couple a thou out of him.... :lam: 

E. G.

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## buad hai

> If that had happened in Pattaya there would have been 300,000 baht in the carrier and it would have been gone.


Actually, I throw all my spare change in the carrier in case I need a few beers on the way home from somewhere. There must have been several hundred baht in coins. I wonder if he nicked any?

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## buad hai

[I posted this on a different thread but have moved it here.]

As noted elsewhere I'm going to need something on the driveway/carport.

I don't want to use glazed ceramic tile. Got enough of that already.

I found a company that will deliver unglazed terra cotta tile to Korat. I'd like to pave the driveway with that. The tiles are 1 cm thick. Would that be strong enough if laid over a 10 cm concrete slab?

APK Co Tile

----------


## Lily

BH, I had unglazed terracotta in a courtyard at my home in Aus, and I had it pulled up and ordinary brick type pavers laid.

It was always dirty and stained. 

Mostly it was from water collecting around fallen gum leaves though so it may not be so bad here. That wasn't all of the problem though.

They would come reasonably clean, but it was a lot of work.

----------


## buad hai

^What sort of sealer did you use on them?

The thing I'm dealing with here is that the thickness of the pavers can't be more than 2 or 3 cm. The brick pavers would be too thick.

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## Sir Burr

M,

You can't use terracotta in a driveway, they are just not strong enough. They will crack for sure.
I recommend you use a sand-wash and as soon as it is down, use a sealant. No sealant and algae grows quickly. I can't tell you the product name, but, the guys who lay it down should know.

----------


## buad hai

> You can't use terracotta in a driveway, they are just not strong enough.


Why is it that glazed tile is strong enough but that unglazed tile is not?

Almost all of this is inside the carport and covered, so it won't get wet except on those days the wind blows.

I'm not familiar with the term "sand-wash".

----------


## Sir Burr

M.
The terracotta tiles will eventually crack with the weight of a car or motorbike, it's only dried clay after all.
I'm sure you've seen sand-wash thousands of times. It's like pebble-dash but with coloured grit. you can get in various colours and different degrees of courseness.

----------


## buad hai

So, you think even kiln fired terra cotta tiles would crack?

Got it on the sand wash.

Thanks.

----------


## Sir Burr

Yes, I think kiln-fired terracotta tiles would definitely crack. I have a lot of them and have a few that are cracked and that is just walking on them. More common is they tend to flake off layers.
Even without these problems, they can be high maintenance as they have to be sealed. They have to be re-sealed once a year. Too much hassle, go for a glazed 'out-door' tile, or, sand-wash. If you go for the sand-wash, it must be sealed immediately. I learned that to my cost. My whole driveway is unsealed sand-wash and I have to pressure wash it at least two or three times a year to get rid of algae and each time I pressure wash, it knocks more of the grit off.

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## buad hai

Maybe "terra cotta" is the wrong word. Here's what I want:



This carport is in phase one of our Moo Baan. It's six or seven years old. The tile looks good and seems to have held up well.

----------


## Sir Burr

Well, they look like terracotta. Maybe I have an inferior brand.

----------


## Spin

^ Sand wash can get quite expensive compared with tiles, about 700 baht per square meter?

----------


## buad hai

> Maybe I have an inferior brand.


And there's the rub, isn't it? You don't really know the quality of things like that until it's too late....

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## Propagator

BH they look like the old fashioned quarry tiles.     They are strong and hard wearing and about a cm thick, difficult to cut.    Hadn't seen any around before.

----------


## dirtydog

The only reason tiles or anything like that break is because the underneath is not filled/strong enough or level, or something big heavy and pointed gets whacked down on them.





> they look like the old fashioned quarry tiles.


I always knew these as quarry tiles, here everyone calls them terracotta tiles, Spainish influence maybe?

----------


## buad hai

> The only reason tiles or anything like that break is because the underneath is not filled/strong enough or level, or something big heavy and pointed gets whacked down on them.


So the quarry tiles (that's what I know them as...) should be OK if set in cement over existing concrete?

----------


## buad hai

> Hadn't seen any around before


This place has them for about 300 baht per square meter, plus shipping to Korat:

APK Terra Cotta Tile

----------


## buad hai

I was at the house this evening finishing up the table refinishing when the Kitchen Chang showed up. Here he's been AWOL for three weeks while I finished up the job and he shows up on Friday night when he should be out drinking Lao Cao. I suspect he wanted the rest of his money, but I called Ms. B and had her tell him that his services were no longer required. After all, there's nothing left to do....

----------


## dirtydog

Just buy the normal 20 by 20cm ones, about 12baht each, those on the website will probably be too small and involve too much poncing about.

----------


## buad hai

> ust buy the normal 20 by 20cm ones


I've been to dozens of tile shops in Korat and they simply don't sell quarry tile. You ask for unglazed tile and they act as if you'd asked for water from the moon.

The ones on the web site are 30 X 30, 1.5 cm thick and sell for 300 baht per square meter.

----------


## dirtydog

They are more of a garden shop type item, ie the garden places with all the stone,slate, ornaments etc.

----------


## buad hai

^Never seen them at the garden shops here. They sell concrete pavers, sandstone, laterite, slate, etc. But, no common bricks and no quarry tile.

----------


## buad hai

Back in June we found a fridge on sale that we liked. The sales man told us the sale went through the end of the month. I went to the house and measured to make sure the fridge would fit. We went back on June 30th, surprised to see the fridge back at the normal price. The salesman told us they'd received a memo from the company (Samsung) ending the sale a day early. Right.

This month The Mall (Power Mall) is having a home appliance sale through August 15th. Same fridge is on sale. Lotus has it at the same price with a "free" microwave thrown in. We were at The Mall the other day and asked if they'd meet the Lotus deal. The salesman told us "no", but if we came back on August 4th they'd take off an additional 20%. Right.

So, we went back yesterday and, sure enough, we got the fridge for 9600 instead of 12000. Nine cubic foot Samsung that looks good and will fit nicely in the new kitchen.

What I still don't understand is why The Mall would have a secret, unadvertised 20% off sale?

----------


## El Gibbon

prolly cause they got a 'no unauthorized' discount deal with Samsung. Large companies frown on individuals cutting price in comparison with "large" customers or regular vendors.

But, the owner wants some cash flow so he'll deal.

E. G.

----------


## buad hai

Well, it turns out we got the last floor model of a discontinued line. That accounts for the deep discount. The original price was just over 14,900 and we got it for 9,800. It's in fine shape though and fits great in the kitchen:

----------


## klongmaster

^and from that angle there seems to be plenty of room to get in and out...

I'm probably old-fashioned but I still like white fridges...in NZ grey is government colour...

had a real battle with one of my Thai wives when buying a new car cause the options were all kinds of grey...so I bought black...

----------


## buad hai

^There's 70cm between the fridge and counter on both sides. So, yeah, plenty of room.

The last thing I wanted was a gray and stainless steel fridge. You can see how much influence I had....

----------


## Jet Gorgon

> Well, it turns out we got the last floor model of a discontinued line. That accounts for the deep discount. The original price was just over 14,900 and we got it for 9,800. It's in fine shape though and fits great in the kitchen:


That's a nice fridge, BH. Congrats. I hope you take the stickers off.  :Smile:

----------


## buad hai

> I hope you take the stickers off


Well, everything except the original price, of course.

----------


## jizzybloke

any news on the water and electricity yet bh?

----------


## buad hai

^No, they continue to fool with the conduit, but no sign of any actual wire yet. I'm sure the rain over the last 24 hours will give them a great excuse for not finishing up.

One troubling development: They have started completely burying the conduit with no sign of any water pipe. We assumed that the water pipe would go in the same trench as the conduit as there's no room for it elsewhere.

Funny: Over the conduit they buried some yellow tape with a written warning saying something like: "Caution electric line buried below". I hope the sucker who digs there in a few years knows how to read English.

----------


## buad hai



----------


## buad hai

The saleslady from the moo baan called yesterday to apologize on behalf of the owner for the lengthy delay. She said we'd be able to occupy by the end of the month. I'm not sure if I believe that, or not. By then it will have been tend months since they started construction....

----------


## lom

> The saleslady from the moo baan called yesterday to apologize on behalf of the owner for the lengthy delay. She said we'd be able to occupy by the end of the month.


Just tell her that you're sorry too and that they will be able to get their final payment by the end of this year. :Smile:

----------


## buad hai

> Just tell her that you're sorry too and that they will be able to get their final payment by the end of this year.


We're still figuring how to extract our pound of flesh....

To brighten things up a bit, here's a photo of the kitchen in the home of the neighbors just behind us.

----------


## dirtydog

For some strange reason I think the owners of that house maybe Asian.

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

Plastic doors..  I can handle the tiles..

----------


## buad hai

> I think the owners of that house maybe Asian.


I think its a female gay Thai/Chinese couple. I would have thought they'd have better taste....

----------


## jizzybloke

Are they good looking? covert web cam set up!

----------


## buad hai

> Are they good looking?


I wish. One big and heavy the other short and skinny. Not your dream lez couple....

----------


## buad hai

> I've been to dozens of tile shops in Korat and they simply don't sell quarry tile. You ask for unglazed tile and they act as if you'd asked for water from the moon.


The other night Ms. B and I were out for dinner at one of our usual haunts when I noticed that the floor was paved with quarry tile. We asked the owner where he got it and he named a big tile shop not far from the bus station. We know it well as that's where we picked out the tile for our house. The shop is owned by the moo baan developer.

So, while Ms. B is at work I decided to drive over to see if they have any.

Stupid me. It's a holiday. The roads and highways are jammed. So, Mr-Afraid-To-Make-A-U-Turn once again has to take a 30K detour in order to travel about 5K. I get to the shop and it is crowded with customers and sales people.

So, I start to look. No quarry tile in site. And then, amazingly enough, I notice I'm walking on it! Yep, their whole front porch is paved with what seems to be high quality quarry tile! So, with the next sales person who passes by I point down and say (I hope) "I want that, terra cotta tile".

The answer is quick and short: "NO"! And you can tell she's been through this before as she quickly points out other, glazed tile that is sort of the same color as quarry tile.

So, here we have a shop that used to sell quarry tile and thought enough of it to use it themselves, but they don't sell it anymore.

Probably one of those situations where the product was so popular that they had trouble keeping it in stock so they discontinued it.

"Like water from the moon."

[A green to the first person who can tell me what movie that final quote comes from.]

----------


## dirtydog

Water from the Moon, a short film featured at the Slamdance Film Festival by puppeteer Jenny McCracken, also a Celine Dior song?

----------


## buad hai

^Both could be correct but I'm thinking of an older movie set in SE Asia where the phrase is used to describe something that is impossible to accomplish.

----------


## buad hai

KUMAR: Am I a stupid man? Then why should I live like a poor man all my life, when stupid people in your country live well?

GUY: Good question.

KUMAR: Mr Billy Kwan was right. Westerners do not have answers anymore. Water from the moon.

GUY: What does that mean, Kumar?

KUMAR: It's an old Javanese saying. It means something one cannot ever have.

----------


## klongmaster

Bali High?

----------


## Thetyim

"The Year of Living Dangerously"

----------


## Marmite the Dog

> Long term construction make safety living
> 
> Short term construction makes ridiculous, dangerous living


Are you related to KW?

----------


## buad hai

> "The Year of Living Dangerously"


Bingo. Nice work. Did you search (duh) or did you know?

----------


## buad hai

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Thetyim again.

----------


## Thetyim

> Nice work. Did you search (duh) or did you know?


Don't be silly, I don't  know anything.

I'm not called me Mr Google for nothing.

----------


## buad hai

Ah, well, as I suspected. It happens to be one of my favorite movies and one of the few I actually watch again and again. I find the "Water from the moon" quote to be especially touching and, at this point in my life, crushingly appropriate.

----------


## buad hai

Ms. B went to the Moo Baan office today and was told it will be at least a month before we can move. I suspect it will be longer as the developer has finally run out of money and cannot afford to pay the people who are doing the underground power lines. She asked about temporary power and water and they refused to consider it.

I give up. I can't stand to live in this house any longer.

So, I will now head for the mini-mart for five cans of 20 baht Chang and sleep off what has truly turned out to be a miserable day.

----------


## Spin

Sorry to hear that this is truely turning into a nightmare now. I wish i could offer some advice but if it were me i would probably have killed somebody by now so i am no help to you :Sad:

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

It's unbelievable really that they DID spend money on less essential stuff like some park area, signs, etc.    And now suddenly they run out of money? After pocketing millions on the sell of the land plots?  

I am *SO* happy I bought in a well established community, and then an existing house at that..   Then you know what you're going to get.

Fortunately you're not the only one in this position there so chances are it will get sorted out sooner or later. 

Anyway, chin up!

----------


## sabang

^ Is that supposed to make someone feel better?  :Confused:

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

Ehh, yes.   It's called 'black humour' and came from this very forum! (different sub-forum)

(I don't object to removing it of course..  Shades of Thaivisa, though! :P )

Yet... I feel strangely proud to have managed something that even Marmybabe considers bad taste!   :Very Happy:

----------


## Sir Burr

My commiserations BH. A finished house but no electricity or water. Bummer. I know it wouldn't be that expensive to pay for the electricity to be hooked up youself, but water is a problem. Can't live in a house without water. I'm sure there'll be a happy ending eventually.

----------


## buad hai

> After pocketing millions on the sell of the land plots?


They haven't pocketed much. They've sold half a dozen houses for which they received a deposit of 20&#37; of the final sale price. They have built about 30 houses for which they have received nothing. AFAIK they haven't sold any land plots.

I suspect that they won't have cash to finish the underground wiring until they sell a few more houses and collect some deposits.

Nightmare is right. 

The water being used for the construction process is only about 15 meters from the pipe going in to my plot. I could hook it up easily. But, they said a firm "no" to that. And, since we don't actually own the house yet the PEA said "no" to power hookup.

----------


## jizzybloke

BH you are a more forgiving and tolerant man than i am, if i was in your flip flops i think i'd have done someone some real damage by now!

----------


## buad hai

Unfortunately for her, I take out my frustrations on Ms. B, hoping that will spur her on to some sort of action. However, she is such a devotee of _graeng jai_ that she declines to find fault with or criticize just about anybody. So, she just takes whatever BS they dish out and cries when I yell at her for it. And, that's where it ends.

----------


## Sir Burr

I hope you haven't paid them in full yet BH.

----------


## buad hai

^No, just the 20&#37; deposit. I think it amounts to about 320,000 baht.

What set Ms. B to tears last night was when I asked her why them having this money for nearly a year now (and our loss of interest were it in the bank) doesn't seem to bother her, but she went ballistic last week when she thought she was overcharged 40 baht on a package of toilet tissue.

----------


## The_Dude

Goto the temple and pray with your wife. Things like this do not out way the good things in life. Take it easy.

----------


## jizzybloke

^take it easy, this started last november and the poor fvcker still has no idea when it will get resolved!

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

> ^No, just the 20&#37; deposit. I think it amounts to about 320,000 baht.
> 
> What set Ms. B to tears last night was when I asked her why them having this money for nearly a year now (and our loss of interest were it in the bank) doesn't seem to bother her, but she went ballistic last week when she thought she was overcharged 40 baht on a package of toilet tissue.



Next time on such an occasion try the following phrase on her:

_"Sia noi sia yaak sia maak sia ngaai"_

"Hard to spend a little, but easy (quick) to spend a lot"


Like when you just made a deal on hundred thousands of baht but then go like 'nah, that noodle shop charges 30 baht, expensive!'. 

And tears keep a marriage healthy.

"_khwam rak khue suan dok maai rot duay nam taa_"

(Love is a flower garden watered with tears)

----------


## buad hai

^Lovely. Thanks....

----------


## buad hai

Over the last few months we have asked the developer to give us temporary power and water while they sort out their endless underground utilities project. They have always refused to consider this.

About two weeks ago I noticed that one of the big two story houses had the lights on powered by a simple drop line from one of the circuits used by the construction crews. A few days later I noticed that a water line and water meter appeared in front of their house.

Last night as I was riding home from my house I noticed shoes on the porch, bicycles in the driveway and clothes on the line. They've moved in!

Now if this were the US I'd probably have stormed the sales office by now. Sadly, I am just fluent enough in Thai to ask for the way to the loo and will never be able to adequately express the anger and rage which I am experiencing now.

Ms. B is not moved. She will not press the issue. She will not even call to find out what's the deal.

So, I'm getting back at her by drinking to excess and withholding sex. (Who needs sex when Thetyim posts a lifetime of wanking material in a single afternoon?)

If I hadn't invested so much money into the kitchen and so much heart and soul into the garden I'd simply ask for our deposit back and find another house. There are plenty around. But, I'm emotionally stuck with this one.

I have to get out of this house. Here's yet another reason why:


This computer desk and computer appeared in the living room yesterday. That marks the fifth computer in this two-and-a-half bedroom house. Eight people sleep here. There is no kitchen. No hot water.

Help.

----------


## Marmite the Dog

> Last night as I was riding home from my house I noticed shoes on the porch, bicycles in the driveway and clothes on the line. They've moved in!


I had that in my place in Ayutthaya.

I gave them until 5pm to move everything out before I padlocked it all up. Cheeky fuckers.

----------


## Jet Gorgon

is that your house, BH? shikes

----------


## buad hai

> is that your house, BH? shikes


Yes, that's where I live now. It's the worst squalor I've ever lived in....

----------


## buad hai

These people have moved in and have power and water. Why them and not me? Notice the water meter....


Note how close the water supply is to my house. Two hundred baht worth of materials and an hour's work would get us water.


Note how close the power supply is to my house. A thousand baht's worth of wire and an hour's work would get us water.

I'm slowly going insane here....

----------


## buad hai

On a lighter note, here are some of the kids who play in the moo baan playground after school and drop by to see the pond progress now and then:

----------


## NickA

> These people have moved in and have power and water. Why them and not me?


I think, unfortunately, that we all already know the answer...

----------


## pugforever

> Originally Posted by buad hai
> 
> These people have moved in and have power and water. Why them and not me?
> 
> 
> I think, unfortunately, that we all already know the answer...


i figure out how things work in this country

1 showing how upset you are when things go wrong, then..
2 be steamy.
3 train your voice to go to the highest decibel possible, in case they can't hear what you're saying. this gets both attention and things to work. be thick.
4 baht sometimes work, if use wisely.

----------


## pugforever

^ 5 talk to the right people.

----------


## buad hai

Ms. B called the sales office today. Once again they said that the power water will be in by the end of the month. If not, they'll let us move anyway and connect up temporary power and water for us. They've said exactly this same thing every month for the last three months and we're still not in.

They are nothing but a bunch of incompetent lazy liars. I'm astounded that Ms. B continues to believe their stinking BS.

----------


## AntRobertson

^

I can imagine your frustration, BH.  Nothing I could say to help obviously, but stay strong anyway!

----------


## a. boozer

> ^
> 
> I can imagine your frustration, BH.  Nothing I could say to help obviously, but stay strong anyway!



The one thing, apart from the language, that I have not managed to learn is jai yen, am afraid that my Englishness still outs, and when there is a problem with anything, I have to stay well out of the way and let Mrs. Boozer deal with the situation.

----------


## buad hai

> I have to stay well out of the way and let Mrs. Boozer deal with the situation.


Same here. Would that I could subscribe to tam jai and graeng jai, but I'm just too wound up....

----------


## AntRobertson

> The one thing, apart from the language, that I have not managed to learn is jai yen, am afraid that my Englishness still outs, and when there is a problem with anything, I have to stay well out of the way and let Mrs. Boozer deal with the situation.


Exactly the same with me boozer, so not limited to Englishness obviously.

I'm quite lucky though, Mrs R is well travelled, worked for a large International Co., and has plenty of foreign friends so she's quite good at interpreting my seething frustration and putting it into words on my behalf.

I can picture her dealing with the situation BH is in and lets jsut say I'd pity the poor fools that messed with her.

----------


## buad hai

> I can picture her dealing with the situation BH is in and lets jsut say I'd pity the poor fools that messed with her.


Can you send her over? Ms. B needs some training....

----------


## AntRobertson

> Can you send her over? Ms. B needs some training....


Righteous Vengence and Furious Anger Consultancy?

She's the woman for the job!

----------


## The_Dude

BH,
What is the name of this community? And, exactly where is it? And, if you know what the name of the engineer is or developer? Also a PH # of the guy. You can PM this info.

----------


## Jet Gorgon

BH, if you added to the deposit, would that help? I hate to see you living in the family digs. As someone else mentioned, could you just cart in big bottles of water and an ice cooler. Get a gas cooker. Get those big urns for rain water. Candles. The only prob is your computer. You need some peace. If the developers know you're going to move in anyway, they might get the lead out.

----------


## buad hai

^We could camp out there, of course, But it would be no air con, no computer, no TV, etc. Not much fun.

I just have to grin and bear it for a few more weeks....

----------


## NickA

I would be very surprised if the developers aren't prolonging things in the hope that you and others will be willing to part with a little bit of cash to speed things up... I'm pretty sure that's why that other house is ready :Sad:

----------


## William

BH, you may have been asked this, in which case "sorry".  Did you not include a penalty clause in your contract that work had to be completed by such and such a day, or else the developer would incur fines?

Also, you should talk to a lawyer.  There may be a case that you could move into a hotel and pass-on the room charge to the developers (although you would be unlikely to be able to claim "extras", such as room service).  I guess there are number of reasons why you wouldn't want to do that, but it could send a message to the developers to pull their fingers out of their arse and get a move on!

----------


## buad hai

> Did you not include a penalty clause in your contract that work had to be completed by such and such a day, or else the developer would incur fines?


Nope. It was just a sales contract with no penalty clause. Stupid us....




> would be very surprised if the developers aren't prolonging things in the hope that you and others will be willing to part with a little bit of cash to speed things up...


They certainly haven't asked for that, or even hinted. As a matter of fact, last time Ms. B checked they told her that we didn't have to pay the balance
due immediately upon moving in. I guess this is to make up for the delay.

I spoke to one of the other new owners last night. He told me that the occupied house is having big trouble with their temporary power: only 180 volts. And, last night the house was completely dark.

The installation of the underground power lines is the cause of the delay. I don't think they really had a plan for this and they have repeatedly put stuff in and then ripped it out to do it some other way. For example, each house has a recessed box in the front wall where the conduit comes up out of the ground. Of course, where there is an empty lot there is no wall. Now they are going around to all the empty lots and incomplete houses and building just that section of wall so they'll have a place for the conduit; even in places where a house might not be built for months. It's all so crazy....

----------


## El Gibbon

> ^We could camp out there, of course, But it would be no air con, no computer, no TV, etc. Not much fun.
> 
> I just have to grin and bear it for a few more weeks....


There is a solution, small genie that would power all the necessities. They are available here....  just a thought.

Deduct the cost from the balance due and tell them they can eat it.

E. G.

Edit: they are fairly easy to wire into the house mains.

----------


## buad hai

Here's an example of a conduit box being built where there is no house yet. Why didn't they do this right from the get-go? Really awful planning on the underground power deal....

----------


## buad hai

I guess they changed their minds about the streetlights. They busted up the concrete post and welded in this mounting plate:



And left this garbage all over my garden:

----------


## buad hai

Last night I noticed another house getting temporary power and water. This is the third. I was so angry about this that I bought a bottle of cheap whiskey last night and drank way too much. Thus, for the first time in years I was too hung over to do my morning run today.

We rode over to feed this fish this morning and noticed a family moving in to this very same house. When I asked Ms. B, "Why them and not us?" I was met with cold stone silence.

I guess I'll just spend the next few months in an angry alcoholic haze.

Fortunately, I have plenty of Ibuprofen to battle the hangovers.

----------


## Jet Gorgon

BH, would another payment help? A heavy talk with the developer? 
All this delay and putting crap into your yard just signals one thing to me -- money. This is all very disrespectful. Something else is going on. 
PS, drinking won't solve the prob. Don't stand for it anymore.

----------


## buad hai

^We had a meeting with the architect/engineer this morning. He made a list of everything that's left to be done. They will start next week. A good sign is that all the pipe for the water mains has arrived. Maybe they really will get us moved in by the end of the month....

----------


## klongmaster

> Maybe they really will get us moved in by the end of the month....


that's a given BH:  which month is the real question...

----------


## buad hai

^Yes indeed. I've said that every month for the last four or five, haven't I?

----------


## Jet Gorgon

BH, quit being such a wuss. Tell them you have to move in October 1 as your old place is rented. Demand completion.
Is your wife having second thoughts about leaving her family? Then move in alone. You suffered long enough. I can't bear it anymore.

----------


## buad hai

> BH, quit being such a wuss. Tell them you have to move in October 1 as your old place is rented. Demand completion.


Ms. B told them we are moving in the last week of September. The architect/engineer told her the house would be done by then.




> Is your wife having second thoughts about leaving her family?


Oh no. She's just as anxious to get out of here as I am.

----------


## Jet Gorgon

That is good news! I'm cheering for you, BH.

----------


## buad hai

What's Wrong With This Picture?

----------


## lom

> What's Wrong With This Picture?


A lot if it should conform to civilized country standards and norms. :Smile: 

But I suppose you mean the missing mains switch and incoming mains.

----------


## buad hai

^Well, yeah. But I was thinking of something different: No ground (earth)....

----------


## buad hai

The water pipe for the mains finally arrived this week.


You can also see the concrete box for the electrical conduit with the conduit fixed in place.


As usual, the women do the hard work of digging the trench while the men watch. Takes three guys to glue the pipe and four women to dig.


They're still happy and full of giggles, though.

----------


## The_Dude

Do you know the price of copper rod? Forget the earth ground it costs to much and if you wear your rubber flip-flops around you wont get shocked! :Smile:

----------


## Jet Gorgon

> What's Wrong With This Picture?


um, it's not installed at your house?

----------


## buad hai

> um, it's not installed at your house?


Nah, it is at my house, but the lack of ground wires is a serious problem. I'm not looking forward to dealing with them on this as it will not be easy for them to correct. But, we have a nice little electricians handbook, written in Thai, which explains how it has to be done to be safe. They don't seem to realize that the ground wire for every circuit must be brought back to the breaker box and connected to the bus which is bonded to the box itself.

----------


## ThisOldHouse

^ I'd wonder about a complete path for circuits 6 & 7 too.  
Let alone the cost of a ground rod, there's no ground wire to any of your receptacles... OMG!  Shocking!
=TOH=

----------


## buad hai

^The neutral wires for circuits 6 & 7 are connected to the ground buss. 

Oddly, there are ground wires in all the receptacles. And, they are green. And, they actually run in the conduit all the way back to the general vicinity of the breaker box. Why they didn't pull them into the box is a mystery to me.

The underground mains contain a huge fat green ground wire. I wonder if they think it's enough to connect all the house circuit grounds to that without bringing them into the breaker box?

----------


## Jet Gorgon

OK, I get it. There are no wires going anywhere. Is that right?

----------


## DrAndy

why on earth (!) are you worrying about grounding when you don't even have electricity?

----------


## buad hai

This concrete junction box was out of plumb so they got a big crane, yanked it off its foundation and straightened it up. I didn't have my camera when they did the deed, but you could have heard the huge "crack" a mile away.


Here's the grounding rod for our house. I guess they bury it like this to avoid theft of the copper. They poured a slab over the top.

While doing this they broke my water supply pipe off at the wall. It was in the way. Instead of calling in a plumber to reroute it properly they just busted it and poured their concrete right over it. Let the plumber worry about it later.

What idiots.

----------


## jumbo

BH, I sympathise with you, this is the distribution box that I have in my home, ignore the heavy black cable wound around the box, this will be used later to feed some outside lights, I left my good lady purchase this cable, it cost a fortune and each one would run a smal house. Getting back to the wireing job, one earth cable returned to the box, bearing in mind the house has earthed fittings through out. I supplied good quality junction boxes to be used in the attic, they were used but the joints were just twisted wires and the boxes instaled without lids. 
Electrical work is easy especialy on a new build, a little more care and it could have been good. I will take the lot out and do it all again.

----------


## buad hai

Thanks, Jumbo. Here's a larger version of you box:



Where does that one earth cable go? Is it tied to all the other earth wires some place outside the box?

----------


## DrAndy

> I supplied good quality junction boxes to be used in the attic, they were used but the joints were just twisted wires


Yeah, I had that problem initially, so I supplied them with those little wire connectors in strips, which they then used properly.

----------


## jumbo

The earth wire as do the others go straight up into the attic, then from there they go to there alocated areas, so you end up with loads of twisted joints, in the case of the earth, each earth should return to the box, which is not the case in my home.

----------


## jumbo

Another thing I have noticed is the size of the fuses, in the UK you would normally use 15 or 20 amp fuses for power outlets 5 amp for lights and possibly 30 for a shower or electric cooker. Here they have used 32 amp for power outlets and 10 or 16 amp for lights, I will try to drop these to a minimum for further protection. 
If anyone can explain why so high in Thailand I would more than happy.

----------


## buad hai

> If anyone can explain why so high in Thailand I would more than happy.


I believe it is so they can overload the circuits....

In my house almost all of the breakers exceed the ampacity of the wire. We will require them to change this before we accept the house.

----------


## buad hai

The question of electrical wire standards has gotten me to thinking about how demanding I should be with respect to following internationally accepted practices.

For example, the commonly accepted standard in residential house wiring would be for the three wires in each circuit ("hot", "neutral" and grounding wire) to terminate in the main panel (circuit breaker box/consumer unit). A single hot wire connects to the breaker, a single neutral goes to a terminal on the neutral bus and the grounding wire goes to a terminal on the ground bus. I've observed many deviations from this:

-  More than one circuit per breaker.
-  More than one neutral per terminal.
-  Grounding wires ganged outside the box with a single neutral coming in to the box.
-  Circuit breakers with a higher rating than the ampacity of the wire.
-  Wire of insufficient ampacity used for large appliances (like an oven).

So what do you let slide and what do you insist on?

I'm not inclined to let any of the above slide in my house, but would be interested in other opinions.

TIA

----------


## lom

> how demanding I should be with respect to following internationally accepted practices.


Difficult to say because there is a huge difference between international and Thai practices, and you have bought a house made according to Thai standards.

Some house built down here for farangs have the electric circuitry made almost according to western standards  but they have a price tag different from yours. 
I've had to rewire my own house, and did all the electric work in the two guesthouses I built later.
Because Somchai carpenter/bricklayer/plumber/welder has no idea of electical standards. He has his own..

----------


## buad hai

> Difficult to say


And difficult to know how to proceed. One of the reasons we bought in this moo baan is because they have a reputation for quality work and they've been around a decade or so. We specifically asked about the wiring and they told us and showed us diagrams which indicated proper three-wire grounded circuits. Their execution hasn't met the promise.

----------


## DrAndy

If you originally asked about the wiring, you can insist on it being to the standard they promised

----------


## buad hai

They're running the water pipe through concrete drain pipe were it goes under driveways.


They started putting sandstone one the pillars on either side of the driveway. I don't much like this look, but it's "standard" for the moo baan and not to be changed....

----------


## Jet Gorgon

Ya, that's def not your style, BH, but, it's outside the gate so who cares. You could always put some tall potted plants in front of them.

----------


## El Gibbon

> They started putting sandstone one the pillars on either side of the driveway. I don't much like this look, but it's "standard" for the moo baan and not to be changed....


Once you OWN the house a nice coat of whitewash will look quite nice me thinks....  will have a textured look.


E. G.

----------


## buad hai



----------


## Jet Gorgon

> 


Fek, that's brave or are you hinting that you want us to send Christmas cards?

----------


## Spin

^ Nope, its his way of announcing the house warming party :Smile: 

Good to see things progressing with the utilities.

----------


## buad hai

> Fek, that's brave or are you hinting that you want us to send Christmas cards?


On my very first personal web page (c. 1996) I actually put my physical address, phone number and mailing address at the bottom. I finally removed the mailing address not because I feared for my privacy, but because I started receiving too many inquiries via postal mail.

Anyway, if you can find it, you're welcome to drop by. Bring cold beer.

----------


## buad hai

Can actual electricity be far behind?

----------


## klongmaster

> They started putting sandstone one the pillars on either side of the driveway. I don't much like this look, but it's "standard" for the moo baan and not to be changed....


I like the sandstone look...just wait until it's all finished BH and you've been living there for a few months before you do anything drastic that might piss someone off...keep everyone on side as long as you can...it might help when you're trying to get the kinks ironed out...

----------


## buad hai

^Good advice KM. I'm not going to do anything to the visible parts of the exterior until we finally resolve all the issues....

----------


## gusG

I think you should camp out next to the cables before somebody steals them. That could set you back another couple of months

----------


## buad hai

^LOL!

I'm ready to camp out, believe me....

----------


## Jet Gorgon

^ you are camping out already.

----------


## buad hai

Looks like they're getting ready to actually lay some cable:

----------


## buad hai

One of these for each pair of houses.

----------


## The_Dude

Kinda large box for meters.

----------


## buad hai

^I've no idea what they are going to put in there. Originally they told us that all the meters would be in a single location near where the power goes underground. I have no idea how that would work.

Kind of wonder why they put the lines underground if every house has to have that big ugly box out front....

----------


## Eliminator

are they going to bury the telephone lines also?

----------


## buad hai

^Yes. Telephone and Korat Cable TV. The house is wired with phone and TV coax lines in the bedrooms and living room.

----------


## buad hai

They're ready to pull cable from my neighbor's box to mine, shown above. The rope has been pulled through the conduit using the fish tape you can see coiled up next to the blue water pipe.

The small conduit fastened to the wall of the box is for telephone, cable TV and something else which no one seems to know.


This is my neighbor's box. You can see that cable has been pulled from his neighbor. You can also see the rope that goes from this box to mine.


Here the electrician (?!?) has finished pulling the cable. You can barely see the wire cage clamp which connects the cable being pulled to the rope. They pulled about thirty meters of cable in just a couple of minutes.

----------


## buad hai

Fixes - One of the many small problems with this house is a door frame that is not true; it bows out in the middle. The carpenter who hung the door "fixed" this by making the door itself curve to match. Of course, when the door is open these curves are no longer concentric and the gap bridged by the hinge widens. This causes the door to be self-closing. A "feature" we don't want. 

We complained about this and the "fix" was to remove the hinge. No more self-closing, but no middle hinge.

I explained this to the engineer and even used a long straight edge and level to graphically demonstrate the problem.

Today a carpenter came to "fix" the problem. He did so by simply putting in another hinge.

Once again, the door is self-closing. Did he not notice this? Did he not swing the door a few times and hear the strain on the hinge being pulled apart.

What cretins.

I'm thinking of asking for money instead of "fixes" and do the work myself.

Anyone think this would fly?

----------


## ThisOldHouse

^about as high as a lead zeppelin!

^^BH, what's behind the door to the right of the cable box alcove?  inquiring minds want to know.

=TOH=

----------


## Thetyim

You should insist on a better electrician

----------


## buad hai

^At least she wears safety shoes....




> ^^BH, what's behind the door to the right of the cable box alcove? inquiring minds want to know.


That's the rubbish bin door....


You can see the rubbish bin in the photo above. We're meant to put plastic bags full of rubbish in there which is collected daily.

These two "electricians" are trying to figure out how to route the electrical, telephone and cable TV cables from the box on the other side to this side of the wall. They've had years to plan this project yet no one bothered to put some conduit from the box through the wall into the plans.


Notice the blue water pipe under the rubbish bin in this photo. This used to go straight out to the street along the side wall and under the front wall. But, the electricians broke it off when they installed the large conduit for the mains.

The plumber had to re-route the water pipe around the rubbish bin and out to the street.

Now the electricians are having to deal with the water pipe being in the way of where they want to put their conduit.


So, here's their final solution. They go to all this trouble to bury the power mains and end up having to run this ugly conduit up the wall, over the top and down into the power box.

Note that they were unable to properly bury the water pipe so it sticks out of the ground where it runs over the conduit.

I'm not sure if I should complain about this incredibly ugly arrangement or just buy some nice dense plants.

What a kludge.

----------


## NickA

^Shockingly stupid, shockingly :Sad:

----------


## The_Dude

Definitely a do over! They should have cored through the wall and ran a chase nipple through thr wall and into the electric box on the outside and used a LB on your side and ran under ground to your fuse box.

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

Agreed.

----------


## buad hai

They've changed their minds on the power cable again. Looks like it will go through the box:



But, the conduit for the cable TV coax and phone cable will still go up over the top. Terribly ugly work.

This cracked me up. The TV coax is not "brand new":


Just "new enough".

We had huge arguments with them yesterday about the carport. They now admit they poured it planning for tile, ignoring our instructions that we just want concrete. They've come up with a bunch of half-assed solutions, none of which are acceptable to me. It's a stalemate. They've deferred a decision until the area just in front of our driveway is paved. Then they'll decide how to deal with the fact that our driveway is 10 cm below grade level and doesn't drain properly.

Also, the door in our bedroom that is self-closing because it is hung poorly continues to be a problem. The project foreman claims it can't be fixed.

Yeah, right.

----------


## El Gibbon

Damn BH
I'm getting an ulcer just following along! I would have strangled someone by now.

But as I've always said when dealing with 'projects' in Asia, wait till its built and then find something suitable. Your trials and tribulations have more than re-enforced that view.

Good Luck my friend. 

E. G.

----------


## buad hai

^It's awful to see what it's done to Ms. B. She's usually in tears after talking to these guys. She's a typical "avoid confrontation" Thai and this constant bickering over details really causes her distress.

The thing is, this is Phase 2 of the development and our house sits on the same soi as five "model" homes built before we bought. So, we had a good long look at the construction techniques and several occupied homes before we decided to buy here.

No other home in the development has the problems our house does.

But, the crew that built ours hurried up to finish before Songkran and then disappeared. Until this week, no one had laid a hand on our house since then.

We just got very, very unlucky.

----------


## Butterfly

don't worry the other houses have also all kind of problems, they just had more time to hide them

----------


## buad hai

> don't worry the other houses have also all kind of problems, they just had more time to hide them


No, I've had plenty of time to look at them all. Mine is the only one with a carport floor below grade level. Mine's the only one that has a river running through the carport after a brief downpour. Mine's the only one with no grounding wires in the breaker box. Mine's the only one that got clay filled with construction rubble instead of proper topsoil. 

Nope. Two houses were built by this crew. They did OK on the other one and royally screwed me. But, the other house is owned by a couple of Thai-Chinese guys....

----------


## Butterfly

^ well you are a farang, it's not like they give a shit. Always hide your face in these situations, never show up until it's finished.

----------


## sabang

Wisdom is hindsight and all that, but I will never buy anything except a completed house in Thailand again.

Ours is a nice place, built to 'western standards' and with a reputable developer. And mostly, that is true- By Thai standards. I can probably count myself lucky actually (by Thai standards). I bought the place basically as a shell- so the basic infrasture was standing- and had it finished with a few modifications. But-

All the other places on the estate have two septic tanks, with the overflow feeding into a secondary filter. Ours has one septic tank- for a four bathroom house, with the overflow being your basic sand filter. We have to get it emptied about four times a year. They tried a solution of running a pipe from the liquids tank overflow to the stormwater drainage system (illegal), for times when the ground was saturated. It made things worse- during periods of heavy rain, stormwater was running back into the tank along this pipe. So that work was undone, and we're back to square one. I should point out, it took me over a year to even get this far- this 'western standard' house has no drawn plans for the plumbing and drainage system!  :Confused: 

And the fridge we specified was a nice big one, originally we specified Miele' but were told they were not supported in Thailand. Anyway, we ended up with a small crappy one- we're even pretty sure it was not new. But it's built in right next to the kitchen sink, so rather than pursue the matter I just said 'TIT', and got a second smaller fridge for the outside Thai kitchen, Wife was pretty furious about it though.

Only in Thailand would I declare myself Lucky on the back of this. There were the other inevitable small problems but they were put right. My wife has been told rumours, from some of the Estate staff, that the Project Manager (a falang about to retire) and the building supervisor (a notoriously crooked monkey who takes backhanders on everything, but an in law of the developer) were paid nice backhanders by the Plumber (an odious, incompetent monkey) to 'look the other way' whilst he did a fraction of the work he was paid to do. But to put it right would involve digging up the garden, jackhammering across the estate entrance road, and digging up another garden to connect to the secondary filter system. We may end up settling for a second septic tank, we may just live with it as is- who knows what sort of a screw up they'll make if let loose on this place again- they've only made things worse so far.  :Sad: 

TIT.

----------


## Butterfly

The problem is there are not enough "reputable" developers around, so all the good ones work for the big projects with big money, while the small crooked ones are left to feed on the low cost projects.

If you think of it, Thailand, like any other third world country, have huge problem for all kind of supply etc... it's not the clients or the money that is missing, but the suppliers and products. 90&#37; is crap.

----------


## buad hai

> while the small crooked ones are left to feed on the low cost projects.


Does this project really qualify as "low cost"? The listed price for a 3BR 115 square meter single story house on a 60 square wha lot is 1.6 million. A "low cost" project a kilometer from here has a similar sized house on a 50 square wa lot for 0.9 million.

We bought this one because the developer is well known and has many construction related businesses around town. This is his third development. His previous two are much admired. In fact, several of the buyers in this project are owners of homes in his previous developments.

We paid that 0.7 million premium on this house because of the prior reputation and because we wanted higher quality construction: SuperBlock instead of brick, grounded electrical circuits, underground utilities, real wood doors, better quality roof tiles, decent quality storm drains in the streets and lots, etc., etc.

None of the other buyers we've talked to have any major quality complaints and they seem amazed when I tell them about mine.

This has certainly been the most frustrating and disappointing experience I've had in a long time. It has done great damage to both my relationship with Ms. B and my poor old liver.

I'd say "never again", but, then again, who knows?

----------


## Butterfly

> This has certainly been the most frustrating and disappointing experience I've had in a long time. It has done great damage to both my relationship with Ms. B and my poor old liver.


To make you feel better, construction projects are as much as a nightmare in farangland as here. The difference here is the language barrier and the frustration to dealing with "silent" third world workers. But also a lot of bad fuckups in farangland, except the price tag is 100 times higher, so at the end you are still lucky to only pay a small amount for the same fuckup.

Every projects put strains on relationship, even more so if the wife doesn't want to be involved in the process

----------


## gusG

With your bedroom door if it's bowed in middle ,can't they maybe plane it off? Or failing that,knock the whole door frame out,replace it and re-render the wall ? I know it sounds severe but you've waited this long,you might as well get it right.You're paying for it.

And in the carport have you thought about washed stones,washed sand look,very practical,nonslip,can add ochre in mix to make it any colour you like and they can,(maybe ), screed it off to get your fall correct for drainage
Try building a resort sometime,it's a wonder I'm still alive.

----------


## Butterfly

> Try building a resort sometime,it's a wonder I'm still alive.


you need to open a thread about this, would be highly informative  :Smile:

----------


## buad hai

^^The frame is bowed out. They made the edge of the door concave to match. Natch, they should have just planed down the door frame to be straight. Instead they did the harder job of trying to match the curve in the frame by curving the door.

The proper fix would be to plane down the frame and then put in a new door with a straight edge.

As for the carport, I'm long out of money and can't afford anything that will cost more than the "just plain concrete" that comes with the house. I wanted to do quarry tile, but the cost would have been about 7K baht....

I should note that today they finally delivered decent topsoil. This after five months of complaints by us. They're still working on it as they had to remove the junk soil that the original subcontractor put in and haul in proper stuff.

And, a crew of cleaning ladies is getting the house ready for us to move in. As they left today they said, "Three more days". 

Maybe....

----------


## klongmaster

> This has certainly been the most frustrating and disappointing experience I've had in a long time. It has done great damage to both my relationship with Ms. B and my poor old liver.


BH: I'm grieved to hear that this whole thing is affecting your relationship with your lovely wife...the liver we understand but you should do all you can to repair any damage done in your relationship...

after all that's the single most important thing in your world here...excuse the grandfather-speak but I've learnt the hard way...

----------


## gusG

> Originally Posted by gusG
> 
> Try building a resort sometime,it's a wonder I'm still alive.
> 
> 
> you need to open a thread about this, would be highly informative


Yeah one day maybe, when I'm not so stressed about getting punters into pay for it, and have learned more about uploading pictures etc without having to keep bugging everyone about how to do it, MAYBE.?
As you can see from my profile I'm not a big poster.I just like to put my 2 bobs worth in every now and then. Cheers Gus.
One thing you need to know though. is that it takes a very large amount of Sangsom to complete a project like this.

----------


## Butterfly

^ I can only imagine, already a nightmare for a house, a whole resort ? jesus, wouldn't want to be in your shoes  :Smile: 

cheers

----------


## gusG

Who can afford shoes?

----------


## buad hai

I previously mentioned that on Tuesday we had a rather acrimonious meeting with the architect/engineer and the foreman about the quality of the work on our house and about the progress. During that meeting I saw the owner of the company drive by and got his attention. He realize an intense discussion was going in and stopped to join us. I told Ms. B, "Here's your chance." He asked her what the discussion was about and she explained both the quality and timeliness issues. I guess he must have ordered them to get cracking as that very day a cleaning crew showed up. The following day a crew showed up with top soil.

Here's how our side yard looked after the original crew split:



Here's some of the rubble Ms. B pulled out of that "soil":



Here's how the side yard looks after they removed the junk soil and started putting in real topsoil:



I'm hoping for similar progress in other areas.

----------


## buad hai

> I'm grieved to hear that this whole thing is affecting your relationship with your lovely wife...


It's been very stressful for both of us, especially since she has the "graeng jai" Thai attitude and I have the more forceful "screw the fuckers" American attitude. I put pressure on her to be more forceful which is stressful for her. And then, when she balks, it's stressful for me.

The end may be in sight and, in the end, it may be easier for both of us to just let it happen, warts and all.

----------


## Butterfly

^ looks like you are more lucky than you expected. The owner of mooban driving by and things get solved. No house is going to be perfect on delivery, ask any home owner, so a bent door might be a small compromise.

----------


## buad hai

^right you are. It was a stroke of luck.

----------


## Marmite the Dog

> "Three more days"


About bloody time too! How long have we been waiting for the party?  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

----------


## Jet Gorgon

^ But it's coming along, BH.

----------


## buad hai

> About bloody time too! How long have we been waiting for the party?


Ms. B says some time in November. I may go to the States that month, so no telling....

----------


## buad hai

The cleaning crew used a hose to clean the bathrooms today. After looking at their work I discovered that whoever laid the tile failed to keep in mind the maxim "water flows down hill". As the result, there is a nice puddle of water about 2 cm deep in one of the bathrooms.

You should have seen the look of despair on Ms. B's face when I told her this.

Oh, well.

----------


## Thetyim

^
Personally I would not be able to look the other way about that one.
2cm is a big error and in a year your tiles will be stained and look ugly.

I could ignore the cables going over the front wall but not a 2cm puddle in the bathroom

----------


## buad hai

^Nor I. It's dangerous. It will make cleanup difficult. It has to be fixed.

I don't think they'll be able to argue about it either.

----------


## NickA

You spent all that time building a pond and they'd already put one in for you. It's a special bathroom "feature" :Smile:

----------


## buad hai

Big day today. They are pouring the driveways and sidewalks for all the finished houses and pulling the final bit of cable.











I guess these two by fours are supposed to create some sort of drainage channel. Of course all of this concrete pouring and finishing was done completely without the use of a spirit level or other leveling device. So, until it rains, no one has any idea whether or not the drain actually goes down hill.

You can probably see that my driveway is about 5 cm higher than the floor of the carport, which itself is not level. I'm anxious to see how they solve this one.

----------


## buad hai

They use this truck to pull the cable. Sometimes using a hook on the front of the truck and sometimes the crane on the bed.




They built this junction box rather late in the game. I think it was when they discovered how hard it was to pull the cable. The cuts one very long run in half.


This shows the clamp they use to connect the pulling rope to the cables.

----------


## lom

You're about to move in  :goldcup:

----------


## buad hai

We asked for two electrical outlets to be placed on the perimeter walls. I noticed when they wired them they only ran two wire cable through the conduit. I told them that they had to run a ground wire. They said they would.


Well, they did. About 60 cm worth into the conduit and that's all.

I guess they think I'm really dumb. When I showed this to Ms. B (who has become a house wiring expert) she was dumbfounded. 

I can't wait to show this to the electrician tomorrow morning.

When we asked him why no ground wires in the breaker box he said that two of the yellow wires are ground wires. He said they couldn't run any more because the conduit is full.

When we asked why the put a 32 amp breaker on a 2.5 mm wire, he had no answer.

I feel that this wiring thing is going to be a half year nightmare.

Next step for me? Check each and every circuit....

A lot of work, but it's got to be done.

Bastards!

----------


## lom

^ They haven't had safety ground here until recently and the learning process is slow..

1. The safety ground wire shall always be yellow-green striped so it can easily be identified.
Consequently it is totally verboten to use yellow-green striped wire for anything else than safety ground.
Not that it matters electrically though, the electrons are colour blind..

2. The wire connection to the ground pole shall be above ground to avoid corrosion and for easy inspection of the connection. 
Covered with vulcanizing tape..

----------


## buad hai

^Lom, from what are you quoting there?

----------


## lom

^From my head.. 
But any electrician worthy of the title will do it that way.

It's a more than 30 years since I last studied safety standards so I don't know what publication there are today.
At that time it was IEC , Cenelec and UL (Underwriters Laboratorys) who decided the standards and published them.

----------


## lom

From googling:

In most countries today, *green*/*yellow* striped wire may only be used for protective earth (*safety ground*).

or

 Grounding system is carefully designed so that it provides safety to the user. This includes the color coding that the safety ground wire is never mixed with any other wire (nowadays the safety ground wire must be alway yellow-green colored in Europe).

----------


## buad hai

The large conduit leads to the breaker box. Note the total lack of organization and neatness. Note the two yellow wires (from the ground bus in the box) that connect to nothing....


They were supposed to put a separate circuit using 4 mm wire for the electric oven. They didn't. I told them to do it as specified. All they did was replace the 
 2.5 mm with 4 mm. The left the ground (not green) at 2.5 mm. No separate circuit. No conduit.

Bastards!

----------


## The_Dude

No J-Boxes either what the hell!!!

----------


## buad hai

^Had a long meeting this morning with the engineer and electrical foreman. Showed them a whole slide show: no ground, no conduit, no j-boxes in many places, no covers on the ones that are there.

They agreed to fix it all.

We'll see. At least now they know that I'll check and know what to look for....

----------


## Thetyim

As long as the foreman is on your side I think you will be alright.
This must be frustrating to him as well
The workman cannot say he doesn't understand the plans when he is given the work or he loses faces. However the foremans job is to inspect the work and he has failed to do that.

----------


## buad hai

^There's such a thin line to tread though. I don't want the foreman to lose face, but I've got to make him aware of the problems. So far, so good. Delicate balance with feelings here.

I think it was good to have this conference without Ms. B's presence. Of course, her language ability makes a difference, but I think it's hard for these men to be told they did something wrong by a woman.

I've never seen the engineer so relaxed and willing to talk. When Ms. B is present he tenses up and becomes all defensive.

I think Ms. B finally realizes this as well. She needn't have taken the day off work today....

----------


## a. boozer

BH. Is there going to be a party for the workers on completion? Somehow I can't see it!

----------


## buad hai

^Well, if anyone deserves a party, it's this guy:


He's one of the most skilled workers on site. He's meticulous and obviously proud of his work.


Here he is working on the carport floor. You may recall that they poured the slab assuming we'd put down tile; in spite of the fact that we told them we wanted plain concrete. As a result, the carport floor was about 5 cm below grade. It was not flat and didn't drain properly.

This guy worked a long time figuring out levels and putting lines up all over the place to determine the desired height of the floor. He spent the rest of the day (with his assistant) mixing and spreading mortar. It appears that he's done a fine job.

I gave him some money for lao cao to chase the pain. (I'm not named Buad Hai for nothing....)

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

Marry him.

Why plain concrete by the way?   I recently see stamped/colored concrete go all over the place and it's kind of nice.  (Anyone in Chiang Mai just wait and see what's gonna happen around the moat..   They're going to stamp-concrete the whole town by the looks of it.

----------


## Thetyim

> Why plain concrete by the way?


Would you trust some Khorat brickie to stamp it out in your house ?

----------


## a. boozer

> Originally Posted by WhiteLotusLane
> 
> Why plain concrete by the way?
> 
> 
> Would you trust some Khorat brickie to stamp it out in your house ?



No!  But I don't live in Khorat.

You never know, this chap might have originally come from Phrae!

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

> Would you trust some Khorat brickie to stamp it out in your house ?


No, but Khorat is a very big place that for sure has companies that provide the stuff.

----------


## buad hai

> Why plain concrete by the way?


Simple. I'm out of money. Cutting every corner I can.

----------


## Lily

There is nothing wrong with plain cement for a car port as long as it is swept and kept clean.

----------


## dirtydog

Most people in the UK don't tile their garages nor driveway, got to admit the thought never occurred to me when I had my house in the UK.

----------


## The_Dude

Why have a tiled or stamped drive? My parents neighbor owns a concrete construction co. next door to them. He did all the nice things around his house. Now there are tire marks and oil spots on the drive. Hard to clean up this stuff. The cement is colored and glazed. Oh well live and learn. :rofl:  Nothing wrong with plain drive. If later you see that no oil stains , perhaps you can stain http://www.kemiko.com/ the cement.

----------


## buad hai

They started redoing the wiring yesterday. They ripped out the breaker box and all the mess of wires leading to it. I was pleased to see them bringing in conduit and, much to my surprise, green grounding wire! I think it will be several days before they are finished. Anyway, no electricity right now.

New problem: The water does not flow to the back porch or kitchen faucets. Since it flows everywhere else, it must be a clog in the branch line that feeds these two taps. Sadly, that pipe is buried under the concrete of the back porch....

----------


## The_Dude

Shut off your main water and disconnect the line leading to your house then use a hose and connect it to the main and run the other end to the back porch and blow it out the othr way. If it's silt it will go if its gravel your foked!

----------


## a. boozer

BH. At least you aren't leaking money! When we moved into our new construction earlier in the year, we got hit with a first months water bill of over 5,000 Bht. Eventually the cause was established as a poorly made water pipe joint under the bathroom floor, don't bothering asking if we got reimbursed from the builder, after all, This is Thailand!

----------


## The_Dude

/\ Hope the sink hole was'nt to bad.

----------


## buad hai

They came by with this incredibly ugly street light pole yesterday:



I wonder what they have in mind. Later on, a couple of guys came and welded it to the plate bolted to the top of that fence post.

----------


## The_Dude

Looks like you have a good pole mount for your solor panel now. :Smile:

----------


## buad hai

^Exactly what Ms. B said....

----------


## Thetyim

^ If you mounted your solar panel under the light would it work at night ?

----------


## buad hai

^What an idea. I'll try it....



Here's a guy adding a coat of paint to cover the weld burns....

On the plumbing problem: When I arrived this morning the plumbing foreman and assistant had broken through the back porch and were trying to replace a T. Well, any of you who have tried this on buried pipe know how impossible it is. Of course, it's a job made easier with the proper tools and equipment. The Thais around here seem not to have grasped the concept of a union, so they make repairs and installations with the utmost difficulty. I was going to take a photo, but they both looked so pissed off I decided against it. As I left they were discussing how much more concrete they'd have to break in order to force the joint.

I will insist on a week without them covering this mess up so I can watch for leaks....

----------


## NickA

> and were trying to replace a T. Well, any of you who have tried this on buried pipe know how impossible it is.


I had to do the same job last year, took 3 of us (me, Dad and grandad) 2 days :Sad:

----------


## buad hai

> I will insist on a week without them covering this mess up so I can watch for leaks....


Unfortunately, by the time I got back there after breakfast they had already poured concrete over the repair. I suspect they did this without even testing the joint.

----------


## a. boozer

> Originally Posted by buad hai
> 
> I will insist on a week without them covering this mess up so I can watch for leaks....
> 
> 
> Unfortunately, by the time I got back there after breakfast they had already poured concrete over the repair. I suspect they did this without even testing the joint.


BH. Did they go inside and open the necessary taps to ensure a flow of water?


Sorry about using the English word 'taps', can never get my head around that American word for them!

----------


## Thetyim

^ Easy enough to test.

Turn all taps off in the house (or valve where it enters the house) and see if the meter moves in an hour.

----------


## The_Dude

I'm wondering if this complex will allow a food stand ie., Som Tom, Noodle Stand, etc. on your corner. Perfect spot seeing that you have light. If you don't do it some else will and leave a nice greasy spot on the cement! :Kabong:

----------


## a. boozer

> ^ Easy enough to test.
> 
> Turn all taps off in the house (or valve where it enters the house) and see if the meter moves in an hour.


Thetyim. BH had a problem with not getting water to two taps. Now he might still have the same problem *plus* a leak!

----------


## Thetyim

^ Sorry you sneaked in there, I was replying to BH about testing for a leak

----------


## buad hai

Both taps work. The bad news is that the plumbing I did in the kitchen leaks horribly: both the supply tube and the drain. Something to do tomorrow. I really should be kept away from plumbing. The sink in the kitchen in my house in Saipan leaked for the entire 25 years I lived in it.

The worse news is that the new date for electrical power is the 20th, one day after I leave for Saipan to visit my daughter.

They have offered to give us temporary power on Monday. However, since there are no wires or breaker box this is a rather hollow offer. Anyway, they've promised temporary power three or four times in the past and have never come through.

If I didn't have students to teach tonight I'd be on my sixth beer by now.

----------


## Jet Gorgon

Too bad they didn't make a cement block that fits in the back and can be lifted out if the t thing needs repair. Bucket under the drain then, BH?
Solar panel on the lamp post sounds good, and maybe a basket of pretty flowers you can take down when the winds blow too freely.

----------


## buad hai

^I hadn't thought of the flower basked idea. Real potential there. Maybe a vine climbing up and some flowers drooping down?

----------


## a. boozer

BH. Are there any flowers or plants that grow on Saipan, that don't grow here, that you might consider bringing seeds or cuttings back with you?

----------


## buad hai

^I've been thinking of that and haven't come up with anything. During the time I lived there it was always the other way around; bringing cuttings and seeds back from places like Indonesia, Palau and, yes, Thailand.

However, I will visit the hardware stores and bring back all those little fittings and fasteners that just don't seem to be available here.

Also on the list is a decent supply of Banana Boat sunscreen.

----------


## Jet Gorgon

> ^I hadn't thought of the flower basked idea. Real potential there. Maybe a vine climbing up and some flowers drooping down?


Vine sounds good. I only suggested it because you said the post was ugly.... :Smile: 
I wanted to bring seeds back to Canada, but not only is the climate largely wrong, the Agriculture Dept forbids the import of almost any flora (even asks if you were on a farm two weeks before your return; hey, I scraped my cowboy boots at the door!).
But getting all the doodads you need -- now that is one bennie of going home or where you know where to get stuff. Right on.

----------


## buad hai

I used to think of all sorts of devious means to bring propagative material into Saipan. I got some plumeria cuttings in Fiji and wrapped them with kite string to make it look like I was just bringing in, well, kite string on sticks.

I got a bunch of seeds in Bali and had an Indonesian friend of mine type up a fake "phytosanitary certificate". We had to rent a typewriter in a letter writing shop and used old carbon paper to make a duplicate. I dolled the thing up with ordinary postage stamps. It was accepted without question.

I brought Lotus seeds back from here (Thailand) by putting them in a package of soup mix. They looked just like they belonged!

What an evil man I am....

----------


## Jet Gorgon

^ I'm gonna tell.

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## buad hai

This is the master distribution box for the whole moo baan. I can't tell if there will be a breaker for every house or maybe every pair of houses or maybe every circuit. Interesting that they have the meters, although I'm sure no one will ever look at them. There's one volt meter and three ammeters; one for each phase.

Note the electrician?

----------


## DrAndy

> I used to think of all sorts of devious means to bring propagative material into Saipan. I got some plumeria cuttings in Fiji and wrapped them with kite string to make it look like I was just bringing in, well, kite string on sticks.
> 
> I got a bunch of seeds in Bali and had an Indonesian friend of mine type up a fake "phytosanitary certificate". We had to rent a typewriter in a letter writing shop and used old carbon paper to make a duplicate. I dolled the thing up with ordinary postage stamps. It was accepted without question.
> 
> I brought Lotus seeds back from here (Thailand) by putting them in a package of soup mix. They looked just like they belonged!
> 
> What an evil man I am....


I don't think there are any restrictions on seeds, just plants

oh yes, and soup mix

----------


## buad hai

I've posted elsewhere how the electrician pissed me off today by being gone for "lunch" from noon to nearly 4 PM.

I think he knows what he's doing though, with some rather disturbing lapses.

For example, the general house circuits (outlets and lights) are wired with 2.5 mm wire, but he used 32 amp breakers. When asked why, he said, "In case the circuit gets overloaded." Just like putting a penny in an old fuse socket.

He wanted to wire the water heaters, which specify a 30 amp breaker and 4 mm wire, using a 16 amp breaker and 2.5 mm wire. Then when I insisted on 4 mm wire he wanted to put two water heaters on one circuit. But, he didn't want to put two 7 amp air cons on one 16 amp circuit.

We finally settled on separate 32 amp circuits with 4 mm wire for the two water heaters and the oven. The house will have three zones wired with 2.5 mm wire on 16 am breakers: kitchen, east and west. Two 9000 BTU air cons will be on one 16 amp circuit and a 12,000 BTU air con will have it's own 16 amp circuit.

Each circuit now has it's own neutral and own grounding wire coming all the way back to the box. (Unfortunately, two of the neutrals are colored black....)

Like pulling teeth.

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## lom

> (Unfortunately, two of the neutrals are colored black....)


And all the other neutrals have the correct colour?
Blue that is.

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## buad hai

> And all the other neutrals have the correct colour?
> Blue that is.


No, yellow:



In the US, neutral would be white, ground solid green, or yellow striped with green.

The little Thai electricians manual we have says neutral should be solid gray and ground solid green.

But, they used yellow, except for the three circuits with 4 mm wire, in which case they used black.

At this point I'm happy that:

They are mostly consistentThey used red for all the "hot" and green for all the grounding wiresAll the circuits have both a ground and neutral running back to the boxAll wire runs will either be in conduit or via shielded cableAll splices will be in boxes with covers

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## lom

> (Unfortunately, two of the neutrals are colored black....)


And so is the incoming neutral... :Smile: 

It looks good even though they couldn't bother with correct cable colours.

Good practice is to use blue for neutral and black for live.
Yellow for bringing the "switched live" from a wall switch up to a lamp.
Electricians call it the "turn on" or control wire.

Black, brown and gray are the most commonly used colours for live or (phase) in a 3-phase cable, with blue as neutral.

Cut the plug off a 3-pin appliance cable and you'll find blue, brown and green/yellow striped.

But all of this colouring  is only to avoid confusion for the next guy coming to service or expand your system.





> At this point I'm happy that:      * They are mostly consistent     * They used red for all the "hot" and green for all the grounding wires     * All the circuits have both a ground and neutral running back to the box     * All wire runs will either be in conduit or via shielded cable     * All splices will be in boxes with covers


These are factors more important than wire colour.

So when will they connect you to the grid?

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## WhiteLotusLane

Where I'm from it should be Striped Yellow/Green for ground, Blue for Neurtral, Brown for live. 

Easy to remember too, my teacher said "Brown you think of African people. Touch it and you will end up looking pretty much the same.  :Smile:  "   

Hideously racist, but 20 years later I still remember it.  :Smile:    Interesting how education and learning works.

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## buad hai

> These are factors more important than wire colour.


That's what I figured. Good luck to the next guy. If it's me, I'll know....




> So when will they connect you to the grid?


They have now decided that all of the empty blocks of land need to have a junction box and cable pulled. They are still building those. The cable within the moo baan is connected to the main distribution box and to the transformer. There is no connection, yet, from the main transformer to the grid, but the wire is there; just needs to be connected.

Each house still needs a meter wired in.

They say the 20th (when I'll be visiting my daughter in Saipan), but it could be weeks after that.

They've promised up a temporary drop before the end of this week.

We'll see....

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## El Gibbon

BH

Going back several weeks/months, at least now there is tangible results and power can 't be that far away. Soon you'll have nothing to winge about  :Smile: .

Oooops forgot you've not moved in yet!... 

Good luck
E.G.

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## buad hai

The electricians worked maybe two hours yesterday. They spent all afternoon drinking with buddies in the house behind ours. I'm sure they didn't expect me to be there. They very sheepishly jumped over the back wall and quickly packed up and left at 5:30 PM. I'd been there since 3....

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## NickA

I don't blame them, who wouldn't skive if they could... but shouldn't there be some sort of foreman or project manager kicking their arses!

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## buad hai

Went round and round with them the other day on matching breakers with wire size and load. I thought we'd settled on 32 amp breakers for the three circuits with 4 mm wire: two water heaters and one electric oven. And, on 16 amp breakers for all the low load circuits with 2.5 mm wire. This morning I see that they have installed 16 amp breakers on all the circuits.

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## buad hai

> but shouldn't there be some sort of foreman or project manager kicking their arses!


It's the electric foreman who is doing the work now and who drank lao cao all yesterday afternoon.

----------


## a. boozer

> Originally Posted by NickA
> 
> but shouldn't there be some sort of foreman or project manager kicking their arses!
> 
> 
> It's the electric foreman who is doing the work now and who drank lao cao all yesterday afternoon.



Maybe it's just as well they didn't do any work after a session on Lao Kao!

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## buad hai

^Just stopped by and they seem to be making great progress today....

Ms. B did call the developer office to complain about their absence yesterday. They claimed they were there all day. I guess they still don't realize that I was there and know they weren't!

----------


## buad hai

Months ago, when we were discussing the additional wiring I wanted done we told them we were going to have an electric oven and needed a dedicated circuit for it. I even gave them a diagram of where to put it and how it should be done.

Of course, they ignored all that and wired the oven junction box to the circuit with the kitchen utility outlets. Of course, only a numbskull would wire a 20 amp appliance to a 16 amp circuit.

When I told them about the needed change they claimed they couldn't do it because the half inch conduit they had installed would not hold three additional 4 mm wires. They were right about this. Seeing how stumped they were and not wanting them to rip apart the kitchen walls to embed another conduit, I suggested the following solution:


Ugly? Without _savoir faire_? Of course. But it will work. It avoids possible damage to the kitchen and it is in the back of the house.

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## NickA

^once it's painted you will hardly notice it

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## gusG

Is that other conduit next to it, a vent pipe?

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## buad hai

^Yes, a vent for the septic tank....

^^I hate it when they paint PVC and try to match the house paint. Why not black. Show it for what it is: a piece of plastic pipe....

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## gusG

Maybe you want to put some small pieces of insect screen around the ends of the T pieces and hold them on with cable ties, to keep the nastys out.
You might even be able to find some black screen.

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## Lily

Nearly there BH :Smile:

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## buad hai

^^Which reminds me of a good story....

I installed a hose bib over by the pond so I could more easily water the garden. The first time the water main was turned on I heard some air hiss out of the tap, a kind of popping sound and then nothing. I removed the tap and the water flowed with great pressure. Reinstall the tap. Nothing.

Remove the tap and look inside for dirt or grit or something. Nothing. So, I hold the tap backwards on the riser and get Ms. B to turn on the water, hoping to force whatever it is out. Pretty soon I see this gelatinous mass oozing out. And, then, the head of the gecko that had decided to hide out in the riser before I got around to installing the valve.

Disgusting....

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## buad hai

Of course, it took six guys to do this job.


Here's how it looks from our garden. I guess I won't be needing any lights in the yard....

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## buad hai

The electricians finally finished rewiring the house. It isn't perfect, but it's a whole lot better than what they replaced:





As far as I can tell, every wire is either shielded cable or in conduit. Every splice is in a box and every box has a cover. And, the ground wires actually go all the way back to the breaker box.

Unfortunately, they had to go in through the roof to get at some of the wiring and left this sort of mess:


Is this worth complaining about?

In any event, they've started installing meters, so power should not be far behind. We plan to move in early next week.

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## klongmaster

> We plan to move in early next week.


next week...that's got a nice ring to it...fingers crossed for you and Mrs BH...

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## The_Dude

Hello BH, 
What the frig is this mess?

Did some worker do this or some animal?

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## buad hai

^Workers did it when they entered the attic from the outside to do the electrical "repairs"....

We plan to ask them to fix it. There are several similar spots.

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## a. boozer

BH. Not so long to wait now, soon you will be able to sit back with that nice cool 'sundowner' and enjoy your new abode!

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## buad hai

They finally installed the meter yesterday:




The guys doing this work are competent electricians. I wish they were the ones who wired the house. They actually use wire that is the correct size and properly color-coded. And, as you can see above, they are using beefy, water-proof connectors inside the meter box.

As far as I can tell, all the moo baan wiring is done. The underground circuits are complete and the main distribution box is connected to the grid. All that's left is to throw the switches. For some reason, they are not doing this until October 20th. An auspicious day or something?

Anyway, we have again been promised temporary power for either today or tomorrow.

But, I'm leaving for Saipan this Wednesday, so we have decided to delay moving in until my return on the 28th.

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## Jet Gorgon

^ Fek, looks like a cupboard with black-tentacled ETs in it.

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## lom

> Fek, looks like a cupboard with black-tentacled ETs in it.


Boys cupboard Jet, yours in the kitchen :Smile:

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## buad hai

You'll recall that I had them run a separate, dedicated circuit for the oven. I was about to install the oven so decided to do a visual inspection of the outlet box. I opened it and pulled it out of the wall and saw that the black (hot?) wire wasn't even connected. Further inspection showed that the outlet itself was defective. One of the pieces of metal that holds the wire in under screw tension was missing.

Easiest for me to just buy one and replace it myself. I do this and then decide to check my work with a meter. I do a resistance check between neutral and ground. Should be less than 25 ohms. I checked quite a few of the other outlets in the house and they were all less than an ohm; what you'd expect in a house with small circuit runs like this one. But, the test shows an open circuit? What's this? Bad wiring? Another defective outlet box?

So, I again remove the outlet box from the wall, pull the wires and just test them. Again, open circuit. Then I check resistance between the black (hot?) wire and the ground. Less than an ohm. What the heck?

Well, of course, these cretins wired the circuit using black for neutral and white for hot. And, stupid me foolishly assumed that they'd done it right.

Lucky I checked before installing the oven and turning the power on.

Would have been a quick circuit breaker blow....

----------


## buad hai

Attempts to give us temporary power have failed. As soon as they flip the residual current device (Safe-T-Cut) on it trips off. I think this is because they have the hot and neutral switched in the incoming cable. Of course, they won't listen to me....

The electrician originally told us that the house ground bus would be connected to this ground located under the outside junction box:



So, I was surprised when I saw this:


Turns out that none of the houses in this moo baan have a real grounding rod. They have three wire electrical outlets and even run some grounding wires back to the breaker box, but none of them have a connection from the breaker box to a grounding rod. However, since they think I know what I'm talking about, they put this one in our house. It's crap work, but it seems to function properly. (As demonstrated by the RCD tripping, see above.)

Although the moo baan is now connected to the EGAT grid, they will not hook up any house. The excuse is that there is "moisture" in the system. Since all this stuff is designed to operate outdoors, I don't really think "moisture" should be a problem.

Perhaps this is the "moisture" to which they are referring:

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## lom

> I think this is because they have the hot and neutral switched in the incoming cable.


Both of them being black coloured. 
Easy to distinguish which one is which... :Smile:

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## buad hai

> Both of them being black coloured. 
> Easy to distinguish which one is which...


Plus, the place where they tapped in to get the temporary power is also unmarked. They think it doesn't make a difference...

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## DrAndy

yes, that water in the inspection pit would be classified as moisture

no problem, when it stops raining, then it will dry

mind you, it will rain again next year, what then?

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## buad hai

> mind you, it will rain again next year, what then?


Well, yeah. Have you noticed that Thais don't plan for rain until it is actually raining?

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## Lily

Every time I see that you have had the last post on this thread BH, I think it is the one to say that you have moved in.

It is very anxiety producing.

I cant imagine how you and your wife feel.

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## buad hai

Still no power. I'm leaving for Saipan tomorrow. Power will probably come while I'm gone. I'll never get over missing this event.

Time to dig a deep, deep hole.

Time to buy more and more and more Chang.

Bye for now.

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## DrAndy

Oh, you mean like this

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## buad hai

This came six months after the house was done and a year after we signed the purchase agreement.

----------


## gusG

Looking good bh,good luck, and sorry about your change in travel plans .Cheers.

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## DrAndy

well well, no more whingeing about electrics then!

or not, as the case may be

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## klongmaster

does that mean that you have moved in? In which case that would more than make up for missing your flight...

looks lovely in the night light...

----------


## NickA

Every cloud has a silver lining as they say.

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## buad hai

> does that mean that you have moved in?


Not yet. The power came on just today and it was a surprise as they'd told us "maybe" Monday. We'll move in over the next few days.

So, missing the flight does have a small up side....

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## andy55

glad to see youv,e finally got power bud hai 
i can,t imagine the state of the electrical installations in the other houses on your moo baan!
as an electrician myself , reading through your exellant thread , some of the unsafe electrical practices made me shudder
!
btw i noticed in one of your pics that there is no insulation in the roof space on the plasterboard ceiling--- it might be prudent to get some installed, as the heat build-up in the roof space will radiate down into the rooms below , thus costing money on running the air con more than you need to-- 
cheers andy

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## jizzybloke

About focking time, very happy for you bh!
Do you have the water on yet?
I'm too lazy to go back and look through the thread.

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## buad hai

^^Still undecided about insulation. I think we'll live there a while and see how much we use air con. If we use air con a lot, then insulation above the ceiling makes sense. If we don't, then the insulation will keep the heat in the room rather than letting it move up into the attic. I put ceiling insulation in the house we're in now and wish I hadn't....

One thing I will do is put more ventilation in the roof space: either a turbine vent or just plain air vents.

^We've had water for about a month. Last night I took a hot shower. After two and half years of cold showers, it was almost like heaven....

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## Jet Gorgon

^ Look Mrs B, we're not in Kansas anymore.
Looks great BH. Can you do something else for us now?  :Smile: 
Safe journey.

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## El Gibbon

This has to be a trolll.. Waaay to easy and sudden. Someone took a photo and published it using BH's nic... We all KNOW he is in Saipan..

Clever, whomever did it, got us all excited over BH's trials finally ending.

Can 't wait until the real BH shows up to put an end to this.

 :Smile: 

E. G.

PS  Much to much anti-climatic for all who've suffered through this extensive purgatory of continually hearing of BH's angst.

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## buad hai

After a year of waiting, we finally moved in yesterday. It is so wonderful to have:

- Privacy
- Hot showers
- A real kitchen
- A sink for dishwashing instead of the driveway
- A no-frost fridge
- Sex without worrying about waking the kid in the adjacent bed

Of course, all of Ms. B's family showed up for inspection. Only her Mom commented:

- I don't like the curtains because they are not modern enough. (They are matchstick roll-up blinds.)
- I don't like the garden because it's too much like a jungle. (Well then, intended effect achieved....)

They left after five minutes.

Here I am having a celebratory glass of wine on the bridge.

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## a. boozer

Congratulations, and at least you've started the celebrations!

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## Thetyim

Congratulations

All the best for a happy future    :Smile:

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## lom

> Here I am having a celebratory glass of wine on the bridge


Well deserved after all the hazzle you've went through!

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## Marmite the Dog

> They left after five minutes.


Excellent!

Well done BH. I'll have to make an excuse to get up to Korat again soon.

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## buad hai

^I think we will be having a tamboon baan in late November.

Forgot to note that there is no Internet at the new house yet, so I'll be online only sporadically.

Also, no UBC (True Visions). They refuse to move the dish to the new house until we can produce a tabien baan. That may be months away.

So, Ms. B's daughter has not moved. Can't stand the thought of no Internet and no TV!

----------


## El Gibbon

Great news BH

Glad to see that the bridge survived...

Congrats.  :Smile: 

On a move in Phuket I took the dish with me and THEN called them to re-install it. They didn't like it (bad boy, bad boy) but it worked for me.

You could do it yourself if you know how to get to the set up screen on the decoder. Maybe someone here knows.  

Point the antenna in the general direction and fine tune using the decoder screen.

E. G.

----------


## klongmaster

Well that compensates somewhat for the delay on your Saipan trip...(fokin spell check tells me "not 'saipan' but 'sampan' and here's me thinking spell check was from the US)

The best news is the Ma-in-law doesn't like it so she might keep away, which will be nice for you...

re Truevisions...why don't you just move the dish yourself...the dish doesn't know it should have a tB...

best wishes for a long and happy sojourn chez toi...

----------


## in4zip

BH the mother in L. just didn't like only them two things, not good sign man!

now you have  
- Privacy?
- Hot showers?
- A real kitchen?
- A sink for dish washing instead of the driveway?
- A no-frost fridge?
- Sex without worrying about waking the kid in the adjacent bed?

Beware BH 
Thais are a jealous and resentful lot.
They also have lost their 'for free' foreign dishwasher, water bottle filler, houseboy that put some sort of order around the house, and only Zeus knows what other kindness you unwittingly performed

surely you won't be paying anymore for many things used also by them, for which now they will have to foot the bills or do without. 

I'm sure you will be sorely missed and they will find a way to make you own up to the 'effrontery' of having dared to move away! Nothing that a fat monthly donation to La Famiglia's piggy bank can't cure! _

just joshin with ya and congrats old son!_

----------


## Lily

Thank God for that BH.


I'm very pleased to hear that at last, you have moved in. :goldcup:

----------


## DrAndy

well done

and you even managed to get the family out after 5 minutes!!

and yes, just move the dish yourself, or with help from your friendly local dishman

----------


## dano

looks nice mike....hope that bottle of wine wasn't too expensive

----------


## gos

I have been following this marathon from the start well done BH I think you deserve a couple of bottles as a celebration the problems will seem in the distant past after a couple of months enjoying your new home 
Cannot send you a house warming present so i will send you a green

----------


## Jet Gorgon

> 


Fantanstic, BH! No Internet or TV? How about chairs, or is that what the bridge is for?  :Smile:  Yep, great job and congrats on moving in.

----------


## jizzybloke

You do look happy in the picture, rightfully so and about time!

----------


## DrAndy

photoshopped leprechaun

----------


## jumbo

Well done Mr & Mrs BH. I wish you well with the new home, great thread I have enjoyed and been able to relate to each of your problems.
The wife and I managed to move into our home, I was there for a week then off to work for a month, the week turned out to be an anticlimax after all the hard work and worry. I have since spent a month at home which was a total joy, just sitting on the terrace in the evening with a few beers and good company was a real pleasure, I can not wait to return home again.

----------


## The_Dude

BH,

I hope you enjoy your new home. You deserve it more so then anyone I know! So with that said, I raise my glass to you and your wife for an excellent job done. :Notworthy: 

Enjoy!!!

----------


## buad hai

Thanks to all for the good wishes. I love the place. Cooked my first meal in the new kitchen last night and it was lovely. Photo later today.

Good thought about moving the dish. When Ms. B called TrueVisions they told her to find the technician who did the original install and pay him to move it!

Only two chairs and a small table in the house. Two plastic chairs outside. Furniture will take time and money.

----------


## Sir Burr

Congratulations M. You've got the bad bit of building a house behind you with only the good bits to come.

----------


## sabang

^^ Ahh but you've got a fridge to keep the beer cold I notice The rest will follow in good time.  :Wink: 
Congratulations, and about time!  :Smile:

----------


## ceburat

Just noticed you just moved in. You look happy in the photo. Congrats.  Great thread you did here.

----------


## buad hai

> hope that bottle of wine wasn't too expensive


Birthday present. First bottle this year. Drunk it over a three day period ending with the first meal I cooked in the new kitchen. Spaghetti:





As you can see, we're sorely lacking in the furniture department....

----------


## Marmite the Dog

> As you can see, we're sorely lacking in the furniture department....


You could always tap our Swiss friend up for some samples/seconds...

----------


## mrsquirrel

Now what?

Do you start a new thread about furnishing it? Where does it go from here? 

Any crocs in your pond?

----------


## DrAndy

all good threads must come to an end!

----------


## Lily

Furnishing the house sounds like a good idea for the next thread.

----------


## buad hai

> all good threads must come to an end!


Amen!

----------


## a. boozer

> Furnishing the house sounds like a good idea for the next thread.



No doubt, with BH's vision and skill with handicrafts, he will have already had his eye on some bamboo and trees, to cut down and fashion into some usable furniture.

Come on BH. don't rest on your laurels, get cracking!

----------


## mrsquirrel

48 more posts to hit 1000

----------


## a. boozer

> 48 more posts to hit 1000


I hadn't noticed that fact, but it has been a great tale, and well told and illustrated.

----------


## DrAndy

> 48 more posts to hit 1000


mind you, it was started by AC all about his house, then it got deviated to BH house

I could never understand why it was not split

----------


## dirtydog

I think we mergered it. hmmm, thats a word and a half aint it.

----------


## Propagator

Congrats BH - you look really happy in the kitchen photo - glad it has finally worked out for you.     Shall miss this thread as I must admit that it was the first that I lookled at every day.     Hope that you get the furniture side sorted out soon.     I remember when I moved into my place after the split with the now ex wife I was able to furnish virtually all from car boot sales.    Looks like you could do with a few in Korat  :Smile:

----------


## Jet Gorgon

> Originally Posted by dano
> 
> hope that bottle of wine wasn't too expensive
> 
> 
> Birthday present. First bottle this year. Drunk it over a three day period ending with the first meal I cooked in the new kitchen. Spaghetti:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
First off, I gotta say, take that sticker off the dam pot. (I always had a peeve about Thais leaving the stickers on their appliances -- fek, can't even see the whole movie cause of the stickers stating "it's a Sony" or whatever stuck on the screen. :Smile: 

Second, even if you get furniture, the fam is going to sit on the floor to eat, watch telly, whatever. Buy another plant. 555

Finally, thanks DrA for info about AC. I know I read this from the start, but was new, and then after I always wondered who the heck AC was when Mrs BH was Mrs B...

----------


## dano

i was hoping for a nice aglio olio but it looks like bolognese.......... with a side order of garlic bread

----------


## buad hai

> First off, I gotta say, take that sticker off the dam pot.


I'm with you on the stickers. But, I was in such a hurry to cook that I simply forgot....

As for furniture, I've been living on the floor for the past 30+ years. No couch or easy chairs for us. But, we do need some bookcases, cabinets and other storage. I really hate the Index/Koncept/SB crap, so we're going to hold out for real wood. There's a shop in town that custom makes stuff out of old used house wood. It's a bit crudely done, but sturdy enough and I like it.

Sorry about the name confusion. The construction thread started here:

https://teakdoor.com/living-in-thaila...y-a-house.html

And then moved here:

https://teakdoor.com/building-in-thai...-progress.html

Both of those were when I was using the nick Buadhai. When I got tired of the TV harassment I became Anonymous Coward and started this thread. I tried to go back to Buadhai, but had forgotten the password so I became "buad hai" and simply continued with this thread.

----------


## dirtydog

Should an amendment be made to the titles, ie Part 1 etc, and also links put to each part in the first post? Looking at the size of this thread I had assumed they were all mergered, I think mergering them all would put off anybody new opening the thread as it maybe several hundred pages long.

----------


## DrAndy

BH, you got tired of TV harrassment!!   you should have said that was what was happening and we could have seen them off

never mind, alls well that ends well

it is the end isn't it?

----------


## Eliminator

Naw he's got to make the thousand mark and I'll help. Good on you BH.

----------


## Art Vandelay

I'll help too. Great thread. I can't say I've read every post though. I kept losing track of where I left off. That 'view last post read' thing doesn't work too well when you jump into a long thread like this. These construction threads have been excellent.

----------


## buad hai

Since I went to all the trouble to have the house wired properly I decided it was time to make sure all the appliances take advantage of the correctly grounded outlets.

As most of you know, most products made for the Thai market have no grounding pins on the plug.

This old washing machine (on loan) actually has three wires in the cable, but the grounding pin has been removed:



I thought it might be easier (as suggested above) to fashion grounding pins rather than install new plugs on everything. I made this one out of some heavy gauge wire (removed from a discarded hunk of eight inch hardware cloth):



I'm kind of surprised that some enterprising entrepreneur doesn't market these pins for people who actually care about the safety of their family members.

Anyway, the pin slides right in and is held in place by some spring steel inside the plug. I checked continuity with a meter. Two ohms in this case so I know I'm good to go:


(Sorry, but it's pretty hard to photograph the LCD screen on my multi-meter.)

----------


## Sir Burr

^
We'll take your word for it BH that it says 2 Ohms. Great thread.

----------


## ThisOldHouse

^^BH, you're such a MacGyver kinda guy!  I love your ingenuity.

(for those who never watched this ancient American TV series, relevant info is here, or &#34;MacGyver&#34; (1985) - IMDb user comments)

----------


## MeMock

Phew - finally caught up on this thread.

Great to see those two pics of you on the bridge and cooking.

Well done.

----------


## Jet Gorgon

Groan. Those plugs and points snaps and commentary just send me to Nodsville. Sorry.  :Smile: 
Furniture. You build it, BH. A new thread for us!
Bookcases: old planks with old bricks stacking levels at each end.
Chairs: You can build them out of tamarind old tree rounds. Just add cushions.
Bed: Well, you gotta buy a mattress.
Get the internet in, BH! 
I'm baking apple crumble tartlets right now. I'll send you one.
PS, was this thread split and remerged so it'll take more posts to make it 1,000, DD?

----------


## Butterfly

> This old washing machine (on loan) actually has three wires in the cable, but the grounding pin has been removed:


it has not been removed, it's the European system, the ground pin is usually on the wall plugs

Since the wall plugs here use a mix of US/Euro connectors, you need to buy a small adapter to add the ground pin to the plug, available everywhere at HomePro (don't ask the staff they won't know where, it's in the electrical section, look hard)

 :France:

----------


## lom

^I usually save the two pins from the plug if I have to cut the cable and remove the plug. 
Those pins fits perfectly in the safety ground hole in the plug.

----------


## gusG

I've got a water cooler that has a 2 pin plug and an earth wire screwed onto the body, so I just put the plug in one socket on the wall, and stick the eath wire into the earth ground hole in the socket next to it,which is unused.

----------


## buad hai

> Since the wall plugs here use a mix of US/Euro connectors, you need to buy a small adapter to add the ground pin to the plug, available everywhere at HomePro (don't ask the staff they won't know where, it's in the electrical section, look hard)


Ah, now I see. I was at HomePro today searching, but didn't find. Can you give me a hint as to the sort of packaging I should expect?

I went to a big electronic supply house yesterday and asked if they carried the pin, but they just shook their heads.

----------


## Jet Gorgon

Yawn. Do pin plugs come in a selection of decorator colours?

----------


## buad hai

Well, the oven works....







Tasted great.

----------


## Jet Gorgon

^ That from scratch, BH?

----------


## buad hai

^Yes, but it's the simplest of recipes:

3 cups bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups water
2 tsp salt
1 tsp yeast

I like to keep the dough as wet as possible, adding the flour little by little until the dough is just not sticky. I also spray the interior of the oven with water right at the beginning and several times while cooking: 450F for about 30 minutes.

----------


## El Gibbon

^  ermmmmmmmm

Is that really two tbs (tablespoons) of salt vs. two tspn (teaspoon)?

Usually the salt is used to reduce the effects of the yeast. Interesting recipe if it really is tablespoons.

Still looks great though, congrats.

E. G.

----------


## buad hai

^Sorry, it's teaspoons of each. I will edit the post.

----------


## Jet Gorgon

You getting divorced anytime soon, BH?

So, how long do you let it rise and how many punches to the dough and stuff? Details, please!

----------


## buad hai

^Start out with just the yeast, salt and half the flour. Mix thoroughly. Add all the water and stir until well blended. Keep mixing and slowly adding the rest of the flour. But, as mentioned above, don't put too much flour, just enough so that you can stir and knead it without it being sticky. Once you can't stir it anymore put it out on the counter and knead gently for about ten minutes. When done, shape into a ball and put it in a bowl, cover with a towel and let it rise for about three hours.

Remove from the bowl, reshape and put on a greased baking sheet. Let rise another half hour and then bake. (If you're going to use a bread stone in the oven, then let rise on a board and slide on to the bread stone.)

Don't forget to spray water into the oven during the cooking process. This makes for a nice thick and chewy crust. A final spray just before you remove the finished loaf will result in a shinier crust.

----------


## Jet Gorgon

That works in the tropics? Wow. You are industrious, BH. So, what did you have with that bread?

----------


## DrAndy

still a lot of salt!! makes it tasty, if you like salty bread

this thread should be split to foody section

nearly 1000 posts, better do it quick

----------


## Eliminator

Looks to be a nice oven to go with your house there BH, How much was that and is it gas or electric?

----------


## El Gibbon

^ As I recall from an earlier post he had mucho problems with the wiring, including the oven.... must be electric.

E. G.

----------


## Jet Gorgon

No, I think BH talked about space to put the gas bottles for the stove outside before.

----------


## caller

Gas or leccie - this is a real cliffhanger! Answer needed asap. I'm another thats watched this with interest over some time, so a belated congrats to Mr & Mrs AC et al (allegedly) from me!!  :Smile:

----------


## Jet Gorgon

Every cooker/stove I had in Thailand was powered by those gas bottles things that the nice man brings on the back of his motorbike whenever you call.

----------


## NickA

^I think the oven is electric, but the stove is gas

----------


## Eliminator

Think you might be right there as it does look like a lightbulb in the top pic.





Almost there.

----------


## Art Vandelay

> Think you might be right there as it does look like a lightbulb in the top pic.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Almost there.


Well I just checked my gas oven and it has an electric lightbulb in the oven the same as BH's oven. The stove is definitely gas, so I'm going to place my bet on both the stove and oven being gas.

----------


## Butterfly

> Ah, now I see. I was at HomePro today searching, but didn't find. Can you give me a hint as to the sort of packaging I should expect?


It took me 2 trips to HomePro to find those. It's a blue with mix colors package, the brand does all kind of adaptors (traveler plugs), it's usually located next to the other "power strip" plugs. The staff will know where all the plug adapters are.

Basically it's an empty shell to fit the Plug with a pin going out, very simple. Go through each one as all those package looks the same, even for different adapters. Can't remember the brand name, but they carry a lot of electrical plug adapter items. Like I said, it took me about 5min to find those even though they were staying in front of me.

----------


## Thetyim

> I think the oven is electric, but the stove is gas


I'm with NickA.

He had to spray water to cook the bread thats a trick used with electric ovens but not gas

----------


## NickA

^BH is keeping us in suspense on this one....

----------


## NickA

^probably waiting for the 1000th post to reveal the answer....

----------


## Bluecat

I just went through the 67 pages, nice thread.
And the suspense is building with the house, I'm going to be able to move in for Songkran, maybe a bit later, I'm in... :Smile:

----------


## Jet Gorgon

OK, wagers on gas or electric anyone?
I had a cooker/stove like that with a lightbulb in the oven and it was all gas. I know that because there was no electrical plug for the unit (which is the extent of my electrician's knowledge).
Two reds it's all gas. If I'm wrong, one green each to the bi-boys.

----------


## gusG

https://teakdoor.com/construction-in-...tml#post412969

https://teakdoor.com/422662-post889.html
 Not gas.

----------


## Thetyim

https://teakdoor.com/421583-post885.html

----------


## DrAndy

damn Thetyim beat me to it           1001

----------


## a. boozer

> damn Thetyim beat me to it           1001


I reckon that Thetyim would have been a mean gunslinger in the Old West!

  :Tounge In Cheek: ..................................................  ............................................. :Tounge In Cheek:

----------


## buad hai

> ^I think the oven is electric, but the stove is gas


Sorry for the late reply. No Internet at new house, so I have to come back to the old one to get on line. And, since it's a madhouse on weekends, I generally stay away.

NickA is right. Cooktop is gas. Three burner, by Fagor. I'm very happy with it. 8500 Baht (I think) at Home Pro. One burner has dual rings for a wok and produces 4500 watts.

Oven is also a Fagor, but is electric. On sale at Home Pro for 9000 Baht. Has upper and lower heating elements and a fan for a convection effect. For cooking the bread I used both burners plus the fan. I'm pleased with the results.

----------


## Jet Gorgon

Beggar...I gave out some greens already for thinking I lost my bet. Now it's official.  :Sad:

----------


## DrAndy

> Sorry for the late reply. *No Internet at new house*, so I have to come back to the old one to get on line..


blimey BH, that will be another 300 posts worth, judging by the electric saga

----------


## johpam

One burner has dual rings for a wok and produces 4500 watts.

4500 watts is that the way to express the efficency/use of a GAS burner?
I thought that wattage is used for electrical equipment 
Thank for your answer 
johpam

----------


## NickA

^watts is a unit of power, so can be used for any form of energy, heat light, sounds etc...

----------


## DrAndy

what?  oh yes, thanks Nick

named after James Watt, good bloke

----------


## buad hai

Don't know what to do about Internet. TOT has yet to put phone lines in the underground conduit. That may take months. I guess I could do anybody's GPRS, CAT's CDMA, or even IPStar. 

I know that I'm close enough to True's WiMax antenna, but they won't even try. Not sure why.

We got the final bill on the house yesterday. Their charges for the extras we asked for were very reasonable. For example, 500 baht for each extra outlet. (We added 11, including four outdoors.) And, they willingly gave us credit for the stuff we asked them to leave out. For example, they gave us 1000 baht credit for substituting a proper squat toilet for the throne they were going to install.

All in all, I'm quite pleased.

Now, about that Internet....

----------


## DrAndy

Hmmm BH.my electrician is charging B200 for each extra outlet, as long as they are done at the same time as the wiring of the house

----------


## NickA

^Depends on the outlet I suppose, some of the outlets on their own cost more than 200 baht.

----------


## a. boozer

> Now, about that Internet....


 :dito: ................................... :Damnit: .......................................... :Damnit1:

----------


## DrAndy

> ^Depends on the outlet I suppose, some of the outlets on their own cost more than 200 baht.


 
oh yes, sorry, that was just the work

----------


## in4zip

> ^watts is a unit of power, so can be used for any form of energy, heat light, sounds etc...


Clever NickA, supposing one could go at it for a whole hour, how many watts  in a bonkwatt/hour?  :Smile:

----------


## NickA

^a kilowatt hour (there is no / ) is a measure of energy, not power.

Since power = energy / time

therefore energy = power * time


Anyway, 1 hour of bonking should use up about 5000 kilojoules.

That would give you a power of about 1400 watts, which seems quite high... about 3 times the power of an electric drill  ::doglol::

----------


## Curious George

A belated congratulations on your move, BH. Lately, I've been checking the TD forum only once a week, so was surprised by an earlier move date than expected.

I've really enjoyed following your trials and tribulations, and am happy for you that the worst has come to an end. Besides Mrs. B's daughter, we're also waiting for the news about your Internet and TV experiences.

Enjoy your new home!

----------


## buad hai

We paid a big chunk of what we owe on the house yesterday so they decided to let us register the sale and get the chanote. Ms. B had an appointment to meet the owner at "window 3" at the land office at 1:30 PM yesterday afternoon. She got there a bit early and reported to the window. The clerk said, "Oh, you're already here." The owner showed up a few minutes later. Ms. B signed a paper and was immediately given the completed chanote. The owner paid the registration fee in full! That saved us about 35,000 baht. What a wonderful surprise. Then the owner handed her the tabien baan for the house. No names in it yet, though. 

I should note that during this process Ms. B was never asked about the source of the funds or anything related to that. In fact she didn't have to show her ID or produce any other documents. 

So, today she's off to the city hall to have her and her daughter's names added to the tabien baan. Tomorrow she's off to Immigration to report that farang is resident in her new home.

BTW - Lucky we saved money on the land registration as earlier in the day we succumbed to temptation and bought this lovely LCD TV (32" Panasonic) which was on sale for only 18K baht. We'd planned on buying one after the first of the year when prices will probably come down, but we couldn't resist this one.....

----------


## buad hai

UBC finally arrived to move the dish. I'm amazed at what crap work these guys do. They mounted the dish OK, but knocked out a huge chunk of plaster when drilling through the wall. They patched this with some crap that immediately sagged right out of the hold. I'll fix it myself.

The house came pre-wired for cable. But, instead of adding a cable module into the outlet box for the incoming signal they just drilled a hole into the box and box cover and fed the wire right through. I'll fix that an add a proper cable module to the box later....

We had them set up for two TV's. The guy who wired the second TV accidentally disassembled the cable module in the outlet box. Instead of trying to fix it he just discarded it and fed the cable through leaving a gaping hole. Idiot.

I managed to fix and replace the module so it now looks OK.

----------


## Tao

Great thread buad hai, took me a while to get through the 1000+ posts.  

I'll be interested to hear how you get on with yer internet connection as i imagine we'll be having the same kind of problems sometime next year when we move to Korat.

----------


## Butterfly

Never leave the UBC guys or any outside contractors alone and always ask them what they plan to do. They will damage your house and not care because that's how stupid they are. You have to explain to them what you want precisely or else they will fuck up things.

I had also pre-wire cable in the house and when the stupid UBC guy showed up to install the dish, he came with his big driller to drill holes everywhere. I told him to use the pre-wired cables, he refused saying his cables were better or special or some other non-sense. I told him to get the fuck out.

Now downloading TV series multiple Seasons at a time, much better deal and no holes in my walls.

----------


## Spin

> I know that I'm close enough to True's WiMax antenna, but they won't even try. Not sure why.


Wimax? reeeeaaaaally?

I know True have what they call "wi-fi" which is nothing more than a wireless router in a few branches of stabucks. I didnt know they had Wimax. That has a range of 50kms so you should be well with connecting to downtown Korat based Wimax antenna

----------


## buad hai

True and Intel set up a demo WiMax system in Korat. The range is actually 3 kilometers. I'm within range of an antenna, but they refuse to even try.

----------


## Marmite the Dog

> The house came pre-wired for cable. But, instead of adding a cable module into the outlet box for the incoming signal they just drilled a hole into the box and box cover and fed the wire right through. I'll fix that an add a proper cable module to the box later....


Contractors won't use wall boxes if they're doing installations in the UK either. You get too many problems and therefore too many call-backs. Hardwired straight into the STB is the way to go.

----------


## buad hai

> Contractors won't use wall boxes if they're doing installations in the UK either


Well, if they're as inept, clumsy and in as much of a hurry as the guys True sent to our house I can see why. It takes time to properly wire a wall box and test to make sure it works right. As noted, I redid one and it's fine. I'll do the second when I get back home.

I wouldn't mind paying extra for a more professional installation, but I don't much like not being given an option.

----------


## Marmite the Dog

^ The point is that the contractors only get a certain fee for each installation. With regard to the guys in the UK, if they did a 'proper' installation each time, they wouldn't earn as much, especially with the large increase in call-backs.

I do know what you're saying though. Wall boxes do look so much better, even if they are technically inferior.

----------


## buad hai

^I converted the two hard wired connections into wall box connections with no loss in signal strength or picture quality. It was a bitch to wire, but looks great and works fine.

----------


## Marmite the Dog

^ Good show.

----------


## buad hai

Still no Internet, though and I'm getting impatient.

Anyone out there have CAT's CDMA 2000?

----------


## a. boozer

> Still no Internet, though and I'm getting impatient.
> 
> Anyone out there have CAT's CDMA 2000?


BH. Like you have internet and phone problems. CAT's service does not extend to this area. Lost our phone connection for 4 days last week, and this week, the line went down on Tuesday, and still not re-instated! Fortunately I do have a Solomon GPRS modem for the lap top, which does give me a better speed than dial up (115 kbps as opposed to 44). The problem is that it does not support SKYPE, I have been looking at the new 'Aircard', which is available at about 6,500 Bht, which does apparently support SKYPE, and supposedly has a speed around 400. After the initial purchase, running costs should be cheaper than ADSL from TOT/TT&T, as the SIM card can be topped up for, I believe, 500 Bht.
Do any of the computer 'technophobes' on TD have experience, or knowledge on these things?

----------


## Tao

> Still no Internet, though and I'm getting impatient.  Anyone out there have CAT's CDMA 2000?


I am trying to get info on CDMA on the Isaan forum.  Not many replies yet so i imagine there's not too many people that have it.  

I'll be trying to find out in the next couple of weeks.  Complicates things because i use a Macbook which has no slot for the aircards.  My plan is to get  a wireless router that supports the cards if i can.

I'll be keeping an eye on how you get on.  :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

Another wonderfull building thread. I have worked my way through every single post. Not all houses are built the same but we all know that work gets halted for all the wrong reasons. 

I have been reading all about this guy building a pond and having a solar pump and then I realised that you were both the same person. The pond thread is a little too old to say "wonderfull thread" but the garden pictures are enchanting and have given me even more ideas. 

I'm glad that you and Mrs B are finally moved in and sorted. As has been said before, you have a knack for taking good pictures. Keep them coming. I look forward to your gardening thread. Keep us posted on how the solar pump/panel performs. I will certainly be using a few of those.

Cheers

----------


## El Gibbon

There is a fellow sitting at another 'puter here in the office that has a Hutch card. Works a charm. He has no idea if it will provide a solution in Korat. :Sad: 

you might send Thaipom a PM and ask him the details.

E. G.

----------


## buad hai

> Complicates things because i use a Macbook which has no slot for the aircards.


CAT has a USB modem which you could use with the Macbook.

But, they don't seem to have an Ethernet modem which I really need to support the home network. I guess I could hang the USB modem off of my iMac and then let the iMac do the routing and use my router as just a switch and wireless access point.

I'm going to ask Ms. B to call CAT this morning and get the details.




> Keep us posted on how the solar pump/panel performs.


I'm pleased with it. We usually just turn the pump on when we are out in the garden. That means for morning coffee and evening happy hour. On a sunny day if I leave the pump on all day the battery will power the pump for an hour or two after sundown. If I remember to turn the pump off during the day we can get three or four hours of pump use after dark.

----------


## Thetyim

> True and Intel set up a demo WiMax system in Korat. The range is actually 3 kilometers.


Wimax range is up to 50 km .
Either they got the figure wrong or it isn't Wimax

----------


## buad hai

See this article:

Farang Pai Nai - WiMAX service to be launched in Thailand by year-end: Intel

Here's my exchange with True:




> Dear Khun Buadhai
> 
> I'm sorry to you serve wireless Internet service becuase your's home don't have a signal wireless , the located is low signal internet .
> 
> Thank you
> 
> Kannika Phut.
> Tel:085-9805078
> 
> ...


So, it is WiMax, but True can't even squeeze 2K out of it. Something's wrong....

----------


## Butterfly

> But, they don't seem to have an Ethernet modem which I really need to support the home network. I guess I could hang the USB modem off of my iMac and then let the iMac do the routing and use my router as just a switch and wireless access point.


Some router these days have USB connection for USB modem sharing through the router

----------


## Thetyim

> I'm sorry to you serve wireless Internet service becuase your's home don't have a signal wireless , the located is low signal internet .


No wonder you can't get a connection.
Yaya's in charge  :Smile:

----------


## buad hai

Ms. B talked to CAT yesterday about CDMA. It's available in our area. They claim download bandwidth of about 750K. The cost for unlimited service is 790 a month. No setup fee. They have USB modems for 5000 and 11,000 baht. They have a "fixed wireless terminal" for 4000 baht. It looks like a phone. They said it has a Ethernet port but when I looked on the manufacturer's site I see it just has a serial port. No good for a Mac. No good for my Ethernet router.

----------


## Art Vandelay

> Ms. B talked to CAT yesterday about CDMA. It's available in our area. They claim download bandwidth of about 750K. The cost for unlimited service is 790 a month. No setup fee. They have USB modems for 5000 and 11,000 baht. They have a "fixed wireless terminal" for 4000 baht. It looks like a phone. They said it has a Ethernet port but when I looked on the manufacturer's site I see it just has a serial port. No good for a Mac. No good for my Ethernet router.


Can't something like this do the job? C-motech 
I got to this link from here: Thailand CDMA EVDO Modem CAT CDMA Hutch EV-DO Modem in Thailand

----------


## buad hai

^We went to the CAT office today and asked them if they could activate a modem purchased elsewhere. They said "yes" for ordinary CDMA but "no" for EVDO. So, even if I buy the cheaper C-motech modem, CAT won't activate it for their EVDO service. Any suggestions?

----------


## buad hai

A few months back we had a discussion on hardware used to open and close a window without opening the inside screen. I spotted some at Home Pro and decided to give it a whirl. Here's what the product looks like:


They have three version. One for aluminum windows, one for wooden windows with a standard hinge and one for wooden windows with the sliding tension hinge. Get the right one or the geometry will be wrong. These cost about 400 baht each.


This is what it looks like on the inside when you're done. It folds against the window frame and is held by a clip.


This is a view from the inside with the window open. Notice how the hinged rod bends toward the window. This is what keeps the window from blowing shut. It will only close if you pull the rod in. 


This shows how the rod connects to the window on the outside. It also shows how the idiot builders of my house put on the window hardware before they put the finish on the wood. That blemish is where I removed the eye for the hook-and-eye that used to hold the window open.


Here's an outside view of the open window.

It works fine. The only drawback for me is that the window has to be either fully open or fully closed.

The hardware is well designed and well made. There are several points of adjustment so you can get the workings and fit just right.

It's not hard to install, but you have to measure carefully and drill accurately. The hole through the window frame needs to be tangent(?) to the circle defined by the window hinge. If it is not, the rod will bind. The hole also needs to be exactly level for the same reason.

I ended up having to buy a larger and longer drill bit for the hole through the frame. I still had to short-shank the bit to get all the way through.

The instructions are in Thai, but if you take the time to study the hardware and the illustrations you can manage without a translator. However, installation goes a lot quicker if you have a helper to spot the drill and pass things back and forth while you assemble the thing.

I plan to install these on all the windows that will be regularly opened and shut.

It's a good product....

----------


## ChiangMai noon

^
excellent post.

very useful.

----------


## klongmaster

Well my wife was reading over my shoulder and when she saw the pic she rattled on about how good these things were...I had to stop reading and accompany her to the window so I could see how they worked...

t'was amazed that she knew everything about this...so now I have to install them around here as well...except I'm not as handy as BH so I'll get the 'chang' to do it for me...

----------


## buad hai

> I'm not as handy as BH so I'll get the 'chang' to do it for me...


Ah, I think you could do it. You only have to drill two holes and drive four screws. You just need to be as accurate as possible.

----------


## NickA

^I have installed one set on a window I use a lot... took a while to install and I had similar problems to BH, but once you get the hang of it it would be easy... mine have been on for a year or so and I haven't had any problems even with kids messing about with them. I seem to remember that if you buy 10 sets then they would do free installation or something like that. I haven't got round to doing any more windows yet :Sad:

----------


## buad hai

^I bought two sets as a test and have only installed one. I'm sure the second will be easier, but I'm not looking forward to doing all 13 that I've planned....

----------


## NickA

> I ended up having to buy a larger and longer drill bit for the hole through the frame. I still had to short-shank the bit to get all the way through.


This was the bit I had trouble with, I ended up going in from both sides in Channel Tunnel style... it was just as much of a fuck up, so I ended up with a whole twice the diameter it needed to be.... works though :Smile:

----------


## Propagator

Very useful post BH

----------


## a. boozer

Sounds like more work, that I have to schedule for now!

----------


## buad hai

They started pulling the telephone cable this morning. So, perhaps, telephone service and ADSL may not be too far in the future....

----------


## hillbilly

Still wondering about ADSL. Will have to wait and see.

----------


## DrAndy

I hate those screens. Yes, I know they keep some bugs out but they are more trouble than they are worth, and they look bad

----------


## a. boozer

> Still wondering about ADSL. Will have to wait and see.



Well, I am certainly not holding my breath, waiting for ADSL, down here on the Eastern Seaboard. My feeling is that I could well be six feet under, before it gets in my locality!

----------


## DrAndy

Are they burying cables down there now Boozer?

----------


## a. boozer

> Are they burying cables down there now Boozer?



DrAndy. No, the lines are still up in the air, hence my latest loss of connection for seven days, apparently someone had pinched some cable, again!

----------


## klongmaster

> could well be six feet under





> Are they burying cables down there now Boozer?


I thought it was just a play on words...

----------


## buad hai

After weeks and weeks of telephone and in person inquiries TT&T finally agreed that they would move our old phone (and number and ADSL) from the old house to the new house. All they needed was the 1900 baht transfer fee. Ms. B paid that about a week ago.

After daily follow-ups TT&T promised yesterday to show up and move the phone today.

At about 8:00 AM a TT&T truck pulled up with seven (yes, 7) workers in the back.

The looked at the junction box without opening it and announced they could not move the phone. I encouraged them to open the box to see the enclosed telephone line connected to a terminal strip inside.

The opened and looked and again announced that they could not do the move because the moo baan electricians had not finished their work. They drove off.

Ms. B called the moo baan engineer and told him what the TT&T crew had told us. He (the electrician) said that the moo baan electrician has finished his work and all TT&T has to do is connect the wire from the house to the terminal strip in the junction box.

So, there we sit. Another idiotic Thai-finger-pointing standoff.

Of course, all of this is moot because, as far as I can tell, TOT has yet to connect their trunk line to the moo baan. With luck, TT&T will discover this when they finally get convinced to connect our house phone line to the moo baan phone line.

----------


## a. boozer

Well, at least things appear to be moving in the right direction for you. My quest for ADSL appears totally fruitless!

----------


## buad hai

Ms. B called TT&T today to find out when we could expect to have phone service at the new house. TT&T told her that they cannot provide service at our new location. Only TOT. So, how about the 1900 baht transfer fee we gave them last week? It will take several months to get it back.

So, TT&T, with whom we have service now, cannot be moved to our new house. Bastards.

TOT, which will provide service, has no available Internet ports. Bastards.

So, my only broadband option is CAT CDMA2000 EV-DO. The USB modem alone will cost around $300; more than I can spare now.

----------


## a. boozer

> So, my only broadband option is CAT CDMA2000 EV-DO. The USB modem alone will cost around $300; more than I can spare now.



My sympathies, but at least you can get the CAT CDMA, which I cannot here in Ban Chang. It is now 15 months since TOT told us that we would get ADSL in six months................................!

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## buad hai

Most of the houses in this moo baan are built by a crew of three or four, more now and then for big jobs. But, the house being built across from us was bought by a General in the Thai Army, so his house gets a huge crew almost every day. Here they are pouring the slab for the second floor:


I counted 25 working with four or five just standing around. By contrast, all the concrete work on an identical house nearby is being done by two men and one woman. Needless to say, they are falling behind.

Here's a few of my house from the General's second floor:

----------


## NickA

Looks lovely BH, though you might want some sort of bullet proof screen between you and the general :Smile:

----------


## buad hai

^I don't think the General yet realizes he's going to be living across from a Farang. Should be amusing.

----------


## ChiangMai noon

I have a mia noi opposite me.

Her benefactor lives in bangkok and comes up once a month.

the rest of the time she services a policeman (possibly 2 of them)

----------


## English Noodles

Just be a shame when her Thai bloke turns up and you are out on your arse.

Noodles.

----------


## ChiangMai noon

^
I mean she is the mia noi of the bangkok based benefactor.

 :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic): 

don't think my wife would be too happy about me shagging and financially supporting the neighbour.

----------


## AntRobertson

> don't think my wife would be too happy about me shagging and financially supporting the neighbour.


Yes, it makes asking to borrow milk and sugar all the more akward in my experience.

----------


## NickA

> don't think my wife would be too happy about me shagging and financially supporting the neighbour.


You might be able to get a freebie with your boyish good looks and macho tattoos.  :rofl:

----------


## lom

Especially if making a wheelie outside her house..

----------


## buad hai

Last night about 7:00 PM Ms. B and I were on the patio grilling burgers when a TT&T van drove up. Inside were three salesladies offering us a great deal on TT&T telephone and MaxNet Internet. Ms. B listened to the spiel and then explained to them that both TOT and TT&T have told us that TT&T service is not available in our moo baan and that while TOT telephone service will be available, they have no free Internet ports.

The ladies seemed completely taken aback by this since their boss had specifically sent them to our neighborhood to sell both TT&T and MaxNet.

They promised to get back to us....

----------


## Marmite the Dog

^ They really are clueless, aren't they? Good luck!

----------


## NickA

^^maybe they wanted some burgers :Smile:

----------


## lom

> TOT and TT&T have told us that TT&T service is not available in our moo baan


Much easier to say "no have" then to check if they have. :Sad:

----------


## a. boozer

We recently had a flyer from Maxnet, advertising a 1 Mbps Broadband connection. I contacted them, and to give them their due, did have a reply within about thirty minutes, but it was not quite what I had been hoping for.

[Quote]:Thank you for interest  in  ADSL  from TT&T. The telephone number  0** -******   is not available in our service now. But your telephone number will be able to  use in the future also we sent your information for our officer call you back  after we have service area on your interesting.  
For more information, please call 1103  24 Hrs. 
Thank you for contacting TT&T Call  Center  [End Quote]

I shall wait, without bated breath, and see what happens!

----------


## buad hai

Boozer, who provides your telephone service now, TOT or TT&T?

What TT&T has always told us is that they can do MaxNet only on TT&T phones. But, MaxNet is not the only Internet option for TT&T customers.

On the other hand, TOT says that in this area if you have a TOT phone then your only Internet option is TOT.

None of it makes much sense to me.

----------


## Marmite the Dog

> What TT&T has always told us is that they can do MaxNet only on TT&T phones.


Not true. Maxnet (by TT&T) can be used on TOT phones. I know; I've done it.

----------


## Spin

^ Never knew that, I wonder if they know it?

----------


## Marmite the Dog

> I wonder if they know it?


I very much doubt they know their own names half the time.

----------


## Spin

^ Well, I was once in the electricity office sorting out a small problem. The lady said to me "Whats my name?"

Well I had no idea, I'd only just met her for the first time :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic): . What was I supposed to do? Guess? :Smile:

----------


## a. boozer

> Boozer, who provides your telephone service now, TOT or TT&T?
> What TT&T has always told us is that they can do MaxNet only on TT&T phones. But, MaxNet is not the only Internet option for TT&T customers.
> On the other hand, TOT says that in this area if you have a TOT phone then your only Internet option is TOT.


BH. Our telephone bill is from TOT. In September 2006 they told us that ADSL would be available early in 2007. I made the point of asking each month, and was assured that it would become available as promised. In March when we moved into our house, the story changed to availability sometime in late 2007.
In March I went to TT&T, where they said that they would send an engineer out the next day to physically check the line, as you can imagine, I am still waiting. Went back to TT&T some while after and they simply looked at my telephone number and said "Sorry, no can have". No further input from them, so returned to TOT, who then told me that they can't provide ADSL and that I had to go and place an order with TT&T. On returning to TT&T, the very same girl, that I had seen previously, went to a filing cabinet, and produced an order form to complete for ADSL which was duly completed and stamped by her (and probably filed under B1N). And that is where the saga rests at present. Repeated visits to the office are met with the same negative answers. 




> None of it makes much sense to me.


TIT.

----------


## buad hai

> Not true. Maxnet (by TT&T) can be used on TOT phones. I know; I've done it.


In such a case, who has to provide the Internet port, TT&T or TOT?

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## Marmite the Dog

> Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog
> 
> Not true. Maxnet (by TT&T) can be used on TOT phones. I know; I've done it.
> 
> 
> In such a case, who has to provide the Internet port, TT&T or TOT?


Well, I paid Maxnet (TT&T), so I guess they do. But who knows..?

----------


## buad hai

> But who knows..?


Well, they certainly don't....

----------


## buad hai

We had been planning all along to put an awning over the back porch which is our laundry area. That's where we have the washer and clothes drying rack.

We had a crew over on Saturday to measure. We made very sure that they would construct the awning so that water runoff would end up in our yard, not the neighbor's yard and not smack dab on the wall that separates the two blocks of land.


The awning arrived this morning.


Too bad about the orchids they knocked down bringing it around the corner.


This little awning over the air con compressor was supposed to extend out 60 cm. It actually juts out over 90 cm and completely spoils the view down the side yard and makes navigation difficult.


They made the awning about 10 cm too deep. As a result the water runoff (I tested with a hose) hits the middle of the wall and splashes into our neighbor's yard and all over our porch. Any clothes drying there will get soaked, making the awning a useless and costly addition.


Looks OK from inside and shades the kitchen nicely.

Sure, I could have told them to take all the stuff down and back to their shop for re-fabrication. But, I've grown very weary of explaining to Thai "craftsmen" what crap their work is and watching their sour and bitter faces as they lose money trying to redo their work in a manner which the obnoxious and picky farang will find acceptable.

I'll let Ms. B deal with the disaster all by herself. After all, we chose this bunch because they came highly recommended by her mother....

----------


## buad hai

> Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog
> 
> Not true. Maxnet (by TT&T) can be used on TOT phones. I know; I've done it.
> 
> 
> In such a case, who has to provide the Internet port, TT&T or TOT?


One of the posters over on KoratFarang says that he tried to get this done at the MaxNet office. They refused explaining that a recent change of policy prevents them from providing MaxNet Internet to a TOT number.

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## a. boozer

Looks as if some guttering and a fall pipe could be the answer to the problems with the main canopy!

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## NickA

Would it be rude to ask how much the awning cost?

----------


## buad hai

> Looks as if some guttering and a fall pipe could be the answer to the problems with the main canopy!


Just my thought as well. I e-mailed the photos to Ms. B. She called the contractor. They will be coming back on Friday. Ms. B is taking the day off work to sort things out. Maybe I'll suggest they just put a gutter.




> Would it be rude to ask how much the awning cost?


Not at all. 

7K baht. The back porch awning is about 3.3 meters wide and 2 meters deep.

The small one was supposed to be about 1 X .6, it is actually 1 X .9.

The price includes "legs" on the big awning. They said they didn't need them, but I could foresee clothes and other objects hanging from the frame and decided some nice steel legs would be worth it.

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## NickA

Well, I know I will be ridiculed again, but (for the money) I'm quite happy with my DIY awning that cost only a few hundred baht :Smile: 



It may look a bit dodgy, but it is doing it's job quite well.

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## buad hai

^Is that the same photo of it that you posted a couple of years ago? How's it holding up?

----------


## NickA

^pretty well actually :Smile:

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## Eliminator

nicka, I'm sure your neighbors are real happy with your addition.  :rofl:

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## Eliminator

Dammn I can't edit here, but sufice it to say nicka, your addition must pump the hell outta the property values around your place.  :Smile:

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## NickA

^Fortunately that big mango tree is in the way so it isn't visible from the road :Smile:

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## buad hai

The good news is that as a result of this morning's heavy rain we now know that the awning is OK, as is. Some dribbling on the wall, but no annoying splashing, so we're going to leave as is. A few pots of orchids on the wall to take advantage of the runoff.

What a relief.

----------


## Spin

Those metal things can be very noisy when its raining, lets hope you dont have any light sleepers for neighbours.

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## buad hai

^I love it. The sound of the tropics. I had a metal roof on Saipan and just loved the sound of the rain on the corrigated tin....

----------


## buad hai

One of the reasons we chose this moo baan is that it is so close to some beautiful countryside. This photo was taken about a kilometer from our house, just a few hundred meters from the Lam Thakong River. This rice field was under about a meter of water last October during the flood.

----------


## Spin

^ Stunning, I'd like to build a small house under the shade of that tree. Beers in the afternoon looking out across the rice.

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## buad hai

There is a brand new house going up in what was the rice field across the road from this one. They'll have a lovely view, but I wonder what they'll do when there's a meter of water as far as the eye can see?

----------


## Thetyim

> I love it. The sound of the tropics.


So do I.
We have an  awning down the full length of the house and it is just beneath our bedroom windows.  I love it when it rains at night.

----------


## buad hai

Another....

----------


## DrAndy

> 


 
that bloke looks scared!




> There is a brand new house going up in what was the rice field across the road from this one. They'll have a lovely view, but I wonder what they'll do when there's a meter of water as far as the eye can see?


and I suppose they will build up the field, and put the house on stilts, or a high foundation...then get a boat

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## Rdrokit

> There is a brand new house going up in what was the rice field across the road from this one. They'll have a lovely view, but I wonder what they'll do when there's a meter of water as far as the eye can see?


Buy a boat.

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## Fabian

> Well, I know I will be ridiculed again, but (for the money) I'm quite happy with my DIY awning that cost only a few hundred baht
> 
> 
> 
> It may look a bit dodgy, but it is doing it's job quite well.


What do you mean "may"?

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## buad hai

Our original plan was to have everything, including the kitchen, built in out of wood. Unfortunately, the prices we were quoted were out of sight. Plus, we could never find anyone who would build out of real wood, they all insisted on using veneer plywood.

As you know, we had the kitchen built of brick and mortar and tile and this was a disaster that turned out OK....

Since then we've procrastinated about what to buy next. I didn't want the particleboard stuff you find at Index, Koncept and S&B. I wanted real wood.

There are a number of places in Korat that sell real hardwood furniture, made both here an elsewhere. Trouble is, they insist on putting a high gloss varnish on that stuff and they use really cheap hardware for things like the hinges and door slides. Plus, they tend to use nails rather than screws.

Eventually we ran across a place in Korat that manufactures it's own good quality hardwood furniture. They say it is Teak, but it doesn't look like Teak to me. It is pretty, though and they finish up with a matt finish that is to my liking.

To start off with we ordered a wardrobe, bookcase and computer desk. The total cost was 55K baht. Sounds high, but when you compare with the better stuff at, say, S&B, it's not that different.


All three pieces arrived in one pickup truck, natch.




The bookcase was sized to just fit through the front door.


The desk has a nice wide and deep keyboard drawer. This is a temporary location until Ms. B gets home. I'm under strict orders not to touch or move anything. (Mr. Clumsy, you know.)


Plenty of room for all those books and CD's that have been on the floor for six months.


The wardrobe has a couple of drawers inside as well as a couple of shelves.

I'll post some more photos when Ms. B fills everything up.

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## MeMock

I love the book case

----------


## Marmite the Dog

They look really good.

Have you got a sofa yet or are you not going to bother?

----------


## buad hai

^
^^
Thanks to you both.

Still thinking about a sofa. We'd like one of those rattan-looking ones that are actually made from water hyacinth. But, the ones we've seen are really expensive; something like 23K baht for just a simple one.

----------


## Marmite the Dog

My one cost around 17k and is a nice cloth that doesn't make you sweat. I'll never understand why most cheap sofas are made of vinyl.

Sorry, no pics on this PC.

----------


## buad hai

> I'll never understand why most cheap sofas are made of vinyl.


Right, I'd never get vinyl. Better sit on a mat on the floor!

----------


## Norton

All looks very nice.  It does look like teak.  It would be new growth plantation teak rather than the much more expensive old growth Burmese teak.  The matte finish is the best.  The workmanship (drawer and door fitment) also looks good.  From the little I can see, the hardware is quality and I notice on the vanity door there are 4 hinges rather than 3.  All in all a good price for some very attractive furniture.  

After sitting on the floor for so long, the new launch pad will take some adjustment on your part.  For a chair suggest you not get one with rollers.  These can be very dangerous for accident prone folks. :Wink:

----------


## buad hai

^Thanks Norton. I guess I thought teak had a shorter grain than this does. But, I don't know that much, so happy if it is teak.

----------


## buad hai

BTW, the name of the place is Koson Karnchang Furniture, 936 Mukamontri, T. Naimuang, A. Muang, Korat. Not far from the train station.

----------


## peterpan

Looks great BH, :Smile: 

I love getting new furniture and I love wood. We have quite a bit of this natural finish teak, wardrobes, beds and book cases. I love its rustic look. 






As well as this stuff I brought in Malacca 15 years ago, its well traveled and held up well despite everyone telling me when I brought it, that it would crack and distort in Australia, It didn't. Not a  bit.
 After being in 3 different countries and about 7 moves its built up a bit of a patina, my wife says we should get it repolished but I like the slightly weathered look.

----------


## buad hai

Nice stuff. What kind of wood is that one from Malacca?

----------


## peterpan

Dunno for sure BH, but I think its plain ordinary rubber wood.

----------


## NickA

I wish I could afford to spend that kind of money on some new furniture. I had to build my own computer desk, bookshelves and kitchen shelves for a few thousand baht. that is why my typing is sometimes a bit wobbly  :Smile:

----------


## buad hai

> I wish I could afford to spend that kind of money on some new furniture. I had to build my own computer desk, bookshelves and kitchen shelves for a few thousand baht. that is why my typing is sometimes a bit wobbly


I did all the cabinetry and much of the furniture making in my house on Saipan. Never again....

At least part of this furniture was paid for with Mr. Bush's "economic stimulus payment". Thank you Mr. Bush.

----------


## johpam

I have a fair bit of rubber wood furniture in my house in Australia and it holds up very well unlike the teak wood (mai sak) and burmese rose wood (mai padoe) that I have which cracks and splits.
If I would have to buy again it would probable all rubber wood and only carvings in teak wood.

----------


## Fabian

> I love the book case


My thought when I saw this.

----------


## buad hai

I had rubber wood furniture when I was in Saipan and it held up extremely well. The climate there is very humid but had no effect on that furniture.

I think most people have problems with tropical hardwood furniture when the wood is not properly cured and you take it from one type of climate to another.

----------


## buad hai

> What's this? "economic stimulus payment?


 This question was in a "green" that Eliminator was kind enough to send my way....

The Economic Stimulus Payment is a tax rebate on future taxes proposed by President Bush and passed by the US Congress. Every taxpayer in the US, and their dependents, gets a special payment designed to stimulate the economy and prevent the country from going in to a recession.

I got enough to buy some nice furniture, but I doubt the way I spent it will have much of an effect on the US economy!

----------


## buad hai

Once again I can't edit a post. I mistakenly put IMG tags instead of QUOTE tags around Eliminator's question....

----------


## Eliminator

Thanks for the info buad hai, won't help me though.

----------


## NickA

testing...testing...123

I do have an edit button on this post, so I don't know what's going on.

How long did you leave it before you tried to edit?

----------


## buad hai

Just until I read the post and saw I put image tags instead of quote tags. Couldn't have been as long as a minute....

----------


## buad hai

And, no Edit button in the post above. Note the brief interval:




> This forum requires that you wait 60 seconds between posts. Please try again in 36 seconds.


Less than 30 seconds.

----------


## Marmite the Dog

> Once again I can't edit a post. I mistakenly put IMG tags instead of QUOTE tags around Eliminator's question....


Fixed.

Is it a cookie problem?

----------


## buad hai

Not sure....

----------


## buad hai

Trying now from a completely different computer; cookies enabled. No edit button.

----------


## sabang

> Right, I'd never get vinyl. Better sit on a mat on the floor!


In contrast, I did get a vinyl lounge setting for the place upcountry (with nice cushions to make it look pretty). We've got two messy grubby little dogs up there who just love to run all over the furniture- to say nothing of the neighbours- and plenty of dirt and mud in the vicinity. You can always wipe off vinyl.

That teak furniture looks just great BH.

----------


## buad hai

> You can always wipe off vinyl.


Good point. Vinyl is great if you've got kids or pets!

----------


## Marmite the Dog

> Trying now from a completely different computer; cookies enabled. No edit button.


I would suggest a PM to Xzyte to see if he can shed light on the problem.

----------


## buad hai

Finally, no more sitting on the floor. And, a chair out of which I probably will not fall.

----------


## klongmaster

> Trying now from a completely different computer; cookies enabled. No edit button.


Edit buttons have disappeared for me too BH...from all threads...

----------


## Norton

Looks nice.  You really need to do something to tidy up the rats nest of cables though. :Smile:

----------


## buad hai

> You really need to do something to tidy up the rats nest of cables though.


Oh, I know. I saw some sitck-on cable clamps at The Mall this week. I will buy some and dress things up a bit.

----------


## Fabian

Norton, that looks fine. I should show you a picture of the mess under my table.


On second thoughts, better not.

----------


## HINO

Buad Hai, All I can say is congratulations!

Really a story and a half. I just spent the last few hours reading through the whole 57 pages of this build. Maybe when I have more time and cold beer I will read the beginning also on a another post? I believe.
You have a lot of determination and patience to put up with the issues you encountered during the build and all the delays and electrical issues.
You deserve at least a round of applause and a case of something of your choosing.

Great story and glad to hear things are much, much better now than last year at this time.

Best of life in your abode

----------


## aging one

Pity he has left the forum.

----------


## binnsy

Where did you get the blinds? :Smile:

----------


## Happyman

> I had rubber wood furniture when I was in Saipan and it held up extremely well. The climate there is very humid but had no effect on that furniture.
> 
> I think most people have problems with tropical hardwood furniture when the wood is not properly cured and you take it from one type of climate to another.


Most of my few sticks of furniture is from rubber wood - brought it with me when I moved here from Malaysia in 2000 and it was 4 years old then !
Virtually indestructable ! :Smile:

----------


## Happyman

re above post 

'are from rubber wood '!

Bloody 'Edit 'button has vanished !!

----------


## thrilled

I'm just here for the 1st time.My friend has A small piece of land near the outskirts of Korat.Hopefully in the near future I hope to build there.I'm just thinking about 1 bedroom,and also A 1 bedroom in the basement if it's possoble to have A basement so water won't flood it etc.I see the price you paid for yours.I imagine the prices steadily rise so thats not the problem.
Can ya tell me the construction company that you used?I imagine they have plenty of experience.Do es the owner speak english etc?Can you think of anything that you would do different now that it's finished and done with?

----------


## Marmite the Dog

> Can ya tell me the construction company that you used?


The guy hasn't posted for 3 years, so probably not.

----------


## Ceburat1

I believe it is Home Garden.  They built, I think three sections one after the other. Buadhai was in the first.  Look on this forum for Berry Of Thailand, he lives there as do many other falang.

----------


## Matthew

> Originally Posted by thrilled
> 
> Can ya tell me the construction company that you used?
> 
> 
> The guy hasn't posted for 3 years, so probably not.


Nice place though. That's about the kind of place I'd like to build someday.

----------

