Thai Dhupp and Princess Joy's Thai House Build

[Thai Dhupp]

ooops.... I forgot to scale down the photos - sorry

[Thai Dhupp]

External walls

So, as with the other zones, we need to create that 'wood effect' on the upper floor.

Once again, here is K.Pot's team doing just that:


In between bed 3 and 4.


Looking into bedroom 3.


forming the vertical lines on the outer wall, zone 3


Looking across to zone 3 from bedroom 1


The wood effect carrying on round to the front of zone 3


Looking out towards the Sala, with zone 2 on the left, zone 3 on the eight.


Looking into bedroom 4.


The bare boards cut and fitted - just need priming and application of the paint process.


Photo showing all the various stages - roofing, insulation, wall plaster, wood effect, shade structure and wooden window framing!


The 'backside' of zone 3, showing the existing zone 2 already painted in a pastel yellow (like magnolia), with the edge of the Sala just in view in the foreground.


close up showing K.Pot's excellent bamboo scaffolding detail


Starting the process to form the wood effect


Directly looking at the front of Zone 3
It looks tall and thin, especially when compared to zone 1, but once the upper floor has the wood colour treatment it will balance out

[Thai Dhupp]

Internal walls

Walls forming the room dividers, etc. followed those from the zone1/2 build. 100mm AAC Blockwork which was then plastered and painted.
(The pictures are a little 'out of sequence' because i have broken the posts down into building sections rather than in chronological order)





Views looking into bedroom 3. Strictly speaking these are external walls (150mm block).


The rendering work commences...


Inside bedroom 4


Inside bedroom 3


Looking across from gym into the cinema / media room


Fixing the Shower-room tiles


Gym wall finished and waiting for the sliding doors

[Thai Dhupp]

Ceilings

Pretty much standard suspended ceiling arrangements but on the upper floor, again I raised up the centre another 80cm, giving a ceiling height of 3.8m, helping to lift hot air away from those sleeping below.


The ceiling framework goes in...


...followed by that second layer of insulation








The above photos all in bedroom 4


the the gyproc boarding was fitted.




Again, the above pictures in bedroom 4


Inside the media room







all above inside media room





All above inside bedroom 3


The soffits were also placed, matching the existing.

[Bogon]

Looks fantastic.

[Thai Dhupp]

Looks fantastic.

Thanks, Bogon.

Hopefully this time, I will get all the posts completed including some full width shots from all angles.

Joking.. I WILL get them all posted this time. got all the photos sorted already!

[Norton]

Pretty damn clear where the next mega TD pissup location will be.

[Thai Dhupp]

Pretty damn clear where the next mega TD pissup location will be.

Hi Norton, better wait 'til I finish the pool?!

[Thai Dhupp]

Windows / shutters

Yeah... we need them too!

Actually i dont have any pix of them being fitted, only these delivery shots:





When I did the design, with the windows opening inwards and the shutters opening out, I was not sure how it would work, in practice.

The answer is...it works very well. we close the downstairs shutters every night - it's no chore and it is added security.

The only window that has a problem is the kitchen window over the sink and here, the window catches on the tap when you try to open it.

As some may know, I actually built the kitchen myself, and while waiting for the correct granite top, I chucked in some temporary plywood worktops.

Unfortunately, I got the sink alignment slightly wrong, by 4mm sideways and about 5mm too close to the window. That should be rectified when the proper granite top is fitted.

[Thai Dhupp]

And while they were doing zone 3...

There was another job, not really a snagging list item from zone 1 but it still needed doing.

When K.Pot put the staircase in, there was some confusion (with him, not me!) about the hand rail arrangements. he had one for the 2 stages, but I said 'no' we need it on both sides. He then fitted it to the opposite side but on the upper stage only. I was in Dubai, and PJ did not pick up that it was needed all the way on both stages.

I'm not getting any younger and TBH I need those 2 handrails!

A quick word with him and the second hand rail was added to the lower stage of the staircase.

[Thai Dhupp]

Bathrooms (and services)

There are 2 bathrooms upstairs, one each for bedrooms 3 and 4, and a further shower room downstairs between the gym and media room (no...not for a cold shower half way through the steamy 1970's X-movie starring Ron Holmes and … ooops that's too much info about PJ's 'art film collection' (I think thats what she calls it).

That downstairs one is for pool changing and a shower before jumping in.

(and also for said 'TD party' so that no one has to traipse through the main house, which will of course be securely locked)

Wait... pool, 'changing room', booze, X-films, dark corners in the media room.... could be a helluva party.... I could probably get some of the local teenagers to dress up in miniskirts and knee-boots to serve drinks, etc. if anyone's interested?

but I digress.

Here's the toilets...


...in their boxes, Mogen same as elsewhere in the build. We've been very happy with this sanitary ware.


Got to get the services in first...


...and build the sink support tables.


I agree...it doesn't look much like a 'luxury 5-star bathroom' at the moment!


yep... hot and cold running water for the toil... showers.


Outside, K.Pot's team were hooking up the 3rd septic tank / soakaway / drain-field connection.


pipe to the drain field arrangement


Another view of the outfall pipe layout. The black and grey water are separated but will currently join up down the line from the septic tank.


This base was cast to support a 2000L tank to catch the rainwater from that gutter between zone 2 and 3.

[Thai Dhupp]

Bathroom (Pt 2)

Ok.. inside now...


Tiling in the bathroom






The downstairs shower room next to the gym


bedroom 4 ensuite


Bedroom 4 ensuite completed




Another view of the downstairs shower room, complete apart from the sink and flooring

These 3 bathrooms in zone 3 are all with individual water heaters and all showers and sinks have hot and cold water.

In zone 1, we have a 150Lit water heater feeding 2 bedrooms En-suites (Incl. 1 bathtub), office/bed 5 en-suite nd 2 other washroom / WC's

[Thai Dhupp]

Flooring

All the floors in zone 3 are tile - no wood. We could select any tile we liked with a generous budget from K.Pot and should they be more expensive we just paid the difference.

Here are the tiles going down in the downstairs shower room



And here in the media room:



There was an issue with the caulking in the dining room's wooden floor so K.Pot put that right at the same time.



I only have a few flooring pictures, sorry, but you get the idea. tiles stuck to concrete, 'n' all that....

[ootai]

TD
I am in awe of this magnificent house/palace. I can't remember the earlier parts of the thread as it was some time ago but are you going to have servants quarters?
The place is much too big for you or your wife to have to clean all the time. My missus has finally admitted our place is too big for her to clean (and I ain't doing it).

Hope you enjoy your time there in retirement.
Have you started working on the outside land yet?

[Thai Dhupp]

TD
I am in awe of this magnificent house/palace. I can't remember the earlier parts of the thread as it was some time ago but are you going to have servants quarters?
The place is much too big for you or your wife to have to clean all the time. My missus has finally admitted our place is too big for her to clean (and I ain't doing it).

Hope you enjoy your time there in retirement.
Have you started working on the outside land yet?

Greetings, ootai, hope all is well with you and everyone is staying safe...

Servants? theres a thought. ultimately, yes there will be 'assistance' but not live in.

It will be in the form of cleaning and gardening but we are a little way off that just now.

Daughter no.1 is studying in BKK so she's not yet occupying a bedroom, using a bathroom, etc.

Daughter no. 2 basically lives full time in bedroom 2 so she makes no mess anywhere else, and she has to keep it clean (and PJ checks).

The gym is currently my workshop for that kitchen build and for the dressing room cabinet build to come - its a bomb site right now, the flooring isn't down anyway so thats off the cleaning regime. ditto the cinema, cos I have not sorted out the seating stages and the seating itself, the screen and short throw 4k projector. and lastly, we are not yet using the main living room, haha mainly cos I'm close to broke until my pension plan kicks in, shortly.

That 'getting back to Thailand' thing, from DoBuy really cost and fcuked up the plans for the 1st 6 months of retirement. In effect, everything is 6 months delayed.

She 'n' me are covering the cleaning Ok for the moment. its not like I got tooooo much to do, right!?

(apart from the 'Thai House Build' website, the YouTube video diary of the build, my book (- yes 20,000 words in and counting) and of course this thread on TeakDoor) + garden design, kitchen build and forthcoming closet build.)

yeah... apart from all that!

We have started work on the outside and I'm about to post some photos taken today of the zone 3 and the plot surrounding, plus a few elevations.

It looks bit gloomy in the pix because we have had an on-and-off rain and thunderstorm since 1000 today

A fair bit still to do even though the build is completed. yes I could have got K.pot to do the closet and the cinema, but I actually wanted to do those things myself - personal challenge 'n' all that.

Here come those plot and elevation pictures... enjoy!

[Thai Dhupp]

TD
I am in awe of this magnificent house/palace. I can't remember the earlier parts of the thread as it was some time ago but are you going to have servants quarters?
The place is much too big for you or your wife to have to clean all the time. My missus has finally admitted our place is too big for her to clean (and I ain't doing it).

Hope you enjoy your time there in retirement.
Have you started working on the outside land yet?

Does that mean you too are getting 'servants' and if so, full time live in or drop by on a daily basis by agreement?

...or are you going to move to a smaller place!?

[Thai Dhupp]

Finishing the thread...

What.. really?

Yes... we are almost at the end... firstly, here are a few random pix of the inside of the completed house.


Coming up the Sala steps to see bedroom 3 now painted up.






Media room (cinema) showing the various lighting stages before the movie starts.
The plan is for this room to seat 10 people


yeah - the gym - currently the workshop for me n my tools.


View looking diagonally across the open area under zone 2


the completed shower / changing room next to the gym


Another diagonal view across that zone 2 open area from the opposite corner


View from bedroom 1 across that palm oil plantation


Bedroom 3 en-suite completed


Ahh yes... the 'hole-in-the-wall. what's it for, then?


PJ and a worker from 'team pot' assembling the bed in our room. that headboard weighed around 100KG

Next.... house elevations....

[Thai Dhupp]

Finishing the thread - house elevations.

It was a bit grey, wet and thundery - I got rained on - but here are some shots of the outside of the house.



looking from zone 2 up to the Sala


Going clockwise out of zone 2, under the Sala, and heading towards what was known as 'mango-land', before turning right to go towards the entrance gate


When you make that right turn, go forward to the end, then turn and look up, this is the view.
Zone 3 outer wall, here looking from the new carport.


Again, turn right at the end of zone 3, walk forward until past zone 1 and look back. zone 1 just in the foreground (extreme left), zone 3 at the back, zone 2 linking them together.
New carport in the distance.


This view shows the outer wall of zone 1, taken from the garden

If you then walked down the side of zone 1 and again turned right it would take you back to the Sala.

Next is the garden...

[parryhandy]

PJ and a worker from 'team pot' assembling the bed in our room. that headboard weighed around 100KG

Next.... house elevations....

Good job he's wearing his steel toecap boots then ... oh wait .. Great thread.

[ootai]

Does that mean you too are getting 'servants' and if so, full time live in or drop by on a daily basis by agreement?

...or are you going to move to a smaller place!?

It took me a little while to understand what you were saying but I think I got it in the end, very funny.
If she suggests that I do some cleaning then I just remind her that I told her it was too big back in 2009 when she got it designed.
I just wanted 1 airconditioned bedroom with an ensuite attached to our old house. Anyway I'm up for the fight stuff love and peace that was for John Lennon.
As for servants we actually do have our niece do the laundry and some cleaning for us. She is deaf and as a consequence can't speak so we pay her to do the housework but its not really regular. She also gets her sister or another niece to do some house cleaning occasionally.
By design my tolerance for messy is better than hers so a mess gets to her way before it gets to me.

Finishing the thread...



Another diagonal view across that zone 2 open area from the opposite corner




Ahh yes... the 'hole-in-the-wall. what's it for, then?


...

In the first picture above there appears to be a big hole beyond the tiled area is that going to be a swimming pool?

As for the hole in the wall its so the meter man can read your electricity meter and then stick the bill in that little plastic box to the right of the hole.

As for being retired and having nothing to do, I have said on here before that only means you lack imagination.

[Thai Dhupp]

It took me a little while to understand what you were saying but I think I got it in the end, very funny.
If she suggests that I do some cleaning then I just remind her that I told her it was too big back in 2009 when she got it designed.
I just wanted 1 airconditioned bedroom with an ensuite attached to our old house. Anyway I'm up for the fight stuff love and peace that was for John Lennon.
As for servants we actually do have our niece do the laundry and some cleaning for us. She is deaf and as a consequence can't speak so we pay her to do the housework but its not really regular. She also gets her sister or another niece to do some house cleaning occasionally.
By design my tolerance for messy is better than hers so a mess gets to her way before it gets to me.

Being 100 clicks from the relatives, we do not have that option but... there are plenty of smaller houses near by all with family of varying ages. A quick call to the OrBorTor, who knows everyone, will help us to select someone efficient and honest. i.e. no sticky fingers in my wallet.

We were honoured, on Christmas day, as PJ had organised a surprise party under the new carport and the OrBorTor took time out of his own party to come to ours. That was pretty decent of him and...we all had a good time. I think he would have rather stayed with us but duty called (and re-election was looming)...

In the first picture above there appears to be a big hole beyond the tiled area is that going to be a swimming pool?

As for the hole in the wall its so the meter man can read your electricity meter and then stick the bill in that little plastic box to the right of the hole.

As for being retired and having nothing to do, I have said on here before that only means you lack imagination.

Would you believe... unexpectedly, about a week ago, a massive sinkhole opened up between the East and West wings....

oh...you wouldn't believe that...?

Fair enough! actually, we DO plan a lagoon-style pool and K.Pot is in line to do it, including of course digging it out at a cost.

However, while building the carport, he realised he needed soil to make up the levels. Unfortunately for him, the only soil we could let him have was.... the soil between zone 1 and 3.

So basically, in order to complete the car port, he had to dig the pool for free.

haha result.

and yeah... after the 'electric meter man' rang the bell to come in the first 2 times, we ..err... 'modified' the wall so that he could view the meter from outside.

[Thai Dhupp]

Good job he's wearing his steel toecap boots then ... oh wait .. Great thread.

Great thread? Thank you kindly, sir

I think he was only providing the 'muscle'...she was doing all the assembly! He has got the standard-issue Asian safety helmet on, at least...

Sadly, all great things eventually come to an end, and we are on the last few posts now, apart from any comments and replies!

[Loy Toy]

Sadly, all great things eventually come to an end, and we are on the last few posts now, apart from any comments and replies!

I cannot even imagine how much such a beautiful and unique construction would cost if attempted in a western country.

Have you always had an interest in Thai architecture TD?

[Norton]

A palace indeed. May well become a major tourist attraction.

Well done TD. From the very first few posts I could see this was going to be a classic thread.

Thank you for putting in the time and energy to document the "project".

[Thai Dhupp]

I cannot even imagine how much such a beautiful and unique construction would cost if attempted in a western country.

Me too! The first hurdle would be getting the planning permission and there it would stop because I do not think it would be granted for this place, not in UK anyway.

Academic though. cos I'm in Thailand and will see my days out right here!

Have you always had an interest in Thai architecture TD?

I have an interest in old and characterful things, including houses. While TD Towers is a new build, I have tried to follow the designs of Lanna / Ayutthaya because it actually looks good here in the LoS.

Not so many new builds here, following tradition and history but, why not? I have, I hope, shown it can be done, and it does not have to be a big house like this. All the features and design elements could be scaled down to whatever size of house you wanted.