Building a house in Isaan, for Dummies.

[sabang]

Cheers Spikey, by all means let us know if you wanna visit remote Ubon.

Thanks Aguda, and you post is quite timely. We are having a bore sunk in the next few days- 15,000 bht quoted price- no water, no money. Then we have to buy a pump and a bit of piping no doubt. So a bit more to follow shortly, including why our original 'water diviners' early in this thread produced no water.

[a. boozer]

. We are having a bore sunk in the next few days- 15,000 bht quoted price- no water, no money. Then we have to buy a pump and a bit of piping no doubt. So a bit more to follow shortly, including why our original 'water diviners' early in this thread produced no water.

Sabang, Life is certainly cheaper Baan Nawk, just had a bore hole sunk in Ban Chang 70,000 Baht, including pump and pipework.

[Xray]

Any photos soon, Isee?

[Aguda]

Thanks Aguda, and you post is quite timely. We are having a bore sunk in the next few days- 15,000 bht quoted price- no water, no money. Then we have to buy a pump and a bit of piping no doubt. So a bit more to follow shortly, including why our original 'water diviners' early in this thread produced no water.[/quote]

Well, Sabang, did they reach the water table for you. How about some pictures and an update. Hope you will be drinking fresh and clear water soon!

[sabang]

So the big day came. Heres our bore rig-



About 35 metres now, seemed to be going fine-




So we popped to our local forest shop for an early evening beer. When we returned they had gone, leaving only this-



No water. They gave up at 45 metres- still clay, no sign of any gravel or rock substrata, so no water they said. Bugger. So now I've got two holes, and no water.




^ Not many fish in there. These contractors had done work in the vicinity before, and came well recommended. Oh well, at least it was free- no water, no money.

So where to from here? The girls are putting a brave face on it, and saying they will try again. But if there ain't no water down there, nothings going to change that.

Sabang, Life is certainly cheaper Baan Nawk, just had a bore hole sunk in Ban Chang 70,000 Baht, including pump and pipework.

Maybe we'll have to go deeper, which means we'll need to spend more too. Damn.

[Aguda]

No water. They gave up at 45 metres- still clay, no sign of any gravel or rock substrata, so no water they said. Bugger. So now I've got two holes, and no water.

I 'am sorry they didn't hit water for you, Sabang. I don't know much about wells,
so can't offer anything but my sympathy. But, deeper may do the trick and you do need a good supply of fresh water for the family and the fish. You know what they say "Third times the charm." Good luck on your next attempt.

[Isee]

Any photos soon, Isee?

Yes, I will create a new thread in the next couple of days and put the link here so we don't sidetrack sabangs thread.

[Kewix]

Hi sabang!

it seems that your building company have done a great work.
can please PM the name of the company and the address ?

Greetings

[Loy Toy]

No water. They gave up at 45 metres- still clay, no sign of any gravel or rock substrata, so no water they said. Bugger. So now I've got two holes, and no water.

We had to go down 70 metres before we first hit rock and gravel and within 2 metres we had a gusher.

The Thais believe in the divining rod and to be fair I have only seen once when they didn't hit water. I also would have tested for water along the tree line on the left of the picture mate.

Did you have to apply for a bore license which I know is a must now around the Pattaya and Bangkok areas? Well it has always been a must and when you sink a bore but nobody seemed to worry about it until recently.

[sabang]

PM the name of the company

On it's way Kewix. I don't have their address (they're near Khon Kaen), so hopefully names and a mobile will suffice.

The Thais believe in the divining rod

They had the diving rod out here before drilling too.

Did you have to apply for a bore license

I doubt anyones heard of such a thing out here mate.

Well our third attempt is underway- the girls got hold of another chap and told him of our lack of success to date but he was keen to give it a go. So there is a hole going down, not far from the doghouse actually. If it hits water, a better location than before in my opinion. Anyhow, he had some mechanical problems so had to go and get his rig sorted, two days ago. I wonder when and if he'll be back?

[Nawty]

keep going, it is down there somewhere, just deeper in all parts of the country.

They have to keep going till they hit it....fuckers giving up are typical of their lives.

[Isee]

Sorry to butt in here Sabang, but for Xray and anyone else interested in what went wrong with my build with these builders, heres the link:

https://teakdoor.com/construction-in-...ml#post1319487

[kiwinev]

Great read and a very interesting project. House and outbuildings looking really nice. Will be interested in new developments.

[MUSTY]

Coming to the end of the kitchen, recreation area, etc. building project. The Sabang 2 appears to be going well, with a defined touch of Isaan. The builder has been fine, after the wife had settled down, he kept on going and will be finished within the next few days.

I must say at this point in time, I give thanks to my father and mother in law keeping a watchful eye. My mother in law, trusts no one and has provided the balance of power on this job. Her motto, 'You'll get something (baht) after we get something.'

Anyway, here is a few photos in the closing stages of our project.



Magnificent scaffolding.



Front appearance.


Tiled floor and view out the back. Kitchen to the left. That great
Isaan light blue, good on you .... mum.



Shot of the front entrance. I always like to curl up on top of the tiled rails.
Just fluro lighting and a sub electrical box for this area.

Final pictures in about 1 week, will check it all out myself at the end of March.
Also the big secret revealed for keeping the Isaan builder in your hip pocket.

[sunsetter]

^ that looks smart, very large open spaces by the looks of it, more pics please

[MUSTY]

Cheers Mr.Sunsetter, have one for me today....



Outside wet area.



Showing height off ground and concrete surround.



U-shape kitchen, twin sinks, gas top, draws and storage.

[Isee]

The builder has been fine, after the wife had settled down, he kept on going and will be finished within the next few days.

Care to expand on what happened??

[MUSTY]

Well, today the project is now finished. All looks fine. The builder received his last payment today as the job is finished. Here are a couple of photos.
This is the Sabang 2, and this is the extension to the house. Open area kitchen/dinning area and recreation area.



Photo of rear corner, showing timber shutters.



The MIL moving in. Just a quick clean and then to find a home for all the bits and pieces.



Different angle of kitchen.



Recreation and open eating area. The end wall is the house wall, connected above at the roof.



Shot from the front corner, with house.



As promised, the secret to keeping the builder on side. Just drop the
tools and go fishing. Builder on right with F.I.L on the left. Nice
catch pop.

I will be checking it all out end of March. So, if anything important to say, I'll
post it then.

The problem with the builder's wife, was her insistance in asking for payments before they were due. In the end, just tell her straight exactly how it is going to be .......
Cheers.

[sunsetter]

well done mate, love that big open area

is that a grass carp?

[Xray]

In conclusion, would we use this builder again, ..... No.
The honey moon period is over.

I hope this is some help X-ray.

Congratulations Musty, with finished project.
I loved the 5th picture, looks like a grand place - "Musty's Grand Palace" ?

Looking back, and now seeing the finished project, do you still feel the same?
If I was your best friend, would you rather see I choose another builder?

Comparing your notes and Isee project, it seems that they promise the world, but deliver far far less. No eyes for details, no respect for contract or agreement made. Did the flow of new farang customers go to their head?
In your opinion, will the average isaan builder deliver more or less than this?

Honestly we have put our project on hold, until we see both project finished and final conclusions from both of you.

Thanks very much for taking your time posting.

[MUSTY]

Firstly, hi there.
The project is now complete and looks great. I wish to pass on some information to you at the conclusion of this project. Like you and many others, the whole project thing is a learning curve. Firstly, the home built is for the whole family and I have used what sabang has done and tried to fit it to our desired outcomes.

Because I have not used any other builder, I cannot comment on whether there are better ones out there. Obviously, there are. I would suggest that you get what you pay for. If a builder built to western standards and knew it all, would you think that he would be cheap or you could find one in Thailand? I would not think so.

In conclusion, and in my opinion.
1. This builder is average to above average in thai building
2. This builder wants to do a good job for you, using his knowledge and skills.
3. Decide whether or not you want him for for labour hire only, compared to quote on full job. (labour and materials)
4. I would choose labour only and go out with the Mrs.B and pay for things as you need to. (Takes off the pressure on the whole job that Mrs. B will apply.
5. Neutralise Mrs. B. Installments only on various stages, pay for your own materials. Be upfront and iron clad with arrangements, without exceptions.
6. Be on site or your choosen delegate who can speak thai. This becomes your daily risk assessment.
7. Keep the whole thing simple if possible, build a dwelling above ground (600mm or so) or perhaps a two storey place. Much like camping out on higher ground.
8. Don't get involved in using fill to use as elevation. Select your building site carefully. Thus not having to worry about drainage, compaction etc. Don't tempt fate, if it can bite you on the arse it will. (trust me on that)
9. If you don't know any better, you will get the best job you could have possibly thought. Ignorance is bliss.
10. Use the thermal block for construction. Benefits are two numerous to list.
11. Use their concrete, steel, block,tile, rendered, mortared buildiing materials for simplicity and durability. Purchase the best elastic paint, properly prepared. Check all wiring, proper use of junction boxes, earth, connectors etc.,
12.If you are a knit picker don't build in thailand, build in a western environment, whereupon they can sue the arse off someone if they come in under par.
13. Think carefully on exactly what you want to build.

To be continued.... visitors

[Isee]

If a builder built to western standards and knew it all, would you think that he would be cheap or you could find one in Thailand? I would not think so.

Sorry, but I simply don't agree with this statement. One of the biggest costs factor is labour in the West - one of the very real reasons why construction is cheaper in LOS. The second thing is substandard materials where they may look the same as in the West, but they simply aren't - this isn't due to farangs wanting cheap houses, it because thais want them cheap. But the most specific point is where the builder represents that they will (or pretty much close to it as materials will allow) build "farang quality".

If a builder says I can build it at farang quality for this price or Issan price at half the cost and you accept the latter - then you can't complain as you got what you paid for. I take people at their word, if they tell me something, then that is what I expect - its not a case of what I expect to get in another country.

4. I would choose labour only and go out with the Mrs.B and pay for things as you need to. (Takes off the pressure on the whole job that Mrs. B will apply.

Brave man imho - buying the materials yourself creates a whole different level of problems. If you want to buy (like we did) the tiles, sinks, toilet etc etc - just make sure you aren't paying twice for it with the builder having allowed those things in their price. A better way would be to get the price of what Mrs B would spend and then upgrade and buy you want and then offset the original allocation on final payment. That also has one downside (always is) however where the builder could start intentionally selecting really cheap items knowing you will upgrade.

12.If you are a knit picker don't build in thailand, build in a western environment, whereupon they can sue the arse off someone if they come in under par.

Again sorry (not having a go at you here), but see the first reply above. People will work to the standard that they think they can get away with. Thais are notorious for it imho - give them the proverbial inch and they will take a mile. Its up to you (as you are going to be living with it for a long time after the builder leaves) and its in your own interests to keep standards up - no matter how frustrating it can get. Thailand has very poor consumer protection laws (now in its infancy) and its not just a case of thais screwing over the "farang" (thats just a bonus), they will easily screw each other over if they think they can get away with it. Try getting money out of a thai if they think they have been wronged in some way - you won't get 100% thats for sure.

13. Think carefully on exactly what you want to build.

Agreed


Just a quick question - Are you happy with the end result or "happy enough" with it - because you haven't seen it yet in person, just in photos - is that right?

Don't take anything I've said the wrong way, just entering into a dialogue with you.

[BKKBILL]

Well Musty I for one happen to agree with your observations. If you want a “western” house just build it in the west. You are not alone in thinking your builder was average or above average. Many foreigners building here recommend a labour only contract if possible.

My wife and I had some good and some bad contractors for our numerous builds here. For the most part it has been a rewarding experience. Listening to some posters it seems you are lucky to get out with just the shirt on your back.

Glad to hear your project is complete and looking great.

[MUSTY]

Thanks BKKBILL for your kind words.
Hi Isee, I don't take anything to heart. It is all about expressing your opinions and sharing experiences. You are right, I haven't gone over to check out the work myself, but will do at the end of March.

One of the things, I would like to check out, is a roof sprinkler system. Initial investigations show that a 3 minute duration (every hour) on a 4 feed sprinkler system with a 18 litres of water onto an average roof during a mid 30's outside temperature.
Will possibly bring the inside room temperature down to between 26 to 27 degrees celcius. The evaporation would be complete with no run off. The heat energy being obsorbed by the water. A standard window air conditioner produces about 10,000 BTU. The above scenario produces about 12,000 btu's.

X-Ray, wish you all the best on your possible decision. You are most welcome to come and have a look at our place near Khon Kaen. The only thing that matters is that you can make an informed decision based on what you see and how you feel about what you see. I think Sabang would also open his door to you, if asked.

All the best.


This is a photo of the old place in the village. So for the family, they
are 'happy enough'.

[vanfinkel]

^ I'm 49, not out. Dropped out of the rat race early, damn lucky to be able to after an expensive divorce, a financial crisis to weather, and various other crap. You don't need to be rich to live comfortably in provincial Thailand, but you certainly shouldn't attempt it on a shoestring budget either- that can be a real horror story. So keep that shoulder to the wheel for a few more years, you're yet young.

Some final piccies in the Doghouse-




There will be a fishing rod or two dangling there one day.
And some beers consumed here- had my first farang guest over about a week ago, for the christening-




Mrs says l'interieur is a bit dark, and thinks maybe we should plasterboard it:-



I'm keeping the option open, but am inclined not to. With some white or at least light furniture, and some whiteish Balinese paintings I've currently got hanging in the house down near Pattaya, I think it will set things off nicely- we'll see. Can always change my mind, but I'd like to stay with a rustic, local style if I can- given that the main house is anything but that.

I think the interior looks great, don't listen to the mrs.