The construction of Ms. Buad hai's house

[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

[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.

[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"?

[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.

[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.

[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,

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

[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.