Thread: Off we go ! Our little home construction in deep Issan

Well I'm not surprised you didn't post the first picture twice Nigel. Just look at it:



The tile at the top left is clearly not straight. For heavens sake, it looks like it's just leaning against the wall.

As for the other one in the far top left corner, where do I start? Its a different shape and even a completely different pattern. I think it is also a bit wonky. Going on my years of experience in this field I suspect you may find that the numpties have actually laid it upside down. Nigel, you have to watch these people, they can't be trusted with anything.

At this stage I'd probably just tear the house down and start again...


Nigel, happy new year to both you and Jan. The place looks fantastic mate, ideal as the holiday pad you had envisaged. Whilst I get the feeling you are itching to finish and leave the place, you must be well chuffed with the result.

Nice looking little home away from home Nige. Happy new year to you and Jan from me and Ms Bangyai

Originally Posted by nigelandjan

I have just been informed we now cannot move in until the 9th Jan

More mumbo jumbo?

Yup you know mate, don't worry you got all this to come yet

Originally Posted by nigelandjan

don't worry you got all this to come yet

Nope. I don't do mumbo jumbo.

not very nice, calling Nige Jumbo, he's pleasantly plump

Kind words mate, but I'm afraid since you last seen me, it's more a case of unpleasantly plump

Originally Posted by nigelandjan

Furthermore I shall be joining forces with the tile police to inspect your millimetre perfect tiles

Tiles? My bathrooms (note the plural for my posh pad...) will be made from concrete, rendered with concrete and finished off with some stylish concrete...



There's a lot to like about that.

Welcome to the world of building a house in Thailand and expecting it done right.

Yes I know all about that now Ralph, that picture just above is a prime example, I had spent ages stripping and sanding and cleaning those 3 lovely tree trunks supporting the balcony roof, , came back from Udon with more tiles at 9am yesterday and the goons had all ready managed to plaster tile cement over all 3 of them posts, PLUS just to balance the other side handprints all on the nice new yellow paint round the entrance door.

I'm afraid at that point having been travelling since 5.30 am to get the tiles so as not to hold them up and being starving hungry, I'm afraid I did release a rather large blast of Anglo Saxon in they're direction.

Today they have one last opportunity to see how much grout and render they can coat everything in before leaving the site.

I have never known such animals, I'm sorry but that's how it gets you, it's YOUR HOME but they treat it like the sheds they live in.

The guy who done the coving thought he would do us a favour, I was sitting eating my breakfast in the MIL, S kitchen away from the house I looked over and saw clouds of dust coming out the front door, I thought wtf ran over, , the goons taken the nail gun off his airline and is blowing clouds of dust off the floor onto all our clean freshly painted walls to give it that " authentic thai " look.

Not wanting to say "I told you so", but I told you so. If a marriage can survive a house build, IMO is strong. Because 9 out of 10 times a Thai will side with a Thai. The face thing. "Oh, that's the way it's done here", "That looks okay", "that's Thai style" or "it doesn't matter". I heard those excuses so often, my blood pressure was crazy during the build.

Thai's do have a certain casual approach to this sort of thing don't they. If you can ever find them with a decent bit of foreign experience and catch them before they have been re-infected with Thainess....you might get some better results.

My people do pretty good work for the most part but they do have a habit of throwing crap all over the place. The road is littered with plastic bags for a Km in both directions.... and we caught them dumping stuff over the wall into our neighbours land....several times. They are more responsive to being yelled at than most Thai's but there are still days when you really want to take the whole lot out into the trees and just shoot them, or something....

Well things certainly have come to a head today and both my missus and the FIL have seen a side of me they didn't think existed.

My fil being a typical thai unless he is eating or sleeping is bored shirtless, so he has taken it upon himself now the place is built, to go round raking leaves into piles all around the build so he can fill it full of smoke everyday.

I had asked the wife 2 weeks ago to kindly ask him to refrain from doing this as it was really beginning to piss me off in there painting choking on smoke, billowing in from both sides of the building.

Anyway with the smoke and the fumes from the door stain things sure just came to a head.

On top of that Pinky and Perky doing the balcony have managed to re cake the trunks in grout, then when Perky was ready to render the small wall under the balcony, he wetted it first, so far so good, however on closer inspection had thrown water all over the grout Pinky had just put in.

So now it's being re grouted

Don't you just love them!

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Originally Posted by nigelandjan

don't worry you got all this to come yet

Nope. I don't do mumbo jumbo.

Your going out on a limb there mate, , you will neither live to be 400 or win the Thai lottery

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

Count to 10 and think of something lovely like Monica Bellucci's breasts.

Or take solace in Betty's unsupervised build

Yes, good point Dill, I think poor ol Bettys gonna feel it sooner or later, even from a distance.

One day the wife will send some beautifull pics over and he'll think he's cracked it, , and in the next set of pictures when the Thais have done there " well We thought you would like it done that way " stunt, he will realise no matter the distance the trauma will arrive.

I'm getting close to the couldn't care anymore stage.

Just been informed the " lucky day for moving in has now been put further back "

Ahhh, is it some monk who is deciding this lucky day ?

Originally Posted by nigelandjan

Just been informed the " lucky day for moving in has now been put further back "

Just move in when it's done and tell them all to get fucked.

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Originally Posted by nigelandjan

Just been informed the " lucky day for moving in has now been put further back "

Just move in when it's done and tell them all to get fucked.

Move in on your schedule not hers/theres. When they help pay the bills, they might have a say so. You've got electric, water and the floors are tiled. Fuckum.

Yeah I know that's the way I'm feeling believe me I'd love to get out this 8 by 7 box, but the MIL is organising all the monks and old fogeys coming round.

Also I'm in deep shit with everyone here now after I blew up at the old Mann today for smoking me out.

Hahahaha. Love it

^^They're right Nige.

Put your foot down early - otherwise you'll waste more time and money.