Thread: Building our Retirement Home in Nan Province

Last photo post for today.

Nice David, but there are limits to my powers of persuasion when it comes to the wife. Perhaps I'll tackle it after the looming mirrors on the ceiling discussion. Regards, -BiP

Originally Posted by David48atTD

^ BiP, interesting choice in Tiles.

Maybe I'm boring, but I prefer the more classic mono tone with highlight contrast or feature tile.


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That said, I always smile when in Thailand ...





They could have placed the soap dispenser somewhere else!

Site Visit 30 November 2018

Visited the home site today. Originally we were expecting the True technician to come onsite however the True saga continued over the past day or so. So after signing up for an expensive internet/television/mobiles deal with True on Wednesday we got a number of clarifying calls followed by a number of calls then advising that deal wasn't available in Nan province. In fact, upon further discussion, it is not available anywhere other than Bangkok or Chiang Mai. Nevertheless True was on the case and offered that for the same price (>4,000 baht per month) they could do a deal at one third the internet speed, two less mobiles and no free talk time per month. They seemed genuinely surprised when I knocked it back. So back to True this morning and after promising my wife I'd be pleasant (and I was) we've all now agreed and signed up for 300 mbps download, Gold channels, two mobiles and 200 minutes free talk time. And at a considerable reduction in price. Can't wait for Thai telecommunications companies to implement 5G and do away with the physical cable connection that creates a monopoly for a package in our location. The technician is booked for midday Sunday so that will be our next site visit.

Today we again had only the one from the original build team and he was doing cleanups. He has been there everyday we have visited. He is obviously not a farmer and is a hard worker. Despite us not being able to speak the others language we seem to like one another and always exchange a greeting and minor wai. In fact today he came over and offered a handshake, was more than happy to oblige. He really appreciates the bakery items and energy drink we bring each visit. The build team foreman was also there supervising a couple on new folks who were preparing timber. In the house we had the wall tiler in bathroom 3 and four new folks who were preparing the ceilings and walls for painting. One of these is a new younger and quite tall lady, body language told me she was the partner/wife of one of the other folks in this team. The builders supervisor also arrived.

Since our last visit on Wednesday progress had been made on wall tiling in bathrooms 3 and 4 on level 2 and ceiling and wall preparation throughout the house. I'd expect the inside and covered decks will be painted in the next week. I'm hoping they do a big clean of the floors before that. The cement rendering of the shade extensions on the east and west walls was complete and looked good. The quality issue with the wall tiles in the bathrooms is far less obvious when the tile edges are covered. Although he is now working on the tiles in bathroom 3, the grouting in bathroom 4 has not yet been done.

Our wall tiler. Apparently there will be a different tiler/team doing the floor tiling. Last photo from the visit today.

Great thread, will follow to the finish��

Thanks Lofty, hope it doesn't disappoint. Think I noticed you chasing cost information in another thread. If it was you, did you find mine in this thread? From memory, I think the core house cost is 13,300 baht per sqm for our house. Happy to help with more detailed info if you need, but use PM for that. Regards, -BiP

Originally Posted by Lofty

Great thread, will follow to the finish��

Originally Posted by BoganInParasite

physical cable connection

Ah the joy of working with True. They can be painful. Is your cable connection fibre optic?

Build moving along nicely.

Hi Norton, yes it will be fibre optic. Just realized I said 300 mbps in yesterdays blurb. It is 200 mbps. Still should be fast enough. I ran a speed test from our leased home in Nan yesterday (3BB) and it came back with 51 mbps download and 11 mbps upload. And I've never felt that was slow. So hopefully by signing up for 200 mbps I'll achieve something above 100 mbps once all the constraints take their toll. Regards, -BiP

Originally Posted by Norton

Ah the joy of working with True. They can be painful. Is your cable connection fibre optic?

Build moving along nicely.

Originally Posted by BoganInParasite

So hopefully by signing up for 200 mbps I'll achieve something above 100 mbps once all the constraints take their toll

You will be good with that. I have same package but with 2 TVs.
If you intend to have 2 in future have the True guy put in coaxial cable to 2nd TV location.

Same, same. Was just thinking as I washed and wiped up the breakfast dishes...wouldn't it be good to pay telecommunications companies for what you received, rather than what you were sold. Regards, -BiP

Originally Posted by Norton

You will be good with that. I have same package but with 2 TVs.
If you intend to have 2 in future have the True guy put in coaxial cable to 2nd TV location.

Site Visit 2 December 2018

A few admin things first...thanks to whoever the moderator was that appears to have removed two posts, appreciated. Second, noticed the thread is now sticky, not sure how that happens but perhaps represents there is a little bit of interest so thanks. And that leads to me to the third point, looks like the thread will crack 10,000 views in the next day. That was my original (but unstated) goal. Thanks again.

Before talking about the visit today there are some items from yesterday. We finally got a price from PEA for the permanent electricity connection. They need to bring it up the road from the north 80 meters and add two poles. Price is 24,800 baht. Seemed reasonable to me so we gave Mart our builder the go-ahead to get PEA moving on it. Apparently there was an option to bring it in from the south a shorter distance but PEA was concerned the power was not as strong...the mind boggles. Yesterday we got a call from Mart as we sitting at home. He was in Global House getting the paint and wanted to know if we were interested to come out and check the final colour selections/mixes. We jumped in the car and did so. Probably worthwhile because the paint guy at Global House knew his stuff and told us what would happen to the colours we had selected going onto the cement surfaces. We lightened our main wall selection slightly and darkened the ceiling colour, it is no longer pure white.

While in Global House the wife and I wandered around and spied a table we liked. We had already got one from there and were of the understanding they had no more however there was now one on the floor and another in stock. So off we trouped to the service counter to pay and arrange delivery. It was here another example of Thainess was revealed. If we wanted delivery it had to be on the 3rd. This was not convenient...could we select another day now...no. Okay...could we pay now and come back in a few days to schedule the delivery...no. The only way we could have a day other than the 3rd was to come back another day and pay. We're talking about a 14,000 baht purchase here. In the end we paid, took the 3rd delivery slot and decided to defer the wife's medical appointment a day. But just now (the 2nd), we get a call from the delivery guy, he's on his way today.

So to the site visit today. Upon arrival we had the usual one from the original build team doing cleanups, the wall tiler, an older lady assisting him and looking to be doing some grouting as well and three painters who were preparing the surfaces and applying primer. Later Mart our builder and his supervisor arrived and we discussed at length the driveway, additional concrete pads and boundary fences. Was not a good day for me...seemed to be the single voice up against theirs and the wife, the end result appears to be we will be having the typical Thai concrete style boundary fences on the back half of the property and wrapping around to either side of the house. The True installers arrived and would you know it, there was a problem. The electrician also arrived since he had made provision for fibre optic cable runs in the house (and had even provisioned the True supplied cable to the three television points) and knew where the entry point into the house would be. To cut a long story short, the install cannot happen until the trench for the electric power is ready. True wanted to do a single end to end install. I'm learning to be patient but the wife and I had informed True last week it would not be ready...not a problem was the response.

Primer already on.

Primer going on.

Makeshift nursery in place.

Wall tiles in bathroom 3. Work quality better here than bathroom 4 (although once the grouting has been done looks pretty good).

Pondering the great True cable entry question. Last photo for today.

Cracking house, bigger than we can afford but wanting a 2 story as well, all definitely ask you for advice.
Looking forward seeing the house finished

Happy to help where I can Lofty but as you can see in this and many other threads, there is a lot of more knowledgeable folks on the site quite willing to offer advice and guidance. Regards, -BiP

Originally Posted by Lofty

Cracking house, bigger than we can afford but wanting a 2 story as well, all definitely ask you for advice.
Looking forward seeing the house finished

Originally Posted by BoganInParasite

Happy to help where I can Lofty but as you can see in this and many other threads, there is a lot of more knowledgeable folks on the site quite willing to offer advice and guidance. Regards, -BiP

I notice you have been on a few threads asking about costings, Lofty...do you have a timescale for when you will be starting your build?

Just wondering 'cos we all want a new build thread to read, me included!!

(sorry to hijack your thread BiP...I don't think Lofty has started his own yet?)

Anytime TD. Regards, -BiP

Originally Posted by Thai Dhupp

I notice you have been on a few threads asking about costings, Lofty...do you have a timescale for when you will be starting your build?

Just wondering 'cos we all want a new build thread to read, me included!!

(sorry to hijack your thread BiP...I don't think Lofty has started his own yet?)