Thread: Building our Retirement Home in Nan Province

Had another group of middle aged plus ladies come down late afternoon yesterday from the neighbours new house all day party. Not sure we will have the same if it is mandatory to have karaoke all day. Mercifully they stopped around 10:00pm although since they are about a hundred meters away the noise level wasn't too bad. Regards, - BiP

Originally Posted by HuangLao

Hoping BIP can recognize or distinguish the dodgy types from far off that heard this and that as opposed to the immediate neighbors...

Originally Posted by Klondyke

BIP: and there is a certain patience required (not by myself) to get frequently the poor guys rid of thousands of beastly ticks (hep เห็บ), despite any possible chemicals and injections precautions...

Have you tried spraying water + vinegar daily ? it usually works.

^How did you mean it? Spray on them or the garden around?

The problem is whatever applied (powder) on them, they go morning evening with me on walk along the river and enjoy the swimming:

Spray them before and after going out, but also around where they sleep and put some vinegar in water. Funny that you don't know this because it actually works. I would never give useless stupid chemical to my dogs.

Thanks, will try it. However, they action radius is quite large, would need to order a vinegar tank.

When you say "put some vinegar in water", do you mean a water they drink?

That would also be not so easy. They are never keen on a water from a served bowl but organize themselves from swimming pool or from fish pond when haven't drunk enough from the river.

Not sure whether our friend BIP would be happy that we discuss here things off his topic.

Perhaps you can look in the following threads where I gave some my knowledge about fish pond:

https://teakdoor.com/construction-in-...ml#post2866185
https://teakdoor.com/construction-in-...ml#post2946836 (Pool construction costs (Laos))

It's not perfect since few times modified a simple project made by local people, however, it works and the kois (some 25 pcs) have been surviving without casualties over many years...

Finally got around to putting up the metal sheets we got in IKEA to display the travel magnets we've collected over the years. Still a bit of room but we've stopped travelling now. But missing some magnets from places we've visited so might fill in the blanks via online purchases. Perhaps cheating, but who will know?

^ Neat idea !

The shelf inside of the front door is also driven by our homestay plans. We intend to cater for small touring motor cycle groups (and others in cars) and wanted somewhere helmets and jackets could be left immediately on entering the house. We purchased the hooks via Lazada and I installed those.

Looking good. You have thought of everything. Well done.

And finally for today I think I'm safe in saying that I own the only US purchased electric BBQ in northern Thailand that has been converted to use charcoal. I stripped out the electrical components and after searching a bit found a steel tray in Makro. Lined it with two layers of foil, works a treat. The sausages tasted twice as good cooked this way compared to the boil and brown method I had been using. The grilled home grown purple zucchinis went down well as well. This is another homestay inspired job, guests to be able to use it for free.

Appreciate the praise Norton, but not yet ready to 'lock it in'. Got a few more things to do and hoping we get more right than wrong. Regards, -BiP

Originally Posted by Norton

Looking good. You have thought of everything. Well done.

Originally Posted by BoganInParasite

The grilled home grown purple zucchinis went down well as well. This is another homestay inspired job, guests to be able to use it for free.

You sure those zucchinis are not eggplant?

You are utterly correct aging one. Perhaps my brain was thinking of you during the original post. Turns out purple eggplants is one of a small number of veges not to the liking of the local vege eating pests up here. Have told the wife to plant more. Mind you, can only really tolerate them if grilled to get a bit of flavour. Regards, -BiP

Originally Posted by aging one

You sure those zucchinis are not eggplant?

We're still beavering away adding things to the home. When we had the homestay license inspection a few Fridays back it was directed we install a fire extinguisher on level 2 and security cameras in the house on level 1, one trained on the front entrance and the other the sliding doors from the dining room to the covered deck on level 1. Just finished putting everything in place today. Surprisingly we were not asked to put in any signage such as 'Exit' signs nor a camera to cover the side entrance near bathroom 2 on level 1. We are going to put the 'Exit' signage in anyway.

This is the level 2 fire extinguisher in the living room. It is attached the wall to prevent accidental knocking over. Got it from Global House.


The security cameras. The one on the left covers the dining room door (and table). The one on the right the front door and bottom end of the stairs to level 2.


While I was at it I decided to put a small extinguisher in the kitchen together with a fire blanket.

Got a call today from the Pua government offices. Our homestay business license was ready for collection. Loaded the wife and new pup into the Hilux and went down to collect it. We will open the homestay from 1 August. There are three TD members I've met and have standing invitations to visit us; they know who they are (I hope).

Would like to make an offer to other TD members but have no idea of site protocols or who to ask. I've been careful not to market on the site or even mention our business name as I don't want to breach any rules. Can anyone point me in the direction of how to contact a moderator or other site authority?

Regards, -BiP

Six Months Living in House Update

We've now been living in our new house for six months and are really happy with it. We also opened our homestay on 1 August and after hosting a number of parties of the wife's Thai friends in July, our first paying guests arrive in a few days. I'm comfortable we will achieve our first season goal of sixty paid accommodation nights by the time it ends in early February 2020.

We've had some relatively minor issues with plumbing and electrical leaks, sliding screen door tracks, render cracks but Mart our builder has been very focused and attentive when we ask him to fix them. He did a great job with the house and continues to be a class above what you normally encounter with builders, here and in other countries. I understand he has USA based friends visiting in August and wants to show them the house. I think I commented before that this is the third house I've built in my life, and the first time I've still been talking to the builder at the end, let alone have respect for him.

In terms of the design perhaps the only thing I would have liked to have done better was make the house 0.5-1.0 meters wider. The extra width would have been great in the small bedroom on level 1 and two storage cupboards, one on each level. Our fears that there was insufficient light coming into the kitchen have proved to be unfounded, we very rarely need to use a light in there during daylight hours. Prior to the next hot season we intend to put fibreglass insulation in the roof space above the level 2 living room, and perhaps the large bedrooms as well. May also look to put better ventilation in place for the roof because we were getting some strong heat transmission down into level 2, particularly the living room in the centre.

The lowish voltage being delivered to the house by the PEA seems to have either improved or the demand has dropped off after the hot season so that we are getting something a bit more adequate. I've been researching solar, stabilizers and batteries but currently don't think there is a sufficient issue to justify the spend. Do need to take a few devices in and near the kitchen off the main kitchen circuit because it trips too often. Unfortunately we purchased/installed bigger or stronger than usual refrigerator, under-sink HWH, extraction fan, oven and hot water jug. This coupled with the electrician not spreading the load well enough means I need to be aware of what devices I use concurrently in the kitchen. More an inconvenience than anything although it has shaped our homestay breakfast menu (oven cooked bacon off the hot breakfast and have delayed making/baking own bread for guest breakfasts).

Great progress, BiP - it's so great when that vision you has all those months ago is finally turned into reality.

Good luck with it and looking forward to actually seeing the whole set up.

Originally Posted by BoganInParasite

Can anyone point me in the direction of how to contact a moderator or other site authority?

I reported your post. Best way to reach mods. They are either drunk or hung over most of the time.

Originally Posted by BoganInParasite

I've been careful not to market on the site or even mention our business name as I don't want to breach any rules.

You have indeed but I for one would appreciate details. No doubt I will come to stay a few days. Go ahead and start a thread with details. TD has had a couple before and I am sure admin will have no problem you doing so.

Beautiful home I just read the full tread well done. Maybe I missed it do you mind me ask the cost per sqm please.

Thanks Norton, I'm sure they're fine people. Regards, - BiP

Originally Posted by Norton

I reported your post. Best way to reach mods. They are either drunk or hung over most of the time.

Will do so Norton. What I'll do is just mention the name in the opening post. What I'd like to do is take folks through the challenges the wife and I have had in establishing such a business. While I'm sure many TD folks have established and run much larger and more complex businesses, this is something quite new for the wife and I and I think we've got some interesting insights to share. That includes as we learn more about the business, our guest wants/needs and our product through this first season. Regards, -BiP

Originally Posted by Norton

You have indeed but I for one would appreciate details. No doubt I will come to stay a few days. Go ahead and start a thread with details. TD has had a couple before and I am sure admin will have no problem you doing so.