Thread: Aussie Style House Build

It's been a while...

After a rush of activity earlier this year, things went very quiet on the house building front as we navigated our way past the Agricultural Land Reform Office and our quest to obtain a chanote. In between spending a lot of time researching the ownership history of the land we are building on, we also took time in getting set with a good builder.
So here we are eight months later and work on our 'forever' house has started. While the issuing of a chanote will take some time, we are confident we will get one despite the speed bumps we've encountered during the ownership certification process. Finding the right builder, who understands farang standards, also took some time, but we've got one now, and he's good. Bloody good in fact. Koh-kay Constructions out of Roi Et were able to demonstrate a level of professionalism we've not experienced in any of our previous dealings with Thai builders over the last 2 years.
The owner is a qualified Engineer, with a long history of farang builds - he knows what's expected and makes sure that's what he delivers. We took the time to inspect two of his jobs prior to signing him up. One was a semi-complete house for a Swiss couple, the other an almost complete large contemporary home for a German couple. Both were built to Western standards. The detail finishing on the German couple's home was equal to project home builds in Australia.
We were happy to delay commencement of the build until after the wet season. No sense making the build more difficult when a month's delay meant the build team wouldn't be sloshing around knee deep in sticky red clay.

Setting out took place Monday 24 Oct.

Looks like you’ve got hurdles already hyuk hyuk.
Nah congratulations - it’s a wonderful feeling setting out on a new build after all the drawings and engineering and applications.
Hope it goes really well.
The builders’ workwear is telling me it’s about 16 degrees in the sun but I’m guessing it’s not.

peciacake
Keep us up to date as the build progresses please hopefully it goes well which it should if the builder is as good as you think.

BUT what is the state of affairs with the Buffalo wars? That's the important stuff i.e. tales of life in Thailand or maybe call it, how Thai's do stuff are they really crazy!

Originally Posted by peciacake

Setting out took place Monday 24 Oct.

A theodolite! There's posh. Our guy used string.

Thanks for your kind words Doc. The wind kept the temperature down most of the day - a pleasant low-humidity 28 degrees

G'day ootai. The Buffalo wars are still bubbling along, literally in all likelihood. We've been watching with interest the ebb and flow between the Obotor and the Buffalo owners, a more selfish bunch I've never seen. The Obotor has given them an ultimatum - use the new dam built exclusively for Buffalo or funding for local projects will be severely limited. My guess is they will keep using the main reservoir - they really couldn't give a rats about the rest of the community.
Interestingly, we were approached by one of the families who own about 10 Buffalo to see whether they could cut the grass around our land for feed. Yuri was very diplomatic, asking if we let them, where would the Buffalo be watered? The conversation died right there. I'll give them points for picking up the spin on the ball pretty quick - no need for any further discussion.

Will keep posting about how the build is progressing - see below updates below.

Originally Posted by Shutree

A theodolite! There's posh. Our guy used string.

And a Laser Level too.

Originally Posted by peciacake

Will keep posting about how the build is progressing

And the Buffalo War, please

Day 3

We thought they'd taken the day off on Tuesday after no one turned up by 9:00am. As it was they spend the day in the builder's factory forming up the steel for the foundations and columns plus doing the boxes for the columns. All arrived about 8:00am on Day 3. Along with a team of 24 crammed into three Toyota utes, only one of which was a dual cab. Two hours from Roi Et to Ayong crammed in like sardines. Shook my head in disbelief. Resilient is a word that comes to mind. Try getting Aussie builder's labourers to do that.
Out of the utes and straight into it. One team was on the foundations, three setting up their camp and the final three cutting and forming more steel.
Impressive to say the least - professional, organised and getting stuck in. The team doing the foundations were really good: sticky red clay about 20 cm down didn't slow them down at all. They used a rota system so each digger went at it like a cut cat for about ten minutes then his mate took over. The pace only slowing after lunch, when the early start at Roi Et and the trip to Ayong in the Deluxe open air coaches started to catch up with them.

Taken early on Day 3 - Toilet far left, sleeping tent left, kitchen right and Deluxe 1992 Toyota inter-city coach far right

Afternoon Day 3

It was a tough day at the office for the digging crew. No complaints though, they just got stuck in and kept at it all day. By 5:00pm they'd had enough. Not quite finishing the foundations but only because the red clay was still super sticky, slowing them down more than anyone had anticipated. The boss had expected them to finish and was a little contrite about having to bring some of the crew back to finish digging out the footings. Told him not to worry - he should be proud of their efforts. Everyone of the crew hooked in.
In the image below, the guy in the middle in the blue hat gives a good indication of the pits they had to dig. 26 of 30 pits 1.5m X 1.5m X 1.5m finished. A great effort; the sticky red clay stopping them in the end.

Anyone who has ever dug out clay will appreciate what’s been done. A cube of 1.5 metre sides is a mighty effort and 26 of them is hard yakka.
Makes mini-excavators very appealing ...

Some of those old Luxy limos have pretty advanced features -

Originally Posted by docmartin

Anyone who has ever dug out clay will appreciate what’s been done. A cube of 1.5 metre sides is a mighty effort and 26 of them is hard yakka.
Makes mini-excavators very appealing ...

An Excavator would be best for a hole 1.5m x 1.5m x 1.5m but they are not cheap as a hand held motorised posthole auger which what I use to make an opening and then dig out the corners/sides with a spade.

That’d work well. As long as the auger operator isn’t running around the bit.

Originally Posted by docmartin

That’d work well. As long as the auger operator isn’t running around the bit.

Granted 2 Thai's might not be enough to hold it. I have to make sure I am well braced at the start but I am a bit bigger than the average Thai.

Originally Posted by ootai

a hand held motorised posthole auger

Offered them my almost brand new post hole auger - they politely declined. It was similar to the response received when it was offered to the contractor who put up our super fence. Only after seeing how much easier it made their job did they take up my offer. But these guys preferred to do it all manually.

BTW if anyone is looking to do some fencing, the auger and a selection of wire mesh and barbed wire is on sale. DM me for details.

Originally Posted by peciacake

Wire Mesh Fence that's Not Dog Proof

Part of the wife's desire for a high cost wire mesh fence was to keep the dogs out. Given we're right beside the temple this was completely understandable to me albeit a catapult and barbed wire was my chosen option. However, SWMBO was also insistent on having a fence that not only keeps the dogs out but also keeps out the local riff-raff, so we ended up with a very expensive mesh fence, that is costing me something like the national debt of a small asian country like Laos. Trouble is, it doesn't keep the dogs out as prescribed in the original design. Eagle eyed readers of this post may see the problem in the image below - there is a sizeable gap between the bottom of the mesh and the ground. Dogs will be able to come and go as they please.

The wife's solution, which is the same one she uses for all situations where the desired outcome isn't met, throw more money at it.

Give me strength, please...

peciacake
When I posted about using a post hole borer I thought I remembered that you had one but I wasn't sure so didn't say anything about you using yours.
Anyway I had nothing to do so I went back and started reading previous post here. I came across this picture and it made me wonder about why or how they ended up with a gap at the bottom.
Did you ever find out why?
Here's my take on it anyway. If I remember correctly the posts you got were 2.5m long and you dug 0.5m holes which would leave 2.0m above the ground which looks about right in the picture.
So what I believe has happened is (looking at the picture) they have made all the tops of the posts level and not allowed for the dips in the ground level.
Then they have started at the top of the post putting on the barbed wire followed by the mesh fencing.
Most sane people would put the posts in so a certain length was protruding above the ground which accounts for the dips and then put the mesh fencing on first starting at the bottom so its touching the ground and then work up to the top of the post.

Can you imagine what the world would be like if the rest of the world used Thai logic?
Sorry for taking you back in time you have probably spent a lot of time trying to suppress these memories and now I have revived them.

Originally Posted by ootai

have probably spent a lot of time trying to suppress these memories

The fence is a constant reminder of Thai logic on several levels. You're right Ootai, it pains me to think how I ended up with such an expensive fence that didn't fulfil the specification.

It bothers me no end about Thai's casual attitude to safety. Yes, I know, Thai's have a casual attitude to most things, safety included. So I was pretty impressed to find out the small ceremony held this morning, conducted by the local shaman, was to ask the spirits to look after the workers.
The normal method I'm used to is a daily pre-start 5 minute safety briefing and covering off any particular SWMS. As with most things, Thai's do it differently.
At the start of the build, they have a one-off team meeting disguised as a Buddhist ceremony. The local shaman conducted a prayer ritual for about 5 minutes - this had to start at 9:09am on the dot to make sure the spirits were listening. The main focus of the prayers is to ask the spirits to make it safe and problem free for the workers - that got a big tick from me. I'm constantly wondering how the level of building site injuries in Thailand isn't the same as the road toll given what is accepted custom and practice. The ceremony itself was relatively short and respectful, however it was done in a light hearted manner to ensure the spirits were happy if the offerings of Lao Khao, Leo and all sorts of tasty dishes were not enough to sway them. Needless to say, anyone on this forum whose built their own home knows the rest of the ceremony so I won't bother going into detail. One final point though that also impressed me was the fact that had we elected not to have a ceremony to commence the build, the workers would have organised one themselves. They do take safety seriously albeit they are coming off a very low base.


The only PPE he's wearing is his mask, and even that isn't being worn correctly...

Day 5 and 16m3 of concrete was poured into the footings. Another good day's work from the team, particularly after the delay caused by the ceremony. Starting on the columns tomorrow.

Just make sure that once the house is built you put the Spirit's House in the correct spot and that it is facing exactly in the right direction, if you don't do this properly then there will be big trouble in Baan Peciacake.

Not long after we did ours I almost cut my leg in half in an accident with a grass cutter and it was blamed by many on the fact they reckoned the spirit house was not facing the correct way.

You must be happy seeming your plans starting to come out of the ground. I am really looking forward to seeing to house with a full surrounding verandah as I tried to convince my missus to do something similar but she reckoned it looked ugly.

Re the buffalo wars, are they still taking their daily bath in the town reservoir? Or are the fences still getting cut/knocked down? Is your fence doing as planned and keeping them out?

Originally Posted by peciacake

Will keep posting about how the build is progressing - see below updates below.

Looking forward to it mate.

Originally Posted by ootai

Re the buffalo wars, are they still taking their daily bath in the town reservoir? Or are the fences still getting cut/knocked down? Is your fence doing as planned and keeping them out?

The Buffalo Wars are ongoing despite the threat from the had of the Obotor to restrict funding for community projects in Ayong in preference to other villages. The fence is getting cut regularly and erosion from all the daily buffalo traffic is undermining the posts - I'll drop a photo in tomorrow to show this.

The Ayong version of Fort Knox's fence is working a treat. It would bloody want to after consuming half the national debt of Laos. We've not had a dog, cow or buffalo even close to getting in. Comments from some of the builders to Yuri is it's the best fence they've come across.

I was thinking of a model of Sydney Opera House as our Spirit House, to bring a bit of Aussie culture to Ayong. i reckon the spirits would go for it too - better than the Hindu designs they are forced to put up with.

Water Buffalo Wars - In the Trenches (Literally)

The images below show damage the water buffalo have done to the embankment surrounding Ayong's reservoir. The view is from our back gate from this morning. The erosion extends around the perimeter of the dam: in places the posts have completely fallen over rather than just sunk like this one. And just like bears shit in the woods, buffalo shit in the water...
Not holding my breath for anything to change.

Maybe you could try a small solar electric fence unit on out riggers from the posts a few saps from that would keep them away from your part of the bank

Originally Posted by docmartin

Anyone who has ever dug out clay will appreciate what’s been done. A cube of 1.5 metre sides is a mighty effort and 26 of them is hard yakka.
Makes mini-excavators very appealing ...

Phark yeah! What a team!