Thread: Future Construction in Isaan

Originally Posted by Smithson

Originally Posted by Loombucket

If I may add a few of my thoughts on this. Shade is important. If you have room, get some trees in. If you get them in now, they will grow like hell in the rainy season. Prevailing wind is also important. You really want the wind to blow in at one end of the house, and blow out of the other. A good choice of paint, on the outside wall, will also help with keeping some of the heat out.We looked at dozens of designs for a Thai house, but didn't really find a decent one. We went with an Architect, mainly, for that reason.

Good advice, there are plenty of fast growing trees and now is a good time to plant. Also consider bamboo, unless it's the running type it won't be invasive. Bamboo grows to it's full height in one year and if it falls down it won't destroy your house.

Wind is also important, but your in laws will probably want the front of the house facing the street. This is why taking a generic design can be a problem. I would consider a an architect.

Looking at the designs on those page the ones I feel would be most livable are those elevated of the ground. Numbers 27, 28, 29 and 30 would be great, but probably expensive. Number 5 is OK, but there's no shaded area outside the house.

Number two is extremely basic, but if you used your imagination you could build two houses like this and join them somehow. This would give you a large shaded balcony and plenty of area under the house, which I'm sure would be well used, especially if there was a bit of a kitchen/bbq.With a few windows and extras it could look similar to an old style Thai house, which are suited to the climate.

Just my 2 cents worth.

As I explained we don't own the land yet so we can't start with that kind of things but I keep the idea.

My wife indeed wants a house facing the road.

From what I understood this page is giving estimated prices for the different models:

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#5: 252 000 THB
#27: 1.9M THB
#28: 1.6M THB
#29: 1.36M THB
#30: 1.8M THB

What's the average price of an architect? It's a %age of the total price of the house I guess.

In my humble opinion the basics plan is flawed in that you are planning to live much too close to family. I have been living in Thailand for 9 years and the biggest mistake we (my wife agrees) have made is building our place so close to family that we can see their house from our place. This puts you in a position where you are exposed to every little issue that the family has and is far more involved than makes sense.

I watch Grandma and Grandpa raise kids left by wifes sisters when they are both too old to do so, even if thay had the rearing responsibilities down pat, which of course they do not. Of course the parents do not send money to help with schooling etc so we end up paying the bills to send kids to school etc.

If we were permitted to do it again we would locate a few km away from the rest of the family and still toy with the idea of finding someone that has made the same mistake as me with the thought of working out some kind of property swap and relocating.

The day to day involvement with every little issue is beyond the realm of reason.

So my advice is pure and simple go for anything that is a few km 50-100 away and help mama and papa building what they need so you feel ok about that and then focus on building your own place as you see fit.

I do wish you good luck as you mature your plans and hope that you do not make the same mistake that we made.

You may be married to a Thai but you will never be part of the family no much money you sink into the family homes.
Best to let them sort how and where they want to live.

Your new wife probably wants to make big face by providing her parents with a flash new home. But they would probably be just as happy with some improvements for a fraction of the cost. Booting the uncle out so you can build a new house for the in-laws is a VERY bad idea. Its meddling with family business that you have no idea about and could go back a long way. Better to keep everyone happy and don't create enemies. Even though you are putting up the cash it doesn't give you the right to decide who lives where and in what kind of housing.

If you are only considering visiting a few times a year for a few weeks at a time to start with maybe consider an extension with a few western luxuries like sit down toilet?

It may be your money, but it ain't your land, it ain't your life and it ain't your family. Best to help them out a little for your wife's sake but don't try to take over their lives. And I do say that with respect as I know you are only trying to help.

Originally Posted by Panda

You may be married to a Thai but you will never be part of the family

Not true I am every bit a part of our family and have had no problems living with my Thai family for nearly 10 years in the same house. Sure I will never be Thai and never want to be, a few others I know are also a part of the family but I would say most farangs arent due to there inabilty to change or except anything new.

[quote=Smithson;701790
Why not? We have a heap growing, it looks nice and comes in handy for all sorts of things. It's the worlds fastest growing plant and consumes more carbon dioxide than anything else.[/quote]


Where does this information come from ?? Would like to know if bamboo is in fact a bigger consumer of carbon over the general train of thought...'trees' and any comparison between the size of the plant etc.

^ The info is all over the place, I'm sure at times it's exaggerated, but there is good reason for bamboo to be called such things as 'Gift of the Gods', 'Vegetable Steel' and 'Nature's Miracle Material'.

Just google 'bamboo facts' and you'll get hits like this:

... bamboo is the fastest growing plant on Earth. Some species have actually been measured to grow over 4 feet in 24 hours. A pole of bamboo can regenerate to its full mass in just six months! Bamboo can be continuously re-harvested every 3 years, without causing damage to the plant system and surrounding environment. During the time it takes to regenerate, the bamboo plant's root system stays intact so erosion is prevented. Continuous harvesting of this woody grass every 3-7 years, actually improves the overall health of the plant.

It is believed that if bamboo were planted on a mass basis it could completely reverse the effects of global warming in just 6 years, and provide a renewable source of food, building material, and erosion prevention.

Originally Posted by Smithson

^ The info is all over the place, I'm sure at times it's exaggerated, but there is good reason for bamboo to be called such things as 'Gift of the Gods', 'Vegetable Steel' and 'Nature's Miracle Material'.

Just google 'bamboo facts' and you'll get hits like this:

... bamboo is the fastest growing plant on Earth. Some species have actually been measured to grow over 4 feet in 24 hours. A pole of bamboo can regenerate to its full mass in just six months! Bamboo can be continuously re-harvested every 3 years, without causing damage to the plant system and surrounding environment. During the time it takes to regenerate, the bamboo plant's root system stays intact so erosion is prevented. Continuous harvesting of this woody grass every 3-7 years, actually improves the overall health of the plant.

It is believed that if bamboo were planted on a mass basis it could completely reverse the effects of global warming in just 6 years, and provide a renewable source of food, building material, and erosion prevention.

But bamboo can become a bit of a pest around the home if not harvested regularly. Bloody hard to get rid of too.

However, its been wiped out in many areas in Thailand close to population centers due to over harvesting for building material and food.

Originally Posted by Panda

But bamboo can become a bit of a pest around the home if not harvested regularly. Bloody hard to get rid of too.

However, its been wiped out in many areas in Thailand close to population centers due to over harvesting for building material and food.

It's the running varieties that are the invasive, because they send our runners all over the place.

The clumping varieties are what's commonly grown in Thailand, these are easily managed. As you mention, the problem is more of being wiped out thru over harvesting.

Just try and get rid of a big clump of bamboo when you don't want it there anymore. Its not as simple as cutting down a tree, believe me. I have a big clump in my back yard that is starting to get to an unmanageable size and it now grows faster than I can cut it back. But I am not in Thailand. I guess If I was in Thailand I could just call in the neighbours to take what they want and it would be gone in a while.

Originally Posted by Panda

Just try and get rid of a big clump of bamboo when you don't want it there anymore. Its not as simple as cutting down a tree, believe me. I have a big clump in my back yard that is starting to get to an unmanageable size and it now grows faster than I can cut it back. But I am not in Thailand. I guess If I was in Thailand I could just call in the neighbours to take what they want and it would be gone in a while.

We had to dig out some for a fence, so I know what you mean.

But the OP is in Thailand, so I'm sure they wouldn't have that problem.

Originally Posted by Panda

Just try and get rid of a big clump of bamboo when you don't want it there anymore. Its not as simple as cutting down a tree, believe me. I have a big clump in my back yard that is starting to get to an unmanageable size and it now grows faster than I can cut it back. But I am not in Thailand. I guess If I was in Thailand I could just call in the neighbours to take what they want and it would be gone in a while.

Don't Panda's consume "bamboo" as part of their daily diet? Just a thought.

[quote=SEA Traveler;712820]

Originally Posted by Panda

Don't Panda's consume "bamboo" as part of their daily diet? Just a thought.

I have tried it but there is only so much a Panda can bear.

When we built our house
we did it 1km outside of the village in the rice fields. The family has a compound in the village where everyone lives. staying there for a few nights was enough for me. very noisy, loudspeakers in the morning and afternoon, chickens, dogs, people just walking in and checking out what you are doing, burning plastic, i could go on. we had a company in Phrae build our house. it is wooden and off the ground maybe 2.5 meters. always cool. i found that i didnt spend much time in the house during the day, no a/c but really good ventalation not a lot of furniture. keep it simple.