Thread: Japanese House

A suggestion from a wise Teakdoor member, footholds to help people who would lack the strength to swimm the whole length of the pool, with handholds above the water level.

Then, it's rails to get into the water.

And the job is finished!

Great looking pool, can't wait to see the pictures of it full with water. What are the dimensions of the pool? Do you have a channel to fill it or will you just have to wait for the rains?

Workers did not come at all this week, they got another contract! Everything is at a stand still.
There will be a well dug, for the water, but first, I'll need 3 trucks of river rocks to complete the natural filter before I can fill it.
The swimming part of the pool is 20 m, so is the filter area.
Things never go as planned, that's why I never gave a deadline to this project. Like they say :"Eternity, that's very long, especially at the end!"
You're a philosopher, or you curse the shit, or else, you curl up and cry, I'll sleep on it!

Originally Posted by Johnny Longprong

Thanks for a brilliant blow by blow construction OM. You have a very nice Ponderosa there old boy.

Once when I was rich I built a pool like yours, somewhat smaller I might say, on a similar slope. We had this Italian craftsman use ochres to create the rendered pool walls like it had been cut out of sandstone and weathered. Bloody lovely. This was in a very temperate climate and would be totally unsuitable in your area as the rough surface made a great home for algae.
However, what he did suggest, and we accepted, was that on the high flat wall he cut foot rests and handholds in the cement. He knew we had young kiddies and thought that it was a hazard to have nothing to hang onto in that deep water. Turned out a great idea as the kids used it all the time. Even myself, a finely tuned athlete, sometimes stopped over there on my daily laps.


Keep up the great work. I get a headache even thinking about such a project. Time for my nap.

Thank you for that suggestion, Longprong!

Sorry, this does not really belong on a construction tread, but since the building is at a stand still for two weeks now, the builder-contractor has accepted another big job before finishing this one, which is contrary to the contract we had, him and me!
Like I said before, eternity is very long, especially at the end...


And I don't know how to start a new tread



I request your indulgence, and feedback. I'm pretty lonely at this point in time. I got used to you guys for a couple of years now!



Monday, everything looked like a normal Monday on the farm, except that my manager had not slept in his bed. For the first time in nine years, this Christian husband and father, a member of my wife's family, the manager of this farm, and my friend and confident was missing. I did not worry, thinking that he would show up during the day.

Around eleven thirty, three pick-ups loaded with policemen from Mae Taeng (45-50 km from here) arrived to tell me that they had a warrant to search his room, because he was driving a pick-up the evening before involved with three people who got caught with three kilogrames of amphetamine, or heroin? I'm not sure! They had the pick-up, but he ran away!

I protested that it was impossible that he could be involved in any drug related crime, I knew him for nine years, he would never do that, he did not need money, he was so excited to start the exploitation of the rubber trees, we had been waiting for this for seven years, and they were ready, finally, 500 of them. His dream was finally coming true, he had taken courses on how to tap heveas, and he was proud of his skill, ready to teach it.


Naturally, they found nothing with their search, they finally left telling me "Mae pan rye", I had nothing to fear, myself, and asking us to tell him to give himself up when contact was re established. As soon as they left, his wife started crying, completly destroyed. I had reached my wife, on Skype, and since she was the only one fluent in Thai, she talked to them and translated in english for me and in Lisu for her, and after they left, talked to his wife until 3 :30 in the morning for her in Canada, there is twelve hours difference.

She had the head of the local police called and he came to talk to her, always on Skype. We pay the local police a monthly tax to come and patrol the isolated farm every two days, so they show themselves more friendly. After this conversation, Amee knew that he had no chance whatsoever. Eventhough he is innocent, and I am 100% sure of this, in Thailand, there is no way to escape a life-long sentence in these circumstances. All this man did was accept to help somebody, driving them out of the party to Mae Taeng. When he saw that his passengers were being arrested, he ran away.

She had told me this, and repeated many times ever since I arrived : « Never pick a stranger on the road, even a monk. If this person has anything on him, and the police catches him, you go to jail for life too, no questions asked. »

So… Everything on and about this farm was in his hands, he knew everything, had all the contacts… This is a big loss for his wife, and for me. She did not eat in 3 days. I don’t know what to do. Whom to turn to. I’m convinced it will turn out OK for him, lots of people know and love him, he is stil in nature somewhere, and not in a jail. I’m also sure that there will be somewhat of a lesson in this for me, although this is not clear at this point and time.

My wife will have to take over as far as contact with the outside is concerned, and she will be able to do it, but she will have to learn fast! She will fly on the 9th of next month. Now, I’m concerned about the pick-up truck being seized, this leaves us with no means of carrying loads, like pig food as a first example, most urgent. This cannot be postponed. Pigs have to eat! The car will have to do, but it is limited in its load carrying capacity...



He was also my contact with the building contractor, who has to complete his work, and there are many details that need to be addressed, and this mf has not shown up in 15 days now!

Then there is the well to be dug, and he had the contact with the digging man. Water for the japanese house, and the the bottling factory, and the swimming pool depend on this well. We need to find seeds and plant them, corn and garlic, as soon as the paddies are ready. The man supposed to cut the rice stubs before seeding, is sick for the last five days. The plot thickens


I’m hoping that ex-employees, M. and J. will accept to stay and work again here. They came to visit as soon as they heard, they’re friends of his. We’ll see, they'll think about it for one week.



Twenty-four hours after the police came, the situation is still not clear. First, we need to know about him. After, we’ll have to cope, and the quicker the better, if we want to have the time to grow the corn and the garlic before it’s time for rice next June.

Wednesday before noon, we get a call from him, I don't know from where, he is safe and sound! This will not make the problem dissappear, but it’s not a desperate situation, like if he had been shot running away, or cought before escaping, and in jail for life. This was a very long 48 hours!

Now the stress is relieved on my brother’s safety, I’m able to think straight. On the other hand, he is very angry, these two people took advantage of him and ruined his life. He wants to kill! And I feel the same!

Coming out of the Thanksgiving party, 8-10 people asked for a lift in the back of the pick-up, not far, to the next road only. When most of them got out at the intersection to get a taxi to their village, this couple, Chinese and Lisu, asked to stay on further, and a Lisu farm worker he was raised with wanted to get to the Mae Taeng market, not very far. So, he let them ride on.

When they stopped at the police road check point, to check ID, it was taking longer than normal. He became aware of the time and observed suspicious packages coming out of their luggage. He opened the door of the pick-up and ran away. A survival reflex! It will take time before he stops being angry!

The third person, a simple farm worker with a wife and two children, knew nothing about the other two passengers, he got beaten and was bloodied when he came in front of the judge. The other two had family who intervene with money, they were rich and ready, so they had no trace of violence at the audience. To think that the other 8-10 passengers who got off before the drama unfolded would also have been sent to jail for life, and the effects of this on their spouse, children, parents... And they knew what they were doing to them the whole trip! They will probably get out earlier than the innocent!

So today, friday, as I was driving my car to Chiang Mai, I got pulled over at the Mae Taeng roadblock and the vehicle was thouroughly searched when they heard where I'm from, the first time for me in nine years!

Sorry for your loss, hope you can get another manager. Will you let his wife continue to work? She must have some knowledge for the plantation.

Hi I am sorry to hear about your problems and I hope they will be over soon
for you. I was just telling my Thai wife what happened to you and she said
it was bad luck for your manager. The problem with Thailand is who you can
trust!! My wife is from down south and I see big cars and big houses and the
owners dont seem to have work my wife always says they sell drug every one
knows this and the police?? So this is Thailand as we say but it makes you think
if you fall out with the wrong people can this happen you my wife says YES!!

That must be devastating for everyone up there. I really hope something can be done, but it seems unlikely.

Fingers crossed for you.

Thank you guys, please always be careful who you trust, who you let ride in your vehicle!
I'm optimistic, first because I'm generally lucky, very lucky.
Friends from France who know me very well say that I have "le cul borde de nouilles" -ass with noodles all around.
Things generally change for a purpose, I've got things to learn, besides Thai law.
Once needs are expressed, answers happen.
I had a visitor today I had met last year, very knowledgeable in agriculture, he showed me what to do this next week with garlic and corn planting, and I asked him to come meet my wife, I talked to him about a part time job...

Originally Posted by Old Monkey

ass with noodles all around

That sounds terrible. I mean, who in their right mind would want Noodles around?

Originally Posted by Old Monkey

When they stopped at the police road check point, to check ID, it was taking longer than normal. He became aware of the time and observed suspicious packages coming out of their luggage. He opened the door of the pick-up and ran away.

must be the way you tell them, but that does not sound reasonable behaviour

[at]Dr Andy
Do you mean that the reasonable behaviour would have been to stay there?

The couple who were there, they did not have a human behavior, they knew damm well that they were jeopardizing the whole lives of a lot of people, but they were doing it anyway! They should be shot!
The most reasonable behaviour would have been for him to refuse categoriquely to give them a ride, but he has a good heart, and he got screwed! One moment of weakness, and his whole life in this country is finished, unjust, unfair, lousy!
If you refer to his running away, I am very greatful to the universe, or to Whatever was watching over his shoulder, I'm so happy that he did. Think for a moment of what would have happened...
First getting beaten to admit that he was guilty, then in jail for the rest of his life!
You dissagree?
How long have you been in Thailand?

Well said Old monkey but maybe all is not lost I just hope maybe the police do an proper investigation and find the truth.

You're dreaming! The law, as it is applied here, wants to stop the drug trade, and will trow everybody involved in jail. There was a time, not far removed, when one was shot in the back of the head...

Stainless around the pool.

A lamp for the middle of the bridge.

SS and epoxy

A needed ramp. The electric wire was imbedded in the concrete.

So, today, the stainless steel contract will be completed, the lamp plugged, the switch installed. I found a real professionnal in Chiang Dao.



Here are his coordinates, I recommand!

Kruporn Ruan Chang
4 Moo 15, Baandon Chotana Road
Chiang Dao, Chiang Mai 50170
His name is Jackapong Pota, cell 0805012321

Here are a few pictures I took this morning.

I hope 2012 is good for you and keep up the good work!!

Hope you have better luck this year, pool and surrounds looks great. Keep up the good work.