Posts Tagged ‘living in thailand’

As The Thai House Build Project Stumbles Into Another Day My Enthusiasm For This Whole Retiring In Thailand Project Saps Away.

Day 8 Friday 29 April, 2011

While some of you (who have more experience of living in Thailand than I have) will laugh at this others will be perhaps disappointed when I report on the way the Thailand house build project in Pakchong is going.

I, however, can only report what is happening and the way I feel about it.

I’m only really repeating here the same horror stries that I have read about on other websites aimed at expats living in Thailand. The difference is that it’s happening to me and it’s real.

Here is a short list of some of the issues we have faced in the last few days:-

Not Included – Burglar Bars

Our builder insists that although these are clearly shown on the Contract Drawings they are a specialist supply and not included in his price. In short we have to supply and install them ourselves. To my disappointment Kanyah (remember this is her house we are talking about) accepts the builder’s argument.

In addition to suddenly having quite a significant additional cost added ot the project there is also the problem of sourcing the items and integratinging them into the house structure and window configuration that we now have to do instead of the builder who has all the knowledge about these things.

I’m really annoyed by this outcome.

Not Included – Insect Screens

As above for Burglar Bars

We Have To Pay For The Materials Plus An Advance

I first mentioned this on Day of the Post “Thailand Retiring Plans Trashed?” when I reported that we had agreed to pay the builder 50,000 Baht towards buying wood for Stage 5 even though we had already paid 100% for Stage 5 and it was not complete.

Now it’s come to reality and we are handing over the money as you can read below.

We Buy The Floor Wood

Getting A Sample Of Wood For the Floorboards

I should have mentioned in the previous post that on Day 2 before we went to the wood merchant to look at the wood for the floorboards and walls I inspected the wood on site for the floorboards and was not happy with it. At the wood merchants (Day 2) I selected a piece of wood to use as a sample against which all future purchase would be judged. I have now added the detail of the visit to the wood merchant including some pictures of the floorboards I didn’t like and the “Approved” sample.

Kanyah and Jalan go with the builder to the wood shop and pay for the floor boards that will form the second floor.

She paid for the wood directly to the wood shop not to the builder but we also gave the builder an advsnce of 30,0000 Baht.

Wood Prices Gone Up 5% In 3 Days

I am duly informed that the wood prices wee looked at at the same wood shop had risen by some 5% in the last few days (while we had been in Hua Hin).

Frankly I don’t believe commodity prices can rise so fast like that especially when the wood shop has vast stocks on material that has probably been sitting there for many months.

Truckload Of Wood Delivered

At least we got some wood on site for the floorers to work with.

Pakchong House Floorboards Delivery 1

Above, the first delivery of floorboards for the second floor floor.

Main Floor Planks Being Fitted

See these photos and videos for general progress.

I Venture Onto The Second Floor To Inspect

Take a few videos and still photos.

• Floor Planks Quality Issues
• Nails visible and above the level of the wood
• Large gaps between the planks along the run of the planks (possible due to curved planks)
• Large gaps between ends of the planks where they have been cut roughly

When I complain to Kanyah who was idling in the neighbor’s hammock and had never ventured onto the second floor she isn’t concerned concerned – at least not until I show her the photos and the videos I just took having transferred them from the cameras to the lap-top. Then at last I seem to be getting the message across.

See these photos and videos for quality of workmanship.

Should All Sides Of the Floor Planks Be Varnished?

I am trying to persuade the builder that the floorboards (in particular those for the balcomy which is basically open to the elements) need to be varnished on all four sides.

This is after I sent this email to our builder about this on April 5, 2011:

Varnish Floorboards Email 1

Above, the email i sent to our builder on 5th April asking him to varnish the floorboards on all four sides. Click here or on the image to see the full sized email. (Opens in new window)

No, he says (in a mixture of English and Thai) that’s not necessary. His reasoning:-

• The planks are tongue-and groove. If you put the varnish on the tongue and groove part it will be impossible to fit the tongue inside the groove.
• When the planks get hot they will explode!
• In any case any gaps between the planks will be filled and then 5 coats of varnish applied which will prevent any water from getting into the gaps.

To me this is a major issue for the Balcony which is essentially an outdoor area completely exposed to the elements. I had previously made a sketch of how I expected the wood to be treated and sent it by email to Kanyah and the builder. But here we were going through all the arguments again – and I was losing…

Builder Can’t Find A Steel Door

The builder reports he can’t find a supplier for the steel door I have requested for the workshop and suggests we find one ourselves.

Gate Arrives

The gate is delivered and what a marvelous structure it is. It is left for fitting tomorrow.

Connected To The Internet At The Mansion

Until now I have been unable to get on the Internet at The Mansion. A Thai guy who knows his stuff soon sorts out my laptop and bingo… I’m online.

Udon Dies

Udon was an old Thai friend of Kanyah and I have known him for several years. He used to make a great deal of fuss about me perhaps because Kanyah always gave him a bottle or two of white whisky (Lao Khao) when we visited him.

He was in hospital in a critical condition after a family member disembowled his brains by smashing a meat cleaver into his skull in a drunken argument. So much for white whisky!

He passed away this night and we have to go to the funeral tomorrow.