bbradsby

Sorry, people don't report at the Land Office what they actually paid, so you have to just be a smart buyer and know the local & comparable market values. The land IS the total real estate value in Thailand unless the house is a major edifice... not likely.

No shortcuts around due diligence, other than paying too much and just not worrying about it.

I wanted to remove columns in our house to make my lounge room which is 16x8metres column free. Problem was when I wasn't there my wife had monks bless the house and they buried some gold leaf stuff under 1 of the columns. Because of that I'm told not allowed to remove them.

Good one. I had a builder place a rebar cage for a column well out of grid alignment after the magic was made over that pile cap... and of course we were told we couldn't move it LOL! Did we, however...? I'm not telling.

i wanted to remove em. The wife however...

Sent from my LG-E612 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

ya, my client's Thai wife said no move. I, however...

Tradition wisdom say ... NO

Most times a 'Rainy Season' should be waited to allow to ground to settle.

And presuming that the 'Rice Land' has no solid rock 2 metres down ... it all comes down to the foundations.

There is a method where you have what is described as a 'Floating Slab' or here which requires minimal foundations ... but it's not a Tradition Issan Building Method to my knowledge.

Plus the Rainy Season may soon upon you and that makes it not ideal to build.

I be curious to read others thoughts on this ...

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rainy season is not fun, but rough concrete work can be done in a light rain, and often there are breaks in the rains for concrete to set up. torrential downpours are a no-no, as it washes out the cement & sand from the concrete.

floating slabs are not something id advise in LoS, due to very heavy construction and total mush for substrata quite often. add variability of building geometry from house to house, and your house could break up and sink like a ship on a reef... ok, slight exaggeration to make tha point: try to stay true to Thai means & methods, or have a great design team onboard.

I wanted to remove columns in our house to make my lounge room which is 16x8metres column free. Problem was when I wasn't there my wife had monks bless the house and they buried some gold leaf stuff under 1 of the columns. Because of that I'm told not allowed to remove them.

Good one. I had a builder place a rebar cage for a column well out of grid alignment after the magic was made over that pile cap... and of course we were told we couldn't move it LOL! Did we, however...? I'm not telling.

OP Quote:

"Quickest safe time to build on rice land that has been filled?"

Assuming yr structural engineer/architect (u have one, right?) advises driven piles for your particular site, pound your piles after a few good rains. they'll then set the final height of the pile caps & floor beams. further site subsidence will not affect your house build if the piles are long enough and driven to proper depth. you need a structural engineer to establish this data. If no piles are used due to substrata, footings must be well into undisturbed, solid, native soil. SO, again, fill subsidence is of no relevance to the footings as long as you move forward with your build in a typical professional pace.

At the next dry season, fill your site to rough grade height desired, taking into account topsoil (100mm min.) slope to drain water away from house (important), and to coordinate with sitework paving, etc.

"If we fill it a meter high (road level) and flatten it and fill again... Can we start building right away...?"

See answer, above.

"...using modern construction..."

Do try not to throw curveballs at your builder. it'll cost you in more ways than one. With a Thai engineer, and a clear set of THAI LANGUAGE floor plan, ceiling/lighting plan, building sections & elevations, you'll get typical Thai construction means & methods designed-in. This is what you want. If you demand freespans larger than the typical 4m Thai house grid, use steel top of wall beams and do not use clay or concrete tile roof. Again, follow yr architect's/engineer's advice, or bring aspirin & money.

"...with a good team?"

Right, best of luck with that!

As discussed on the previous thread for this track, it should be fun for track days for folks with lots of spare time. but as for a business enterprise for attracting international motorsports events... just silly. Its very remote from international airports, major cities... you know... actual paying customers... for anything other than thai football, futsol, molam, chicken fights and muay thai matches.

C'mon, Buriram?!

Great subject. Non-impervious cover is the ideal for non-toxic runoff - not so much for car repair shops, dry cleaners... But since you are most likely talking about residential and/or light commercial occupancies, more porosity is better. Gardens being the ideal, of course. grass-crete blocks being best for residential driveways, pervious concrete next in line, and regular concrete coming in last.

Said that, you can only control the percolation rate of your applied topping or paving. The real limitation of the percolation rate - how fast water decends through the material - is usually the sub-strata on a particular site. In the alluvial river basins, such as Bangkok, there is a high clay content, which severely slows percolation rate. So even a non-impervious paving will quickly flood with water in a heavy rainfall. But at least you are reducing the run-off from the typical 100% runoff that normal paving creates. On a raised building pad common in LoS, percolation is rapid... but just down to the original clayey soil strata. Maybe that is good enough as it slows down runoff, stores water for a time, which decreases downstream flooding. Natural, planted waterways do the same thing, by slowing velocity & storing water so that the drainage system can handle the volume without overflowing the banks.

To design your system, analyze your substrata, best-guess, for what type of soil it is, Google soil percolation rates, and calc the liters/unit of area/unit of time and compare it to local rainfall rates... OR... just maximize the percolation rate of what you can actually control on your site via higo percolation rates of selected cover, dry wells, thirsty trees/plants with deep roots to penetrate clay strata...

As Urban areas grow, Thai style, we see most residential lots approaching 100% impervious cover (roofs + sitework paving) in just a few years after initial conversion from agricultural land use. Multiply this on an urban scale upstream of the old city, and you quickly begin to overwhelm the legacy drainage system. Then add subsidence and, viola, you get the increasingly devastating yearly floods in Bangkok, and cities across the world.

Thing is, the problems and solutions are not rocket science, unique nor new to Thailand.

the Benellis are now Italian-badged Chinese bikes, so are doubly-cursed

But, what's been your experience of your own Chinese built Benelli 600? At the M-Bike franchise in Nonthaburi Thais are buying the 600 as fast as the shop can get them, even though a Ninja 650 can be had for the same price. The bike is offered with a better warranty and a bigger dealer network than either Honda Big Wing or Kawasaki. My own experience of Kawasaki ownership here has been a bit of a disappointment compared to owning Japanese built Kawas in the UK.

Who, ME? ... falls under the NBL(notbloodylikely) category... unless it were THIS model, but, then again she doesnt look very Chinese:

Sorry, the BN600 may be a great option here in LoS - I just hate to see a historic legacy motorcycle company such as Benelli sold down the river to some nobody firm who wants to buy a "name" and some Cred. But, will a wheezy 80hp 600 actually DO that?

Once you've had Duc, you never go back

They inspire passion because they are designed, engineered and built with true passion, not committees.

Yes have to agree about the Passion & it must be an Italian thing

I say because I have also owned Colnago's & they are the very same to the bicycling world

as the Duc's are to the motorcycling world

I imagine the same holds true at Ferrari

Superbike position I agree too is not easy if not use to it. But also agree a firm setup & positioning can be a thing of beauty

when called into action.

Yeah fever still climbing here & I am all but resigned to it now

Kind of a hassle as I need to go through the motion of selling too.

I wish more dealers did trade in's here just to make life easier because we need to do the

residence paper etc.

DucThailand won't take it in trade? what are u trying to sell that's taking a while to part with? The expat used bike market should be pretty lively with all the comings & goings.

Once you've had Duc, you never go back

They inspire passion because they are designed, engineered and built with true passion, not committees. But the Superbikes, at least, are very uncompromising to the point of being fitness machines. If yr not in shape when u start riding one, it'll whip u into shape. Its one of the reasons i love em.

And that rigor in riding position, the firmness of suspension/chassis/brakes/engine... all in perfect balance... can save yr bacon at-speed! on lesser bikes, a quick, evasive swerve-brake maneuver can be difficult at best. And sometimes, only serious power will teach locals their Toyota is a complete turd (is that TRD stands for?) next to yr bike. With the stupidity that comes at you at every turn in LoS, it's worth thinking about.

Benelli also offer 24hr assistance included in their warranty package.

24 hours seems a bit short but then again it's a Benelli, you might need it...

It's actually 3 years And who knows, It might turn out to be a better bike than the Thai built Hondas, only time and those pioneers who buy one will be able to tell.

the Benellis are now Italian-badged Chinese bikes, so are doubly-cursed

if you tour Thailand on an older ride, or even if you just plan on being in remote locations, you'd best know your bike's quirky bits and have spares and/or workarounds, along with a carefully-curated set of tools stowed for the ride. Thai roadside shack mechanics can do more damage to a proper bike [non-scooters are alien to them] than good as they randomly pull things off/apart/cut&re-solder wires for no logical reason but for chasing bad spirits out... heck, even with a new bike, a minor get-off can bend/break controls (parts of yr body, too) to the point of non-op status. If remote, you need to mend/replace/bypass bits enough to get you down the road.

By workarounds I mean, along with a pint of patience, have a working knowledge of the bike's components & systems so that you can fashion a quick fix by the roadside to get you home or to the next reasonably-sized town for the night. If yr bike has a series of Black Boxes for all systems, yr SOL if one fails, until a replacement part can be freighted in. Lesson: be kind to yr parts supplier in yr hometown.

A workaround example; having a Swiss Army Knife allowed me to surgically cut, strip & join two wires to bypass the kickstand kill switch on a bike years back that just died at-speed as I was riding home from Laguna Seca MotoGP one night. Knowledge of that particular model's known quirks helped me find the malady, along with some simple logic in troubleshooting.

On another trip, in Thailand, a solenoid just went tits up at a country gas station. Pulling the fairing to by-pass it to start the bike at each refueling stop was not ideal, but was also not a big deal, and got me home.

If you want to tour in Thailand on a non-Brand New Japanese scoot, you need to be self-reliant, and well equipped. Others maybe should just take the bus and enjoy the thrill of the ride and the scenery.

of course not... radio waves are different in Thailand

Seriously, just look at the equipment's fine print, usually on the back of yr radio, for power requirements. many electronics & plugs have dual voltage/hertz capability, for quite some time now.

If its not dual capability, bin it.

Google is yr friend. i like bahtsold, but there are many classified and/or real estate portals for Thailand.

You cant just buy a structure for a townhouse, as they must be tailored to the lot size. and I wouldn't just plop one down on a detached home site as theyre really just metal barns.

To be clear on what you require, what is there now - an open sports field/pitch? From your post it sounds like you need a large span structure AND a roof, am I right? If so, a 'roofing company' is not what you're after, and you need a structural engineer and architect. PM me if you require assistance.

The OP is asking for specific names of condo complexes in BKK meeting his criteria.

The more stories, the more/larger steel in your concrete, the larger your concrete beams, and the more your contractor must be a professional in order to construct a proper structure. These all add cost. The third-tier developers usually stop at eight stories for good reason. However, geometrically, a three story shophouse can be economically built since it is just a simple box, is often simpler shape than a free-standing house, so the cost per square meter should be similar to a bit less.

As to difficulty, both a shop house & a single family detached house are not a huge deal to get done.

One has to be fair to the workers in pricing/estimating time & cost for tile & stone work: variable factors include size of project, complexity of design, amount of tile cutting, number of different tile/stone selections in the design... All affect the amount of work/time/compensation required to get it done. Get four or five quotes, or hire experts by the hour & pay well.

Very simple design that I made in my USA Florida home and plan to make in our isaan home as soon as I get enough free time from work to build a house there,

In Florida we have an insulated tank with an electric coil in it that makes hot water and the insulation keeps it hot, I think it looses a couple of degrees F per hr.

I simple took the cold water feed to the tank run it to the roof , connected it to a flexible coil of several loops of copper pipe that I painted back, and return it to the the hot water tank inlet, Since the water being feed to the tank is very hot from the sun the electric coil almost never needs to turn on but is there as a backup.

Most of the year the water in the tank is too hot for the electric coil to kick in, Only in the winter for a couple of months it kick in. It has cut my electric bill significantly.

Though I have not looked in to it, I am sure such electric water tanks must be available in Thailand, Here in the US they are very inexpensive, a 30 gallon one can be purchased for about $300.

Just a detail note: since heat rises, for a thermo-siphon system, i.e., no water pump, the storage tank must be above the collector.

Without an usufruct or lease I think that the house can still be yours. However, you will still need permission to cross the land to get to it. Usufruct or lease is essential and it's better to get one or the other before you build.

If you are legally married, any land or building purchased after the date of the marriage is 50% yours in terms of value. I think that the same applies to unmarried couples who have been together for at least five years.

incorrect. In absense of usufruct, when you buy a house with your Thai wife, at the Land Office you WILL sign away ALL interest in the property.

you could follow the US or similar venting strategies for your vents - except that blackwater and greywater systems are piped separately here, so could have separate vents. In the West, they are combined, so you choose. note that vent outlets located near doors/windows can get aromatic at times, so distance is your friend, and a 1.5-2 meter would be a minimum separation I'd recommend.

generally, the strategy is that vents equalize air pressure within the pipework as water flows through it, preventing siphoning of fixture traps... to keep sewer gas out of occupied spaces. The 4" drain pipes used below floor for toilets obviate the need for a large vent stack, as they are large enough for air & water/waste to flow easily. I use 35mm/1 1/4" vent pipes tee-ing into the 4" toilet drain just past the toilet bend, with the Tee facing straight up vertically, as in 12 O'Clock position, so no water flow interference is possible.

as an aside, pvc prefab traps are available for the shower & floor drains, with clean-outs, and will eliminate the foul smells typically emanating from Thai house showers & floor drains.

The store seems mothballed, locked up tight, and with various & sundry cardboard boxes scattered around the floor near the entrance. This is upon several drive-by's over a month's time.

Anybody have intel on whether they've gone tits-up?

OH MY!! Thank you Richard!!

By the number of your posts to-date, 8,000+, you seem to have been in/interested in Thailand for a long time. By the troll posting to this thread you made, it's fair to assume you must be very unhappy in this country of no Political Correctness Police. Please don't start a Volunteer Police Force on the Bike Forum.

Evidently Startling Factoid: The sexy, nubile models arent hired for their bike knowledge... they're hired because men look at sexy, nubile women. Mostly men buy bikes. Shocker here: women look at men, but mostly don't buy anything but cheap scooters here, judging by who rides proper bikes here.

As adults, their thoughts are their own, good/bad/indifferent. Get over it, get therapy, start a whiny Thread on that subject (yawn) somewhere, but don't troll it around for bait on unrelated Bike Section Threads.

If you look at the small group of foreigners in this country, yes you're right by saying that women don't buy big bikes, cars, stereo sets and big TV's. But if you look who controls the money in a typical Thai family you would understand that more and more companies start targeting women with there advertising campaigns.

Men maybe select the product they want to buy but the final approval is often in the hands of the mother in the family... as she controls the family budget....

I'm aware of that leadership role that Thai women play in truly leading the traditional family & community, and really like them for that strength, while they never lose their femininity & sexiness - and comfort therewith. It's not either/or, no battleground of the sexes like in the West. Very refreshing, indeed.

So it's with no small irony, then, that many expat men come here with an Olde School Western paternalistic approach that gets uhhh 'readjusted' by that Thai Buzzsaw they call a wife or GF. It's also hilarious that women back in the West assume men marry Thais because they're controllable lil women. Its that leadership role in community & family that makes Thailand have a larger percentage of women CEOs than many 'more developed' countries.

So, yours is a good point indeed, that women have the power of the family purse, and motorcycle manufacturers should heed local cultures & customs in their marketing, and ignore them at their peril.

Jesus H if it upsets so many of you change it back, i just thought it would help people looking for info on the Forza and doing a search using the search function. I even asked the Mod in question to seek permission from the other thread starter first as i felt it was polite to the member. The other thread is only closed not deleted so the info is still there.......here is a link to it....

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/610197-new-honda-pcx-300cc-available-in-thailand/

Sometimes i think you guys just come on here to seek arguments not bike info....go join a knitting forum instead!!!

"go join a knitting forum instead!!!" Could you try and stay on topic......plus the mods don't want you in their knitting circle anyway!

Dude... cmon, be a little more tolerant. maybe tips on knitting would be helpful here. Like knitting a carbon fibre 'chain-maille' suit of armor so we'll all be Fortuner-Tard proof.