Mister Fixit

14 hours ago, Leaver said:

 

Because they can.  

Yes, and I can also stop buying it.  

As to other's opinions between Bells and 100 Piper's, Bell's takes the skin off the roof of your mouth.  

100 Piper's just numbs your tongue, but it's OK with lots of ice and soda.  

19 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Usually lime juice and ice (Vodka Gimlet) ........ sometimes Soda, lime juice and ice, occasionally Pepsi and ice.

I was never a vodka drinker until I tried the first two - loved it, but forget the disgusting Pepsi version.  

23 hours ago, madmen said:

 Similar happened to me so went to the 7/11 down the Rd and got the correct price. 

It was at 7/11 where the price had been raised.

So I went to Tesco and it had also been raised to the 7/11 price.

On 5/7/2021 at 2:40 AM, Don Chance said:

It doesn't sound like an innocent thread to me; it sounds like a cry for help.

But much more likely to be an obvious inability in reading comprehension!  ????

On 5/7/2021 at 2:22 AM, Don Chance said:

This guy is already self medicating with far more dangerous drug every day,  from the corner store.

 

Baclofen is proven cure for alcoholism. You can check here www.baclofentreatment.com

It is just a matter of taking the meds every day.

How did you jump to the entirely fatuous conclusion that I am an alcoholic??  

You may have been, and good for you for recovering if that's what you did, but not everyone is the same.

On 5/6/2021 at 9:19 PM, GrandPapillon said:

 

 

yeah, covid ????

But why no other brands then?

9 hours ago, Susco said:

I doubt that it was 300 Baht in the past.

 

I don't know the exact price for 100 pipers, but I know that Bells is 349, and I 100 pipers has always cost more.

 

This is the price at Wish Beer.

 

 

You're right and I apologise for my typo, too late to edit now.  100 Pipers always used to cost 399 baht, not 300, and I first started on Bells, not Be;;s!  ????  Bells incidentally, always was 395 in my local Tesco.

9 hours ago, expatjustice said:

Is 169 Baht seriously that important? 

 

Come on...

There's alway THAT one ...  ????

I gave up beer 4 years ago and started drinking whisky with lots of soda, Thai style.

I started on Bells, but now my choice is 100 Pipers.  I get the 700 ml bottle which until today cost 399 for a 700 mls bottle.

I went to 7/11 earlier to get a new one and BANG!  It was suddenly 469 baht.  The 7/11 girls couldn't explain why because all other alcohol products, including beer, were the same as before.

Does anyone have any idea why Seagrams should suddenly hike the price by almost 20%?

And what's Blend 285 Signature like, drunk with a ton of ice and a load of soda?

17 hours ago, kingofthemountain said:

It has been few years now that i am not anymore in the area

but iirc the height of the steps was 150 mm (15 cm) to basically allow to

climb the steps without having to bend the knee

 

and indeed the treads were also wider than usual, the idea

was to avoid the risk of slipping when go down the steps if the size was just of the size of the feet, so the width was 400 mm or 500 mm (40 cm ou 50 cm, i have now a doubt on the exact number)

Great information, many thanks.

Looking at the tiles, they look quite glossy and smooth.  I think I will do similar sizes, but try to get tiles with a non-slip surface, and possibly another handrail attached to the house wall.     

Need to think ahead 10 years for when I shuffle rather than walk!  ????

17 hours ago, kingofthemountain said:

Afaik there is no standart height for the stilts, it's up to you

 

As you write the main limit is indeed your ability to climb the stairs due to your knee problem, my advice is go first at the max with the backfilling of the land

 

If your land is 1 meter above the ''normal'' level, you need ''only'' 1 meter height stilts to reach the safety level of 2 meters, that means less stairs to climb.

 

The second house i built was for my old mother who had also a knee problem,so my advice for the stairs is to build the steps as large as you can, and each should be as low as possible, it should makes the climbing process much more easy for you

 

Here a photo of what i did.

 

Good advice, which I hope her family and the builders listen to, but then again ...

I like those steps with the low risers.  What height were they?  Standard height is 9 inches, but they look like 4 or 5 inches (about 100 or 125 mm).  Looks about right.

The treads look wider too, or is that because the risers are low?

I think I'd want to go for a 2.5 metre ceiling under any stilts as @Smithsonidea so it may all fit in nicely, although there may have to be a turn in the stairs to accommodate any extra height.  

The latest news is that the daughter, Covid permitting, is going to investigate the banks to get a figure against which she can borrow so let's how that goes first.  

5 hours ago, Smithson said:

I would go at least 2.5m high, then you can use the area underneath. If it's too low it'll just be a home for snakes and rats.

 

You may not think you will use underneath, but for sure you will, especially if you have Thai family.

 

It can also serve as a carport.

Yes, we've been talking of using it as that as well as a laundry and possibly a kitchen so as to maximise internal room space.

22 hours ago, Smithson said:

Traditionally houses across SEA where elevated and modern houses are returning to this design. On At ground level there's few walls, maybe just a single room or bathroom, plus simple out door kitchen. During the heat of the day ppl stay below, where it's shaded and ventilated. Then at night when it cools down ppl move upstairs which cools down fast and doesn't have as many insects.

 

Traditional Thai house

 

Modern Tropical House

In the floods 10 years ago, my wife's house was under about 5 feet or 1.5 metres of water so as this land she wants is diagonally opposite and up the road a bit, she's now decided we will need to build on stilts.

Is there a standard height for them, or is it a local things depending on local geography?   I think 2 metres or so should cover it due to the level 10 years ago, but is it better to increase the height?  Would that affect the size of building that could be built on top?

Bear in mind, I don't want to be climbing too many steps every day due to knee problems which will only worsen with age.  

22 hours ago, kingofthemountain said:

yes i am

Pretty good English in your posts.

1 hour ago, Don Chance said:

Check out:

 

 

Reading it now.  Very instructive.  Many thanks.

9 hours ago, kingofthemountain said:

imo the best option in your case (And also the more simple and secure) should be a 30 years lease agrement registered at the land office

https://www.thaiembassy.com/property/property-lease-agreement-thailand

 

A lot of articles everywhere on internet on the same thing as it's largely used by the foreigners in Thailand to ''own'' land (When in fact legally they are just renting, but when you are 70 yo and you do a rent contract of 30 years, you can easily consider to be the ''owner'' of the land\house for your lifetime)

Yes, I spent some time reading last night all about usufructs, rights of habitation and came across the 30 year lease arrangement which I shall read this morning.  That seems the best course, from my limited reading so far.

I did have a fairly long chat with the wife last night and mentioned that her daughter might not be able to borrow as much as she'd like which caused a shadow over her face for a while.  However, then she went on to say that her family would help out if necessary.  They probably will but not sure to what extent.  Just don't let them ask me for anything extra.

I then went on to say that unless we could agree NOW that if this all comes off and I will make the majority of the monthly repayments then I expected some sort of legal documentation to ensure my tenure there, usufruct, lease, whatever.    

She was all for it then whereas when I mooted it a week ago, she didn't seem as keen saying 'don't you trust me?'   Basically, she got told 'No guarantee, no money'  so I think she's got the message.

1 minute ago, Don Chance said:

Check out:

 

 

Thanks, will do.

51 minutes ago, whaleboneman said:

I always loved verandas.

Yes when I read that post I was immediately struck by the idea.  I shall certainly throw that one in the pot when it's time.

9 hours ago, kingofthemountain said:

You are welcome

 

i understand your thinking and it's logic to ask to the step daughter a contribution, however i don't think they will have the same thinking than you

 

Let's me try to explain their thinking (Of course i could be wrong and i apologize if i hurt you at some point. it's not at all my intention, i just try to see the 2 sides of the coin)

 

so they will probably think you can put 10 000 into it, as it's what you are paying now anyway and they will try to have mensualities not more than this amount, with a lower loan

(And i am sure they can built a house for much less than 2 millions, and it will be more than enough for them)

 

Of course they will not say that to you, but their main concern is you are 72 yo and they have no idea how many years you will be still able to pay the 10 000\month, so they take a risk, and it's a big risk.

 

That's why the daughter will probably put the money she won't going to put on the monthly repayment while you are alive on an account in reserve just in case she has to take over and pay at some point the totality of the montly payment

 

And we can not blame her because it's not a totally improbable hypothesis

 

It's not for nothing that the banks refuse a loan if you are over 60 yo and insurance company refuse to assure you if you are over 70.

 

I hope you understand better their point of view now, and again i apologize if i was too much harsh in my explaination

Not at all.  I don't mind paying the same amount as I currently do if I must, and yes, I understand Thai 'logic' as well!  ????  I doubt the daughter will think ahead that much and do as you suggest though.  

I think she's going to have to pay something towards it though and I think 2 or 3,000 is reasonable towards a permanent home for the rest of her life.

In terms of my age, I am in pretty good general health.  My knees have had it but I can walk OK and my last 6-monthly heart check up 6 weeks ago  was perfect.  I have mentioned before that my mother lived to 101 (and one day) and I am more than sure I have her healthy genes. 

I had a full eye checkup about the same time and all is good, although with the beginnings of cataracts in both eyes but the doc said come back in 3 years so they mustn't be too bad.

I have a full battery of male hormone tests due next week so I'll know more then but I think all is OK.

If I am careful I think I might have about another 20 years, maybe 15, but by then the daughter should have a more senior position, maybe moved on, and a higher salary so she can start paying.

The problem is that she's a feckless obese lump with her hand never outside a packet of Lay's and weighs 5 kgs heavier than I do!  If anyone will be the problem healthwise, it will be her.

And thank you or adding to my vocabulary.  I didn't know what mensualities meant until I Googled but I should have guessed it meant monthly payments.

Are you French?  I have French great-grandparents as well as German and Belgian grandparents and a Dutch mother!  ????

42 minutes ago, Swimfan said:

Just how do intend to get an unsfruct on something you do not own and are not paying for ? Sisters land, Daughter holds mortgage on property. Am I missing something here? 

Er, ask a lawyer if it's possible?  If not, I am sure there'll be some sort of document which will do something similar such as a 'right of habitation'

And then there's always this - https://www.siam-legal.com/realestate/Usufructs.php

And I will be paying the monthly repayments.  There'll be a record of that.

If I were to be kicked out, they'd lose that immediately so not a lot of point.  

1 hour ago, gunderhill said:

Dont  know  u tell me, either that or CALM down, seems to me your  highly strung, just wait until you start  building  a house if you are highly  strung youll be  running for a  cliff to  jump off, I merely  point out that a usufruct is useless in a divorce. Anyway Im done with advice, you can sort it  out yourself.

Advice?  That's what it was?  Okaayyy ...

You seem to have read everything wrong and you then accuse others of what you are doing yourself.  Bye, I'm off.  

1 hour ago, gunderhill said:

try READING I said 4  metres for column spacing but it seems you  know it  all, ask for advice then moan and whinge, good  luck youre going to need it.

From the tone of your posts and your PM, I think you need to look in a mirror when you accuse others of whinging!   ????

But thanks for your (extremely grumpy) input.  

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

SCB is more user friendly than the other banks.

1.5M is the max they will loan on a 25k wage, for 2M the wage would need to be 33k/month.

Interest rates are 4.75% at the moment. On a loan of 1.5M the repayments would be about 10k/month.

Expect a 80k bill for life insurance on the mortgage, paid in advance.

They usually spread the term of the loan to last until applicant is 60 years old.

That's good to know.  The daughter will be 30 in June so she might be able to get a 30 year loan.

I did have an SCB account when I first arrived but that was on Samui and when I moved to Bangkok I closed it and moved to Kasikorn, so I have little experience of SCB.  I will suggest to the wife that she passes that info on to her daughter, although I am sure she will try to play the field when things firm up.

I'd say she's on more than 25k, as she is a supervisor with 8 years experience.  Her cousin, my wife's niece , started her first job as a programmer/developer last October on 20 grand and she was only 23.

45 minutes ago, kingofthemountain said:

the kasikorn calculator gives 14100 thb\months with 5,97% interest rate

https://kasikornbank.com/en/Calculator/Home-Loan

of course i am sure you could find a better rate in another bank

and don't forget, the longer the loan is, the more it costs in interest

I just came across this page which is somewhat different.  https://kasikornbank.com/en/personal/Loan/Home-Loan/Pages/Home.aspx

Note footnote 2 which says that loans for houses on vacant land are not covered, so that seems to put the block on all that, unless there is a different rate applicable to vacant land building.