SwimmingPoolsThailand

The special Crocodile Platinum for swimming pools is in stock at most larger Home Mart stores, but they will order it for you.

The Weber brand pool grout is sold in Global House and possibly in some branches of Thai Watsadu, Do Home, and Home Hub. It is about twice the price of the Crocodile.

No truly professional pool constructor would use any normal grout.

To prevent problems with grout and any other cementicious materials in pools, it is extremely important to maintain a correct water chemistry. In particular the Total Alkalinity and water hardness levels. Most people are not even aware of the importance of maintaining these levels, being content just to measure pH and Total Chlorine with the cheap simple test kits in the blue box (which are OK for very small pools only).

They do what it says on the box. Easy to install.

See the products HERE

Anyone living here can buy this stuff themselves at wholesale rates from the Pool Supplies shop on Mahidol Rd (Near the Ping River bridge), or from Siam Pools.

We just had an LED light flood and needed changing and we are well over our warranty period, John the MD at Siam pools came out today himself and had his tech install a new one, no charge.

They are true to their word in after sales and service as well.

Why get a company based in Isaan (or wherever) to do what can be done locally already.

We do not believe anyone is suggesting for a moment that an Isan based company should come all the way to CM to change a light. In fact the idea strikes us as a bit odd.

Our rainy season special offers will end on 30 September.

Delivered to your door in Krabi city, province, and islands*

See our special prices at:

Super-Savers on algicides, clarifiers, stain removers, cleaners

See also our complete range of chemicals - some prices due to rise next month

Chlorine - our super low prices due to rise next month

Using salt water chlorination?

Check out our new prices of genuine pool salt

*Shipping costs shown in shopping cart.

Our rainy season special offers will end on 30 September.

Delivered to your door in Chiang Mai city and province.*

See our special prices at:

Super-Savers on algicides, clarifiers, stain removers, cleaners

See also our complete range of chemicals - some prices due to rise next month

Chlorine - our super low prices due to rise next month

Using salt water chlorination?

Check out our new prices of genuine pool salt

*Shipping costs shown in shopping cart.

As stated, our comments are: 'according to feedback' (and we receive a lot of emails every day and in many languages).

We have no immediate plans to enter the construction market in CM for domestic pools - it's simply too far away (with mountain ranges and small roads for much of the journey). This would make our prices disproportionately high on new builds and refurbs, and we would not be able to offer routine after-sales support. In spite of our location however, we can be much quicker in Vientiane in Lao (where we have a depot), central Thailand, and some of the the southern provinces (where we also have a depot). The furthest we go north is Phistanulok, which in fact is practically (as the crow flies) directly east of our main depot.

We do however have a high conversion rate in CM on enquiries for blueprints and BoQ, complete sets of technical equipment for DIY builds and/or constructions being done by the 'house builder'. The comments accompanying such enquiries are often on the lines of 'we are unable to locate a pool organisation in CM that inspires confidence'. We also regularly receive requests for advice from people who feel their constructor may not be doing things quite right, or who may be supplying unknown (read: "pirate copies") brands of equipment, or has made a complete mess of things and been fired.

However, if you are from Siam Pools, or closely connected with them, you are welcome to contact us. We receive at least 4 enquiries a week from CM and neighbouring provinces asking for quotations for domestic pools or on-site construction help which we unfortunately have to decline.

Actual showers can be very localised. That said, here in northern Isan the rainy season has got off to a very slow start. Nevertheless, still time to stock up on swimming pool chemicals and salt at our special rainy season prices to replace the loss of all those valuable chemicals through rainwater dilution.

This seems to have happened very quickly. The web site of one of our suppliers with whom we have traded successfully online for a year or so suddenly went offline yesterday immediately following a new order we placed. We paid by credit card and were not aware of it until we saw the full refund from the credit card company. Checking the supplier the next day we found the site was already down. Rest assured however that the supplies received from them were at least the genuine article (sample sent to the US manufacturer and checked for authenticity).

Unfortunately the pool construction industry in Thailand has a poor reputation, and there are a lot of 'one-pool-wonders'. Even more sadly, we are called out often to repair pools that are as little as 6 months old - genuine after-sales service and warranty appears to be not always honoured. That said, not all established pool firms are sharks - prices will naturally be higher if the company has to travel a long way. The solution is to obtain plenty of quotations and go for the middle of the road. Established firms have a reputation to maintain, but some who appear to have a nationwide network of offices/stores may not necessarily be responsible for the quality of the work of their local franchisees.

A pool should not require any major repairs for many years, although if water chemistry is not maintained regularly and accurately, re-grouting could be required in as short as 2 years especially if the expensive special grout for pools has not been used Tiles will crack and become loose quite quickly if proper (quite expensive) tiles adhesive for pools has not been used and applied correctly. Pumps will fail if allowed to run dry too often, and filter media (sand filters) may get clogged up if not backwashed and rinsed often enough. D.E. filters are susceptible to needing expensive new grid elements quite often. Poor quality plastic underwater lights will go brittle and the plastic will crumble, and the plastic lenses go opaque.

When considering the purchase of salt water chlorinators in Thailand, opt for reputed branded equipment; they are more expensive but they come with long guarantees and excellent product support here in Thailand. The retail price of pool salt in Thailand varies quite considerably although it generally comes from the same manufacturer in Isan.

Generally aimed at swimming pool water analysis from wells, etc, send us a small sample of your water for a complete certified water analysis. For details please see the page on our website,

Based near Udon Thani - unfortunately still quite a long way from Chiang Mai for pool construction, but (we believe) we are the largest and most well equipped pool construction company north of Bangkok. According to the feedback we receive, CM appears to be poorly served with reliable pool firms - don't hesitate to contact us if you think we can help in any way.

We can supply and deliver all the fixture & fittings and technical equipment for swimming pools to Koh Lanta where we have several customers.

We can also deliver the special tile adhesive and grout for swimming pools. We also have a large range of tiles.

We would be pleased to discuss your requirements with you and help you draw up a list of what you would need.

We have a works depot (but no office) in Nua Klong, Krabi. Please see our website for contact details.

For a small pool, for example up to around 3x9 (e.g. about 27,000 litres), emptying it and refilling it could be an economical solution, particularly as your water is free and you won't be using the pool for more than 3 days. Any longer than three days then you will need to filter the water and sanitise it with chlorine. You should nevertheless do a full analysis of your well water to see if it is suitable for bathing without filtration and treatment for up to three days.

Much depends however on how long it takes to fill the pool and how much water your well will provide before it runs dry. . It could take up to around 24 hours to fill a small pool.

You can send us a sample of your water for a full laboratory test. See details at Total Water Analysis.

If you are going to be there at least twice a month and would find filling and emptying the pool each time to be inconvenient, again assuming it would be a fairly small pool, say up to about 4 x 10, a proper pool filtration system, and perhaps including a chlorine tablet dispenser, or even installing a salt water chlorination system, will not impact significantly on the total build cost of the pool.

If our company hadn't settled where it is 15 years ago (we have an extensive compound with a brand new showroom and large demo pool opening shortly) we would have probably chosen KK as the location for our head office. That said, we are still within a very reasonable drive from KK for anyone seriously considering having a pool built, and of course for your regular pool supplies, we deliver to your door in about 48 hours. We are also opening a small shop in Udon soon because as sanuk711 says, and as we mentioned above, the shopping and facilities for farangs are somewhat better there.

A farang customer of ours has his 3-bedroom bungalow for sale in a quiet, somewhat older mooban, very close to the city centre. The house was completely refurbished 2 years ago by our sister construction company with a hi-tech kitchen annexe added, and a 3x9 pool built by us. The only downside is the poor availability of good and/or reasonably priced service and supplies for swimming pools pools in Khon Kaen (we are located nearer Udon). Beware of people charging up to Baht 750.00 for a 25 Kg bag of pool salt and Baht 900.00 for a 5Kg bucket of pH Minus.

Overall, KK is a nice city, good shopping (although arguably better in Udon Thani which now boasts the country's largest Central mall and better selections and restaurants for Western gourmets), good schools, and a city centre grid-system that makes getting around it by car very easy. Bus terminals and railway station in or very near the city centre. Airport not as busy as Udon Thani airport (about 1 hour away). 6- or 4-lane lane highways (or under development) to all neighbouring provinces. KK now also has some metered taxis.

Excellent hospitals - some of the best in the country due to the high reputation of the faculty of medicine at the uni.

Easy reach of Nong Khai for border runs, or just to visit Vientiane.

Lacking in a truly performing local farang forum, but there is always ThaiVisa and UdonMap.

Rainy season from May - November, yes, but overall far less oppressively humid than seaboard locations. Cooler and very nice from November to February but still generally hotter than it ever gets in the UK. Some days may be a bit cool for bathing in your pool, but that wouldn't put the Brits off

For more details about the house, send us a PM.

We use a variety of payment and transfer methods.

Our customers can pay in Thailand by their PayPal account if it is registered in Thailand by using the PayPal API on our online store.

Our customers can pay in Thailand by their credit debit cards if they are drawn on a Thai bank by using the PayPal API on our online store.

Our customers can pay in Thailand by ATM if their credit /debit / ATM cards are drawn on a Thai bank.

Customers not having Thai based PayPal accounts or Thai credit/debit cards can pay from anywhere by PayPal invoice, or SWIFT transfer.

We pay our Thai suppliers by direct iBanking from our Thai banks.

We pay our foreign suppliers by credit card, PayPal or SWIFT transfer, whichever they prefer.

We and our customers and suppliers are satisfied with all the options.

We do not use independent money wire services such as, for example, Western Union.

NOT EVERY TRUCK - We have several diesel vehicles ranging from 1-ton pick-ups to 6-wheelers; brands include Nissan, Tata, and Heino. All purchased new within the last 3 years, but some now have over 200,000 Km on the clock. None of them belch smoke. All are serviced every 10,000.00 Km. Not one single repair needed to any of them.

Dirty air filters is the main reason for smoke from diesel engines.

Dirty swimming pool water is usually also the fault of the owners. Filters need taking care of

It's important to know exactly what you are getting when shopping for pool chemicals. We know of a pool shop in Udon Thani for example, whose staff are so little informed that they recommend Soda Ash (or pH Plus) for reducing the pH. Shop around for prices (which don't always reflect the quality) which tend to be somewhat higher in areas with a high concentration of swimming pools. Often, buying swimming pool chlorine online from SwimmingPoolsThailand for example, even taking into consideration the shipping cost, may be a more economical or time/distance saving solution. With chlorine, there's not much to be gained by trekking to a physical store and looking or sniffing at what you are getting.

There is a recent ThaiVisa thread here concerning Panda brand chlorine.

An appropriate target level for CYA is typically between 30 and 50 ppm. The highest level should not exceed 100 ppm, while one county health department recommends the level should not exceed 30 ppm. You can also read the fact sheet online directly at http://www.lincoln.ne.gov/city/health/environ/pollu/pdf/Cyanuric.pdf .

It is always best to add CYA in more than one step, so you don't overshoot your target. Using chlorine powder in those quantities to raise the CYA level may simply result in over-chlorination; in fact in the long run it may even work out more expensive than purchasing a small quantity of neat CYA powder.

Test strips are notoriously inaccurate unless of course they are providing the same reading as a more sophisticated apparatus. The Aquacheck digital test strip readers are generally more reliable, but there are also other accurate cyanuric acid testers.

Occasionally adding stabilised chlorine to your pool is a good way to add CYA. Neat CYA powder is expensive and only very small amounts are required.

All pool chlorine marketed as T.C.C.A. 90% trichlorisocynauric acid (the standard swimming pool chlorine powder, granules, or tablets) is 'stabilised' i.e. it contains CYA.

For the exact ppm required of CYA in pools, you can download an independent non-commercial fact sheet from the Swimming Pools Thailand CYA product page (see DOWNLOAD).

Poolchlor comes from China. We also offer Nissan brand from Japan. Although there is a significant difference in price we haven't actually noticed any real difference in performance. We sell about 50 times more Poolchlor than NIssan.

Many people living in accommodation with communal swimming pools (mansions, condos, housing developments) are blithely unaware of possible sub-standard electrical installations. And not only in Pattaya - we've also seen some horrendous situations in Krabi, Bangkok, and Phuket.

The conditions in many of the pump rooms - which all too often degrade into a total slum - would certainly put anyone off from putting their feet in the pool.

If you own a condo or a villa as a rental investment, you may even be held partly responsible for accidents to your tenants.

Consider insisting on an inspection by a local (but genuine) pool professional. There might be a small fee, but nothing the co-property committee can't afford for the safety of its residents.

"The price of a combined MCB (Miniature Circuit Breaker) / RCD (Residual Current Device) in this country is more than double of that in Australia"

There are high customs tarifs on imported goods here - one cannot compare the cost with the price of a product made and sold in its home country, add to that the shipping and local distribution costs.

RCCBs (or whatever different terminology is used by nations divided by a common language) are widely available here and cost around Baht 1,000.00. That said, anyone who can afford a pool can afford the $30 for a RCCB. Not much considering the protection they afford - and there are plenty of homes in Europe that are still not equipped with them.

We would not consider installing or servicing electrical pool equipment without one and we refuse to carry out any electrical work on a pool, even replacing pumps, underwater lights, or installing additional electrical accessories if a customer refuses to let us install one or refuses to upgrade his load centre or consumer unit.

Pool water chemistry does not need to be understood at a scientific level by pool owners to be able to purchase some water testers - even inexpensive digital ones - some chemicals, and read the instructions. There is also a plethora of advice available on the Internet for swimming pool maintenance in many languages and some of the more responsible pool constructors and pool product suppliers are quite happy to offer free, competent, professional advice if asked - even here in Thailand.

Totally irresponsible electrical installations in and around swimming pools in Thailand are unfortunately all too commonplace, not only on private property, but also in semi-public and commercial pools - we see it all the time.

When we are asked to service or repair pool installations and notice such deficiencies, we point these things out but are met with a shrug and nothing gets done about it.

All electrical equipment in and around a pool should be low voltage 12V, and the standard 220V supplying the 220-12V transformers should be earthed (grounded), adequately protected by RCCBs, and housed well away from the pool or any other water features. Not rocket science, and everything easily available here - all the more reason to insist that pools and their surrounding areas are designed and installed by true professionals.