Gold2005

I have always used Kensington accept once and wish I had used them. They know what they are doing, are fair on price, speak English and take all the hassles and worries away from you. Built my house and several of my friends. We are all very pleased indeed. They do renovation works too.

Web site is www.chiangmaibuilders.com Chris is the guy to speak to and is very helpful and kind. Graeme is main construction guy and is very knowledgeable. Try them and see. Using the wrong company can be disastrous so be very careful. The lads at kensington are honest, fair and very giving of their time. Answer e-mails quickly, respond to questions and will always come back and sort probelms out if they occur. BThey are the favoured guys by most expats and long term residents in Chiang Mai. Hope it helps.

I will make a note of that guys name. Thanks. Very useful. For small handy man works sound great. I need my garage painting.

For any form of building works I have always used Kensington. Garden walls, house builds, extensions etc. They did my first home and it was done very well. A friend recommended them to me . I then found myself recommending them to several expat Chiang Mai residents and all are very pleased with the work and the homes they have built. One of them even won the Conde Nast international award so must be pretty good

Kensington are not the cheapest or the most expenisve, but without doubt, they are the best. I always tell anyone in Thailand always avoid the cheap route anyways. It is just a disaster waiting to happen. Cheap means cheap here in every aspect. Kensington are quality at fair prices. Very good value for money. They take all the hassles and worries away from the person who wants to build a home. We all know the problems that can occur here and these guys stop you from experiencing that. In the long run you actually save money. They understand the higher standards expats expect and want. They also help save you money, give excellent advice and help you every step of the way. I was over the moon with my house. Dealt with a few others companies, but it was either a problem with being able to trust them to do it right, or there was no level of quality, or simply the standard of workmanship was not there with the others. Kensington really did what they said they would and were happy to come back and help if anything needed correcting. Wonderful service and very nice people. Honest and experienced. Graeme who is kensington''s main construction guy was a top guy. Very kind and giving of his time.

There web site is www.chiangmaibuilders.com Try and them and see for yourselves.

I have used a Thai lawyer for 20 years and he is excellent. I trust him 100% and he is not only an excellent lawyer but a true friend. A seasoned court lawyer who has won most of his cases,speaks fluent English and is liked by all who use him. Very popular with expats and companies. I believe licenced Thai lawyers are prohibited from advertising. I may be wrong. But law firms that offer legal services like a retail outlets are not. Good lawyers have no need to advertise. They are recommended. Maybe I was lucky but my Thai lawyer is a real gem.

Your previous post said 8 years,thankyou Mr Winai!

Thanks for the typo error observation. Must be getting old or have fat fingers probably both ! Winai is a good guy and one of the best i have met.

I have used a Thai lawyer for 20 years and he is excellent. I trust him 100% and he is not only an excellent lawyer but a true friend. A seasoned court lawyer who has won most of his cases,speaks fluent English and is liked by all who use him. Very popular with expats and companies. I believe licenced Thai lawyers are prohibited from advertising. I may be wrong. But law firms that offer legal services like a retail outlets are not. Good lawyers have no need to advertise. They are recommended. Maybe I was lucky but my Thai lawyer is a real gem.

or Pinkies in Ploenchit. Mahatun Plaza Arcade, ploenchit road. 02 252 9680 He has done me proud over the years

www.pinkytailor.com

To anyone living in BKK - advice please. I am in desparate need of a lawyer based in Thailand - preferrably English and based in Bangkok - if such exist. Alternatively, an English speaking Thai professional; one who is absolutely reliable and trustworthy. Can anyone please recommend someone whom they know and trust.

Thank you.

Yes I can strongly recommend a Mr. Winai Supornmattee. He has been my lawyer for nearly 8 years now and I have found him to be nothing but honest, fair and very giving of his time and knoweldge. He is in fact a court lawyer too. I did not use the big foreign run international firms as they are too expensive. But they are good of course. But way over priced. But Winai is a trained Thai lawyer and been doing court cases for over 15 years. I would rank him up aganst any of big law firms. He wins many cases. He is also very good for smaller matters too. If you send me a message I will give you his number. He looks after many expats here.

You could also try thailandarchitects.com I just found it on the net and spoke with them. Seemed like nice people. I am looking for a good architect to help my friend who is going to be building a home. Found the contractor and will be using Kensington. Found them to be brilliant. But my friend wants to use a seperate architect for some crazy reason. But she is my friend so her wish is my command I am going to meet the guys at this web site.

Must be getting old. I did not check the date Still hopefully someone may find it helpful who is looking for a good reliable and honest company to build or renovate.

You could try Bangkok Home Care. David is the main guy. Very nice. Do a search on the internet for the company. I used them and they were excellent !

Yes I got David from Bangkokhomecare to help me. Marvelous job they did. Should do as he used to work for the award winning Berkley Homes in the UK. Nice man. They really knew what they were talking about. Trustworthy, reliable and straight talkers. All in all very pleased with the results. High quality of finish and I had no problems or hassles with them. Took a bit longer than first expected but I made a few changes so can't blame them for that. That was my fault. Mucked about with getting three quotes and to be honest I would not bother again. The other two companies were useless. Did not turn up on time for meetings, delayed things...just a pain to deal with.

Bangkok Home Care prices were a bit more than one of them and less than the other. Middle of the road I would say but very fair. But I never go for cheapest quotes ever here. Twenty years of living here have taught me that is one big mistake. I would expect to pay more for a professional to supervise the job. So I was very happy to do so. I would prefer to pay the extra than have it turn into a nightmare. So another success tory here Good bunch of workers too. Bangkok Home Care have just done the toilet refit at the Pickled Liver in Soi 11 and done a great job too. They were still working at 2am in the morning one night. So that shows dedication !

It does not surpise me at all. Its a marvelous city. So interesting and so diverse. Where else can you go to a 4/5 star hotel and have an incredible buffet with all manner of delicious food and eat as much as you like for $35-50. Free river boat to it too !! Great shopping malls, hotels, restaurants. Yes it is polluted and yes its not as beautiful as say Paris or Vienna...but Bangkok is a great city. Been to many cities all over the world and I can say this is one of the best I have been too. Paris, London, Amsterdam, Vienna, Prague, Madrid, Athens, New York, LA, Boston and San Francisco etc all have their plus points too but Bangkok is certainly one of the best I have visited. Not the most modern, not the most beautiful but as an overall feel...it is pretty good.

12k seems okay but if far out then may be hard to rent out for that. I would always put at that and see who comes along. Better to have a tennant than be empty. So if someone offered me 10K I would take it or 12K. But I think 20-25 is way too high. Unless it is very nice indeed.

Sounds like the bigger issue is actually FINDING labourers who can commit to doing the work for you, work properly and show up every day. If this ends up costing 200 or 250 baht a day I think is the lesser issue?

Never a truer word spoken Winnie The Kwai ! I could not agree more A fine and valid opinion. Best advice possible ! In Thailand some people (not all of course) worry so much about not paying too much, want cheapest posisble rates and forget the bigger picture. Seen it so many times over twenty years. People go for the cheapest route and lowest prices; only to then either be subjected to awful quality, bad workmanship, liars, unreliable people and inexperienced people. If it costs you a few baht more for someone relaible and trustworthy.....pay it ! Its worth every baht.

Wise words Winnie !

Thanks. I think we are lucky too. I have been out here for twentry years. Lived in Phuket too. Nice for a holiday occassionally if you don't mind the absurd prices but Chiang Mai is a much better place to live. I love the sea but could not deal anymore with the grabby, greedy attitude of foreigners and Thai's alike. You should try CM for a while I had a home built here and never looked back. Albeit I still go back and forth all over the country. Good place to live.

Wow ! You have a talent Sir ! My Dad owns an art business in the UK that takes artists originals of their painting and produces high end limited edition prints. It means artists of all types can produce limited run prints of their work. From 1-500. Its okay I am not trying to sell you on it But he has done some David Sheperd (the wildlife artist) prints recently and hundreds of amateur's works too as we all professional artists. I wonder if they offer this service here. Its great as you can give them to friends and family but also sell a limited edition run ! You can even have just say 5 done which is great.

Anyways to cut a long story short. Your work is excellent. Its a beautiful painting. Very impressed. I wish I had your talent to be able to paint like that. Marvelous.

Check out the real estate agnents. There are plenty to see on the internet. Good place to get a feel for prices and sizes.

I like the riverside nd Brasserie. But bit biased as like the live music Food is not the best in town but lovely atmosphere I think with good music. Mandarin Oriental is good but expensive.

I have had two homes built now and 3 of my friends have too. We all used Kensington. Very popular with all the expat community here. Office is in Sarapee. Very nice guys, experienced and good prices. Happy to recommend them. Lived here twenty years now and learnt my lessons over the years. These guys are good honest builders, doa good job at a fair price. There web site is www.chiangmaibuilders.com I am sure they can help with renovation too. Did a lovely job of my house.

Chiang Mai gets my vote. Phuket was nice ten years ago but it has all the hallamarks of why I wouldn't want to live there now. I had a house in Phuket and although the beach aspect is nice, the prices are absurd to say the least. I contantly felt ripped off. Taxi's, long tail fish boats, trips, restauarants. I am no cheap charlie but when its more expenisive sometiems than London you have to question it.As for pollution....yes Chiang mai has its share but where doesn't these days. Check the latest figures for European cities. There are many alot worse than Chiang Mai for sure. Chiang Mai is now where I have a home and very happy although I go to Phuket and Bangkok when I feel I want a change. Alot going for it and much to do.

To let you know: Chris from Kensington has a policy of lowest price guranteed but only if the spec is the same. I found, the one contractor who was cheaper, had substituted cheaper materials and mislead me on the spec. Kensington was using grade A materials as they should be. He then very nicely said Kensington can easily do it for the same price but it is a different quote as the materials were different. Which is of course correct. So they must quote for the same as the other contractor has quoted using the same materials. But he advised me not to use lower grade materials and stick with their original quote. I spoke to a project manager of some 30 years who works for the company building the Dubai World project. So the guy knows what he is talking about. He told me the advice I received from Chris at Kensington was abolutely correct and sensible. He also told me it is why some builders sound cheap, as they substitute cheaper low grade materials. The other builder was quoting using low grade. Which no one should use for a house. So I used Kensington. How can their prices be beaten when they Guarantee they will do it for less if the spec if the same. Guranteed lowest prices. I can not see how a company could be any fairer or more honest. All my expat mates have used them for this reason. Honesty is everything in buisness.

I do not like to recommend too muc as each persons experience is different. But when I was down in Bangkok from Chiang Mai last week. I tried a new one in Sukhumvit Soi 3. Called City Dental Clinic on same side as Grace Hotel, but before you get to it. I was very pleased with the treatment and results. Not the cheapest but I was happy. Good service I thought. Good luck

a few days ago i got hit by a moterbike while i was on my bicycle and messed up my (already bad) back and neck. I went to the hospital, got xrays, was told that nothing was broken but my back and neck looked like a 40 year olds (i am 22) and then when i asked him what to do he shrugged and sent me on my way. Are there any psyiscal therapists, chiropractors or any alternativs that i can see in chiang mai because i am in massive amounts of pain.

You could try taking Glucosomine Suphate tablets every day with 2 Fish oil tablets too. I have taken them all my life and works wonders for aches, pains and bones ache etc. Alot of people take them every day for their back. Particularly as they get older. Works wonders after 2-3 months. Hope you get better soon. Take care.

Yes, I know. Skip the regular one's (like Kensington or Build Sabai) Maybe their good, but their expensive as well. You can get the same (or better) result by another. PM me directly and I will tell you the company name and details. I have my own experiance with them and my reasons to skip the others.

Not sure why would you say skip Kensington and Build Sabai. I have spoken with both companies and they were certainly not expensive at all. Infact Kensington was cheaper than two other local contractors I spoke to and got quotes for. Their prices are very fair and they built my house and have successfully built 3 other people's houses I know. Their price was 34% lower than the highest and they provided a service that was to say the least impeccable. I would recommend them to anyone. Both are experienced and professional. Graeme and Chris really looked after me and nothing was too much trouble. They also designed and built a lady called Belinda's house which won the Hottest boutique Hotel in Asia award in may 2008. So they must be doing something right All I hear is positive recommendations and I had my house built by them and it was excellent. They are often accalaimed in magazine all over the country and always in a positive light. But each to their own. But if you want quality, service and honesty at a fair price, they are definitely the boys. That is my opinion from living here for twenty years now.

I completely agree with you its just that in countries such as Thailand, with its easy-going lifestyle and lax enforcement of laws, is a magnet for failures from other countries who can re-invent themselves over here as professionals. Therefore, the proportion of dodgy characters tends to be much higher than you would normally expect.

You are right there Eddie. Could not agree with you more. Wow and aren't they awful people. I stay well clear of them. Cheap Charlies, morons professing to be professionals and con men acting as if they are clever, stealing people's money and doing a terrible job. No wonder they come here.....as the UK, Australia, Europe or USA would not put up with them and they probably had no friends. It is a sad but true observation you made. However as I say there are excellent expats here too and I have used them successfully before. But one has to be careful. I am a great checker and always ask the right questions to avoid the bad ones. It drives the bad ones mad but any decent professional company can easily answer these questions and not mind either. If somebody has something to hide they won't answer. This is what I ask:

Do you have a company ?

Do you have a work permit ?

How long has your company being going ?

Can you show me works you have done before ?

Can I speak to customers you have done works for before ? I want a reference or recommendation.

How long has the porject manager been in construction and was it your chosen career ?

Do you insure the project during construction ?

Do you have an office ?

Do you offer a guarantee and a proper legal contract ?

Who oversees the project ?

etc etc

When wanting to build my home, I asked this of over 4 builders. They either never replied, lied or could not answer and ignored my questions. If someone does not e-mail back within 24 hours, it is a clear sign of what you can expect of their service. If someone does not make themselves available to you during normal working hours, it is what you can expect later on. If someone constantly has their mobile off, they are going to be terrrible to deal with during construction. These are all bad signs and my advice is walk away from them immediately. Avoid them like the plague and do not do any further business with people like this.

The guys at Kensington, who I used to build my house answered all my questions, answered e-mails within hours, helped me very step of the way and were so appreciative of the work. Hence why I chose them. Good job too as they did a cracking job for me. Never moaned once, always were helpful and came back several times to sort anything out. All in all they provided me with what we should all expect: a good professional, honest service at a fair price. I was happy to pay for it. And would recommend them to anyone because they did what they said they would and more. And that is half the battle in business particularly here. Honesty goes a long way in my book.

Avoid the bad ones and keep smiling

Sounds to me just another example of the media gone mad to make money. As we know sadly there is alot of money to be made from people's death's particularly celebs. The more bizzarre the story the more money they can milk it for. The truth is normally not so exciting but Kung <deleted> Assasins...now we are talking...$$$$$$...................Won't be following this craziness any further. Stinks of another media circus to me.