pepsi666

As for teaching other trades, I COULDNT teach any Thai about wood carving, THEY do fantastic work (apologies for typo error)

My work and responsabilities at LHR (Heathrow) are fesh and foul water supplies to ALL terminals, freshwater tank underground, pumps, settling lakes, firemains, fire hydrants, firemain and other pipework bursts (this also includes toilets, cisterns, freshwater tanks in the buildings, urinals, hot water supplies, cylinders, high and low pressure,calorifiers,high pressure hot water, taps, sinks, handbasins, traps and pipework, electronic flushing systems and electronic taps)

Sanitation block, macerator pumps, sump pumps, check water temperatures for water borne diseases

We laid ALL the fresh water supplies to Terminal 5, and the new firemain, hydrants, fire hoses and laid the foul water from Terminal 5, but we are not involved with the 'fit out' of the new toilets, cisterns, pans, h/basins, kitchens, sprinkler system

We also look after the BAA houses which they rent out, so that is the domestic part of it (we look after the water supplies, drainage and hot and cold water and central heating in them)

We also do mains laying, sizes are from 48 inch down to 15mm poly pipes, with various types of pipe, ie concrete, asbestos, ductile, cast, plastic, poly, PVC, and various ways of joining them, lead, flanged, fusion welded, VJ's,

Jetting for preventative maintainence, clearing blockages from various size pipes (scale, fat, passports, other nasties), slot drain jetting, petrol interceptors cleaning, storm water drainage

I also do private work at weekends, to keep my hand in and earn extra money

I have to admit that this is not a usual plumbers work, but it is a plumbers work at an airport, but it does enable me to talk with some authority about plumbing

I dont do this all on my own, I do have other lads to help, (Perry, Dave, Peter, Simon, Ian, Malc, Dennis)

The airport is the equivilant of a largish town I think and has the same problems I reckon, , things wear out, vandalism, things break, burst, and just generally dont work (but nothing we cant handle )

Pepsi666,

If my uncle is doing plumbing or electrical for a Thai person, he does it just like all the other plumbing and electrical in the village and everyone is satisfied with the results since their expectation is that they will end up with plumbing and electrical just like everyone elses....Thai people (in my experience) like to have things just like everyone else more or less. When my uncle works for me he understands that I'm a farang and want things a bit different from Thai people so he sometimes/often/usually asks me how I want stuff...and I tell him...and he does it....he doesn't cut corners when working for me...at least so far I've had no problems with anything he has plumbed.

My uncle can not read drawings as far as I know....but then no one here in the village has a drawing for their houses. As far as I can tell no one (except myself) who has worked on my house can read a drawing. I don't have a drawing for my house. I'll make up drawings of details, like stairs so that I can calculate dimensions but it is a struggle to try to explain something from one of these drawings.

My uncle does understand why you use a fuse but I don't think he understands how it works. He doesn't know the difference betweend AC and DC but he does know that batteries are different from utility electricity. He doesn't know about 3 phase but then no one has any here in the village.

As to what a plumbers job is.....here in the village it is to cut and glue pipe together to accomplish what the home owner wants. If the homeowner doesn't know for sure they can go over to the neighbor's house and say "do it like that". Also plumbers dig trenches and break holes in concrete for passing pipes through...stuff like that.

I don't think you'll get much work from my uncle's mistakes....unless you want to work for 170 baht per day....also....he really doesn't make that many mistakes because the plumbing here is really simple stuff.

I'm not trying to deny the need for some good plumbers in Thailand...I'm just trying to give people an impression of what the bulk of plumbing is like in Thailand. It is really really simple stuff. MOST of the plumbing done in Thailand is done by mostly untrained people (at least no formal training) and it works just fine. My plumbing works just fine and no one working on it had any formal training. You probably think that the standards in my village are too low.....we in the village think that your standards are too high....there is room in the world for both of us. We have no problem with the quality of our plumbing usually and if we do then we fix it! We hope that the quality of our plumbing is not a problem for you either.

Chownah

P.S. I don't understand about not swimming in the sea after a storm....I've never heard this....what does it mean?

Chownah

No offence intended, I didnt know you were talking about village type plumbing or wiring, I have supplied villages with water and power in some of the loneliest places in the world (Oman, Aden Africa, ) and it was basic and it worked, and even though it wasnt 'just glueing pipes together' it did work, same as the power, we supplied them with generators and strung cables from trees or buried them in te ground

But what about the plumbing in larger towns and houses ? THey must have plumbers

As for teaching other trades, I could teach any Thai about wood carving, THEY do fantastic work there, first and second fixings in houses in houses and condo's I think is unheard of (but I maybe wrong, same goes with plumbing)

I was thinking more of teaching plumbing skills rather than laying and installing pipwork

I'll get back to you this evening with a UK plumbers skills and responsabilities, well at least mine at LHR (Heathrow)

Chownah,

I wouldnt say there is an overtrained plumber, there are plenty of people who call themselves plumbers though, and sticking a bit of pipe together certainly doesnt make you a plumber (if he cuts corners using a chicken feather as a brush, what other corners does he cut ? )

Domestic plumbing doesnt just start when it comes into a house/condo, its well before that, what about cross contamination ? (easy to spread dysentry, typhoid, legionaires disease, if no controls to stop them )

I cant see how your uncle can understand drawings and circuits if he cant read and write

Does he know the difference betwwen power and lighting ?

single phase/3 phase circuits, the use of fuses and why a fuse is there ? AC/DC ?

Just out of intrest what do you think a plumbers job is ?

I love people like your uncle, I get a lot of work from them, when it goes wrong and dont work

Another thing, why cant you swim in the sea after a storm ? BAD PLUMBING (yes, beleive it or not that is part of a plumbers job/responsability)

looks like I might be going ahead with this, now

BAA has been bought up by a Spanish outfit and they may well be bringing in their own teams after WE have shown them how things work and where they are

Just got to find out about Visa's, work permits and such, but then again I could just retire there and do a visa run every month

Thailand getting help from the Irish.

This is going to be interesting..

Construction

Whatever the link was for, dont work, it needs a login name and password

Is there only one TV channel in Thailand ?

I thought there was as many satalite TV channels as Sky in the UK, especialy sports channels

Still good luck to the King, Good old Queen Bess sent him a congratulatory letter (saw that in a UK newspaper, didnt make the front page though, (they must both be ruling about the same length of time)

Oh yeah, where do taxis leave London for Heathrow from? Same answer

You can pick up a black cab anywhere to take you to Heathrow, should set you back about 50-70 quid, depending on time of day, motorways (M4, M25, M3)and where abouts in London you, but I reckon you may be pushed to find a toll road

(They got otherways to seperate you from your money )

Pepsi, drop me an IM.

I run a company here that does a lot of plumbing, though it is not our core business.

I/we are thinking along the lines of what you are, a vocational school teaching western practices.

I gotta admit, its only an idea, and i havent done any research as to how feasable it is, or even whether it is morally feasable, but 2 heads are better than 1.

Regards

Sent you a PM

Could anyone be so kind as to tell me where to find a taxi from Pattaya to Bangkok late at night. I remember taking one several years ago from a a kind of Taxi rank but I can't for the life of me remember where it was.

Whats the going rate these days - 1200 baht still?

if you look around, some are doing it for 800, dont know what route they take though, dont forget the tolls as well, some (most) hotels have a mini bus that do the Pattaya - Bankok run to pick up tourists from the airport

There are Craft Training colleges throughout Thailand, one is located on the left hand side of the Bang Na Trad highway as you pass Jontiem on the way to Sathahip.

I've worked on a number of projects (Refineries and Chemical Plants) where Thai plumbers where installing industrial water systems, and HVAC, their work was excellent.

A lot get said on this forum running down Thai workmanship. Perhaps Somchai the farmer turning his hand to building/electrics/plumbing might make a mess of it, but the Thais I have worked with on large construction projects have been excellent.

An example, Thai coded welders are renowned for the quality of their work. Something a lot of westerners don't like to accept, but the QA records demonstrate that they do do fantastic work.

Not only that, Thai compliance to safety instructions on the projects I have worked on have exceeded anything I've seen in Europe.

Many thanks for an excellent reply

How would a westerner cope with starting up a school for plumbers ?

Giving them the same training and qaulifications as a UK plumber (NVQ and GNVQ)

From my experience, having built three houses here, there is no such item as a Thai Plumber as known in the profesional\western world!

If there arent plumbes as we know them who puts the 'pipes' in ?

So who does the plumbing work ?

whoever is handy ?

Are there any regulations governing supplies or is it up to the water suppliers ?

Is there any Thai plumbers or Thai plumbing contractors in Thailand ?

How do the Thai's become plumbers ?

Are there any schools/apprenticeships to teach Thai's how to become plumbers ?

Are there any regulations that governing Plumbers in Thailand ?

What qualifications do Plumbers have in Thailand ?

Is the plumbing left up to who ever is on site ?

Is there any Plumbers who offer a 'call out' service ?

Do the 'plumbers work on both 'fresh and fou'l ?

Does 'storm water' apply to plumbers over there as well ? (collection and storage)

Please dont take the pi**, this is a genuine enquiry about the state of the plumbing industy in Thailand

What type of ants are they ?

You are going to have REAL trouble if they are any of these

I got this earlier, maybe he got it as well

WIN A COUNCIL HOUSE

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If you still don't understand the rules, don't forget there's no need to phone a friend or ask the audience, just apply for legal aid. Hundreds of lawyers, social workers and counsellors are waiting to help. It won't cost you a penny, so play today; it could change your life forever.

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Get along to the airport, get along to the lorry park, get along to the ferry terminal. Don't stop in Germany or France.

Go straight to Britain. And you are guaranteed to be one of tens of thousands of lucky winners in the softest game on earth.

Roll up, roll up my friends for the game that never ends.

Everyone's a winner, when they play 'ASYLUM'.

He thought he was coming, she thought he ws coming, big mistake, HE was going

At least he was enjoying himself, some dont get so lucky

From the experts, where in pattaya is the best place for a massage. I have read the reviews and thay are mixed, Im taking a friend for the 1st time so I want selection and class if that is possible!!

It depends on what you are looking for (i.e. Traditional Thai massage or "White Water Rafting").

Try looking here:

ThaiAnxiety/Massage

And browsing the topics in barladies dot com will help, as that subject is being discussed there right now as well.

(so I've heard )

I want the "White water Rafting" type of massage Have read aboput several places but the reviews are mixed.

Well the place I have mentioned definately aint for you then you only get a massage there, no extras

If anyone does start knocking out TV tee shirts, put me down for one

I am after some embroidered should badges,(and maybe caps) about 10-15, military type/style any idea where I could get them done ? (probably just a 1 off tho)

There is a place I used while there, called SMART, they were very good, foot, full body,oil massage, facial massage (my wife enjoyed that) sports massage (I saw a couple of the Muay Thai boxers in there getting sorted.

Its not a very big place, the chairs are comfy, and here are drapes seperating mssage areas, and they have birdsong in the back ground AND your not on show while getting a massage (no big windows) and they finish off with 'tea' (bit sweet and perfumey for me tho)

They are on 2nd Road, if you walk up South Pattaya Road from Beach road on to 2nd Road, they are about 30-40 meters on your left, you'll have to look for it, its very easy to miss.

I have used them a lot, they have certificates in a glass case and I would assume they are Buddhists as they all seem to say a prayer before they start, there are both feamale and male massuers there (the blokes seem masculine, but the guy on the recepetion is a bit 'fairy like' but he is friendly enough, never 'come on to anyone)

But is it just a massage you want ?

there are quite a few 'arty' places, that do the 'spiritual' bits, hot stones, hydro thereapy, steam/sauna's, aroma thereapy, but they are back from the beach area, I found them okay, but a bit steep in price, but I found the whole 'spiritual' thing a bit boring and I never felt 'uplifted'

Then there are some that offer 'extras' but those you'll have to sort yourself (or maybe others will let you know about them)

must have been the new A380, just seeing if it would fit in there

U-Tapao International Airport (IATA: UTP, ICAO: VTBU), also known as Utapao or U-Taphao, is one of the important international airports under supervision of the Royal Thai Navy's Naval Air Division Commander. It is one of Thailand's regional airports, located 25 minutes’ drive from Pattaya and Rayong, which are among the best beach resorts in Thailand. The facility is located near the city of Sattahip on the Gulf of Siam, approximately 90 miles south of Bangkok. The geographical location is 12°40′40″N, 101°00′33″E.

Airlines which use U-Tapao International Airport are:

Bangkok Airways (Phuket, Ko Samui)

Finnair (Helsinki)

Korean Air (Seoul)

Siberia Airlines (Irkutsk, Novosibirsk)

Transaero (Moscow)

U-Tapao International Airport is a part of U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield which is the home of the Royal Thai Navy First Air Wing. During the Vietnam War U-Tapao was a front-line base of the United States Air Force.

U-Tapao is both an active civil airport and a Royal Thai Navy Airfield, being the home of the Royal Thai Navy First Air Wing. For several years, beginning in 1981, the airfield has hosted parts of Operation Cobra Gold, a joint exercise involving U.S. Armed Forces, Singaporean Forces and Royal Thai Forces designed to build ties between the nations and promote interoperability between each of the nations different military components.

Operation Cobra Gold is the largest U.S. military peacetime exercise in the Pacific. Royal Thai marines hit the beach at Utapao, Thailand during a Combined Amphibious Landing Force Exercise with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit Special Operations Capable. The U.S. and Thai Marines trained together during the exercise, which was part of Exercise Cobra Gold 2002.

Thailand is an important element in the Pentagon's new strategy of "forward positioning". Also, despite Thailand's neutrality on the war in Iraq, the Thai government allowed U-Tapao to be used by American warplanes flying into combat in Iraq, as it had earlier done during the war in Afghanistan.

In addition, U-Tapao may be where Al Qaeda operatives have been interrogated, according to some retired American intelligence officials.

The humanitarian relief effort for the Sumatran Tsunami of 26 December 2004 was being coordinated from the U-Tapao Royal Thai Naval Air Force Base. A multinational force headquarters was established at the base.

SOURCE

Thanks very much for the info, Dave

What is it about getting your posting numbers up ? WHY ?

Why do you need to get your postinfs so high ? is there a prize for the top poster ?

If there is, I guess I'm out of the running for even being close, some have posted thousands of them

An airport in Pattaya ?

Never knew they had an airport even close

Is it a military base or civilian ?

What airlines fly in there if it is a civilian airport ?

If its a military airfield, what aircraft fly from there ?

Attackers caught after offensive mugging

What mugging ISN'T offensive?

The one's done in the bars by the girls, happens every night, it the one's by the L/B and katoys that are offensive (well the ugly one's )

dont get into any scraps with local Thai's,

keep a low profile,

Dont brag about being soldiers, just be tourists

Just be aware of where you are and dont disgrace yourself or unit/regiment

Hey Pepsi

I thought in a previous post you beat up a mugger in Pattaya.

Is that scrapping with the locals or is that different.

What was it you said , I gave him the bad news ???

Pattaya a fun city for all types and all standards even double standards.

Have a nice day.

Yep, I did give a mugger a good hiding (along with everyone else he met) I never used batons or night sticks (everyone else did)

But that was completely different, he was the attacker, not me, so I dont see how its a double standard.

If they are attacked, I would expect them (and anyone else) to protect them self, BUT not to just beat up the locals because they are there

The Police were called to my attack, so as far as I was concerned it was in their hands after and no charges were bought against me, even though I told them I had 'given him the good news' no charges were bought against anyone else who gave him a whack or 3

Also, I wasnt looking for trouble, we (my wife and I) had just changed £-TBht and were just going for a wander

Keep your hand on your wallet, only take out what you think you will spend (then double it,)

dont get into any scraps with local Thai's,

keep a low profile,

watch out for ANY shore patrols,

DONT eventhink about ANY drugs, (or you MAY end up a guest in the local lockup and all the 'free sex' you could ever want)

use all availible 'protection' if you take a 'guest' back to your room

DONT pick the best looking 'girl' in the bar, especially if they are on their own

ENJOY yourselves, but dont get too pissed (you end up looking a fool, no matter who you are or where

Respect the Royalty of Thailand (as much as the uniform you arer epresenting)

Dont brag about being soldiers, just be tourists

Just be aware of where you are and dont disgrace yourself or unit/regiment

Of course there can ONLY be ONE mobi

I have noticed Namprick never returned to reply to any of the replies that were made about his rant

Seems like him just threw that comment to inflame everyone (and it worked, the little twerp)