notrub

Thanks for sending the info on generator/welders.  The ones shown are really too big for my needs.  Where this little house will be built is at the far end of a rice paddy so weight is a big consideration.  Future use of a generator will be at locations accessible only on foot.  When it dries up we will have a relatively short window of access by truck or tractor and when it rains again that will close.  Thanks for commenting.

 

Well Ubonjoe, That was pretty easy and it works!  Thank you very much.

 

Take care

Well Far Flung,  That is quite a collection you have.  Great stuff.  I too once had such a collection but no more....  Is that a rosewood handle on the number 7 sitting on the bench?   Pretty rare these days.  The big Makita electric hand planer looks pretty good to me but so far have resisted. 

 

Interesting stuff that you are up to.  Thanks for contacting me

 

Take care, Burton

RE Finding BKK bank transaction details of your online banking account.  Someone posted a small note explaining that there is a selection option that is a 'ghost' selection on the upper right hand of the screen.  Selecting this will give details about that account of who was paid and when (deposits too).  I have BKK bank online banking and cannot find this option and also cannot find the post where it was recently written.   Does anyone know more about this?

 

I rarely complain about Thailand etc. but how one of the biggest banks in the country cannot provide detailed information about customer's transaction is beyond me.  When we request a service such as the visa letter there are multiple forms filled in and stamped and passport and passbook photocopies taken and stamped etc. etc..  All for the 100 baht service fee!  The amount of paperwork and ID verification taken for the most simple operation is enormous and yet they cannot provide what I would call a 'Bank Statement'?  Give me a break folks.  

 

I have plenty of stories about <deleted> banks in France, UK, US and Canada too, but don't get me started.

 

Happy to be here in paradise.

 

Take care and keep safe, as they say.

I am fortunate to have money on deposit that is in excess of the 800K required.  Just the same, When my visa renewal comes up I go to the IO with my bankbooks etc. and ask if they need anything else, such as a medical examination performed within the previous 7 days, or whatever.  I arrange at my BKK bank head office in Buriram to have al letter produce with the date on it when I plan to go for my renewal, and confirms the money shown in my passbook is there even if it is in the next week ahead.  This year I am going to try to use my Thai DL and usufruct contract and apply w/o my GF going along with our/her bluebook too.  I don't see any rules that state a single man must co habit with a GF (or BF) to get a visa. 

Thanks Pogust.  Is it that 1.2mm steel just melts?  Is it that 'protecting gas' is stick welding?  I will do welding in my parking area so that should be OK.  I am a bit of a tool nut so a small generator will probably find its way to my collection of stuff.

 

So Far flung, Excuse me if you already know this but...   Chain sharpening correctly is essential and something that I have yet to master to my satisfaction.  When the teeth on one side become dull for any reason the cut will curve.  Also if one side is cutting less well it will put more pressure on that side of the blade causing it to wear out of true with the other.  If you see what I mean.  When that occurs no amount of good sharpening will succeed until the blade is trued up again.   For planing - have you looked at the small thickness planers available these days?  I had a Dewalt and maybe a Makita too, I forget.  They are all pretty much the same.  If you are happy with taking off a mm at a time (sometimes) they really do the job.  Not so good with wet wood, however.  The big hand planers work much better if you are not after furniture wood.  

 

Just googled 'log dogs' and there are lots of examples for 'holding logs in place' ideas.

 

I am getting very excited about another little building project to occupy myself with.

 

Thanks again for all the ideas and information everybody. 

 

 

Wow!  Back on the farm!  Feet look very good, better than a couple of cement blocks etc..  How does your lumber come out with your mill?  Around here they cut posts freehand  or there is a huge circular saw tool on a bed for cutting planks.  Down to about 1cm thick and pretty consistent along the length considering the tools.  Two guys set up the saw on a squared up trunk and just drag it along to cut the dimensioned lumber.  First time I have ever seen that.  I'll try to find the pics and post them If I do.  Thanks for your comments and encouragements.

 

I have looked a bit on the net about generators and arc welders and think that may not work out too well.  Time for a bit more armchair research I think.  Thanks for the ideas.

Thanks for the replies.  Also home made projects, great.  Just what I have in mind too.  My first project will be a pair of trestles, 'sawhorses' we call them in Canada.  Good tip about self darkening mask.  How to know if the generator is producing a pure, not choppy, sine wave?  Also, for the smaller welders, can a small generator power one?  Will the 'generator friendly' welding units have a protection built in to deal with choppy sine waves?  These are questions that I would normally put to a reputable supplier but I don't really trust the sales people here.  Very nice people but I just don't have confidence in their knowledge.  Thanks again

I want to put up a small house for the family on their naa for use when working there.  3x9 M floor area with 3x6 enclosed and a 3x3 covered open area at one end.  Simple, straight, double pitched roof about 11M long.  There is no power there although I put in some solar panels and pump down a borehole well. 

 

I see some small arc welders are 'generator friendly' .  I understand that inverter type welders have electronic circuitry that can be sensitive to voltage variations in the 'sine'.  (I just read that on the web and only sort of understand it)

 

But, if a small generator is also an inverter type then the voltage generated should be regulated too.  No?

 

By the way, I calculated the material cost of this small house at around 65,000 baht.  As follows:

 

8 - 15x15x 4M posts

all the steel for ring beams and roof structure

roof covering of metal or cement fibre panels

18- 1x2M wood panels (outside wall covering)

1 - door

6 - 1x120 windows with screens

30 - 30cmx3M precast concrete floor slabs

 

Add another 10 or 20,000 for extras and it will not be too costly.

 

Plus local labor, of course.

 

I am thinking to prefabricate the steel here at home, cutting and drilling holes to bolt it all together using connecting plates.

 

But it would be nice to be able to have a welder in site if easily done.  Also a small generator of less than 15 or 20 KG would always be handy to have around.

 

I have seen small welders for 1000 to 1500 baht, big drop saws at about the same and drill presses for between 2 and 5000.  I have all the other tools already.

 

I will probably buy a welder even if I can't use it at the farm.  Just fancy having one.

 

Any comments on: (please)

 

welding equip

drop saws

drill press

generators, small (not honda, too costly)

 

I was a building contractor for many years so I have a grasp of these sorts of things but would welcome any comments and/or guidance you might take the time to send along, thank you.

 

From your friend

notrub

 

 

 

 

I too am looking at small drill press tools.  I like the look of the OKURA YD-13P (about 2000 baht) as it is Japanese made(?) I think.  Get the largest size chuck (not 1/4") and be sure there are belts to regulate the speed.  Good luck.

My experience with BBK bank is that it depends on the branch.  I don't need a letter confirming annual deposits but the main branch in Buriram will produce a letter on the day confirming my foreign account (at head office) balance on the day.  Yes, the usual 100 baht charge applies.  I have had less happy experiences with other branches, other towns,  in the past.

Adobe express is a basic free editing program with fewer features than their full on one that is sold.  

Thanks very much everybody.  My local immigration office is Buriram town and they are normally pretty friendly and also they know me by now.  It is my own house and I am registered there and have been for the last 4 years.  Thanks again.

I am away from my home in Buriram province for 5 days and have forgotten if we are still required to report to my local immigration office within 24 hours of returning home.  Was it called a TM.30?   Is this regulation still in effect?  Thanks for any help.

 

A few million baht is not really very much money even in Thailand.  I have had almost that much stolen from me in one year when I was an alcoholic, let alone other living costs.  Buying some land (through a Thai friend),  getting an usufruct on it and building a modest house would be a good start.  One million put aside for annual visa renewal (don't know about 'elite visas) is a bit of problem as you cannot spend it without topping up months before new visa application/renewal.  I did that solution for about that sort of money but I have more funds on top for living costs and visa requirements.   An usufruct is only for your lifetime so you cannot leave the property to anyone other than the land owner on your death.  Sorry for the messy looking terrace in the picture, it is just illustrate what you can do in Isaan and is not an estate agent photo.

A few million baht is not really very much money even in Thailand.  I have had almost that much stolen from me in one year when I was an alcoholic, let alone other living costs.  Buying some land (through a Thai friend),  getting an usufruct on it and building a modest house would be a good start.  One million put aside for annual visa renewal (don't know about 'elite visas) is a bit of problem as you cannot spend it without topping up months before new visa application/renewal.  I did that solution for about that sort of money but I have more funds on top for living costs and visa requirements.   An usufruct is only for your lifetime so you cannot leave the property to anyone other than the land owner on your death.  Sorry for the messy looking terrace in the picture, it is just illustrate what you can do in Isaan and is not an estate agent photo.

Thanks Sheryl for your sensible and informative comments.  Also thanks guderian for reminding us just how safe we are here compared to many so places in the world.  Notably USA, UK and Australia.  Our so called 'bumbling government' have somehow managed to protect us in a way that the wealthy, privately educated and entitled members of other governments have not. We have had no local cases up here but in the early days temperature and registration stations were set up in our and every other small community in our area.  The local hospitals had simple isolated examination facilities constructed under covered areas outside the buildings proper (little used thankfully).  There has been no talk about crushing treatment costs inflicted on the unfortunate few who did become infected in Thailand.   I read that some poor fellow went into a US hospital for some minor treatment, became covid infected and was subsequently cured and released.  On his departure he was handed an invoice for 30 or 40,000 $.  Not an isolated incident.

 

You will all know that public health care in the US is all but non existent.  There are plenty of stories about people arriving seriously injured at ER there who must first produce a credit card before being treated. 

 

There is no mention in the west that the covid deaths in the US are more than 2x the number of victims who perished in the Hiroshima bomb dropped 75 years ago.  The UK is getting close to the 70,000 to 80,000 number of Atomic bomb deaths and will no doubt surpass it.

 

So yes, Thank you Thailand.

 

 

We are planning  5 day road trip, in our car, to Chonburi at the end of this month (Aug).  We live 100km north of Buriram and here there have been no problems (except 1 infection/death in the city, I think?).  We are careful here and wear masks, wash hands etc. but there is no strict regimes in place.  Any advice about existing circumstances in the Chonburi area please?  We will be staying at a 4* hotel (reduced price) and do not engage in 'the nightlife'.  Any comments about current practices in Chonburi and/or links to sources of information will be gratefully received.  Thank you.

Has the government given any indication that they will or will not do something to return exchange rates to a strong Thai baht again?  On a different subject, mr pinapple, I thought they only had chinese box in the usa.  In washington town in a big white house.

OK thanks w42.  I had been looking with agoda online.  I have used them b4 and had no problems..  B

On 8/8/2020 at 11:59 AM, johnray said:

Kept out the Germans for two world wars.  Can't keep control of a small white boat.

Why should France protect UK borders?  Cummings (Johnson) orchestrated a 'brexit' to regain 'control' of their borders.  Now is the time to control it by welcoming refugees fleeing countries at war.  Wars that were started by and profiting from by 'The West'.  Time for the west to take responsibility for all the suffering they cave caused for centuries.

Traveling to Chonburi end of August for a wedding and am looking for a bargain hotel for 4 nights.  Currently booked (agoda) in to Rattanachol Hotel (3*) 4 nights with breakfast at 6,500 baht for a superior king size room.  Noted as reduced by 40%.   It has swimming pool, exercise room, parking etc..    I am just writing to ask if there are alternatives that I could look at, just to explore other options.  I can cancel without charge. Thanks.