Chaichara

You do not need 3-phase electricity under any circumstances whatsoever. A normal, standard, 220 volt, 1 HP, (0.75 Kw) or 1.5 Hp (1.1 Kw) will be perfectly adequate for a pool your size. And BTW: don't let yourself be charged any more than about 13,800 to 15,800 baht for it.

Three phase pumps start at around 3 HP ((2.2 Kw), and are used for large, commercial swimming pools, and where of course a three`phase supply will almost already be installed.

Make sure that you also get the proper advice on the type and size of filter to go with your pump.

This sounds very much like standard green algae and needs treating with a special algaecide. A shock chlorination will not necessarily do the trick - people tend to regard chlorine as a panacea. Using household bleach instead of special pool chlorine is dangerous, and is asking for trouble.

. poll shops sell it in 3.78 litre bottles but although it all comes from the same manufacturer, prices differ from a reasonable 900 baht to 2,200 in the greediest of pool shops.

The best way is to carry out the treatment in combination with a water clarifier, also available in the same packaging, made by the same firm, and retails in the same price range.

You may need to use two, or even three bottles, It you are being taken to the cleaners on the prices, itmay be cjeparto change your water for clean water, and start it with a prophylactic alnt algae treatment.

If the sand in your filter hasn't been changed for years it culd be harbouring all kinds of nasties, so now is the time to do it and change it for crushed silicone dioxide granules which out perform silica sand by 30 times, reduce the need for backwashing, and needs only 75% by weight.

Try this company.

They built my pool four years ago, it's a European company based somewhere near Udon Thani but they might not work outside Isaan.

A proprietary product is sold in pool shops throughout Thailand for between 1,750 and 2,220 baht a US 1 gallon bottle (3.78 litres). This price is of course a typical 'luxury goods' label of the kind aimed at the rich retirees such as former golf pros and rock stars skulking in the Pattaya hinterland. For those of us of a more modest financial disposition, if we suffer from it, treating black algae will probably be a permanent feature of living with a swimming pool, and can become a costly and permanent part of our budgets.

Shopping around carefully will however reveal that the said algaecide can be purchased at almost half the pool shop retail prices. However, you may have to buy a minimum of four or more bottles to get those prices.

I would beware of making sweeping negative statements. According to their website, SiamConsulting's mission statement is exactly to prevent what the posters above are complaining about. it is quite easy to apply for quotations and compare the prices and services before jumping to conclusions. My house was built 3 years ago by SiamConsulting and I am perfectly satisfied with it. They saved me around 500,000 baht on the next nearest quotation. I also personally know three other clients of theirs whom I reccommended them to, and they are also satisfied at both the quality and the saving. As far as I know, SiamConsulting only provide individual home services and construction to clients in Isaan. Their main work appears to be submitting feasibility studies for large construction projects and alternative energy solutions. They also appear to be the only swimming pool constructor who has the guts to publish their basic prices on their website.

If you mean a vacuum head to fix on your telescopic pole, try Pool & Spa, Sukhumvit, 100m from Skytrain station Thong Lor. Prices start 1,780 - 4,280 baht. Several models available in 14" and 19" widths.

For the pool shown in the photo, prices are much lower than in in Europe.

If you read other postings in this forum you will see several indications of price, and the names of some suppliers, although some people have got their facts horribly wrong.

For a simple skimmer pool like the one you describe, some companies will charge as little as 12,500 baht per square metre of surface area. Others will try to charge more than twice that. Much depends on where you are.

Most people who complain about swimming pool prices, are the ones that complain about visa prices - ceux sont des grigoux

The question as to whether it is any good should really be preceded by asking yourself: Do you really need it?

For a correctly maintained pool, all that is needed is a simple chlorine and ph test kit. There is a point at which the problems of even most troublesome pool will be resolved, setting the formula for on-going care.

Generally, only constructors, expert trouble-shooters, or people offering a regular weekly pool service would need any of the the equipment mentioned here. You may find it more economical to ask a special to visit your pool to take stock of the water quality and any related problems, and follow his advice for the future.

You may also find that if these testers are not marketed in Thailand, you will be constantly in need of obtaining the test sticks or swabs. The bottom line is that for a normal consumer with a domestic pool, they are not really much of an advantage over the 350 baht plastic test tube system with their graded colour scales and the dropper bottles for the test fluids - it doesn't have to be done every day.

PS: a genuine saltwater chlorinator will not produce 'more' chlorine, it will automatically adjust the voltage in the cell to maintain the chlorine at the required level - no more, no less - however long the pump is running. DiamondKleen is better than Zeolite (independent university research paper).

Generally, the basic rule is that however many daily pumping cycles are programmed in your timer, the system should be able to move the entire pool volume in a total of 6 - 8 hours every 24 hours. Normally, a 1.5 HP pum with a 650 filter unit wouldbe quite adequate for your pool. A good solution would be to replace the sand in the filter with a more performant media such as Zellbrite or DiamongKleen that are up to 30 times more efficient than sand and reduce the need backwashing which wastes the salt in the water.

The price you state for a saltwater chlorinator seems highly excessive, there are Australian models on the Thai market that are fully featured automated pool management systems, and are available from honest dealers for a pool that size from about 40,000 baht and carry extremely long guarantees. They won't pack up after only 8 years. Your current mchine may only need attention to the hydrolysis cell - particularly if it is not of the self-cleaning variety.

For more information ,see my other various posts on this forum about salt water chlorinators. The bottom line is, that your budget will decide which way to go.

oh there is some censorship for url links so the above doesnt work.

well there are only a few forums for construction in thailand

You are probably going to find that it will be difficult to get anyone to take a serious interest in your project.

For BKK itself, I would recommend getting a first quote from Pool & Spa.

I checked that out SiamConsulting as I also find 1.5 milloin extremely high for a 31.5 m2 pool.

- Yes, they tell me they are booked solid until about November.

- Apparently they have no records of having sent a quote recently for any pools in Bangkok, especially as, according to them, although they occasionally manage projects in the city, they do not construct pools themselves in the area as they are based near Udon Thani.

- They pointed me to their comprehensive price list , stating that their prices for standard 'no frills' concrete pools start from 12,500 baht per m2. That would place your pool around 393,750 baht which doesn't sound too crazy - if anything it sounds to cheap.

- They also mentioned that they never make a formal quotation without having visited the site and fully surveying the situation for eventual special engineering,

There are other companies whose prices start at 19,500 per square metre, and there is a firm in Khon Kaen that does nothing under a million irrespective of size. There are some small firms in Pattaya that also charge about 12,500 / m2.

Hi Christian,

It depends entirely on what kind of pool it is and what they a re charging you for it. A standard 4 x 8 in-ground concrete pool with ordinary skimmer system can cost you 400,000 baht with one firm, and 800,000 baht with another. There's probably nothing in theier suggested plan that tells you how thick the concrete is going to be, how much rebar they put in it, what tiles they are proposing, and if they use special, expensive tile adhesive. A correctly rated pump and filter combination could vary in price from 27,000 baht to 65,000 baht, but they may not be showing the cost breakdown in their quotation. A good firm will offer you a choice of quality on tiles, fixtures and fitting, pumps and filters - all at very different prices.

i live in chiang mai, any suggestions where to purchase a relatively inexpensive 18 ft wide 4 feet deep pool, jd pools wants 80000 baht for a pool walmart sells in usa for 20000baht

The information you provide is inaccurate. Nobody can build a pool anywhere in the world for only 80,000 baht, and 20,000 wouldn't cover the cost of the pump, filter and plumbing.

You do not state the size of the pool. You do not state what kind of construction it is supposed to be.

However, as a ballpark figure for a proper professional concrete, fully tiled pool, complete with underwater lighting, filtration, and pump house would start at around 12,500.00 baht per square metre surface area for a pool of average depth 1.40 metre.

A typical standard rectangular concrete domestic pool would therefore be about 4 x 8 m = 400,000.00 baht.

Calculate extra for steps/ladders, extra features, and VAT. Costs may be higher in Chiang Mai, but certainly not double.

As a former reporter, I've lived through riots just as bad - but without the real bullets - especially in the early 80s in downtown Berlin.

My photos of the heavily armed, totally frenzied police beating up a bunch of elementary school kids exiting their school on the edge of the riot scene on the Winterfeld Platz were of course censored. The police would not even allow the ambulances through. Unfortunaltely there was no Internet in those days.

Thailand's problem is that it, like most developing countries, does not have sufficient experience of true democracy (although a similar situation reigned in Paris while I was there in mMay '68).

Back to Africa...

Absolute crap! A saltwater chlorinator unit can be retro fitted in minutes. All that is needed is a hacksaw, a couple of PVC 90° bends either 40 mm or 50 mm depending on your pipe diameter, a screwdriver, and a power drill to fix the control unit to the wall.

Prices start at around 35,000 baht for a small (eg: 4 x 8) pool.

PM me for more information.

Dis doc - c'est beau!

Nice site too

Here's a picture of the can. Click the thumbnail for a larger image and print. Good luck.

I don't bother going all the way into Vientiane. I get it on the Lao side of the border.

If a top line table is priced significantly below the new price it is either very old (not necessarily bad) or there is some other reason to avoid it.

Could be that someone just wants to sell it quickly and not looking to get their entire investment back????? Hmmmmmmmm

Lots of people have pool tables in their homes. A second hand one that has only had very light use may be worth looking into. Likewise, much depends on whather you need your pool for commercial or private use.

Wondering if anywone can tell me where there is a public swimming pool in the Bangkok lower Sukhumvit area. Also, if none will consider public or private pool in other parts of bangkok. Thanks.

A lot of people just use hotel swimming pools. If you at least buy a drink or have a light snack, they don't seem to mind. I have never seen any signs that pools are exclusively for the use of overnight guests. Inany case, the Thai staff would be too polite to throw you out

What Neverdie says about 'popping' could be true if your water table is significantly higher than the floor of the pool (particuarly in Bankgkok), but only if your constructor did not think to include inexpensive hydrostatic valves in the main drains.

The main causes of salt loss are rainwater dilution if the water goes away to the overflow, and backwashing. Many pool owners tend to play too safe and overdo the backwashing. Backwashing is only generally neccessary when the pressure guage on the filter unit shows a marked increase, or when there is an obvious drop in the pressure of the water returning to the pool.

Many pool 'service' companies deliberately over-backwash in order to sell more chemicals or salt. Some pool firms in Pattaya charge 500 baht for a sack of sand. A normal non pool retailer will sell the same salt for less than half the price. 500 baht for a bag of salt may not sound a lot to many individuals, but multiply it by the number of bags the pool 'service' agent is selling to all his customers and you will understand why he runs a more expensive car than yours.

Nowadays, the trend is to replace filter sand with media such as Zellbrite or DiamondKleen that are much more performant than sand and last longer.

Thank Chaichara. the A-100 is that the product name or brand name? I am upcountry and getting my message across is sometimes difficult. If I have the brand name as well as the product name then it makes it easier. Thanks again for your help.

Made by :

Credo International Co Ltd. Tel: 023980131, 023984593

Sold in 3.785 litre rectangular light blue cans.

Product name: A-100 in very large characters. Directions in English on the can.

Available in all major home supplies outlets and many good local hardware stores.

Where exactly are you up-country?

what happened to

"I've been building pools since 1974"

I suppose anybody can cut and paste stuff from Wikipedia.

Four posts in a row - is that how you crank up your membership clock? I may be retired, but I still have other things to do than just sit in front of encyclopedias and ThaiVisa all day every day.

'Nuf said - flaming is not my sport.

TOT offers ADSL in almost all amphur towns now, and the tambons are scheduled to start getting it this year. It will be a long time before the villages get it though - some still don't have landline telephones.

I have to use an expensive, not very good iPstar 'broadband' satellite connection for a ludicrous 1,600 baht per month. No EDGE here.