1 hour ago, soalbundy said:

makes sure the music stops at 23:00

His solution is no solution at all. No one,  kids to the elderly, in a typical village goes to bed at 23:00 do they? They go to bed at 20:00 or 21:00 and so nights like this everyone in the village, save for the group getting drunk and playing hi-lo, get punished with no sleep for several hours in the darkness. And for what? People can get drunk and play hi-lo without being a bother to the others; that's culturally the way it used to be until this horribly misused speaker system technology reared its ugly head. There are villagers that have school and obligations the next day they would like to be fresh for. Others can be sick and in desperate need of some rest. If a village head genuinely cared a simple thing he could do is make sure all the speakers pointed at the people at the gathering rather than being mounted way up high pointing outward to blast the entire village which is the norm. But no, we just can't have that can we? Because not being able to harass everyone else would ruin the fun.

AFAIC, no one should have the right to harass other people that don't want to be part of it no matter what time of day or night it is.

Some people insist that AAC is unsuitable for damp areas, but IMHO that is BS

You are both right. AAC blocks are fine in wet areas IF installed correctly. For instance, they work well on exterior walls where they take driving rain everyday because they are protected by render / sealer / primer. Showers need special precautions because water can get behind the tiles. Many builders are aware this happens, but don't know how to waterproof so they just use red bricks instead. A company like SCG would be eager to describe how to properly waterproof AAC blocks in a shower if asked. I think they even have a youtube video on how to do this. I also think one would be better off with a dry AAC block shower than a damp red brick shower in the long run. But worst of all would be a wet AAC block shower. So it comes down to the knowledge and skill of the builder.

17 minutes ago, puffy said:

noise are just not a problem for Thai people

The noise bothers at least some Thai people. Some have talked to me about it in Thai. How they can't get to sleep at night or their kid is crying at night because they can't sleep and tomorrow is a school day. But complain--never. They just take it.

Like others I found the local stuff to be junk and it went into the bin immediately. I got 3/4" hose bibbs and a 3/4" thick rubber hose to match from true value and that hose can really sing. I can fill buckets in a blink and get super long range spray, rarely kinks. 10 years later good as new, never looked back.

A short FAQ:

Is this cultural? No. It's not like people are unearthing 1000 year old speaker systems in archaeological digs. This loud speaker phenomenon is brand new in our generation. Let's call it what it is. It's not culture, it's ignorant people who don't care about others.

Why is the volume so loud that no one can talk? Because there is nothing to talk about. This hides the uncomfortable reality.

How do noisy people that irritate hundreds of people around them on a regular basis react if one complains? They become angry and blame you for the problem because until you barged in everything was going fine. They will never, ever admit anything they are doing is wrong or a problem to anyone else and insist you are a bad person for complaining.

Is it getting better or worse? Worse. As the country gradually develops, more and more ignorant people gain access to speaker systems. No one taught these people how to drive or raise a child and we see what happens. They aren't taught basic courtesy to others. In fact, the opposite is the case as schools are where the indoctrination into noise begins. If you are ever close to a school the horrendously loud noise blasted out their loud speakers that goes on hours every day is frightening. This is how the next generation is being taught--make lots of excessive noise, bother others.

The 20cm block are over twice as good thermally as the 7.5 blocks. And when you add in the extra noise insulation it's an excellent choice to match with a hot, noisy Thailand. I'd sure not want to live in a house without a magical wall like that.

So I did it. I built with the 20's and can say that going inside the house is like going to heaven. It's just so cool, quiet and peaceful. I can sleep every night until I feel rested rather until the noise starts. That's a luxury most people here don't have. But I must mention there are other key ingredients like all my windows and doors have high quality weatherstripping, multi-pane, etc.

q-con is a product from SCG.

She must not have understood what you were asking. Ask her for a q-con brochure and point to what you want.

You can order any size blocks or lintels from HomeMart. Of course they don't stock everything. They can usually deliver anything to you in a few days which is the same lead time for stuff they do have in stock.

Why give up when help from the government is 4 button presses away? People who have used it have posted many positive experiences. I look forward to reading about yours.

Thai Government launches 1111 hotline to receive complaints from foreigners

Get q-con. Reason 1: they are high quality blocks licensed to German specifications. Reason 2: q-con supports their product. A recurring story in thailand is builders were never taught about laying AAC blocks correctly and botch the job in various ways. q-con have short, easy to read installation manuals (even in english) and youtube videos for builders online.  If you send q-con an email they always respond. They also like to send a rep out to your site for free to make sure your build is up to scratch. So in case it's not totally clear, here is the process:: (1) buy q-con blocks, (2) give your builder the manual and have them watch the videos (3) get a q-con rep to have a look at the very start of block laying.

For an exterior wall, 20cm (8") thick blocks are a good minimum for Thailand. You'll appreciate not only more heat insulation but also more noise insulation (even more critical in thailand). Among the advantages of a thick block versus a double wall of small blocks is the speed of build will be at least twice as fast. That's why developed countries do it this way. Time is money. When using thick blocks, electrical chases are approved to be channeled into the block and totally hidden (use conduit of course). If you need to hide pipes, a popular option in the west with these blocks is to attach studs and an interior gypsum wall. Another method to hide pipes is with a wainscot. And tell your builder to use the q-con lintels. Faster and better (no thermal weak spots) compared to dog slow process of inferior DIY concrete lintels.

A 16 year old from our village was involved in a motorcycle accident and broke his arm and leg and will be in a public hospital for a month or two. Previously he often worked for me on various home improvements and I was happy to see he made it to technical school and was getting good grades and hoped he could reach his potential. He is now going to sit out the rest of the term and I fear for his future that he may not continue school as can be the case in these circumstances. As a friend of the family, I was wondering what I could do for him to ease his stay in the hospital or otherwise keep his mind stimulated and on track.

The advantage of window bars is they are cheap and easy to find. The disadvantages are numerous. The fasteners are so weak they can be popped off quickly, easily, and almost silently with a pry bar. They can block escapes as Crossy says. They give somewhat of a prison feeling to a house, though ornate ones can greatly soften this effect. They are incompatible with windows opening outward like awning and casements. However, there are higher quality options than this for security. The reason you don't see them is they cost too much for most people's tastes.

1. Roller blinds. arc-windows-doors has them and they can optionally be motorized.

2. Security mesh. These are heavy duty stainless steel screens that do the job of the insect screen and the security in one. majestec and winmasterthai are two suppliers.

Are there any circuits for a typical residence that are recommended/required NOT to have RCBO protection?

Remote. It's interesting that in the glossy I posted that a 5/8" diameter, 2.4M long ground rod like I went ahead and did like the panel instructions said to do now appears to be "required" irregardless of this special dirt he told me about in Thailand, but I don't want to egg him on that. I just want advice to help assure the electrical setup is safe and up to standard.

I am in Phetchabun province FWIW

Our PEA guy is prone to making big mistakes so I am cautious about blindly following anything he advises. He once advised not to follow the instruction sheet from the electrical panel about grounding and that only the most rudimentary, shallow ground rod would do because in Thailand "the dirt is different". I've seen a project he did where posts on hillsides collapsed within months of being installed. It went far deeper than just planted out of level. So now he says an RCBO is required on the main and required on every single circuit additionally. I am skeptical whether this is a requirement or even makes sense. He points at this big glossy picture from Schneider electric attached here to support his assertions.

Questions about the new requirements in Thailand:

Does the main breaker have to be RCBO? Even in the case all miniature circuit breakers are RCBO? And if so how to keep the main from tripping anytime leakage is detected?

Do all miniature circuits breakers have to be RCBO? Otherwise where not to use RCBO?

I was looking at some new PEA literature and see the term QOVS. Is this different than RCBO and is it required?

Does not seem wise to entirely base your decision by asking someone you have never met before and don't know their motivations for suggestions. And even if you do get genuine comments, there could be different climactic conditions that may not apply to your case such as, but not limited to sun angle and shade. If you get good windows, they come with a good warranty. If it's in writing I don't see how it could go wrong. There are excellent consumer protection laws in Thailand. And no company is going to put a 10 year warranty and their good name on windows that yellow in a short amount of time.

The company I chose for windows has a 10 year warranty on color. I told them point blank that if after 9 years there might be any discoloration not to sell me their windows because I would demand all of them replaced. They in turn said they have never had a claim on color.

19 hours ago, BsBs said:

Good quality PVC windows color do not change, but how to know before buying that quality is good ?

Easy. Good windows have a 5 or 10 year guarantee on color.

Sounds pretty standard. Same thing going on in Tesco and others. A lot of stores these days even have loud speakers spouting commercials non-stop in the parking lots. I don't find this noise system of shopping in Thailand an enjoyable environment. I just get in and out as quickly as possible.

As it was a first offence he was initially banned for three months

This is the problem. A 3 month ban for blatant cheating is nothing and begs players to do so. For every reason it should be a lifetime ban even for the first offense and stripped of all previous titles.

On 11/25/2017 at 10:14 PM, Andrew Dwyer said:

Anyone suggest any better brand of grout ?

You used the wrong kind of grout that is not intended for showers. You need Cotto Nano grout which is designed for wet areas. Since Cotto Nano grout is not porous like regular grout, mold and discoloration does not get embedded into it. If you can't find it elsewhere check an SCG outlet.

14 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

top grades can be a nightmare

Aha! I used the real thick type of pvc and have the same sentiment. For the lump hammer idea, I am worried the glue will freeze well before it goes in all the way. You know how pvc cement is, once you stop even for a second it's over. So I worry one hit it starts in well enough, second hit it doesn't move anymore. Plus clearance for a hammer can be limiting in some cases. I plan to develop a pry bar system to pull them together with a lever. And since it takes forever to apply cement to this size I will also try small paint rollers.

Usually the ritual of burning the day's plastic and garden sweepings into the atmosphere is in afternoons or especially early evenings and there must be millions of them across Thailand on a daily basis. But after midnight? That's strange. Usually no one is even awake then. Are these fires to keep warm? If so maybe you could donate them some blankets and coats in exchange for no burning. Even if they say no, at least they will have an understanding what they are doing is a problem.