bangkokumpalumpa

one has to ask what would happen to the gun carrying drug dealers if the drugs were made legal and cheap??

if the goverment were to put in place laws like the alcohol laws then they would control the supply and the price, not to mention the tax income would have a massive impact, drugs changing from being a massive cost in police and court time to a massive income stream??? hmmm interesting

people say that drugs lead to crime.

that is a very interesting point, but maybe it is due to the high cost of the illegal drugs that turns them to crime, what would happen if a person didnt have to pay $100 but only had to pay $5??

would the crime rate drop?

how many illegal drug dealers would there be left?

now the one that makes me laugh is the "gateway drug"

Pot is a gateway drug to cocaine and other addicting drugs.

lets stop and think about this for a moment, before these people got hooked on drugs did they try alcohol???

I think that if people started at the very end of the chain, ie addiction and went back HONESTLY looking for gateway drugs then they would find that the biggest gateway drug is BEER !!!

99.9999% of drug addicts tried beer before drugs!!!!

there are many fact out that there that oppose our laws, but things are changing slowly.

what I do see in Thailands laws is a result of pressure from our western countries.

there was a time when Thailand had a bad name " the golden triangle" ect so there was a massive push by the western governments for the Thai goverment to clean up things and take a hard stance on drugs.

so as a result the Thai's did what they were advised to do.

now we find that the western world is waking up to drugs and starting to change the laws, hmmmmmm

give it ten years and Thailand will start getting pressure to relax its drug laws, wait until pot is legal in USA and an americian is locked up for having a joint on them, the result will be something along the lines of "you cant do that type of thing in todays world"

we in Thailand are in the hight of the "reffer madness" it is a result of pressure from the western world.

here are some quotes from you to show how crazy our western world had been over time

Quote by: Harry J. Anslinger

(1892-1975) Assistant Prohibition Commissioner in the Bureau of Prohibition, first Commissioner of the Treasury Department's Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN) (1930-1962, 32 years), US Representative to the United Nations Narcotics Commission

There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana usage. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others.

Marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality, and death.

You smoke a joint and you're likely to kill your brother.

Marihuana leads to pacifism and communist brainwashing.

Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind.

This one has me laughing my but off if only this man could see the news today!!!

Reefer makes darkies think they're as good as white men.

and with the president of USA being a "darkie" pushing for medical use !!!!!!!

this goes to show you how time changes things, there was a time when an official could use the term "darkie" now days I dont have a clue what the result to a statement like that would be, but when looking at Thailands drug laws you have to wonder who pushed them to make them like this???

what we are seeing is the ongoing change of drug tolerence in the world, Thailand is just following not leading, what would the result be for Thailand if it was a leader??? ohh that would be a classic case of BAD Thailand, it would make such bad media that it would kill tourism.

there is a whole generation out there that believe that the movie "Reefer Madness" (search youtube for a laugh) is a true and proven fact, after all is was made for the goverment!!!

we all need to wake up to the facts, we are living in a world of change and change takes time, there was a time not so long ago where you could smoke a joint in a bar in Thailand, but the western world said that was bad!! so to keep face the laws were changed. soon the western world will say BAD THAILAND and the laws will change again.

so if you really want to look at who is responsible for such harsh laws in Thailand look to the western world!!!

before people jump on me I am not a racist, these are quotes. please in no way feel that I am racist!!!! I AM NOT

3 phase

it has been used

also have a EZD100H 80A main breaker (3 phase) sitting in another load center, that one is a QO3-100EZ18G/S (18 pole)that load center is sitting is a large supply box with amp and volt meters.

its all in mint condition

just some of the things you collect in life

ok I havent read through your whole thread it was a bit to heavy for this time of night but I notice that you are looking at a 30 pole Square D load center.

we just happen to have one of those spare

if you are interested we have a second hand surface mounting Square D load center, its a 30 pole 100 A max

here is the cat number QO3-100EZ30G/S

it is fitted with a EZD100H 60A main breaker

all in very very nice condition

Now I know that these things dont come cheap so this might be a way to save a few notes.

let me know if you are interested

I have to ask why go for the fake wood when Thailand has some stunning natural wood!!

check out the price of tung and grove hard woods, I know that they are a third of the price that they are in nz.

and a good wooden floor will look good for life!!

how long will a laminate floor last????

nothing beats real wood!!

remember to pack the tackle in you bags dont take it as carryon as they will proberly have a fit and refuse to allow you to take it on the plane.

in todays world you may be classed as a possible terrorist.

if you can take over a 747 with a box cutter what could you do with a whole bag full of fishing tackle!!!!

I can see the news now, man takes over 747 with a 2/0 fishing hook!!

as for the rods pad them well in a rod tube(cheap way is some down piping with the ends taped up), label them well and you will have no problems

I had a great rod tube made with 1 end cap and 1 screw on cap for $20 from a local plumber, you just cant buy anything that cheap that is designed as a rod tube. and to top it off this thing is solid!!!!

have fun with the fishing and if you need any advice on places to fish drop me a lin I know a few good lakes

as for the cost, here is what it will cost you going direct with no gear and using a bung sam ran guide.

if you do take your own gear dont use english carp fishing rods as they are to long, they tend to break when a fish goes under your bungalow (and it will happen!!) 7 - 8 foot is about the longest you want there as the roofs on the bungalows make it hard to cast anything longer.

remember these fish kill gear!!! they cook reels and break rods!!

here are your direct prices

1000 baht to fish

500 baht to rent a rod

taxi from bangkok central about 200 baht to 400 baht each way depending on where you are and the time of day

bungalow (use bungalow 25 or 24, 23,22) 800 baht

bait lam 500 baht

tackle as you will loose it due to the retal rods and the nylon they use 200 baht??

net rental 60 baht

and a local guide that does not speak english is 1,000 baht

if you have never fished the place then take a guide for the first day even if it is a local bung sam ran guide as it will pay off big time, it is not like any other fishing style that I have come across with all of my international fishing.

so total for the day is about 4,860 baht.

plus tips

add your food and drinks so budget 5,500 and you will be close.

it anyone says that it is cheaper then they dont know the rates that the lake are now charging.

yes you can do it cheaper by using your own gear, but this will give you the ability to work out the rates and savings.

enjoy the fishing.

if you need any help finding the lake then call kiwi on 085109 6979 and he can talk to the taxi driver for you to make sure you get there.

do not follow the directions that are posted on the map when you google fishing bangkok as mango fishing has listed this on the other side of bangkok, funny that!!!

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=f...mp;oq=&aqi=

now they know where it is, so you do have to ask why that company has put it in the wrong place!!!!

try this go to google maps and search this

Nawamin 42 Yaek 42-28, Khlong Kum, Bueng Kum, Bangkok 10240, Thailand

you will see the lakes there

here are details of address.

http://kiwifishingbangkok.com/BUNG%20SAM%20RAN.html

hope it helps

ahh the old fight of take a guide or not.

well you can relate this to working on your car, do you do the work yourself or take it to an engineer??

many people dont see Fishing Guides as Professional workers, but lets give them some credit, they put in the work to find the places and to work out how to land the species, this costs money and time.

then look at what they make here in Thailand, I note that one person has said that they can fish bung sam ran for 3,000 baht, that didnt include transport, and it didnt include tackle and it didnt include a landing net, and it didnt include rod rental if you havent got one.

so if you walk in off the street (after taking your taxi, that might have taken the long way) then you are looking at closer to 5,000 baht for a days fishing. hmmmm how much for a tour company???

now I have seen thailand tour companies taking a lot of heat over the years, but lets look at this another way, what does a fishing guide get paid in the USA?? a cheap one is $250 an expensive one it $600 so one must ask from the prices that are listed on this thread how much is a western guide making in Thailand???

just some food for thought

ok the articial you have posted if from megafishing

the interesting things is that the pics are from neil, here you can find his number

http://www.fishing-khaolak.com/contact_us/index.html

Neil is a great guide and a really nice guy!!

if you give him a bell he should be able to help you.

you will find that your 6 wt will do the trick in most places, it just means that you have more fun!!!!

if you want to know anything about fishing in Thailand then drop me a pm I can put you in touch with most lakes.

as for colors a white fly with a dash of pink works well, along with a pure black fly. if you have something that looks like a dark green bait fish then that will produce really well, rattles help as well.

if you want to know more about flies and lakes then like I say drop me a pm.

well my last post here seems to have made this thread come to a screaming stop!!!

I would like to see more people posting advice or opinions for others. please dont let my rant stop a good thread

Marc

I agree with rimmer 100%

there is no reason why the tiles should not be flat!!!

as for chipped tiles, that is just un-professional.

when it comes to work being done and you dont know what the story is then here is a simple rule to follow.

you know very little, so if it does not look right to you then there is a 99% chance that it is NOT right.

if you sit back and watch a professional worker then you will learn something with every thing that they do, and the end result should make you pleased. if you are not happy with the end result that you are seeing then they are not being professional !!!!

remember this is your house not theirs!!

it is not being picky to want your tiles level, it is NORMAL.

buy the big ruler and take a camera and start taking some pictures of the problems and them working, lay the flat edge on the tiles and take pics of how bad they are, take pictures of the chipps in the tiles.

they will ask why you are doing this. you can tell them that you are taking pictures of the bad work so that you cant be blamed for doing it when you fight about not paying them until it is all good!!

you will get more respect by standing your ground wanting quality than letting them get away with bad workmanship!!

color matching will be the problem!

if you have the chip you could get something color matched.

what about getting a small can of enamel paint? that way you can color match it and use wet and dry to feather it in, then polish it to match the rest.

two pack paint would work if you wanted to do the whole bath, that stuff is strong!!!!! car paint scratches easy, this then allows water under it so not the best way to go, but two pack is amazing!!!!

I have used it on cars and boats once you have that on it is just about the same as the enamel on the bath, I also had some bath paint in NZ and I think that was basicly white 2 pack.

where to get 2 pack paint?? through a automotive paint supply shop, dont let them farang you and give you standard car paint, this stuff comes with the paint and a hardener.

All this talk about stopping kWh meters is interesting, but in the US it is illegal to have current flow through the grounding conductor (earthing conductor) IAW the National Electrical Code (NEC). This is for safety reasons, the grounding conductor is for personnel safety only. The neutral conductor is used to complete the circuit path. Fault current can, at times, momentarily flow through the grounding conductor. SWER transmission lines are an entirely different subject.

ok this post sounds like it could be some fun to answer!

please tell me how SWER is different from using a grounding conductor for your neutral return?

SWER transmission lines are a different subject??? so by using a grounding conductor(earthing conductor) as a neutral return this does not make it a SWER system????

SWER = Single Wire Earth Return

for those who dont understand what this is, SWER is a system that only uses one wire to feed you electricity, sound strange??? only one wire??? I know you are thinking but you need two wires to make a light work!!!!

yes you are right!!!

so what they do is earth the neutral at the transformer and then use a metal rod in the ground as the second wire. ???? lost????

here is an example of what I mean and I dont want people testing this out!!! PLEASE DONT TRY THIS AT HOME, OR WORK FOR THAT MATTER!!!

if you take the phase wire (the one that gives you a shock) and took it outside and conected it to a light bulb, then conected the other side of the light bulb to a metal rod into the ground it would work! this is using the dirt (earth) as a big wire back to the transformer. hence the name Single Wire Earth Return.

this is why when you touch the phase wire you get a shock, the electricity flow from the phase wire through you to the ground making a circuit.

so it makes you wonder what would happen if there was no earthing systems at all on transformersand homes ect. hmmmmmmm it would mean that both wires were phase wires and the only way you could get a shock was to touch both wires! you could touch any single wire and not get a shock. but I wont go into that here as that would cause lots of arguements!!!

whislt I am at it here is me being picky about your post, just for fun as I know what you mean.

correction, it is not illegal to have the current flow through a grounding conductor in the US as after all that is the whole purpose of a grounding conductor, to have current flow through it, in a fault situation!!!

might as well add some more interesting things in here for fun, I know it is off topic but hey way not. electric can be fun and talking about it can also be fun so here is a post that is put up for ............. fun!

in a DC system what way do the elctrons flow? positive to negative? or negative to positive?

now after answering that one what do electrons do in a AC circuit???

the answers are simple, in a DC system electrons flow from negative to positive, but this was found out after the laws of electric were written, so instead of changing the books and the laws and setting it right the world has decided that we will just carry on as it is, although things are wrong the laws and rules are backwards!

this is one if the things about electric that is not really spoken about, because it means that all teaching on this topic is wrong.

now the AC side of things is interesting, the electrons flow both ways, the speed of the direction change is set by the cycles. so as a rule the only thing that makes a Phase wire different from a Neutral is that the Neutral wire has been conected to earth at the transformer.

now in NZ we use a MEN link (main Earth nuetral link), this joins the Earth to the Neutral, so in reality they are the same. the only difference is that one is green and the other is black as when it comes to the load center there is a big fat joiner that joins the two together.

this is why when you touch the nuetral wire you dont get a shock, as there is no circuit, the Neutral is conected to earth! it is conected to earth at the transformer and in the house.

there is some crazy information for you that is in some ways off topic but in many way it is still about electricity and that is what solar power is about.

think about this, we all know that if you are caught with that amount then you are going away for a long time, the only way that you are going to get a reduced sentence is if you start to spill the beans!!!

this says to me that he has spilled his guts BIG TIME, and by printing this in the paper it is saying to all that he has spilled his guts, what better way to have him work with the police than to make it known to the underworld that he is talking.

hwy he might not of said a work, but right now everybody is thinking that he has and the safest place for him right now is in police hands, the safest thing to do is work with them right now.

this newspaper artical is a death sentence!!!!!

you got to have something big to trade to only get 5 - 10 years!!!!

so the question is who was he working with or who has he just spilled the beans on!!!

does not sound like he is in a good position right now!!

after all he was known to the police, known for what though???

yes worms can be used but remember to turn of the petrol tap!!!!

a fat worm in your fuel line can cause many hours of dramas!!!

due to my background in hospitality industry may i suggest the following...you make yourself a dough out of flour , a little salt , sugar and instant yeast and combine it ...knead it and let it rest ...than you fill it into the tank until it is full....close the tank and give it in the warm room the yeast will do its action by making the dough rise and take the dent out...when this is out you quickly take the tank to a oven and bake it (you could powdercoat it the same time )...at the moment the dough is baking the yeast will be stopping its work. In the end you have a tank without dent and full of bread ...how to take the bread out? wait wait and wait it'll dry and than you shake it a lot or hit it a bit " careful don't make a dent" and you will have breadcrumbs coming out of your tank....

anyone willing to try this...please document it with a pictures...

mbox

if you dont want to wait the time for the bread to dry out then what you can do is get 25 - 50 baby mice put them in a can with air holes and a water feed and tape the can on the filler hole of the petrol tank.

the result is that the mice eat the bread and clean out the tank, you end wp with a tank full of little balck/brown pellets that are easy to remove.

WARNING

DO NOT USE BABY RATS

this causes problems as they grow fast and become to large to get out of the filler hole, I wont go into the way to remove fat rats from a petrol tank full of bread as it my offend some animal lovers.

DONT FORGET THE AIR HOLES AND WATER SUPPLY

well after years of bikes here is my view

you can use the compressed air, yes it works, I have done this many times.

as for drilling the hole in the tank, dont bother it is way to much work, as you have to repair the hole, and the best way to do that on a petrol tank is solder!!!! no flames, just plan old big iron heated away from the tank.

but the easy way is to add some filler and then add some cool looking decals as posted above. simple fast and hassel free, takes nothing but a cheap tin of filler and some sand paper, it can even be some fun looking at all the stickers.

now if you dont want to add some stickers you just want plan color, then buy some colored sheet of sticker material, fill the dent then cut the sheet to the shape you want, now the trick to adding this to a petrol tank is to use some soap and water on the tank then add the sticker material it allows you to move it around a fraction.

you can use a hairdryer to help shape the plastic.

in the end you have a plastic coated tank that looks like a professional coating to protect it.

have fun

Elvis is not living on the moon!!!

I saw him in Pattya with princess Diana!!!

you would love your meter stopped for about 6 - 8 weeks then you would have a BIG problem!!!

the Thailand power company knows all the tricks in the book, so after paying your bill for months and then the meter stopping you will find a man on your doorstep asking how you are powering your house and not having any meter movement!!

so the trick to this is not stopping your meter but slowing it!!!

what I have listed here is something that is done in Thailand, they add some simple creative wiring and you end up with a unit that you can control the speed of your meter, I must say it is some very creative thinking and credit must be given to the person who came up with this one!!!

imagin a meter that with a turn of a knob you can make it go fast or slow. I have seen this system working many times here in bangkok hence I have no problem posting this bet.

THIS IS ILLEGAL !!!!!!

IT IS POWER THIEFT!!!!

if you note I have not posted 100% how it is done, and I wont as I dont want people poking there nose into this type of thing, after all if you dont already know how it is done then maybe you shouldnt be changing the wires that supply your house!!!!

to be honest I have also sent a PM to elkangarito telling him how it is done (as he has an electrical background) and advising him not to take the bet, what I want to see is people working together on this forum to increase electrical safety and awareness.

not fighting, hey if I can spend some time at my computer and maybe save someones life through making them aware of their system then great!!!

as for 50,000 to stop your meter or slow it for that matter hmmmmmmm that is tempting but illegal !!!

I AM NOT THAT CHEAP hahahahha

PM me when you hit 500,000 in work

I am proberly going to get a ripping for posting this, but somebody has to stand up for asbestos!!

KEEP ASBESTOS BAN ALCOHOL

What a wonderful idea

This would be ok except for one thing...the dangers of asbestos are hardly ever advertised, unlike the dangers of crossing the road, smoking, drinking etc etc.

An informed public will have the choice to avoid the risk of breathing asbestos dust as opposed to an uninformed public. Of course, an informed public may also choose to ignore this warning.

I believe that warnings & therefore choices, surrounding such things as alcohol & tobacco, provide people with a "choice". If they did not know about these things, they would obviously have little or no choice.

you are 100% correct

I am happy with asbestos an the interaction that I have with is, this is based upon the idea that I am fairly well informed on it hence I am happy with dealing with it.

dont get me wrong I know it is a killer if delt with wrong. and I have delt with it wrong over the years, ie breakpad dust!

A well informed public is the key to many things, it does make you wonder why there is not more information out there on products, ie mineral oils, I remember being shocked to hear that Germany does not use hydrolic fulid, it uses antifreeze and water.

but sadly most of the western world do not educate there engineers or public to the risks of exposure to mineral oils but at least asbestos has had some exposure.

maybe over the fext decade or two the rest of the world will follow germany.

Dear elkangorito

well if you dont believe me then how about his one.

how about we make a bet on this on this public forum, as long as you have a earth system I will stop your Thailand meter running by turning your system into a SWER, then you pay my travel cost, my time and 50,000 baht to Father Joe and the orphans. all I will do is some very simple work inside your load center, I wont touch your meter nor will I go near it, other than to watch what it is doing!

we can make a video of this (not showing the work that is done) but not stopping the video whilst I stop your meter by turning your house phase/nuetral mains supply system into a swer systerm. we can post it on youtube for all to see and judge who wins the bet and if you should pay the money to Father Joe.

to confim the test if you have an aircon then I will make your aircon run without your meter truning once! it will have stoped, you will have electric supply but no meter movement.

now how much do want to risk on this one???

want to doubt my ability and knock it on the public forum???

Warning!!!

you dont know who I am or what I have done for a trade. think long and hard, can you afford to loose the money? do you really know enough to make the call on this bet.

please please take me up on this bet as Father Joe needs all the money he can get.

Anybody with a good understanding of single phase power supply and Thailand meters will understand my posting, it is about changing your standard system over to swer, now if you dont understand it then you dont understand SWER or how a standard Thailand meter works!!!

This bet I think would be classed as power thieft, but I think that the thailand power company would be ok with it for 1 minute to donate 50,000 to Father Joe.

come on, time to put the money where the mouth is and help the poor children!

looking forward to your post!!!

Hmmm...

I think I see where you're coming from with this, but with respect, a thread full of posts such as yours would be quite unreadable and perhaps even serve to exacerbate the problem. Thankfully an effective course of action already exists within this forum 'for people who dont understand much about a home electric system'.

Pause, gather your thoughts, clearly describe the electrical issue you are faced with (take a digital photograph if possible) and post it/them within this sub-forum.

If you read back through the previous threads you will see that posts of this type receive an almost immediate response from Crossy or Elkangorito (especially if the problem is serious and potentially life threatening). They both possess a wealth of electrical knowledge and are only too happy to thrash an issue to within an inch of its proverbial life... if warranted.

Genset

ok this thread was design for people that want to know if they have a problem, it is not designed to fix a problem, it was posted for those who read the other threads and and wonder if they have a safe electrical system. so it was put together for a basic check that can be done by anyone.

its fine to say if you have a problem then post it, but the chances are the way that you find that your water heater has kicked the bucket and you have no earth system is that you have just been fryed whilst taking a shower.

this thread is about looking for any possible safety problems BEFORE you find out the hard way.

after all do you check the oil in you car, or do you just wait for the engine to die?

a simple check of your home could save your life.

its called preventitive as opposed to crisis.

I note that you say "Pause, gather your thoughts, clearly describe the electrical issue you are faced with"

ok how about this, "what should I look for to see if I have a safe system"

ok this is an interesting post to address!!! this has got me a little worked up!!!!!

I will try not to be insulting, I will try to open your eyes a little to the Thai construction worker!

you say that I am generalising when I say dont use family. well you are one lucky man if you didnt have issues with your wife over the construction! it is better to be safe than sorry, it would be a sad day if you fell out with the wife and the family over building your dream house!!!!

ok lets talk about generalising

Quote

Agree you have to be there every minute of the working day but as for buying them beers, absolutely no way should you introduce alcohol on your building site, workers are binge drinkers, when they start they will not stop for two or three days.

At first I wanted to buy beer for the workers and my wife forbid it under pain of walking off the job, she knows only two well how their minds work. Plus residual hangovers and still drunk workers lead to accidents, that then costs you or me more money in hospital care, been there done that!

end quote

so how does a construction workers mind work????

work hard play hard? ohhh no it cant be that as that is a western thing!!!

enjoy a beer after a hard days work? ohh no it cant be that as that is a western thing!!!

ohhh hang on maybe they are just like us only they dont have the education that we have and they dont speak the same!!!

this would have to be one of the most insulting things you could say about construction workers!!!!

talk about generalising!!!!!

not all construction workers are binge drinkers and not all construction workers drink for two or three days!!!

that is like saying that all westerners in Thailand are here as sex tourists!!!

or like saying that all woman in thailand are on the game.

just because your wifes fathers crew are alcoholics does not mean that they are all alcoholics, lets be real here Thai people are social people, they enjoy sitting down and eating together and they enjoy a beer as a group.

I was not saying get them drunk, but a bottle of beer after a hard days work is not a bad thing!!! you will make more friends and get a better quality of work just the same as you would in a western world by buying a few beers for the lads!!!!

I have probery worked with more Thai construction workers than most western people in Thailand, after all I use to train them in welding, I also worked very closely with one crew, we would eat together and after work we would enjoy a drink together. it did not play a role in there work any more than it does in the western world!

as for introducing alcohol on to the building site, I agree that is not good, but after work and sitting down on the ground I dont class it as the building site, at that point it is just a place where we all sit eat and have a good laugh and maybe have a beer! after all most construction workers end up living on site in many places so for a short time it is there home before it is yours!

by saying that the Thai construction workers cannot drink, well you will be running the chance of having some very unhappy workers and unhappy workers do not do good work!!!!

please take the time to think about what you have written as I am a working man and spend my time in Thailand with working Thai men, I eat breat and live Thai, most Thai people say that I am more thai than Farang I take this as a complement coming from Thai people. the reason they say this is because I have taken the time to learn about Thai people and not judge them as a race but as individuals.

next you will say that all Thai electricians are bad at there work!!!

Try that one and I will introduce you to my business partner, you may be a little shocked at the quality of work as he would put most western electricians to shame, trust me on that one as I have worked many international contracts including surface to air missile systems!

dont judge a worker by the color of his skin or the job he does, judge him by the quality of work he does!!!

I hope this will give you something to think about and it was not ment to be insulting to you but your posting did wind me up a wee bit.

Peace

Marc

the first golden rule is DONT USE FAMILY a problem with the builder/plumber/electrician can fast turn into a problem with sleeping with your partner!!!!

it can also put your partner in a hard place, who do they listen to you or the "family expert" after all the common things seems to be that us farangs dont understand a thing we are white, that means in thailand that we dont do manual labour.

I find this a lot, white skin means an office worker, that is not a person that know how to pick up a welder of drive a boat, both of these things have been an issue in the past and I can tell you I have shocked the Thai's by doing both!!

so rule number one is dont use family

rule number 2 when the #@#@$ does hit the fan refer to the simple statement "who is paying for this??"

if you want it done a certin way then YOU CAN HAVE IT THAT WAY, just because you are in Thailand does not me you cant have what you want.

there is another factor that jumps to mind that will stress many, thais seem to stick together, this can make some mega hassels in a relationship. if a thai person says that a unit has to be done like this then you can expect your thai partner to be taking their side. you can find that you are put in a very tough position, but please remember its your house ect that you are building so you are teh one that has to live with it.

I have been a sub-contractor for decades and I have a simple rule, as long as it is safe then the client can have what they want, if the client wants me to do the job painted purple then as long as they are paying the right amount of money then I will paint myself purple.

that is what a sub-contractor is suppose to be like, they are the working hands for you, they are not the manager, they are not the owner, they are the employees.

if you are not locked into a contract then if you want kick them off site, dont stress there are always others out there that will do the work. doing construction should be fun, it should be your dream coming true before your eyes, it should NOT be a living hel_l !!!!!

now if you dont like the quality of the work then remember these words " Mai dee, Mai Professional" they will know that they have done a rough job and pulling them up on it will get results, if you dont then expect it to be pushed further!!

now in saying that Thai people can be great workers and they can do some fantastic quality.

how do you get that quality out of them????

be there, watch the work being done, question, then at the end of the day put on some beers!!!

at the start of the day turn up with some red bull.

every so often get something nice in for lunch sit down with them and have a laugh.

try to be one of the lads, it is worth it in the long run.

I live with Thais, I work with Thais, I work electric, I work fishing, I use to teach welding to thai construction crews. when it comes to workers I get on well with them and it pays off!!!

also remember that the average thai constuction worker is on a VERY LOW wage, that is a bonus for you, as you will proberly have a contract with the company for a "all in price" ok factor into your building budget some bonus money for the workers.

without been seen by others when you are happy with the work slip the person some notes, BUT DONT LET THE BOSS SEE!!! if the boss sees he will want his cut!!

what you will find is that they will want to make sure that the work is done well and that you are happy!

it is amazing what 100 baht and a bottle of red bull and a bottle of beer will get you in the way of quality workers!

just dont do it every day!!!!! only at the end of something, like the floor laid, the sink done, the wires instaled ect.

you can also tell the workers that if you are a very happy man when it is all done then you will give them a finishing bonus but if it is not good then they have to pay for your food and drink for a night, they will like that!!

remember dont be a "suit" be a person, sit down on the floor with them and have some food and drink. they will love you for it and pay you in quality!!!

I cant seem to see any earth wire!!!!!

I can see two wires coming in to the unit, they are your phase and nuetral, do you have a third green wire???

if not then DO NOT USE THIS UNIT !!!!

ok this unit is 10 years old? ok it is doing well for its age, but it can blow an element and if that happens you could fry yourself BIG TIME in the shower!!!

ok there are a couple if things that are interesting here, the pipe on the right side, for some reason it has a larger fitting that is needed, this would be a very good place to start, I have just noticed this.

ok so try this for fun

1st the copper pipe on the right of your photos, remove it top and bottom and see what you can find, you should find washers in there as long as they are the same size as the pipe then go no further put it back together and ignor what I have just typed about the pipe.

ok that copper pipe on the right conects to a brass unit (with the silver pipe conected) that comes out of the heater tank, that was the brass unit I was talking about, if the above does not help then try what I suggested before, remove the bolt out of the end of the brass piece and photograph each stage of removal, this helps to refit things!!!

post the pics of what you find

I am very worried that I cant see an earth wire check for earth wires please!!!!