Steiner

I had a pal in the UK who was always late. He once told me that it wasn't his fault, he was physically losing time or someone was stealing it from him.

He also told me he rode a bike through the centre of manchester swinging a sword and he was a modern day knight so I took most of what he said with a pinch of salt.

Wonder what happened to him.

Maybe he was only jousting...

I've never had to employ staff in Thailand but I've employed hundreds in my career.

The interview consisted of them demonstrating to me what their CV or credentials said they could do. If they claimed to be a spreadsheet hotshot, I'd give them a bundle of data and tell them to build me a spreadsheet and tell me why they were doing it that way.

If they claimed to be able to able to interpret financial data to a certain level, I'd give them a balance sheet or a P&L and ask them for a one page written analysis.

On a practical level, if they claimed to be able to drive a forklift, I'd throw them in one and tell them to unload/load a truck for 15 minutes.

Even down to spelling - I insisted on a hand written letter of application. Plus I always gave them a very simple IQ test with maths/spelling/general knowledge/comprehension tests to varying levels depending on the job requirements.

The wheat soon separate themselves from the chaff and often I'd end up giving the job to the least educated or least qualified, because they were able to demonstrate their potential - I rarely got shat on.

No reason why you can't do these sorts of things with any nationality. It's all down to how well the employer goes about recruitment. If it's done half aresed, you'll get half arsed employees - in Thailand or anywhere.

Your first sentence makes the rest of your post pointless.

Thai staff are completely different to western staff and even though we conduct an hour long interview and a 3 day induction before offering them a post the turnover is incredibly high.

Reasons for leaving (or disappearing without a trace being normal) can range from not being allowed to have facebook on the computers to sick parents, appears Bkk is the safest place to live as the parents outside of it are dropping like flies!

As the OP said I outsource a lot of work to India and Eastern Europe, work gets done fast and well with minimal glitches due to the level of English Thai staff are generally far below the level of other countries.

I have 2 companies and I wouldn't dream of letting Thai staff lose on a contract for a customer, they do admin work and answer phones for a Thailand based business and even then I had to have a program written so that they would ask for the relevant data and input it on the system.

Months of me asking for lead data and getting red in the face made me realise that machinery needs a good software program to make it work and if you think of Thai staff as something that need constant instruction and QC then putting systems in place will save you a lot of grief and a stroke!

Also let the diesel prices rise why should they have a free ride while people on normal benzine get no such thing.

A rise in diesel prices has a knock on effect on every item transported by truck and van.

Those are essential items for living, not a trip to the nail bar at high revs in a hello kitty pimped out jazz/brio/yarris/equivalent small car.

Also diesel is less polluting than petrol and gives better mpg so should be promoted as a fuel.

Why did you not choose a reputable agent with good reviews and have a short list of condos to view on arrival based on location of your work/office and social preferences?

Not that difficult, pm me if you want some pointers.

A word on airbnb, they are banned in more condos every day and most of the people renting rooms are doing so as an illegal sublet.

If you are discovered, usually because you are trying to use the facilities without the proper cards etc or forget your room number/lose your card, expect to be on the street at short notice as the person who rented you the condo will be out instantly and police may be called.

There is a piece a out this in the Bangkok Post about airbnb and the issues they cause.

They are presently being sued in a number of countries.

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I wrote this guide some years back when I still lived in the UK but it is applicable anywhere.

I have never seen a flat lawn here, always uneven and patchy.

Pay attention to the type of sand used in #3, in the UK it is known as plasterers sand or sharp sand, the grains are a little bit larger than fine sand and this is not negotiable.

Also don't know where you would get a vibrating plate here, they must be available but the Thai method appears to be to get people to walk around on the proposed destination for the turf which is a pointless exercise.

THIS IS MY ULTIMATE GUIDE TO LAYING A FLAT USABLE TURF LAWN:

Step #1. Preparation preparation preparation! This should start about one week before step #2. Weeds are your enemy and may have a root that is 2 feet deep, try to dig it out and you may leave a broken tap root which will grow back bigger and stronger! Treat the area for weeds and the lawn with a kill all type weedkiller. If you plan to lay the turf over existing grass don't cut the grass area short, many weedkillers are absorbed through the leaf so give it the best chance. Yes you did read correctly, I said kill your existing lawn; no digging, no tilling and no rolling around in the mud. Leave the area for a week or until everything is dead, dry weather and no rainfall will help speed things along.

Step #2. Once you are sure that all of the old grass and weeds are dead cut or strim the lawn. Short is the order of the day, down to the soil if you can. Clear the area and remove any mountains or stones. Get the area reasonably level. Don't worry about it being perfectly level now as we will take care of that in the next few steps.

Step #3. Spread sharp (plasterers) sand over the area to a depth of 2-4 inches. Again get it reasonably level but don't waste time on it; you will see why in the next two steps. The type of sand used here is important don't use ordinary sand, it just wont do the job. Give the dimensions of your lawn to your builders merchant or sand supplier, tell him the required depth and he will deliver the correct amount.

Step #4. Hire a vibrating plate; these come in 2 types flat bottom and curved botton for trenches. Get the flat bottomed type not the trench type. Your hire center should know what you mean Don't skimp here and try to compact another way; forget rollers, tapping and stamping, it's the 21st century and believe me this piece of kit will make the difference to your lawn. Should be around 20 pounds for the day.

Step #5. Go over the area with the vibrating plate to compact the sand, 2x passes no more. The area will be very uneven now with troughs, highs and depressions but don't worry about that.

Step #6. Get a good strong straight edge, at least 6-8' and make sure it's STRAIGHT, use your eye to look down the length of your chosen straight edge, if it bows or bends, discard it. No flimsy bits of wood. A good strong 4x2. at least. DON'T try to do this with a rake, believe me your eye is not that good and you want this finished before Xmas!

Step #7. OK down on your knees and go over the area with the straight edge shaving off the highpoints and add the 'shaved off' sand to the depressions, use additional sand for the lowpoints as required. Remember you are going to pass the vibrating plate over this one more time so allow a little extra in the depressions for compaction.

Step #8. ONE more pass with the plate.

Step #9. Down on your knees again and use the straight edge again to shave highpoints and highlight any remaining depressions.

Step #10. repeat step 8 if necessary.

Step #11. If you have followed the steps and done this correctly you should have a perfectly flat area which is compact enough to actually walk on (within reason, be careful) without churning up the ground.

Step #12. Give the entire area a very LIGHT rake, even a grass rake would be sufficient for this, TAKE CARE; you only want to tease the surface of the sand, no more.

Step #13. Lay your turf neatly; The system should be to lay the rolled-up turf; then unroll it away from you. Again do this neatly with no gaps (don't water it first) using the straight edge to gently 'butt' and ensure tight joints but don't damage the edges or knock soil lose when rolling out; one or two buts if required only. Trim to fit if necessary with an old wood saw and once laid; water in and the expanding turf will ensure a tight fit. No tapping beating thumping required as you are now the owner of a perfectly flat lawn!

Take a moment to savour the perfection before you, the expanse of golf course standard green that you created.

You can now walk on your new lawn (no football), no waiting, no nonsense. Ensure that you keep the lawn well watered for the first couple of weeks to prevent shrinkage or gaps; be diligent here it is a newborn and still needs attention! If you followed the steps correctly there will be no depressions, peaks or troughs and you lawn will resemble a golf course and not a Royal Marine obstacle course!

Now your new lawn is down and you have used the most labour friendly way to do it.

"When do I cut it?" Is generally the next question. We recommend a light cut on the highest setting once the grass is long enough to trim the top of the grass and no more.

Good luck with the lawn...

What a load of cobblers. You don't need to vibrate builders' sand, it can't be done. Water it and it will more or less assume its final level. The sods will be of variable thickness so don't bother about getting a land surveyor in to level the sand off. Just get down on your knees and check out the worst bits. Don't worry about gaps between the sods, these are inevitable, they will grow together. I was a 'lawn specialist' and then a 'lawn expert' and was responsible for acres of sport fields, recreational areas, horse paddocks....

just level it off, more or less, and get the sods on in an afternoon.

Did I say use builders sand?
I specified sharp or plasterers sand which compacts, what a stupid thing to say, you must have seen sand that can defy physics and a vibrating plate!

"Water it and it will more or less assume its final level."

Oh it just gets better, so you want to create a sodden mess of mud and pooled sand to work in instead of a nice dry level compacted area?

Now just to complete your nonsense approach, what if the ground is not flat? if there is a gradient then watering it will cause the sand to run downhill with the water.

You really didn't think that through.

Sod's don't 'grow' together, if placed badly they have depressions around the sods for years which are hidden by grass and slowly fill with debris over a long period of time.

glad I didn't play on any of your pitches, something tells me none of them were premier league standard!

Angry/disgruntled/offended Muslims, oh what a surprise...

The reason those Vespas can take so much weight is the suspension.

it was previously used on WWII Italian unmanned target drones and was designed for heavy landings. As the originator of Vespa owned that company he grafted them onto the scooters.

Look great if restored but those tiny wheels on Bangkok roads, ouch!

I drive a scooter to appointments almost every day and I have learnt the dangers and the lack of comfort of tiny wheels, would love one for the looks, wouldn't dream of having one for the wheels.

Use a reputable agent and you get your deposit back promptly.

We have rented thousands of properties in Bangkok and the only people who lose their deposit are those who break the lease early, same in any country.

Running the deposit down as rent is never an option, the property needs to be checked when you are moving out and any damages sorted out from the deposit.

A lot of the issues come from using freelance agents or walking into a random condo and asking for a condo.

Limited Thai and a contract in a language you can't read, what do you think will happen? It never ceases to amaze me that people sign contracts they can't read, there really is no cure for stupid!

Of course the pretty 'arm toucher' agents eat farang for breakfast, especially ones just off the boat, if you choose property with your pecker what do you expect.

We have never had an instance where an owner has refused to return a deposit but then we use our own contract, it is very fair and stipulates the return time of the deposit, all very clear and only real damages deducted. We take photographs of every property, any prior damage and a full inventory before contract is signed.

Only person who didn't get all of their deposit back was me!

One old Chinese lady who bargained with me for an hour from keeping all of the deposit for one month to keeping 10k of it.

At that point I mentally wrote off the 10k as I Knew it was never coming back, never did and she called me 2 weeks later to say she had found damage. Oh how I chuckled.

Anyway I had bargained her down on the rental price so it offset the 10k she got her greasy mits on.

Yet another Thai bashing thread.

As if the same doesn't happen in holiday resorts around the world.

OP is this your first beach holiday?

Chill pill.

As it happens in Thailand the poster is stating a fact on a public Forum , Not Thai bashing as you say.

Again, may I challenge, who are the idiots, the boaters or the swimmers?

The OP I think.

Everyone else was having a great time. He was all worked up over his hate.

Hate?

What hate?

An observation is hatred?

Some bizarre and contrary people on this forum...

The idiots are 3 fold, police, swimmers and ski/boat drivers.

Sorry 4 idiots, forgot about you.

From a boaters perspective theres 2 options.

Avoid the kids and lose money.

Drive through the kids and get paid.

Theres also 2 outcomes.

Accidently kill someone as they get wrapped up in the propeller, still get paid, no criminal offence commited.

Wait in the sea and not be able to get passengers, go home and try to explain to the wife why there is no food on the table floor.

Incorrect they is a third and common sense option, have a designated corridor for boasts and jetskis to collect and drop off customers and a minimum distance set that the boats and skis can come to the beach.

To get customers have sales people on the beach punting the trips/sessions etc.

Everyone safe and the boat guy gets paid.

Yet another Thai bashing thread.

As if the same doesn't happen in holiday resorts around the world.

OP is this your first beach holiday?

Chill pill.

Thai bashing, what are you talking about?

An observation that people are behaving in a dangerous and unreasonable way is Thai bashing because?

...and it does t happen on beaches around the world, most European beaches have a designated area for boats and jetskis to collect people away from swimmers.

Is this your 1st beach holiday?

Jomtien is akin to that pipe the guy crawled through to escape from jail in the Shawshank Redemption.

The rubbish on the beach is incredible, the general rubbish in the streets is beyond belief.

I often plan my journey around smells, the stench of the large rubbish bins on the beachfront is vile.

Not rocket science, empty them often and clean them!

Beach should not qualify for that noun, in Europe I see tractors out early each day to retrieve rubbish from the beach and comb the sand.

Not a chance of that happening here because Thai people don't care about anything that does not directly affect them.

Minimum effort to get by and nothing more.

Can't believe what I am seeing today at Jomtien beach.

Hundreds of people in the water and jetskis and speed boats cutting through swimmers and kids on rubber rings.

One idiot in a 25 ft boat traveling at speed has come within a meter of people twice and considering his position in the boat it is impossible for him to see what is in front of him in the water!

Hard to believe the police don't get their finger out and do something before someone gets killed, then again maybe not, no money in it for them...

Needless to say, both sides are looking for a solution. If its under 20m the amount of negotiation room is relatively low unless it's close to completion or they are struggling to sell. Above that, anything is possible.

When you have seen 1.3MB off-plan condo units being advertised at "300,000 Baht off today only" as I have, it becomes painfully obvious that there is room for negotiation at all price levels. The agent's commission (often around 8%) is a good place to start, I think.

8% where did you get that figure???

More uninformed bar knowledge.

Agency commission is generally 3% in Bkk.

I would like to know how a Thai girl can look so beautiful and exotic at 2AM in Mixx and then you wake up beside her and she looks all bar hardened and 45 years old….

Beer goggles...?

If you do wind up doing it yourself, run a length of strong masking tape down the line you want to cut, and mark the cutting line on the tape.

Depending on the quality of the laminate, this may prevent chipping.

Done a lot of construction in my time, never found the tape thing to work on cheaper quality laminate and I don't think there is any other kind in Thailand!

More about the direction of the cut, whatever face the cut enters should be ok, other face will be chipped to pieces.

Only way to stop that is to secure a strip of wood to the other face and clamp it tight, should stop the chipping or minimalise it.

Again all depends on the cut being laser straight, any movement or wobble of the saw or blade will cause chipping on both sides.

Re buying a cheap (and definitely poor quality) circular saw, that would be 1,000 to 1,500 for a saw, fine blade 600? Straight edge, clamps, be stuff I probably wouldn't use again for years and have to store.

Factor in that a cheaper saw might not cut as straight as required and the whole thing would be a waste of time.

A lumber yard should have a large high speed saw with an accurate guide that could do the job in seconds, just don't know my way around the local places yet..

I know of a good wood workshop on the darkside. If all else fails.

Darkside?

I want to get some melamine chipwood sheets cut, looking for somewhere that will run them through a circular saw at the correct size without chipping the life out of them.

Assuming some of the local expats can steer me in the right direction.

Thanks to all in advance.