Farang Houses In The Villages

[Martin]

I have noticed houses built 'farang style' in many villages and so often they seem to be shut up and nobody living in them.

Could they be houses that have been built as holiday homes, ahead of retirement?

Or is there some other explanation?

It made me wonder if there are a lot of 'baby boomer' (born 1945 to 1965) farangs living overseas with Thai wives who are intending to come to the wife's girlhood village for retirement.

If so, it might have considerable effects on the villages.

To get me 'out and about' a bit, I registered to do a degree at Khon Kaen University and have chosen, as a little study topic, to consider what those effects might be.

Any information that I am given will be treated in the strictest of confidence, but I would like to hear about, or from, anybody who is going to retire with his wife to the wife's girlhood village, after they finish their years of work in the West.

Please PM me if you have a comment that you wouldn't want seen by all and sundry!

[Pink Mist]

That describes me, baby boomer and have house in Banpaed (12k from KK), we are preparing it for my retirement and use it for a holiday home when we visit every year.

[macb]

Yes Bronco is right although I am already retired and living in the village. But then my wifes sister and her husband have built a so called bricks and mortar house next to us(They are both Thai) its been completed a year but they never stay in it as they live and work in Bkk and visit maybe twice a year.

So it poses the question are all the Farang type houses actually Farang houses? Probably they are, where the farang husband is still working in his homeland and his wife/partner works the city etc?? Some house building projects by farangs take place over several years to completion, on going projects in-conjunction with earnings maybe. Hope this input helps.

Then there is the obvious which applies any where in the world, a relationships failed and the house is locked up

[peter991]

I remember the first time my Thai partner took me to his village in Issan to meet his parents. Because I was one of the few farang in the (population 200) village, I was a bit of a celebrity and made very welcome.

Next came the question from him: 'Would you like to build a house for us?' He drove me around on his motor bike and we inspected about 10 houses, in various stage of construction (or neglect). He pointed out - 'Swiss man build this house; German man build this house' etc.

Most of the homes were occupied by former bar girls who had married farangs. In each case the farang partner was in their own country planning to retire to Thailand in the next 12 months to 5 years. Only one house had a farang-Thai couple.

As the previous poster said - there are also cases where the relationship failed and the house was only partly completed.

There are also a couple of houses where a bank has given a loan for a Thai couple to build a house, then they were unable to make the repayments and the bank cut off funds to the couple - so they couldn't afford to pay the builder - who subsequently stopped work on the house.

Peter

[Pink Mist]

I should mention that our house was an existing 2 story wooden Thai style and we do a bit of work on it when we are there

[billd766]

I live in the central region and live in the house that Nee (my wife) had built but the house next door is built farang style (with a fireplace and chimney) for my mate and his wife. He still works in Denmark until he retires in a few years and she lives in the small house while she is here along with her family.

There are several other farangs that I know of and most of them live here.

[Farma]

There’s a farang style house in a village I frequent and I’ve been asked on many occasions if it’s mine.

Unfortunately I can’t claim ownership as it belongs to an older Thai man from Bangkok who build it for his young Thai mia noi. The house stays empty for most of the year.

[Boo]

In Muang Phon KK there are several western style builds but to my knowledge they are mainly owned by thais. This isn't a village though but a fairly large town so maybe in the boonies only farang build this style but most of hubbies mates parents (they ar eall business owners with money) have a bricks & concrete houses. And there is one house just off the turn in from the highway that is massive & fancy & is owned by a local family too.

Just off topic; how are you finding the University? We plan on moving back in a couple of years & I intend doing a full time thai language course there & wondered about the place. You're the first I have heard of who actually attends so any info would be great.

[Martin]

Thank you all for the different inputs.

It looks as if a (small?) proportion of these 'likely-looking' houses are to be retired to.

But the villages may have daughters away in the West who are going to retire to the girlhood village, but leaving it till they do, before they start building.

It will be interesting to see what effects they have.

The University has some big differences compared to the Western ones that I know, 'Boo'. I am not saying better or worse; just so much difference---like apples and oranges. I'll PM you.

[pumpuiman]

That describes me, baby boomer and have house in Banpaed (12k from KK), we are preparing it for my retirement and use it for a holiday home when we visit every year.

Ditto for me.

[lowerlakeside]

That describes me, baby boomer and have house in Banpaed (12k from KK), we are preparing it for my retirement and use it for a holiday home when we visit every year.

Ditto for me.

My wife and i have just built a new home in Sok Pla Dok (Nong Bua Rawe)I have yet to see it other than pics.my wifes father has a farm there and has been overseeing the build.It is now complete and my wife and i , my 2 sisters, and brothers in law and my 2 best friend will travel from Canada to there March 10 for a traditional Thai wedding ceremony.if you hear the noise..come on in .Not sure what road it is on exactly , but if you take the bus from Bkk to Chaiyapum , you go right past it.Its right beside my sister in laws house before the bridge.I will post pics of it when we return.We hope to retire to it in another 5 years.(the posted pic is of my inlaws)Maybe you have see the work going on! Cheers...Gary & Suchitta

[Dave the Dude]

That describes me, baby boomer and have house in Banpaed (12k from KK), we are preparing it for my retirement and use it for a holiday home when we visit every year.

Ditto for me.

And ditto for me.

We have house and shop built 5k outside of Surin and I plan my permanent great escape from the UK in April. We built nextdoor to Maa and sister and 'on paper' plan to retire in December,when I reach my half-century. Only white man in village and get on well with every neighbour. If I can be of any assistance with your Uni background work,feel free to ask

Best regards

Dave and Sri

[Martin]

"If I can be of any assistance with your Uni background work,feel free to ask."

Many, many thanks in advance, Dave.

There will be a PM on its way to you, pronto!!

[khunandy]

In my case we building our house in my wifes village amongst the extended family. Ours is the only house in the village with a farang connection.

My wife and I spend our time split between Thailand and my home country. I really love my wifes family and knew I wanted to spend a lot of time there but just couldnt see myself staying long term without some creature comforts. There is no doubt that my decision to build was also connected to increasing my wifes "face" to some extent.

As it happens regretted the decision and really do look forward to having those little things that make a farang happy.

I work offshore , month on , month off so sometimes if the wife is in my country the house will remain vacant for 3 months or so. The grandparesnts will move in during this time.

The plan is to retire there in about 10 years, in the meantime I will get to use it about 5 months of the year.

There is another house about 5 kms away , a beautiful big house owned by a german guy but I have never seen anyone there and either has my wife.

Khun Andy

[radar]

yes martin,we built our home in the wifes village about 6 years ago,we both live and work in australia,but we go home a couple of times a year and for what it cost to build,it is well worth the money to be able to stay and do what you want in your own home.one day in the future we will retire to thailand and it is a bonus that we are already set up for this move.the wifes father gave us the land to build on ,and the house cost about 1 million baht,six years ago,but if you were to build the same house today it would be much much more than that,so it is a long term investment as well.

[thedi]

We live in a village, about 4 km from Manchakiri, 50 km from Khon Kaen.

I married 14 years ago and we build then a house in the centre of the village. It is a traditional house same as all the other houses around there, maybe a bit better paint ;-)

Six years ago my wife bought some 3 rai of rice fields and we changed it to a garden with a pond and trees and finally build a new house there. We moved to the new house 3 years ago. The old house is not used since then, but a sister of my wife looks after it.

My wife and daughter live in Thailand all year round, while I go to work in Switzerland twice a year, each time 2 to 3 month. I plan to retire in 4 years and will stay then in Thailand all the time.

There are about 20 woman from this village married to a farang, less than half of them did build a house in the village. Our new house is what you would say 'obviously build by a farang', but there is an other house that looks like 'obviously build by a farang' - it actually looks better than mine - which is owned by a chinese man for his young wife.

Regards

Thedi

[phibunmike]

To follow up on some empty ones being from failed relationships, also remember that the room layout and bathroom would not be attractive for the thai family to live in once the farang has left.

[Martin]

I have finished the MA thesis and a summary article.

If anybody would like a copy of the article just PM me, please.

[Lickey]

I know this is rather sordid but it does happen, the pretty young Thai girl marries 1/2 or even 3 old falangs, in different districts, they all pay dowry to her parents, have a great wedding and build a house ect on the family land, the house will never belong to the falang under the present climate, there has been 2 recent such cases in our village,

If you research house ownership or the like on TV im sure you will find articles about falangs wanting to bulldoze down the houses they built and have been kicked out of by the thai partner,

I must add that im not a victim of this, im very happy living with my GF full time in our new salon/house, do the research as i suggested and im sure you will get the big picture,

Good Luck, Lickey & Pan.

[Joe Walshe]

I have finished the MA thesis and a summary article.

If anybody would like a copy of the article just PM me, please.

I know it's off topic, but I expect others would like to read your article. Why not post it on TV. Also, I am sure others would be interested in hearing about studying at KK university while retired. I certainly would. Joe

[itest4echo]

My wife and I are living in America right now, working to save enough to settle in Thailand. She's from Udon Thani, but we have no desire to live there. We will begin looking for land in November.

[Boo]

I would love to read your article please Martin

[khunandy]

I would love to read your article please Martin

Me too Martin, how about it

[thedi]

We build first a Thai style house in the center of our village. This was nice and good, but I missed a garden. So when the opportunity came to buy some 3 rai of rice field bordering the vilage, my wife bought it. We now build a new - Farang/Thai style house there and live in it since 3 years. Our old house in the center of the village is currently rented out, but stood empty for more than 2 years.

There are o lot of farangs/thai couples from our village. Some of them build a house for the wife's parents. Many planed to retire to this village, but up to now, it is only me that really made it (and I still have to go to work twice a year). When the time comes to retire, many Farangs seem to hesitate to actually move to Isarn. What seems to be a good plan in the age of 40 or 50, is connected with too may uncertainty when 60 or 65 years old.

Regards

Thedi

[Martin]

'Joe Walshe' said: "I know it's off topic, but I expect others would like to read your article. Why not post it on TV."

Because it is 14 pages long, Joe. I think that would drive the Mods nuts!

Here is the abstract.

Please PM me (with an e-mail address, so I can reply and send the article as an attachment) if anybody would like the full version of the article, or even the thesis.

Abstract:

This study was undertaken in preparation of a thesis for an MA-by-research at Khon Kaen University, Faculty of Humanities and Social Studies.

It examines the forthcoming phenomenon of the retirement to their girlhood villages of some Isaan women who have spent many years of their adult lives living, working, and rearing their families in Western societies.

Only a small proportion of such women appear likely to return to their girlhood villages, but that small proportion may increase the ‘social capital’ of their villages quite disproportionately to their numbers.

The study had two parts. The first part was based on the reading of literature that had bearing on the phenomenon of Isaan women marrying Western men and migrating with their husbands to the West, and the second part consisted of gathering observations from the husbands of these women by internet forum discussions, personal messages, and interviews when possible.

When these women return to their girlhood villages, as those villages will then be, each can be expected to have a comprehensive set of the ‘building blocks of power’. They will be equipped to have significant impact in whatsoever social (economic, political, cultural) activities they engage.

A scenario was postulated that the proportions of the Thailand economy, which consists of the foodstuffs production in the rural agrarian villages and the manufacture and consumerism of the urban areas, will change over the next one, two, and three decades, as consumerism becomes less and less sustainable.

The scenario concluded that the villages will experience inward migration from the urban areas and that the village daughters who return from the West will add to that.

The study then examined the feasibility of that scenario. As no contradictory evidence was found and considerable supporting evidence was offered by interviewees and by the statements of the Prime Minister, it appears that the scenario is a feasible one.

Keywords: Isaan villages, wives of Western men, inward migration, returnees from the West, sustainable sufficiency.

[Martin]

Joe also said: "I am sure others would be interested in hearing about studying at KK university while retired. I certainly would. Joe".

It looks as if I am but the forerunner of a growing number at KKU, Joe.

"Learning in Later Life" is getting big in the West, but I thought we were many decades away from where it would grow here among farang retirees and Thais.

However, whilst I have been doing the rounds getting all the forms signed so that I can be awarded the degree, a number of KKU faculty members and administrative staff have said they may be interested in doing the same when they retire in a few years time.

The fact that I was, for a few years, a teacher of engineering at university level but have now done a degree in the Social Sciences intrigues them, and they talk of doing something different in their retirements from what they did in their careers. (There is an old saying: "The other side of the hill always promises to be greener!".)

Reflecting on the past eighteen months would tie in with something else that I have to do this week. I will write a few lines and post it on this forum as a separate topic. If it doesn't appear within a week, please put a reminder to me on here.

[Joe Walshe]

Received and read article Martin. Thank you very much. Most interesting read. Worthy of a separate posting on TV for others to read and comment. Joe

[Dave the Dude]

"If I can be of any assistance with your Uni background work,feel free to ask."

Many, many thanks in advance, Dave.

There will be a PM on its way to you, pronto!!

Hey Martin. I did it !!!!

Now been in Surin for last 6 months and things are doing fine.NO internet at home though,so my posts are few and far between. Back in UK for a months work now, but after I return on 10 Oct, maybe we can meet up sometime(purely bussiness and no beer involved???HOHO . (I have saved the info you sent on PC). Settled down well in village and happy to have many friends and no money,as opposed to the reverse in Ankrit!

Regards David (& Sri)

p.s. Stop calling me Pronto!!

[fishhooks]

Would welcome any info or advice from anyone who has built or currently building in the Thepsahtit (Chiayaphum) vicinity, re a good starting point to consider if one chooses to go ahead with a house in a village.

Much good info already here, but mainly from those already established and I was wondering if anyone has been doing something in this regard recently.

I am well into a two year relationship with my wife and as well as wanting to keep some bricks and mortar in Australia, would like to have a house in this area to come and go from at will. I am at the age of being able to get a Retirement Visa and even though happily married, find this a less complex way of dealing with Immigration here, even though requiring a few more bob in the bank.

We already have land and her folks live close-by in another house, but I'm sure they do not have the knowledge or contacts to put me on the 'right track' to do whatever is necessary to get started in what would be a normal "Farang" way of going about things.

Such as finding a reliable building firm in the area, where plans can be considered and "reasonably" costed!......................Is such a thing possible out there in the sticks?

I don't mind if what we end up with is moreover Thai with a mix of both cultures to include what we have been used to, say, in Australia.

I imagine uppermost in the minds of Farangs doing this is to be as sure as 'possible', not to be ripped-off.

Thus, not wanting to ask too much, I am mainly wondering if anyone has done or is doing this type of thing and has advice mainly re getting started.

Unfortunately I have no other foreign friends or contacts in the area.

There is an English guy close-by who is also on the verge of doing something similar and it looked at one stage that we were going to co-operate together, but to my surprise, in these villages there is a very large degree of "one upmanship" between the families, as poor as they are, and if anyone looks like leap-frogging ahead of another family it becomes very competitive and in this case he has withdrawn into his corner on the suspicion that I may be ready first to do something.

Obviously, he has learned the "Thai way" of doing things, quicker than me.