Building An House In The Boonies

[Mai Krap]

Mai Krap, You really have the life of living in rural Thailand down.It seems that everything that you have said in this thread rings true with us.The wife and I are presently surviving in USA.But have a home in the village that we try to visit as often as time and money allow.Good luck to anyone that does not have a high tolerance for other peoples ways.That is a must in rural Thailand.

This is grandmas house at the village, while not beutiful by western standards it is very comfortable. During the day its great under the house and I cant remember it ever feeling hot to me there. We are currently looking for land to build a home ourselves and Im thankful to have the experiance I have now to avoid the sauna box homes so many westerners insist on building. Currently I live in one of those overheated ovens that I have been complaining about. I have a nice cool place to hang out but it is basicly the servents kitchen of all things which is crazy. I plan to live in this rented house until I can build a proper home. I think Ive found the area but I wanted to live here for a while first, Im in no hurry. The second picture is some of the girls from the family sitting in the big open room under the house, everyone just loves to lay around down there.

[phibunmike]

Anybody got any suggestions, as to how you keep the rest of the family out !!

In my case the bedroom was not a problem - I gave dad in law a key so he can take care of the place when we are away, and he didn't want the key for the bedroom.

But otherwise, in my experience it comes down to a couple of difficult conversations, a little bad feeling, and then afterwards everyone knows what is what and the air is clear. Time heals. Got to have your wife on side.

I must say the kindness, helpfulness, support and generosity I receive from my in-laws far outweighs the "intrusions" and lack of privacy, and when I do get fed up with the latter I usually end up feeling like a selfish jerk afterwards. I try to live by judging peoples actions on their intention rather than the outcome.

Cheers,

Mike

[Mai Krap]

Anybody got any suggestions, as to how you keep the rest of the family out !!

In my case the bedroom was not a problem - I gave dad in law a key so he can take care of the place when we are away, and he didn't want the key for the bedroom.

But otherwise, in my experience it comes down to a couple of difficult conversations, a little bad feeling, and then afterwards everyone knows what is what and the air is clear. Time heals. Got to have your wife on side.

I must say the kindness, helpfulness, support and generosity I receive from my in-laws far outweighs the "intrusions" and lack of privacy, and when I do get fed up with the latter I usually end up feeling like a selfish jerk afterwards. I try to live by judging peoples actions on their intention rather than the outcome.

Cheers,

Mike

The reality is the family has no concept of our need for any privacy. The worst fear for most Thais around the village is to be alone. When we express a need to be alone it is just completely off their radar. I cannot say enough good things about my immediate inlaws in general. Of course like any family we have a degenirate cousin who steals from the whole family but he was warned to never come around as my wifes brother wants to kill him or at least smack him up. One bad apple in a barrel of 50 is not bad, the rest of the family is very hard working rural people and I have a great respect for them. I will admit it took a couple years for them to understand me but now Im fully accepted as one of the family.

[Mai Krap]

Here are a couple homes built recently where Im living, the nice wooden one was a cost of one million baht and Im not sure about the more modern one with the car. If anyone is building a home from wood and you need some just drop me a private mail. These will be much nicer once they get the gardens started.

[Thaddeus]

The one on the left looks familiar, where is that?

[catcrumpet]

My House in Phimai. Its a two bedroom property, large kitchen, large lounge, separate toilet, and shower room.

I completed the build last year. Work still needed outside, scaping etc.

Oops , admin could you re size it for me . Many Thanks

Edited February 21, 2007 by catcrumpet

[mrbojangles]

Some really nice houses there guys. Did you find that you had to be there, to oversee things or did some of you just leave it upto your Terak and a competent builder?

I am thinking of doing one of those styles from the government web site, with a few different variations on the theme. But something similar to this one should suffice for my needs.

[lowerlakeside]

Mr Bojangles: Where around Chaiyapum are you located? I have just built in Nong Bua Rawe (Sok Pladuk) district and will be there to see how my new home has turned out in March.My wife and i are having our Thai wedding there on the 10th so if you are in the area , stop in. Right now i dont have very good directions , but will update when i arrive. Perhaps if you need it ,i can provide builders names and info from the area .My father in law looked after the build and hired the contractors for me so i have yet to see it. i hope all turns out well with your project!

[mrbojangles]

Mr Bojangles: Where around Chaiyapum are you located?

Hi lowerlakeside. The nearest large town on the main road is called Ban Khwao (sp) and then it's about a 10 minute drive down the village lane. I don't think we'll be there in March but all the best with the wedding. Me and Mrs BoJ had a good one in the village.

If your'e located somewhere near it would be nice to meet up. Not many farangs around the village and it can get a bit lonely.

[nev]

this is my girlfriends home in here village,small but nice 30,000baht for the land built for around 200,000 baht.

thai bathroom and kitchen,since this pic she has tiled the house and verandah.

i love going living here very relaxing.

we are eyeing a block of land on the main rd of the village one rai 100,000 baht over looks the dam does this price sound fair,my girlfriends village is a very poor one,she said the land has paper but no paper to get loan to build not as though i will be obtaining a loan to build.

land one soi back are around 30,000baht a lot,but these on the main rd more expensive nbecause you can have a buisness.

this is close too nong kung sri,kalasin small village called phu hang.

only downside is no internet,is there a way of getting internet to out of the way villages?

i currently getting ubc connected for my girlfriend,as watching thai soapy's all the time not for me.

[stament]

this is my girlfriends home in here village,small but nice 30,000baht for the land built for around 200,000 baht.

thai bathroom and kitchen,since this pic she has tiled the house and verandah.

i love going living here very relaxing.

we are eyeing a block of land on the main rd of the village one rai 100,000 baht over looks the dam does this price sound fair,my girlfriends village is a very poor one,she said the land has paper but no paper to get loan to build not as though i will be obtaining a loan to build.

land one soi back are around 30,000baht a lot,but these on the main rd more expensive nbecause you can have a buisness.

this is close too nong kung sri,kalasin small village called phu hang.

only downside is no internet,is there a way of getting internet to out of the way villages?

i currently getting ubc connected for my girlfriend,as watching thai soapy's all the time not for me.

How long ago did you build it? I'd be surprised if it would cost 200k now to build. Everything seems to have gone up due to fuel increases over the last 2 or 3 years....

[nev]

this is my girlfriends home in here village,small but nice 30,000baht for the land built for around 200,000 baht.

thai bathroom and kitchen,since this pic she has tiled the house and verandah.

i love going living here very relaxing.

we are eyeing a block of land on the main rd of the village one rai 100,000 baht over looks the dam does this price sound fair,my girlfriends village is a very poor one,she said the land has paper but no paper to get loan to build not as though i will be obtaining a loan to build.

land one soi back are around 30,000baht a lot,but these on the main rd more expensive nbecause you can have a buisness.

this is close too nong kung sri,kalasin small village called phu hang.

only downside is no internet,is there a way of getting internet to out of the way villages?

i currently getting ubc connected for my girlfriend,as watching thai soapy's all the time not for me.

How long ago did you build it? I'd be surprised if it would cost 200k now to build. Everything seems to have gone up due to fuel increases over the last 2 or 3 years....

i did not build it, my girlfriend built it last year from money earned from her sugar cane farm.

yes i think prices have gone up, but this house was built by her brother in law.

it is a nice little home and enjoy spending time here with her.

[mrbojangles]

this is my girlfriends home in here village,small but nice 30,000baht for the land built for around 200,000 baht.

thai bathroom and kitchen,since this pic she has tiled the house and verandah.

i love going living here very relaxing.

Wow, that looks great for 200k nev. Is it concrete and block?

we are eyeing a block of land on the main rd of the village one rai 100,000 baht over looks the dam does this price sound fair,my girlfriends village is a very poor one,she said the land has paper but no paper to get loan to build not as though i will be obtaining a loan to build.

land one soi back are around 30,000baht a lot,but these on the main rd more expensive nbecause you can have a buisness.

The price seems about right for 1 rai (i'm assuming easy access, power and water facilities). It's always hard to put a price on land but it doesn't seem unfair.

I'm not sure what you mean about the paper to get a loan? Is the Chanote (the paper) held by the bank and if so, what is the money owed against it?

[Lite Beer]

Some really nice houses there guys. Did you find that you had to be there, to oversee things or did some of you just leave it upto your Terak and a competent builder?

I am thinking of doing one of those styles from the government web site, with a few different variations on the theme. But something similar to this one should suffice for my needs.

My friend has built this very house near Khon Kaen but has extended it back a meter to make the bedrooms a bit bigger. Nice house . 3 bedroom ,2 bathroom.

I was so impressed that I am having one built. We have built it one meter higher off the ground. Should be finished end of March. I think very good value at a cost of just under 1.2 Million Baht.

See picture if it uploaded ok.

[eddie eagle]

I want to buy some land in the TGF name + usefruct... yes I hear the groans but I don't really care ...she can have it if the relationship goes tits up. The difficulty I have is coming to terms with the asking price ... she has come up with a potential plot of 110 wah in a reasonable village just out outside of Nongbualumphu which is about an hour from Udon. The plot is next to and fronts on to a main road. Sorry no pictures ... the asking price is THB 280,000 which seems a bit on the expensive side. A plot about 2 streets back from the road and 90 sq wah sold for THB 120,000 recently. Advice on the price and or how best to structure the negotiations would be most welcome.

Edited March 13, 2007 by eddie eagle

[Lite Beer]

I want to buy some land in the TGF name + usefruct... yes I hear the groans but I don't really care ...she can have it if the relationship goes tits up. The difficulty I have is coming to terms with the asking price ... she has come up with a potential plot of 110 wah in a reasonable village just out outside of Nongbualumphu which is about an hour from Udon. The plot is next to and fronts on to a main road. Sorry no pictures ... the asking price is THB 280,000 which seems a bit on the expensive side. A plot about 2 streets back from the road and 90 sq wah sold for THB 120,000 recently. Advice on the price and or how best to structure the negotiations would be most welcome.

The best advise I can give is , Stay well away from any negotiations. Once they know a Farang is involved the price will go right up. Let the girlfriend do it all.

As for price it all depends on location, electric supply, water supply, how desperate they are to sell. It really is worth whatever you are prepared tp pay and whatever they can get.

Try buying some land that size in Samui. Costs around 1.5 Million.

Sorry not much help.

[raslin]

this is my girlfriends home in here village,small but nice 30,000baht for the land built for around 200,000 baht.

thai bathroom and kitchen,since this pic she has tiled the house and verandah.

i love going living here very relaxing.

we are eyeing a block of land on the main rd of the village one rai 100,000 baht over looks the dam does this price sound fair,my girlfriends village is a very poor one,she said the land has paper but no paper to get loan to build not as though i will be obtaining a loan to build.

land one soi back are around 30,000baht a lot,but these on the main rd more expensive nbecause you can have a buisness.

this is close too nong kung sri,kalasin small village called phu hang.

only downside is no internet,is there a way of getting internet to out of the way villages?

i currently getting ubc connected for my girlfriend,as watching thai soapy's all the time not for me.

You can get an IPstar dish from the TOT no problem. Slowest 256/128 is Baht 1605/month plus installation. Very reliable.

[nev]

this is my girlfriends home in here village,small but nice 30,000baht for the land built for around 200,000 baht.

thai bathroom and kitchen,since this pic she has tiled the house and verandah.

i love going living here very relaxing.

Wow, that looks great for 200k nev. Is it concrete and block?

we are eyeing a block of land on the main rd of the village one rai 100,000 baht over looks the dam does this price sound fair,my girlfriends village is a very poor one,she said the land has paper but no paper to get loan to build not as though i will be obtaining a loan to build.

land one soi back are around 30,000baht a lot,but these on the main rd more expensive nbecause you can have a buisness.

The price seems about right for 1 rai (i'm assuming easy access, power and water facilities). It's always hard to put a price on land but it doesn't seem unfair.

I'm not sure what you mean about the paper to get a loan? Is the Chanote (the paper) held by the bank and if so, what is the money owed against it?

very easy access to electricity and water, the village dam is across the road, and if i build a elevated house a nice view over the dam.

my girlfriends house is blocks concrete floor,thai bathroom and toilet thai kitchen, it is still not finished have to put ceiling in, the build quality is very cheap,but hey it is her home she does not owe anyone any money on it.

it has 2 bedrooms.

sorry i do not have a plan to show anyone.

i am in twominds about the land, i have first option on this land 2 blocks close by have sold for 100,000 and 90.000,and another one sold but i dont know the price on that one they have been filling this one think they have spent 20,000 filling.

the 100,000 block was sold to a falang who lives the next village,and across the road another falang has built a nice little home for around 400,000 baht.

anymore info pm...cheers nev

[mrbojangles]

I think at those prices nev, you just need to way up the views, access, quietness, water, electric. The prices seem pretty fair, so from there you just need to get the design for your mini "Old Trafford" sorted out

[Martin]

This doesn't help the OP, as he has already committed himself to his plot.

But, for readers for whom it is all in the future, please remember the old saying : "Act in haste, repent at leisure".

Take time over that decision of where to build.

"Location, Location, Location" applies to the placement of the house you will live in , maybe till your end, just as much as to hotel businesses.

We are happy that we live on the best edge of an Amphoe.

(I say "best" edge, as the other three edges wouldn't suit us as well. But my "best" could be another man's "not so good".)

Plots are big in our quarter of the little township and our neighbours are members of 'Thailand's emergent middle class'----mostly police officers and teachers. So there isn't going to be anybody moving in with 20 fighting cocks etc!!

Take time over the design of your house, and please think ahead to when you won't be so nimble.

We were lucky that, when Thong saw that I as getting to be quite likely to have an accident on the Thai-style stairs, as I got to 70, she was able to go into mansion-expansion mode, master-mind an extension of the sitting room such that we enjoy the view of the garden better, put a new big bathroom on the side, and have the back of the sitting room glass-walled off as a big A-C double bedroom.

So we now live entirely on the ground floor.

However, if I were building from scratch today, I would consider going back to a traditional Isaan design and living without A-C six foot off the ground. But I would add an elevator, ready for infirmity time should it come.

There is a lovely book called " The Thai House: History and Evolution" (River Books, ISBN 974 8225 05 4).

I saw it at Don Muang, but they wanted over 3000 baht for a slightly shopworn copy. An e-mail to Danny Speight at DCO Thai got me a pristine copy quite a bit cheaper.

[Bpraim1]

Some really nice houses there guys. Did you find that you had to be there, to oversee things or did some of you just leave it upto your Terak and a competent builder?

I am thinking of doing one of those styles from the government web site, with a few different variations on the theme. But something similar to this one should suffice for my needs.

My friend has built this very house near Khon Kaen but has extended it back a meter to make the bedrooms a bit bigger. Nice house . 3 bedroom ,2 bathroom.

I was so impressed that I am having one built. We have built it one meter higher off the ground. Should be finished end of March. I think very good value at a cost of just under 1.2 Million Baht.

See picture if it uploaded ok.

I am looking at these plans also right now, I have just sent plans out for quotes, waiting for all to come back.

Can you let know know what all was included in your price?

As my quotes are come'n in at around 5,600 sqm to 9,000 sqm.

[mrbojangles]

My friend has built this very house near Khon Kaen but has extended it back a meter to make the bedrooms a bit bigger. Nice house . 3 bedroom ,2 bathroom.

I was so impressed that I am having one built. We have built it one meter higher off the ground. Should be finished end of March. I think very good value at a cost of just under 1.2 Million Baht.

Looks really good that Lite Beer. He too decided to drop the "Blue" slates

[Lite Beer]

Some really nice houses there guys. Did you find that you had to be there, to oversee things or did some of you just leave it upto your Terak and a competent builder?

I am thinking of doing one of those styles from the government web site, with a few different variations on the theme. But something similar to this one should suffice for my needs.

My friend has built this very house near Khon Kaen but has extended it back a meter to make the bedrooms a bit bigger. Nice house . 3 bedroom ,2 bathroom.

I was so impressed that I am having one built. We have built it one meter higher off the ground. Should be finished end of March. I think very good value at a cost of just under 1.2 Million Baht.

See picture if it uploaded ok.

I am looking at these plans also right now, I have just sent plans out for quotes, waiting for all to come back.

Can you let know know what all was included in your price?

As my quotes are come'n in at around 5,600 sqm to 9,000 sqm.

Just the basic house.

So extras would be,

Gutters, security grills for the windows, insect nets on windows,. fitted kitchen (if wanted) , drilling for water. water tank and pump.

For a 3 bed , 2 bathroom I think the price is pretty good.

[phibunmike]

I want to buy some land in the TGF name + usefruct... yes I hear the groans but I don't really care ...she can have it if the relationship goes tits up. The difficulty I have is coming to terms with the asking price ... she has come up with a potential plot of 110 wah in a reasonable village just out outside of Nongbualumphu which is about an hour from Udon. The plot is next to and fronts on to a main road. Sorry no pictures ... the asking price is THB 280,000 which seems a bit on the expensive side. A plot about 2 streets back from the road and 90 sq wah sold for THB 120,000 recently. Advice on the price and or how best to structure the negotiations would be most welcome.

Main road sites command huge premiums as most people seem to want to run a business from their homes. Quieter plots further from the main road can be more desirable to the farang, and significantly cheaper.

[cobra]

The only condition i will have is that, I will have my own air conditioned bedroom with en-suite, double glazing and farang bed, which will be strictly off limits to all.

And it will be, while your there,

[macb]

Well we moved into our house in February 2005 it took the builders 3 months to build. The plans were obtained from a book at the local Government Office.

[jayenram]

I don't know how I managed to miss this thread, BoJ.

I have placed the construction pictures of my house in a gallery here:

http://gallery.thaivista.net/thumbnails.php?album=15

Starting from a green field site to the finished structure. Build cost in the order of Bht 800,000 in 2000.

[macb]

I don't know how I managed to miss this thread, BoJ.

I have placed the construction pictures of my house in a gallery here:

http://gallery.thaivista.net/thumbnails.php?album=15

Starting from a green field site to the finished structure. Build cost in the order of Bht 800,000 in 2000.

Good link and House history nice to see that if good builders are used then Basic Footing construction is same.

Did you have wooden windows in before . what was the reason for changing to Alluminium

[jayenram]

Did you have wooden windows in before . what was the reason for changing to Alluminium

Yes. Wooden windows for five years but they were warped and the driving rain was getting in. Had them changed for aluminium. 5 No @ 1.80m x 1.00m, 5 No @ 1.20m x 1.00m - cost Bht 34,000.00. Sold the old wooden windows for Bht 5,000.00.

[mrbojangles]

The only condition i will have is that, I will have my own air conditioned bedroom with en-suite, double glazing and farang bed, which will be strictly off limits to all.

And it will be, while your there,

Security measures have been well thought out

Well we moved into our house in February 2005 it took the builders 3 months to build. The plans were obtained from a book at the local Government Office.

That looks really nice mac. Bigger than the one i want to build in the boonies but about the same as i want to build near the beach.