House Building

[oxo]

Next year I will be building a house in my girls village, South of Kamphaeng Phet.

Can anyone advise me on electrics and the Thai system ie; Ring main or not. Also trying to find fixtures and fittings in that area. Windows,doors and kitchens. Any help much appreciated.

[ajahnlau]

A few building supply shops in KP. If they don't have something you can likely order it. If not, large amount of shops in Nakon Sawan and Phitsanulok.

[maerim]

If you search on here you will see quite a bit about Thai wiring of houses.

You will see that a good sense of humour is required when dealing with Thai "electricians" not to mention a good insurance policy and probably a good time to start thinking about some form of religion.

As to ring mains you won't see them here what you will see is enough to make a strong man turn to drink.

There a loads of spurs here, non fused and non switched its' more luck than better judgment that there is not many fires as they don't pull that many amps.

If you are coming from the U.K. bring a consumer unit with you with MCBs, as many as possible and a RCD.

[KevinN]

You shouldn't have to much trouble getting what you want,but make sure that the builder knows what you want and make sure he does what you want.

There are HOME MART shops most places now and 3 wire electric service is reccomended by the Thai elect. co. but you might have to look for the component parts.

I found that COTTO bathroom fixtures are more to my liking than the others,altho American standard is not bad and made in Thailand also.

I had all the windows custom built to fit,I got 15 large double sliders with screens for 30,000 baht and they are most over 1X1.5 M in size.

And insulation and a form of insulated building blocks are available at HOME-MART.

Lots of luck on your future project.

[taxexile]

i am also about to start having a house built and know nothing about electrical systems.

is the consumer unit the thing that goes in the "cupboard under the stairs" in uk houses,next to the meters,with buttons that pop when a fuse goes ? and what is a rcd?

[maerim]

with buttons that pop when a fuse goes ? and what is a rcd?

Well sort of, they don't have buttons anymore but little switches that drop down if anything goes wrong.

They come in different amps from 45 for running a shower to 5 for lighting.

They are called MCBs, minature circuit breakers Wylex are as good as any as the enclosure ( thats the box they fit in) is made of steel that's what I use here.

If you can get one from the U.K. you might as well get one with a 10 way thats ten MCBs you don't have to use them all but handy just in case, you can get plastic blanks for the ways you don't use..

An RCD is a residual current device, this is a handy little device that stops from becoming what's known in the trade as dead.

You will probably find on the consumer unit it is what is called a split load about half will be protected by the RCD.

This is usually for the sockets as the lighting sometimes when a lamp ( they are not bulbs, bulbs you put in the garden) blows it trips the RCD.

Clear as mud?

[taxexile]

Clear as mud?

well, clearer than before,

thanks.

[oxo]

Thanks everyone for your replies, the info will help greatly. One thought, where is the best place to obtain house plans. Have book from Dreamhouse that I bought in Lotus but ideas a bit extreme. Need kitchen attached to house not part of it, My lady from Lao, need I say more. Best of luck to anyone who is also going to build a home in LOS.