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Building costs in Thailand - Rural area


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I would like to build a house in rural Thailand where my wife and I already have the land prepared but I don't know if they can build to western standards. The land will be in my wife's name but I want the house registered in my name and my sons name as you never know what lies ahead in the future.

I have looked at a builder BanRak and the cost per m2 is between 14-17,000/m2. I'm hesitant to approach a builder as a foreigner as I'm sure the price increases as soon as they see supposedly cashed up foreigners. 

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2 minutes ago, petermik said:

https://<URL Automatically Removed>/construction-in-thailand/

I found this website invaluable when I had a house built here :thumbsup:

14k to 17k is about right, but this can easily double (or more) once you have settled in with western style standards. Getting clean water that didn't destroy my appliances set me back hundred's of thousands, I am still thinking about a backup generator, getting and keeping green surroundings, etc, etc. Anyway look at a nice condo in Penang before you move to rural xenophobia.

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2 minutes ago, Antonymous said:

In Bangkok or Phuket perhaps, BUT CERTAINLY NOT in rural Thailand. Have you actually had a house built?

 

Firstly bear in mind that 'per square metre' prices are relevant for labour only. For materials you must get a BOQ that details everything else and with this YOU can decide what quality you want. It is not difficult to find the real prices of materials.

 

That said, as a loose rule of thumb as you start to budget, 10-12K per sq.m will get you a completed house without expensive fittings: that's materials and labour. From there it is up to you. You want double layer of Qcon bricks or cheap concrete bricks for example? A tin roof or CPAC tiles or fancy tiles on your roof. Bog standard white porcelain tiled floors or something more imaginative? A Thai kitchen or a fully fitted Western kitchen? And so on.

 

Don't accept any contractor who quotes you on just a per sq.m basis. You'll be ripped off.

 

Good luck.

 

We've built two, one outside Sukhothai and one in Chiang Mai, 2007 and 2013 respectively. The prices I've posted are approx. all inclusive finished prices. Whether you like it or not any builder will revert to square metres for an approximation of his quote. On the first house we supplied materials and the builder supplied labour, the costs came out at around 12k per sq metre for an 86 square metre raised house using CPAC, finished to Thai standards. Everyone needs a starting point for these things which is why I think the unfinished price is the important one. There's been loads of these threads on here over the years, maybe worth doing a search to see what has been said previously, it's a well worn topic that goes back to 2007 at least.

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are there any pre fab houses available?  In the USA there are some pretty well made units, assembled indoors in a factory environment, all interfaces, plumbing and electrical installed and pre built.  All you need to do is prepare the foundation per the prints, hook up the infrastructure, septic/sewer, water and electrical after you deliver the house.

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4 hours ago, Ian3005 said:

I'm hesitant to approach a builder as a foreigner as I'm sure the price increases as soon as they see supposedly cashed up foreigners. 

Do you believe this or have you read it so many times it must be right! another TVF myth IMO!

In case you didn't catch onto previous posts - don't use "family"!

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9 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

are there any pre fab houses available?  In the USA there are some pretty well made units, assembled indoors in a factory environment, all interfaces, plumbing and electrical installed and pre built.  All you need to do is prepare the foundation per the prints, hook up the infrastructure, septic/sewer, water and electrical after you deliver the house.

The cost to build a house here is so low there's no room in the market for prefab construction, there may be a need for it but it wouldn't be profitable.

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On 2/22/2020 at 6:42 PM, saengd said:

These are the rules of thumb that I know of (about three years old):

 

15k per square metre unfinished.

 

25K per square metre finished to Thai standards

 

45k to Western standards

 

55k to top end standard.

I paid 13K per square meter in upper Nan province. The build finished in Feb last year. I'd say my build was far closer to Western standards than Thai standards and have had many comments to that regard. Spend considerable time to get a competent builder and yes indeed, make sure family are not supplying anything or working on it.

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On 2/22/2020 at 8:43 PM, Yinn said:

Be strong!! Not rush it.

 

Easy.

Make the plan/design. 

 

Get 3 price. For the worker price. (For the job complete, not per day).

make 10 step by step. Agree only step by step. Pay when one step finish.  If you not happy one step, change the worker.

eg 1 step is footing, then slab, frame, roof, block, window, ceiling, out wall, in wall, bathroom, tile, kitchen.

step by step. Take more time a little, but not disappoint/angry/stress. 

 

Be strong. Your money. YOU are boss. Not be friendly to much. Better they scared you.

 

 

you buy the things to make it. Concrete, block, window etc. Again get three price everything. Three shop.

Not rush to buy or agree. Be strong.

 

The price up to you. eg. Some tile is 100 sqm. Some is 1000baht sqm. Standard size door, window etc is cheapest. You want special order = 2 or 3 time more. 

Sanitary is big different also. Some toilet = 2,000 baht. Some 20,000 baht. 

 

Not forget go testabaan BEFORE do anything. If start job before then they have power. (Can ask for money) 

Also know how much power you need. Eg water heater, air on, light, etc and go to electric office BEFORE. Sometime you must pay for transformer (can be expensive) 

 

good luck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good advice yinn, pretty much what i did

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On 2/22/2020 at 7:21 PM, gunderhill said:

Built  my own "physically" 3  times  over,  piece of  cake, about 8k baht m2 double  block  walls with air  gap, cpac  tile  roof, can go even cheaper with steel  roof and insulation.

Look at  Crossys  website  www.coolthaihouse.com

Currentlyknocking  up a  single block house for  my  workers, completed  price will be about 65k baht, steel  roof, rendered painted  tiles etc, just two bedrooms and a  front room, 25m2

Breakdown of spend so  far

Concrete 240  steng with Ganzum ( waterproofer)  we  dont want rising damp

11,400

Steel 14100 Galvanised

Blocks  3100 (  so  far, which is way  more than in the photo)

Door  frames 900 each 1800

Sand  Cement stone 1650

Upvc  windows 2, 4200 baht

Ongoing will take  new photo tomorrow

20200202_183349.jpg

20200208_174819.jpg

I'm a bricklayer, be proud of that myself, decent job.. 

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If you do this? You need to know Immigration does not care what you do in support to live in Thailand, At a moment notice you might be ordered to leave Thailand even it is over administration of paper work. The only way out if you pay a bride and then you are a number 1 man at immigration. Do you wish this to happen? Type "O" marriage visa is just waiting to make us all have Health Insurance regardless of age. Make a claim, they will hit you with higher premiums, Cancel policy and then you will be forced to leave? Then if you have difficulty with your wife and divorce, You will not get any Thai to buy and then Thailand Govt. will not allow you to split even you paid 100%. You might get a Userfrut (?), meaning a agreement to live in the new home for ever, but would you like to live in a home with your Ex and immigration rules?

Good Luck and much more  happiness always be with you.

Thank You.

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On 2/22/2020 at 6:38 PM, madmen said:

Wise words 

Prepare to pay at least 35% more than the quoted price

For sure you will have " unexpected " cost over runs where the Builder is concerned.

Also being a " Farang " you will be a target for a rip off.

Stage payments only are the way to go, and dont change your plans with the Builder, as this will give him the green light to gouge you.

Also try to buy the materials for your house yourself, and keep a tight control on their usage as stealing is a real issue.

If the builder buys expect at least a 50% mark up

 

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I have build a house in rural area here, an architect and close friend of mine has done all the calculations and drawings, and I have a beautiful house in thai style build after european norms, BUT you need to be present all the time in order to oversee that everything is correct done after the drawings, and please DO NOT involve any family member. If you want a copy of those drawings you are welcome to contact me, the prize was 1.5 mil Bht back 10 years all inclusive 

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