Better Avoid "special" Mooban Companies In Cmx

[truman]

Hi to all again,

somebody here with the same bad experiences in buying or building a house in chiang mai?

have no other choice, i'm sueing one of the big ones right now!

expats making the same bad experience, feel free to give me note!

maybe we are talking from the same company here...

[realthaideal]

What happened that you're fuming about Truman ? We've all kind of heard of or seen everything out here, So nothing could really come as a surprise. Where did things go wrong ? I'm also curious what's your experience with Thailand ? Often alot of things aren't going that badly, or could even be rescued, but a Farang freakout will quickly make deals go sour, rather than finding a new line of agreement between the parties. What stage of things are you at here ? YOu don't have to drop names, but maybe hint at companies if you like. I'm sure you'll get plenty of advice and symapthy.

[truman]

What happened that you're fuming about Truman ? We've all kind of heard of or seen everything out here, So nothing could really come as a surprise. Where did things go wrong ? I'm also curious what's your experience with Thailand ? Often alot of things aren't going that badly, or could even be rescued, but a Farang freakout will quickly make deals go sour, rather than finding a new line of agreement between the parties. What stage of things are you at here ? YOu don't have to drop names, but maybe hint at companies if you like. I'm sure you'll get plenty of advice and symapthy.

hahahahaha, thanks a lot realthaideal, maybe i simply see to dark, or i should accept things like:

**refusing any kind of conversation...

**allmost one year overtime...................

**breaching the contract in all points.....

**forget my allready paid 7-digit investment..

**locking up the house so i can not go in anymore..

**not even answering to lawyer-letters...

**send only little employees in front, the big boss nobody knows...

**steelconstruction in movement....

**big structure-cracks inside/outside

**never a phonecall, neither a letter...

**...on their websites they are promising heaven on earth, but after signing you open a hells-gate..

what i go through with my wife now over 15 month, nobody would ever believe thuch a thing!

pretty hard to find a lawyer here in chiang mai, they mostly do visas, companies or accounting stuff.

the "fee-structure" is to compaire with european ones.

thuch a case need 2-5 years up to the supreme court, and you bet, i was not asking for it.

Edited April 10, 2007 by truman

[Ta22]

Contact the media .

is your one hope - make this a NEws and there cnanot ignore it .

Like the guy who burn his HOnda CRV or the Guy when Honda refuse to service what is a Honda problem infront of the Japanee embassy .

Well .. my suggestion is do it with mind full of what you going into .

good luck and take care .

i got bad investment also. and some thai still need to pay me as much as 100k baht

[chanchao]

I know this isn't the time for remarks like the following, but it's stronger than me, and might help new arrivals:

1. Never, *EVER* pay for something in advance in Thailand that you haven't seen, touched, smelled and verified triple over.

2. Same applies to overly large deposits.

Doesn't matter if it's a fresh-off-the-plane tourist buying a suit from a tailor, or a seasoned expat settling down buying a house. You simply never, EVER part with money before you're quadruple sure that everything you're going to pay for is in fact there. And even then better hold off on payment for as long as possible.

Because for sure in Thailand, as soon as the buyer/customer/consumer parts with his money he's instantly reduced in importance-level to that of refrigerator-crud or dryer-lint as far as the seller is concerned.

This is Thailand.

------

Anyway, Truman, let us know how things are going. I'm not in the camp of people thinking that legal action will never ever work in Thailand, but do be open to settlements along the way. The other party also doesn't want to entertain the courts for years to come, and they can probably afford to just fix things, or even give you a similar house, then fix this one and sell it as-is to someone else.

Edited April 11, 2007 by chanchao

[Ta22]

one biggest miskate i made in thailand is being too nice

too me a year to restore my of my classic cars . send cos in oct . was told it be ready before new year ,

11 month later - after countless payment and price change . the car is finally done . but not 100 % still .

i end up would be better off paying a larger workshop to do it .

anyway ..

CHECK . CONFIRM , RE_CONFIRM , RE_ RE CONFIRM AGAIN .

TASTE < SMELL < TOUCH < HUGZ IT < SIT ON IT HOLD IT Before you even consider .. leaving your CASH to whom ever selling .

what advance payment ?

This is Thailand like it said .

Less action is done and more words is said .

For 5 digit you can hire a shooter .

for 7 digi god imagine what there will do .

[Donnyboy]

What happened that you're fuming about Truman ? We've all kind of heard of or seen everything out here, So nothing could really come as a surprise. Where did things go wrong ? I'm also curious what's your experience with Thailand ? Often alot of things aren't going that badly, or could even be rescued, but a Farang freakout will quickly make deals go sour, rather than finding a new line of agreement between the parties. What stage of things are you at here ? YOu don't have to drop names, but maybe hint at companies if you like. I'm sure you'll get plenty of advice and symapthy.

hahahahaha, thanks a lot realthaideal, maybe i simply see to dark, or i should accept things like:

**refusing any kind of conversation...

**allmost one year overtime...................

**breaching the contract in all points.....

**forget my allready paid 7-digit investment..

**locking up the house so i can not go in anymore..

**not even answering to lawyer-letters...

**send only little employees in front, the big boss nobody knows...

**steelconstruction in movement....

**big structure-cracks inside/outside

**never a phonecall, neither a letter...

**...on their websites they are promising heaven on earth, but after signing you open a hells-gate..

what i go through with my wife now over 15 month, nobody would ever believe thuch a thing!

pretty hard to find a lawyer here in chiang mai, they mostly do visas, companies or accounting stuff.

the "fee-structure" is to compaire with european ones.

thuch a case need 2-5 years up to the supreme court, and you bet, i was not asking for it.

sounds like a mine field truman

my advice would be similiar to Ta22 except resorting to hiring a shooter, expose the company to the media, especially if theyre a big outfit, they wont be able to handle the bad publicity.

Hopefully that will shame them into fixing the problems. why dont you name them here, so we know who it is?

Do you have the house papers yet? Why not employ a locksmith to change the locks so they cant get in? And erect a HUGE sign in front of the house and in thai and english point out why no one should buy a house from these rogues.

sorry dont know of any lawyers that could help you, perhaps start at one of the forums sponser Sunbelt.

good luck

[Puwa]

Your main concern is whether or not the house will be finished. You need to know two things: is the developer financially capable of finishing the work, and if he is, does he intend to complete it, or to cheat you? That's really what this boils down to.

You can find out a lot of the information you need by talking to other people who have bought homes. If everyone is dealing with long delays, and the developer is avoiding them all, you can bet that he's run out of money. In that case, if you are lucky he is trying to dig himself out of the hole and may find the cash he needs. If you are unlucky, it's going to be a legal battle.

If on the other hand, others are satisfied with the pace of work, and you alone are getting shafted, then there are 3 possibilities: it's a temporary financial problem; the developer is in fact intending to cheat you; or, these are just the usual delays and if you wait, you'll get your house.

You'll never get direct answers from the boss himself, so it's good that you only see underlings and contractors. (Forget the sales folks; they lie for a living.) Ask them if they are being paid on time. Ask them who else has been waiting for a home. Find out what other projects the developer has completed or is working on, and see how those turned out. You need to find this out for yourself, regardless of whether you have a lawyer helping you. Otherwise, you will end up doubting your lawyer just as you are doubting your real estate developer.

Lastly, you should name the company and the mooban here on the forum. It's not libelous to simply describe the problem you are having with a company. Maybe there are people here who can share their experience. This is especially the case if you don't speak much Thai and therefore might not be comfortable approaching the neighbors to discuss your personal business, or if your wife doesn't feel comfortable doing it either.

You can just post a message like "Anyone who is purchasing a house in Super Lanna Green Heaven II, please sent me a private message." Good luck!

[tigerbeer]

i would really like to know who the developer is. and i think that if the facts are right, it should not be an issue to publish it on this forum so that others do not fall into the same trap.

what they need is some bad publicity anyways.

[truman]

i would really like to know who the developer is. and i think that if the facts are right, it should not be an issue to publish it on this forum so that others do not fall into the same trap.

what they need is some bad publicity anyways.

Anyone who is purchasing a house in Koolpunt?

sounds good what they are promising on their websides...

Edited April 11, 2007 by truman

[realthaideal]

I'm moving to Koolaphan 9, and have just built there according to their specs. It's ok. Only ok. I've insisted they touch up myriad things that are totally slapped together last minute Thai Style and then glossed over with paint to make it look 'right.' Of course this paint then cracks and reveals hurried imprecies work. I let the TGF play good cop while I speak politely in Thai but explain I am Farang Ngut-Ngit: a nitpicky Farang, the Bad Cop. It's worked so far.

I also turned the logic of things back on the project supervisor eg" So if you buy a house for 2.5 million do you think this is good quality for what you pay ? Is this what you want to accept for your family, or do you think this could be better ?" They pretty much get trapped into understanding where I'm coming from. These guys wouldn't throw their precious millions around without thought.

However I've used one other logic question that failed me. I'm no construction guy, but I know the basics of painting a house - you put down tarps and you lay tape along edges for straight lines so that painit doesn't slop onto counters and floor tiles. Things should look neat. it's so frikking easy. The basics. T paint a whole house maybe you'd use 500 B of tape. But do they ?? No ! So we have sloppy lines. I asked them "Is this how you do it in the show home ? Would you think this is a good example of a house you would want other people to see when you try to sell a house here ?" Again he saw my point. Then i let them work for a few days. Just went back today - they only cleaned up a bit. Alot of sloppy white paint lines next to black kitchen counter tiles. So easy to do right at first, but a bitch to fix up. So I decide to look at the show home so I can throw a ngut-ngit fit and get them to take big actions. It's been awhile since I was in the show home..... and by-golly they have sloppy painting in there too. Lots of sloppy. Don't know how I missed it the first time. So.... I give up. Mai pen lai has to prevail. You win on some things - great prices on curtains, but when you look corner craftmanship, simple stuff got f%$'d up. Cest la vie in TIT.

Overall, for money spent and what you get, no, woudn't do it again, no way. For same $$ you could build your own, probably for more headache, but feel more in control, and get much more land than these places mete out for top baht price. IN the future at least 1 rai of land. I don't need to live in a big 'fancy' (shoddy?) box. I need me space and the house to boot. I don't like that I look out a window onto my neighbors.....

So many things..... but it just is what it is.

And I will give you this.... despite some Eng speaking staff...... they are terrible explainers. So so so bad. But it's all par for the course here where precision isn't really necessary or valued. It's alot of TIT and jai yen yen that's gonna get you thru it. Overall, a bad day in Thailand, is still a day in Thailand.

[KhunMarco]

i would really like to know who the developer is. and i think that if the facts are right, it should not be an issue to publish it on this forum so that others do not fall into the same trap.

what they need is some bad publicity anyways.

Anyone who is purchasing a house in Koolpunt?

sounds good what they are promising on their websides...

blink blink... hint hint ...

[Pantip]

Hi Truman,

Unfortunately the good advise offered by others on this board is given after the horse has bolted. As suggested - you have made some early basic business mistakes which would apply in any country in the world. I strongly suggest that you seek qualified advice before you sink deeper into the mire. There are lawyers in Chiangmai who can asses your current situation and give you qualified advise.

The Lawyers Council of Thailand could recommend a local lawyer, they are at 7/89 Mansion 10, Rajdamnoenklang Ave, Bovonnivet, Phranakorn , Bkk 10200.

The President of the Council is Khun. Dej-Udom Krairit

Tel: +662 629 1430

Fax: +662 282 9907-8

Email: [email protected]

I hope you are able to sort out the problem – remember, keep a cool head and be civil at all times.

[truman]

Hi Truman,

Unfortunately the good advise offered by others on this board is given after the horse has bolted. As suggested - you have made some early basic business mistakes which would apply in any country in the world. I strongly suggest that you seek qualified advice before you sink deeper into the mire. There are lawyers in Chiangmai who can asses your current situation and give you qualified advise.

The Lawyers Council of Thailand could recommend a local lawyer, they are at 7/89 Mansion 10, Rajdamnoenklang Ave, Bovonnivet, Phranakorn , Bkk 10200.

The President of the Council is Khun. Dej-Udom Krairit

Tel: +662 629 1430

Fax: +662 282 9907-8

Email: [email protected]

I hope you are able to sort out the problem – remember, keep a cool head and be civil at all times.

Thanks a lot, pantip, but unfortunately i already got a lawyer here in chiang mai.

Early basic business misstakes i still can not see. Except buying (or better my wife...) a house overhere...

It's a standard procedere to pay sudden amount of money by signing the contract! Or they simply don't start, thats what we where told. Our house should be finished 11 months ago. We went to the Chiang Mai consumer protection office...

Standard procedere there after a waiting period: We will give it to Bangkok...

Then the earthquake on the 10th on December last year..cracks all over, inside and outside.

We was told, the steel would be in movement.

Our investment is right now not only the down-money, we invested allmost 1.5 million baht for specials like granite, windows, aircons etc...pp...

the worsest is by far not the whole hanging case, the upcoming court, or the loosing of all money, its simply the kind of way how here a big company handle such a case.

no letter-no discussion-no answer on our lawyers letter, simply nothing!

not even a chance to make some kind of agreement, whatever.

even the search for a lawyer have had something out of a comic book...

Edited April 12, 2007 by truman

[Ta22]

sell your story so there can make a movie out of it ..

who know you can make enough to buy a few ready house .

don't forget me for this wonderful suggestion ok if you successed in selling your story .

i would want 10 % for spotter fee whahahhaha

[Ajarn]

Most people who have been here for many years say it's best to rent, not build or buy a home. If you want to know why, look at the newbies experience...

[p1p]

Most people who have been here for many years say it's best to rent, not build or buy a home. If you want to know why, look at the newbies experience...

I am in agreement with Ajarn here. Used to be that you could deposit the cost of a home in the bank and use the interest to rent, leaving some extra for beers etc.

Previously lived in homes are notoriously difficult to sell here. Most Thais seem to prefer new built.