I have done a TV forum search and it came up with zero results. Not sure I’m doing it right. 
 

I did a main google search and found this guys build. I don’t need anything even as extravagant as this - but seems ok to me. (I searched “dome” in the forum with zero results - but on page 3 of the threads, there is a post with “dome” in the title, so not sure what I’m doing wrong…)

 

anyway. Appreciate this was built a while ago, but Any thoughts on this or similar?

 

Basically I’ve bought some extremely cheap land (via Thai girlfriend) and I want to replace the existing run down shack of a dwelling. It’s not for me to be living in, but an old woman and her 6 year old daughter (after she lost a 19 year old daughter and bread winner to COVID whilst undergoing chemo for stage 2 lymphoma). Currently they wash at a lake where animals drink / <deleted>, so I’m putting in a bore water, pump and tank on the land for now.

 

so this or something like it would be the next plan. 
 

http://steveareen.com/domehome/

 

What ever you build make sure it does not get flooded in the rainy season.

I think standard built will be the best because who can build a dome?

Unless you want to do it yourself.

I have seen some very small houses and a lot of people do not want more then they need.

Twenty to thirty sq meters seems to be enough for basic living.

Depending where you are bamboo could be an option?

Google building low cost home in Thailand.

It is all about size, budget builds can be as low as 7/8000 baht a square metre.

Hooch ........ hut made from grass is the traditional cheap Asian home.

i would build it on top of 2 meter long concrete pillars,

floor and walls in concrete,

the space below can be used as a makeshift garage

43 minutes ago, ncc1701d said:

Basically I’ve bought some extremely cheap land (via Thai girlfriend)

 

so this or something like it would be the next plan.

Firstly be careful I can't buy land, I can only have a lease agreement on it.

 

Secondly why build something in the Lord of the Rings for Hobbit's.

 

There's containers you can buy and covert into accommodation case you get kicked off the land.

 

You could build a lean-to Cabin style home. 

 

Lay a concrete slap 10cm thick to your selected size.

Global house has cheap steel to make frame and roof structure.

The frame can have windows and door frames.

External can ship-lapped with Sheara plank.

Internal can Insulate with foam board and plasterboard.

Roof underside plaster board or ceiling tiles

Roof cover with corrugated steel sheet roof with fiberglass.

Example style.

 

 

 

 

 

This is an interesting low cost. scalable building methodology from Jon Jandai in Chang Mai

 

2 hours ago, sandyf said:

Google building low cost home in Thailand.

It is all about size, budget builds can be as low as 7/8000 baht a square metre.

That is far higher than a basic Thai house build. SWMBO built a less than basic house for her grandmother with some good quality stuff for under 4,800 per square meter it included a very big balcony. 

3,000 is achievable without cutting corners 

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

Firstly be careful I can't buy land, I can only have a lease agreement on it.

 

Secondly why build something in the Lord of the Rings for Hobbit's.

 

There's containers you can buy and covert into accommodation case you get kicked off the land.

 

You could build a lean-to Cabin style home. 

 

Lay a concrete slap 10cm thick to your selected size.

Global house has cheap steel to make frame and roof structure.

The frame can have windows and door frames.

External can ship-lapped with Sheara plank.

Internal can Insulate with foam board and plasterboard.

Roof underside plaster board or ceiling tiles

Roof cover with corrugated steel sheet roof with fiberglass.

Example style.

 

 

 

 

Thanks. I bought the land, but it’s in my girlfriends name. I have no interest in any of it, other than to try and ensure the younger 6 year old has a better life than what she’s been having since the older sister is no longer providing any income for them. The plan would be to freely give the entire lot to the 6 year old when she’s older. What it all looks like is not that important to me. I certainly won’t be living there. It’s literally just to give them a better shelter than what they have at the moment. 
 

It sounds as though the mother isn’t all “there”. The land they are on was owned by some guy she was working for on a farm and he’s basically fired her and told her to get off his land (just when she lost her daughter). So the compromise was to buy where she was living. There’s no one else to look after the 6 year old. So I’m just trying to slowly sort it out.

thanks for all the replies. Appreciated 

52 minutes ago, MAF666 said:

 

This is an interesting low cost. scalable building methodology from Jon Jandai in Chang Mai

 

This is very interesting - I’d be happy to pay to have them build say two of these. That would be lore than enough I think. Thanks for posting. I’ll check out their website.

38 minutes ago, ncc1701d said:

It’s literally just to give them a better shelter than what they have at the moment. 

Good to hear of your kindness. ????

Can the shelter they live in now is there anyway that could be renovated.

3 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

That is far higher than a basic Thai house build. SWMBO built a less than basic house for her grandmother with some good quality stuff for under 4,800 per square meter it included a very big balcony. 

3,000 is achievable without cutting corners 

Yes there are always those that will scrape along the bottom, and seen a fair amount of the handiwork, you can put your hand through the cracks in the wall.

It is a judgement call that the OP will have to make.

Buy a "knockdown" or a "Container".

15 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Yes there are always those that will scrape along the bottom, and seen a fair amount of the handiwork, you can put your hand through the cracks in the wall.

It is a judgement call that the OP will have to make.

There are certainly poor quality builds.
 

However SWMBO certainly did not scrape along the bottom. The build I mentioned at under 5,000 by SWMBO is now going on 9 years old and still in good condition. The paint has bleached a little and a few light bulbs have been replaced. 
 

it isn’t somewhere I would live but is better than the OP is asking for. 

12 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

There are certainly poor quality builds.
 

However SWMBO certainly did not scrape along the bottom. The build I mentioned at under 5,000 by SWMBO is now going on 9 years old and still in good condition. The paint has bleached a little and a few light bulbs have been replaced. 
 

it isn’t somewhere I would live but is better than the OP is asking for. 

5K/sq m would be at least 7/8 now if not more. It is 11 years since I built mine and I bought all the materials. They are all up a good bit, in particular steel which is about twice the price it was.

Last week I bought some hollow section, it was 201 baht/length, just a couple of years ago it was about 140.

10 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Good to hear of your kindness. ????

Can the shelter they live in now is there anyway that could be renovated.

I’m not too sure to be honest. I’ll try and attach the only picture I have. Apparently the roof leaks a lot so my girlfriends brother is going to buy some replacement (looks like corrugated iron to me for a few hundred baht and try and fix it). It has no electricity (they use candles for lighting and no fans), no water (walk to the nearest damn somewhere). The brother said the 6 year old is covered in mosquito bites (which totally freaked him out as his wife nearly died from dengue fever just a month ago), and generally speaking it’s all sounding a bit grim. He brought them some rice that should last them about a month.

My initial thoughts was to raze the whole lot and have someone build something. But maybe it can be renovated / added to. Very hard for me to tell from the picture. I think the farm is in the background and that’s where they go to the toilet… I think the land size that was “annexed” from the main farm and purchased is 400 sqm - but a lot can be lost in translation. To me that’s fairly big for what they need.

7 hours ago, CharlieH said:

Buy a "knockdown" or a "Container".

Yes this may be the easiest thing to do. I have sent an email to the punpun people posted by MAF666, but highly doubt there will be anyone or group where the property is that can do a similar thing. I wouldn’t even know where to start looking. So I think the knockdown may be the best. Thanks for the picture and idea. 

7 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

There are certainly poor quality builds.
 

However SWMBO certainly did not scrape along the bottom. The build I mentioned at under 5,000 by SWMBO is now going on 9 years old and still in good condition. The paint has bleached a little and a few light bulbs have been replaced. 
 

it isn’t somewhere I would live but is better than the OP is asking for. 

Can I ask what this is referring to? SWMBO is a TV poster? Or it’s a company that builds?

2 hours ago, ncc1701d said:

Can I ask what this is referring to? SWMBO is a TV poster? Or it’s a company that builds?

SWMBO = She Who Must Be Obeyed.  Wife.   I'm the GWP = Guy Who Pays.

11 hours ago, ncc1701d said:

Can I ask what this is referring to? SWMBO is a TV poster? Or it’s a company that builds?

It is from Sir Henry Rider Haggard’s KBE  book She published in 1887 that has been made into 10 movies from 1899 to 2001 . Your education is sadly lacking, sir. 

14 hours ago, ncc1701d said:

I’m not too sure to be honest. I’ll try and attach the only picture I have. Apparently the roof leaks a lot so my girlfriends brother is going to buy some replacement (looks like corrugated iron to me for a few hundred baht and try and fix it). It has no electricity (they use candles for lighting and no fans), no water (walk to the nearest damn somewhere). The brother said the 6 year old is covered in mosquito bites (which totally freaked him out as his wife nearly died from dengue fever just a month ago), and generally speaking it’s all sounding a bit grim. He brought them some rice that should last them about a month.

My initial thoughts was to raze the whole lot and have someone build something. But maybe it can be renovated / added to. Very hard for me to tell from the picture. I think the farm is in the background and that’s where they go to the toilet… I think the land size that was “annexed” from the main farm and purchased is 400 sqm - but a lot can be lost in translation. To me that’s fairly big for what they need.

Not easy to say or how much you wish to help but here another few pointers. 

The ready made small cabins they dismantle and re-errect on site for people to buy and use as guesthouse accommodation last time I look were about 35k-40k, moskito nets are cheap, to install 5/15 is not a great cost nor is govt water, I also wonder whether the old lady is aware or knows that she can get help from govt social help office. 

A heartbreak situation.

 

On 5/11/2021 at 9:14 AM, sandyf said:

Google building low cost home in Thailand.

It is all about size, budget builds can be as low as 7/8000 baht a square metre

sound about right,get away with between 300,00 and 600,000

good lookin' out... 

 

good for them, good for you..

 

Thanks. 

What part of the country is the new home to be built?

Are you in Thailand to over see the building? and possible be involved with purchasing materials?

Has the land actually been transferred to your girlfriend legally by the Government office? it sounds as if the land has to be rezoned first. If it has not been actually transferred then DO Not build a thing......the structure you could be building might just end up with the original owner and not your girlfriend

 

Drp me you email and we can sort ylou out easier then listening to all these negative and unhelpful opinions.

 

Yes I built a home up country a few years back.

 

 

I am not sure where you are, but if yu drive from Bangkok to Tak you will see many small prebuilt homes.

They will transport, prepare the ground & secure to the ground as part of the price

Just ebsure on high ground.

For a few thousand Bht you can add a shower room to outside with a small kitchen

& septics

On 5/11/2021 at 11:55 AM, ncc1701d said:

This is very interesting - I’d be happy to pay to have them build say two of these. That would be lore than enough I think. Thanks for posting. I’ll check out their website.

Absolutely admirable of you to help out in this way. Pity there were not more like you. Are you able to speak to a local builder ? they are generally the cheapest and know the area. In our village a government grant given to the village boss resulted in two people having a roof over their heads. The local builder did the work for free as they were village people and the grant paid for all materials. The cost without labour or the land cost around 80,000 baht for a post and blockwork dwelling with corrugated roof containing a living/sleeping area, toilet and a covered cooking area. Size was about 4 mtrs x 8 mtrs and was adequate for a Mum and daughter. By adequate I main safe and watertight with basic amenities.

On 5/11/2021 at 1:19 PM, Kwasaki said:

Firstly be careful I can't buy land, I can only have a lease agreement on it.

 

Secondly why build something in the Lord of the Rings for Hobbit's.

 

There's containers you can buy and covert into accommodation case you get kicked off the land.

 

You could build a lean-to Cabin style home. 

 

Lay a concrete slap 10cm thick to your selected size.

Global house has cheap steel to make frame and roof structure.

The frame can have windows and door frames.

External can ship-lapped with Sheara plank.

Internal can Insulate with foam board and plasterboard.

Roof underside plaster board or ceiling tiles

Roof cover with corrugated steel sheet roof with fiberglass.

Example style.

 

 

 

 

Lean to cabin style home in Timber won't last long in Thailand termites will eat it in two years.

35 minutes ago, Mywayboy said:

Lean to cabin style home in Timber won't last long in Thailand termites will eat it in two years.

You are so funny so tell me why Mr Wood Guru why my wooded farmhouse is still standing after more than 100years and my ucaliptus 15 year old table in my farmhouse has nothing eating it.

 

 

 

1 minute ago, Kwasaki said:

 my wooded farmhouse is still standing after more than 100years

 

Creosote ??

5 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Not easy to say or how much you wish to help but here another few pointers. 

The ready made small cabins they dismantle and re-errect on site for people to buy and use as guesthouse accommodation last time I look were about 35k-40k, moskito nets are cheap, to install 5/15 is not a great cost nor is govt water, I also wonder whether the old lady is aware or knows that she can get help from govt social help office. 

A heartbreak situation.

 

Yes the small cabin idea is probably what I’ll look into. I’ve been quoted 15,700 to dig the bore water hole, install underground pump and above ground tank. I’ll look into drinking water delivery as has been suggested here which sounds pretty cheap. The older lady probably has no idea about any government help. I’ll ask my girlfriend to look into it. Thanks for the post.