Building a huge mansion in Isaan. What can go wrong?

[lost in isaan]

Hello dear members,
I would be happy to get some ideas and inputs from old-timers in Thailand :)

A bit about my situation:
I moved to Isaan around a year and a half ago and built a cheap house to see if I want to settle down here and experience life firsthand. The house was a valuable learning experience, allowing me to observe its construction from scratch. Overall, I have enjoyed my time here and am now planning the next steps, which involves building a "proper" house.

Initially, I planned to build a decent-sized ~600-800 sqm house, but lately, I have been considering something bigger.

My wife comes from a very poor farming family and she has created a mental barrier for herself convincing that she's not "good enough" to have something luxurious. Last time we went to iconsiam, i had to convince her to go there with me, because she thought it's not for people of her "status". She has done well in life, relying on no one, got educated enough with free goverment education. Got a decent job and attended university while working. When i met her in bangkok, she had a "good" office job by thai standards, but in my view she was basically a slave working 12h per day, 6 days a week, living in a small one-room <deleted>hole with a pay that is laughable by western standards.

My wife already considers me rich for being able to live without working and for being able to build a 1-million baht house. I've been living quite humbly and only hinted her that i had some extra money, but she has no idea how much.

 

Life in isaan can be boring sometimes, so why not have some fun? I have some "<deleted> you" money and slowly planning to build a huge mansion in middle of rice fields. I already know that i have 0 need for house that big, it's mainly to heal my wives mindset of her inferiority complex planted by thai society. Your wealth and power should not limit and define you as a person. I know there's better ways to do it, but why not? I'm also not investing on someting i can't afford to lose.
My question is regarding the downsides of owning a big mansion in middle of nowhere. Is it worth the effort?
Here's some i thought so far:
- I have to hire staff to keep it clean.
- More people will annoy us when wealth is obvious. It's been quiet so far. Only had some people asking for money when we first moved to the village.  (I like to keep to myself mostly)
- Visible jealousy

- Unwanted attention. Potential thieves and people with bad intentions.

- I have seen how power and money can change character. Might happen to my wife.

 

Picture of the house i currently plan to build

 

[Woof999]

That looks like one of the Emperor House designs. I'm literally about to do something similar, although much lesser scale (err much lesser), although on quite a sizeable plot of land.

 

Would love to follow the journey.

[AndyAndyAndy]

You're missing a goal or a purpose in your life as an early retiree, so you're compensating with this house project. It will be fun while you're on it, but it won't solve the issue.

[lost in isaan]

5 minutes ago, Woof999 said:

That looks like one of the Emperor House designs. I'm literally about to do something similar, although much lesser scale (err much lesser), although on quite a sizeable plot of land.

 

Would love to follow the journey.

Good luck :)
It's actually from masterplan https://www.masterplan101.com/official-detail/MASTERPIECE 01

[lost in isaan]

1 minute ago, AndyAndyAndy said:

You're missing a goal or a purpose in your life as an early retiree, so you're compensating with this house project. It will be fun while you're on it, but it won't solve the issue.

Fair enough. Something worth pondering on. Thanks for the input

[proton]

All depends on the builder, the stress would finish some people off

[Woof999]

8 minutes ago, lost in isaan said:

Good luck :)
It's actually from masterplan https://www.masterplan101.com/official-detail/MASTERPIECE 01

 

This site might have some ideas for you if you've not already seen it:

 

https://www.emperorhouse.com/home-en/

 

[Adumbration]

Sigh....

 

Another fake account posting nonsense.

 

Are there any real people left posting on this forum?

[ukrules]

I find these houses with huge rooms a bit off putting knowing that I will have to wait quite a while for the AirCon to do its job every time I turn it on.

[Negita43]

Whatever you do make sure you still have liquid assets - second hand property (especially "in the stick" is not popular with Thais and will probably require purchase by a Farang.

[Denim]

6 minutes ago, proton said:

All depends on the builder, the stress would finish some people off

 

I have an American acquaintance who built something similar but with only 5 bedrooms. Used local builders.

Predictable disaster.

 

Finished it with many problems , leaking roof , cracks etc. Gave it to his in laws in the end and moved to the outskirts of Bangkok where he again purchased something similar on an exclusive development for twice the price and very few issues.

 

For something that big with that many rooms a few live in servants will be needed to keep it clean . Good servants hard to find unless you really pay top dollar.

[Celsius]

Go for it. Nothing can go wrong.

 

Be sure to check back in a year or two tho

[lost in isaan]

16 minutes ago, Negita43 said:

Whatever you do make sure you still have liquid assets - second hand property (especially "in the stick" is not popular with Thais and will probably require purchase by a Farang.

  Yeah, good point. I'll have enough :) My only concern atm is how to move the money to thailand to pay for the house without paying the 35% income tax. Got to wait and see the fine prints of the new law.

11 minutes ago, ukrules said:

I find these houses with huge rooms a bit off putting knowing that I will have to wait quite a while for the AirCon to do its job every time I turn it on.

Good point. I'll have enough solar to run all the AC's during the day, so not really a problem for me.

8 minutes ago, Denim said:

 

I have an American acquaintance who built something similar but with only 5 bedrooms. Used local builders.

Predictable disaster.

 

Finished it with many problems , leaking roof , cracks etc. Gave it to his in laws in the end and moved to the outskirts of Bangkok where he again purchased something similar on an exclusive development for twice the price and very few issues.

 

For something that big with that many rooms a few live in servants will be needed to keep it clean . Good servants hard to find unless you really pay top dollar.

Yeah, that's one of the problems i'm considered also. Might need to hire someone to ensure the quality.
Getting the people to work for us will be a challenge for sure, as i live in middle of nowhere.
Thanks for the input :)

[Ben Zioner]

52 minutes ago, lost in isaan said:

Good luck :)
It's actually from masterplan https://www.masterplan101.com/official-detail/MASTERPIECE 01

What's amazing is that you can probably build it for 3 to 5 Million USD. Image the this in Los Angeles.

[fondue zoo]

37 minutes ago, Adumbration said:

Sigh....

 

Another fake account posting nonsense.

 

Are there any real people left posting on this forum?

 

 

ouou, ououo, me!

[novacova]

14 minutes ago, lost in isaan said:

Might need to hire someone to ensure the quality.

And hire another person to ensure the quality of the quality controller while you keep a sharp eye on the entire process.

[Kinnock]

You've managed to foresee many of the potential issues.

 

We built a large(ish) house on a plot we bought near the coast, and while we're happy with the place, we did encounter some challenges:

 

1. Unnecessary costs - We have more space than we need, but each room still needed furniture, AC and electrics etc ... so effectively it was wasted capital.  Then there's the cleaning - unused rooms seem to be dustier than used ones.

 

2. Time spent walking - depending on the design, you may need to walk through unused rooms to get where you want to go.  Sounds trivial, but the extra time and distances mount up when you forget where you left your phone 5 times a day, every damn day, and have to go on tour.

 

3. Raised wife expectations - status is everything in Thailand, and now your car(s), clothes, soft furnishings, pets etc will need to be upgraded to match the house.  And don't forget the ginormous TV's and mega sound system needed for the bigger rooms.

 

4. Her family - their expectations of support from the 'rich falang' will rise in proportion to the house size.  And if you don't deliver, their bitter resentment will rise on a  logarithmic scale.

 

Our house (yes I know it's hers, but I wanted that as I also have property in my home country) was only oversized by two large rooms and one excess bathroom - but the above principles still apply, and looking at what you're planning, your issues will be magnified.

 

My advice .... just build what you need to live comfortably and don't show-off.

[lost in isaan]

5 minutes ago, Kinnock said:

You've managed to foresee many of the potential issues.

 

We built a large(ish) house on a plot we bought near the coast, and while we're happy with the place, we did encounter some challenges:

 

1. Unnecessary costs - We have more space than we need, but each room still needed furniture, AC and electrics etc ... so effectively it was wasted capital.  Then there's the cleaning - unused rooms seem to be dustier than used ones.

 

2. Time spent walking - depending on the design, you may need to walk through unused rooms to get where you want to go.  Sounds trivial, but the extra time and distances mount up when you forget where you left your phone 5 times a day, every damn day, and have to go on tour.

 

3. Raised wife expectations - status is everything in Thailand, and now your car(s), clothes, soft furnishings, pets etc will need to be upgraded to match the house.  And don't forget the ginormous TV's and mega sound system needed for the bigger rooms.

 

4. Her family - their expectations of support from the 'rich falang' will rise in proportion to the house size.  And if you don't deliver, their bitter resentment will rise on a  logarithmic scale.

 

Our house (yes I know it's hers, but I wanted that as I also have property in my home country) was only oversized by two large rooms and one excess bathroom - but the above principles still apply, and looking at what you're planning, your issues will be magnified.

 

My advice .... just build what you need to live comfortably and don't show-off.

Thanks for sharing. Really good points

[stoner]

you got f you money alright......stay tuned.

[HugoFastor]

Rule number one when building a new house; never overbuild for the neighborhood. Why? Because you'll never get back out what you invested into it, but, more importantly, if you want to maintain a low profile then don't ever do something like that draws a lot of attention and makes you stick out like a sore thumb. 
 

Aside from that, my experience in building or remodeling anything in Thailand is that it takes double the cost and triple the time as originally anticipated. But if you don't mind that, as well as not eating or sleeping enough during the entire construction time of the project, then go for it. In fact, it can be one of the best ways to lose some unwanted weight from the stress around your waist line. 👍🏼

[NoDisplayName]

1 hour ago, AndyAndyAndy said:

You're missing a goal or a purpose in your life as an early retiree, so you're compensating with this house project. It will be fun while you're on it, but it won't solve the issue.

 

Cool beans.  You have a hobby to keep you busy for a year or three.

 

You complete a ginormous house you don't need and probably don't really want.......then what?

[Ben Zioner]

Revenue department will be happy, a lot of that money will be taxed at 35%. Otherwise I have never heard of sinkholes in Issan.

[Lacessit]

IMO the OP now holds the title of the best bullsh!tter on ASEAN.

[gamb00ler]

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

I find these houses with huge rooms a bit off putting knowing that I will have to wait quite a while for the AirCon to do its job every time I turn it on.

That's why they often install two (or more!)ceiling units in large rooms.

[ABCDBKK]

Not sure why this thread isn't titled "Building a huge mansion in Isaan. What can't go wrong?"

 

I think the best advice is to first look around for any decent homes in the area and try not to outdo anyone. You certainly wouldn't want to build a much nicer and bigger house than the village headman has. Think about the instant loss of face for him. And think about all the expected donations in the future for road improvements, temple repairs, funeral gatherings, festival events, etc. It will be endless and it will be impossible to come up with a good excuse not to open your wallet on a weekly basis. 

 

In a way this reminds me of people who suddenly acquire new wealth and, instead of moving to a better neighborhood, they buy some big fancy cars and park them in front of their tired old homes. The obvious reason for not moving is the desired status recognition. But if they move to a wealthier neighborhood, where everyone has nice cars too, then they wouldn't get noticed. But that's really the way it should be done. 

 

Just build what you need to be comfortable, but remain visibly humble. Nobody is going to be happy for you or proud after you build that big monstrosity. Only jealous and possibly resentful and vindictive. 

[gamb00ler]

1 hour ago, lost in isaan said:

  Yeah, good point. I'll have enough :) My only concern atm is how to move the money to thailand to pay for the house without paying the 35% income tax. Got to wait and see the fine prints of the new law.

It sounds like the funds you intend to use for building your house have been earned before 2024.  If that is true it should be easy to prove that the funds are NOT taxable by Thailand.  Many AN posters seem to believe that any remittance will be taxable.  I think that is a very unlikely outcome.  The "new" tax rules have already been clarified that any income from any year before 2024 will not be taxed even if remitted to Thailand.  I don't think you should worry about paying Thai tax on the money you remit to be used for building your house.

 

Personally I would spend a lot less money on the house and much more money on hiring excellent gardeners, and cooks to preserve my health.  In Thailand the pesticide residues are a serious problem that will takes years to manifest.  After all, your health is your most precious asset.

[xtrnuno41]

To heal wife? Maybe you will go worse and she doesnt even want to live in that house, you want to force?

You also bring more problems to her, as you yourself named some negative items which could occur, 

Here's some i thought so far:
- I have to hire staff to keep it clean.
- More people will annoy us when wealth is obvious. It's been quiet so far. Only had some people asking for money when we first moved to the village.  (I like to keep to myself mostly)
- Visible jealousy

- Unwanted attention. Potential thieves and people with bad intentions.

- I have seen how power and money can change character. Might happen to my wife.

 

SO do you really want to go there? Having fun(?), you will have your estate, but loose all other. 

The last remark you made probably also applies to you. You said it yourself.

Succes.

[gamb00ler]

44 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

IMO the OP now holds the title of the best bullsh!tter on ASEAN.

Perhaps the author will turn out to be a one-hit wonder.  I recommend collecting a few more samples before leaping to a conclusion.

[mfd101]

Here's a photo of us abuilding in Dec 2016, 3 months before moving in. And a couple in mid-2022.

 

And yes we made every mistake known to man. Went thru 3 sets of local/family 'builders' of varying levels of incompetence & thievery. Only when my boy took over the daily management & supervision did things improve. Took 15 months all up and the end result isn't bad, with some rough bits and some areas for improvement when we can afford it. But overall solid (built on stilts down to the bedrock below the usual hundreds of truckloads of 'soil'). Comfortable inside, plenty of room for all my books, large rooms, high ceilings. We used an architect design which I modified to reduce the number of bedrooms and build the main library u/s.

 

An interesting experience. If I were doing it again (God forbid) I would employ falang builders.

 

 

[lost in isaan]

4 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

It sounds like the funds you intend to use for building your house have been earned before 2024.  If that is true it should be easy to prove that the funds are NOT taxable by Thailand.  Many AN posters seem to believe that any remittance will be taxable.  I think that is a very unlikely outcome.  The "new" tax rules have already been clarified that any income from any year before 2024 will not be taxed even if remitted to Thailand.  I don't think you should worry about paying Thai tax on the money you remit to be used for building your house.

 

Personally I would spend a lot less money on the house and much more money on hiring excellent gardeners, and cooks to preserve my health.  In Thailand the pesticide residues are a serious problem that will takes years to manifest.

The funds i will use for my house are currently invested in stocks and crypto. So technically they are not earned before 2024? But yeah, i'll wait it out and see how it plays out. Will contact a lawyer/tax specialists before i move anything to thailand.

I totally agree with you on the health issue :) The village i live in is luckily pesticide free (They were banned quite a few years ago) and we get most of our food from locals. Meat and exported food is another story.