Building a house in Thailand

capin · January 3

Hi All,

I'm a 51 year old British citizen living in the USA for the last 10 years. Married to a Thai lady since 2019 but together for many years before that and we have a 1 year old son.

I have UK and Ireland citizenship and a Green card.

Wife has Thai citizenship and a Green card.

Son is a UK, Thai and US citizen. As I was born in the UK, my son has to apply for Irish citizenship through the foreign birth registration process.

I've been all over Thailand and spend most of my vacation time in Phitsanulok. We are in the process of buying 10 rai about 40Km outside Phitsanulok in a small town called Nong Kula (between Bang Rakam and Lan Krabue if anyone knows the area).

I plan to build a house on the land. Maybe 3 or 4 bed, 1500-2000 sq feet (our house in the US is big and a PITA to maintain). I would like a modern villa type property with a pool and solar power.

I have absolutely no clue where to start. Where would I find an architect/draughtsman to do the drawings and engineers for the foundations please?

Any advice where I can get some info about land transfer please? I am aware the rules about land ownership and we won't need a mortgage.

Just really need some help on where to start?

Thanks,

OneMoreFarang · January 3

4 hours ago, capin said:

I have absolutely no clue where to start.

Have you considered living in Thailand in a rented house for some time so that you have time to learn about things.

It seems too many foreigners in Thailand make the same mistakes all over again because they have no clue.

And you won't become an expert by reading a couple of posts in this forum.

scubascuba3 · January 4

There are good facebook isaan groups where all they talk about is building houses, worth having a look

KhunLA · January 4

Agree with above, OneMoreFarang. Buy the land if good deal, and you have the liquid cash, but do rent here for a year or so, and see if TH is for you. Especially living in the North of TH, as air pollution can be horrendous 4-6 months of the year.

Will also give you time to research the RE market, and consider all options.

Rural living full time isn't for everyone either, as can get very old, very fast. It suits me, living in a small village with closest neighbor 125m away, but I'm also 5-10 minutes away from everything I need, major chains for shopping and restaurants.

40 kms out of town, is a bit different, location dependent.

carlyai · January 4

Hi. Join the Building in Isaan forum.

Just had a post there from a Guy just finished a nice looking house, fence and pool.

He used a private builder and recommends them.

Denim · January 4

No need to hire an architect. Your local land office holds many house plans on file. They should allow you to browse through them until you find one you like and for a small fee you can have a copy made.

When it comes to construction some leeway is allowed in the design and it does not have to be exactly the same. You can change some details as long as the finished house does not exceed the originals dimensions by too much.

To find a builder, talk to locals for recommendations. Drive around the area and see if there are any homes that look well built and structurally sound. You could then ask the owner politely for the builders phone number.

There is a dedicated forum to building houses in Thailand. I would say it is a must read for anyone considering a build as it covers everything you need to know including plumbing ,electrics , legality etc.

I can't post the link here as it is against forum rules but if you PM me I will send you the link.

Good luck wish it.

Phitsanulok is a nice city with all amenities.

OneMoreFarang · January 4

Just now, Denim said:

To find a builder, talk to locals for recommendations. Drive around the area and see if there are any homes that look well built and structurally sound. You could then ask the owner politely for the builders phone number.

That brings up the question what kind of quality standard you expect.

It seems many here think that a house built in the fields must be the same bad standard like everybody else. If that is what you want, fine.

But if you want high standard parts and high standard work, this is very difficult in Thailand. And many locals won't even understand what it means.

fredwiggy · January 4

You have been here a few times so you know how living is here at least for a vacation's time. Permanently isn't the same. If you have a house in the US, do whatever you can to maintain that while building the house here. having both has you two places to choose from no matter what happens in the future. Think of what interests and hobbies you have and make sure you can enjoy them here, as Thailand can be very boring, especially in the country, unless you have interests that coincide with country living. Phitsanulok is out there, away from beaches ,so that's a consideration you need to make if it's a permanent move. Do make sure you get many references about builders, checking all aspects of their construction, because many here aren't that good when it comes to important fine points about electricity, sealing, plumbing, proper paints to use, and skimp on materials. Some do very well and others very crappy. I chose the wrong builder recommended by my ex and it cost me a lot of re-do's afterwards. There are other forums in Thailand that have recommendations along with this one.

Denim · January 4

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

That brings up the question what kind of quality standard you expect.

It seems many here think that a house built in the fields must be the same bad standard like everybody else. If that is what you want, fine.

But if you want high standard parts and high standard work, this is very difficult in Thailand. And many locals won't even understand what it means.

Sorry to disagree but where we live there are new houses going up all the time. Some, on a low budget , are not built to the highest standards , but others are very well built and even after several years show no signs of deteriation. This is why I advised looking around at the nearby housing stock to find out who built what. If you just follow somebodys recommendation , that somebody might be a bad builder related to the one who recommended him. If you can find examples of three or four houses well built by the same person he is the one I would approach. Naturally , he might be charging more than others but as usual cutting corners can be more expensive in the end.

OneMoreFarang · January 4

20 minutes ago, Denim said:

Sorry to disagree but where we live there are new houses going up all the time. Some, on a low budget , are not built to the highest standards , but others are very well built and even after several years show no signs of deteriation. This is why I advised looking around at the nearby housing stock to find out who built what. If you just follow somebodys recommendation , that somebody might be a bad builder related to the one who recommended him. If you can find examples of three or four houses well built by the same person he is the one I would approach. Naturally , he might be charging more than others but as usual cutting corners can be more expensive in the end.

I have little experience with houses "up country". But I remember a discussion in this forum not long ago when someone asked about the cost of building a house. I made some recommendations (based on my experience with my condominium renovation in Bangkok) about high quality products and work. Several members in this forum told me that all that is irrelevant because up county people build comparatively cheap and not to a high standard. That is why I wrote above. I am sure some people want good quality, but it seems many are satisfied if it looks good - without looking at the details.

khunPer · January 4

14 hours ago, capin said:

I've been all over Thailand and spend most of my vacation time in Phitsanulok. We are in the process of buying 10 rai about 40Km outside Phitsanulok in a small town called Nong Kula (between Bang Rakam and Lan Krabue if anyone knows the area).

I plan to build a house on the land. Maybe 3 or 4 bed, 1500-2000 sq feet (our house in the US is big and a PITA to maintain). I would like a modern villa type property with a pool and solar power.

I have absolutely no clue where to start. Where would I find an architect/draughtsman to do the drawings and engineers for the foundations please?

Any advice where I can get some info about land transfer please? I am aware the rules about land ownership and we won't need a mortgage.

Just really need some help on where to start?

Thanks,

First and most important thing to consider is that you cannot own the land under your house. Your status in US, green cards and citizenships have no value in Thailand, only your Thai wife can own the land.

Secondly, you shall remember the good old advice: "Never invest more money in Thailand than you can afford to lose".

Thirdly, if it is your money flowing into land and future house, you might need some level of protection. Be aware of that any agreement between husband and wife can be terminated. So, if you need any protection – like a usufruct registration on the land title deed – it shall be done before the land is transferred into your wife's name. You can also protect yourself with a registered loan, but again, it shall be before the deed is transferred to a spuse.

That brings up "title deed". The 10 rai land you buy shall be of "Nor soor 4" title, often named as "Chanote", eventual "Nor Sor 3" title, which can be upgraded to Nor Sor 4 title. Only Nor Sor 4 title is full ownership. If it's a lower title deed, you need to be sure that the land cannot only be used for farming.

You need a building permission – however, in some rural areas houses might be build without one, but I'll not recomment to build without one – and an architect will normally be able to clear all the legal stuff for you.

You can be owner of a new built house – but as said earlier, not the land under it – for which you need to begin with a permission from the land owner, which could be a superficies-agreement. It's the "tessa ban" local office that issue building permission, and later gives you a house number and a "blue house book" in which Thai-residents are registered. All architect drawings, construction contracts and payments need to be in your name, as theese documents are you proof of ownership.

Costs for a house depends of choice of materials and escpecially finish. As a hand rule you can count around 15,000 baht per square meter (10 square feet). A house in Western-level quality would rather be around 30,000 baht or little more per square meter. Luxury costs more than the double of that.

A pool is often calculated as 1 million baht, but depends of size and finish (tiles). For solar panel, check other threads in AN-forums, there are numerous about solar panel, installation, benefits and costs. So, 150 square meters house with a pool might cost from a level around 3 million baht and up.

A few advices from my experience with building a house in Thailand:

Use areated congrete for walls for better insulation and lower power costs for aircon. Preferabkly double walls, which also will cover any visual parts of posts. The extra cost for this is easily earned back by lower power expenses and better indoor climate.
Use "water proof" concrete to avoid cracks in posts, decks and plaster. The surcharge for water proof additive is only a few hundred baht per cubic meter.
Get a separate quote from SCG/HomeMart's "roof experts" for roof construction. The will make a detailed drawing and give you quotes for free. They use galnanized steel construction, which means both a lighter roof and better rust protection. A water-proof roof is a must for a good house, and doing so requires more than placing some plates or tiles on a steel construction. Get a heat insulation foil under the roof tiles. Furthermore, avoid cement on a roof, cement cracks and water runs down. Preferably select "Neu Style" or similar roof tiles for best water protection. SCG's team will do it all and give you a 5-year warranty – a local building construction might have disappeared when you new roof leaks after one year – SCG/HomeMart is most likely still around.
Make sure that sewers-pipes are big enough and have no 90° angles – only 45° – and correct fall to a drain well. Normally you will get 2" pipes for kitchen and shower, but 3" would be preferred for kitchen where Thai food with lots of oil is made. If you get longer stretch of sewer-pipes, make an 45° opening with a scew-cover, so you can mechanically clean the pipe with a spring, instead of banging a cement deck up to find where the pipe is blocked. Remember, in Thailand, you are a certified plumber, when you can cut and glue two blue pipes together...👍
Let (water proof) wall-plaster cure (dry) for at least one month – preferably three – before painting. Use sandpaper to remove looser particles off the surface before start painting: it's actually an easy job with great benefit. Make sure you get a good quality primer painted twice, before color. Preferabky use three colordecks outdoor. Don't save on paint, if you do will need to repaint the outside of the house after a few years. Use semi-gloss outdoor paint, it will fade in gloss after a year or even a few month, but gives you a long-term better surface protection.
Don't make any too advanced stuff in house design, build a house in Thai-way-of-building. As my Thai architect said: "We can draw anything, but that doesn't mean you can built it!" Construction workers are uneducated – however, many have some experience from construction jobs – so, it basically up to a good forman to get a good built house. Therefore, make sure the foreman understand and know what he is doing.
Aluminum window frames are good; if you choose wood it has to be very hard wood, which is expensice but worth the costs instead of doors and windows that cannot open in the wet-season and cannot close in the dry-season. It also counts for internal doors. If you wish to save money, than indoor plstic-doors are an alternative. Aluminum has the advantage that many locals can make them so the fit the holes in your house. Bying vinyl doors and windows on steel-frame are limited to the size from factories.
If you are considering a European-style kitchen, then be aware of both humidity and termites – the latter loves the European gormet-dish – and if you are expecting to make Thai food, consider an outdorr or semi-open kitchan for that; i.e., you might wish two kichens.
For pool, make sure you have easy access to pump(s) and sand filter. You will need to both maintain and exchange the stuff. You don't need to buy the most expensive imported pump, a cheap one can do the job and might even last longer than the three times more expensive imported.
In general, think of maintenance and service. It's you that are going to do it – or find some that can do it for you – so make your life easy.

I wish you good luck with your project... :thumbsup:

SiSePuede419 · January 4

15 hours ago, capin said:

We are in the process of buying 10 rai about 40Km outside Phitsanulok

Too far from nearest major city.

Not a good location for medical emergency.

You want to be about 5km outside of a city, 10 minutes from an airport and 10 minutes from a hospital.

Location, location, location.

If that's wrong there's nothing you can build that will compensate for a bad location.✅

Lacessit · January 4

I am wondering why the OP has chosen outside Phitsanulok, to me it's a nothing town. Perhaps the Thai wife is steering him in that direction.

As other posters have said, first rent for a year, before committing.

If the OP has some kind of health crisis, he is a long way from medical help

Phitsanulok has two government hospitals. One is focused on traditional Thai medicine.

It has three private hospitals. None appear to be part of a hospital chain, such as Bangkok Hospital.

DaRoadrunner · January 4

1 hour ago, khunPer said:

First and most important thing to consider is that you cannot own the land under your house. Your status in US, green cards and citizenships have no value in Thailand, only your Thai wife can own the land.

Secondly, you shall remember the good old advice: "Never invest more money in Thailand than you can afford to lose".

Thirdly, if it is your money flowing into land and future house, you might need some level of protection. Be aware of that any agreement between husband and wife can be terminated. So, if you need any protection – like a usufruct registration on the land title deed – it shall be done before the land is transferred into your wife's name. You can also protect yourself with a registered loan, but again, it shall be before the deed is transferred to a spuse.

That brings up "title deed". The 10 rai land you buy shall be of "Nor soor 4" title, often named as "Chanote", eventual "Nor Sor 3" title, which can be upgraded to Nor Sor 4 title. Only Nor Sor 4 title is full ownership. If it's a lower title deed, you need to be sure that the land cannot only be used for farming.

You need a building permission – however, in some rural areas houses might be build without one, but I'll not recomment to build without one – and an architect will normally be able to clear all the legal stuff for you.

You can be owner of a new built house – but as said earlier, not the land under it – for which you need to begin with a permission from the land owner, which could be a superficies-agreement. It's the "tessa ban" local office that issue building permission, and later gives you a house number and a "blue house book" in which Thai-residents are registered. All architect drawings, construction contracts and payments need to be in your name, as theese documents are you proof of ownership.

Costs for a house depends of choice of materials and escpecially finish. As a hand rule you can count around 15,000 baht per square meter (10 square feet). A house in Western-level quality would rather be around 30,000 baht or little more per square meter. Luxury costs more than the double of that.

A pool is often calculated as 1 million baht, but depends of size and finish (tiles). For solar panel, check other threads in AN-forums, there are numerous about solar panel, installation, benefits and costs. So, 150 square meters house with a pool might cost from a level around 3 million baht and up.

A few advices from my experience with building a house in Thailand:

Use areated congrete for walls for better insulation and lower power costs for aircon. Preferabkly double walls, which also will cover any visual parts of posts. The extra cost for this is easily earned back by lower power expenses and better indoor climate.

Use "water proof" concrete to avoid cracks in posts, decks and plaster. The surcharge for water proof additive is only a few hundred baht per cubic meter.

Get a separate quote from SCG/HomeMart's "roof experts" for roof construction. The will make a detailed drawing and give you quotes for free. They use galnanized steel construction, which means both a lighter roof and better rust protection. A water-proof roof is a must for a good house, and doing so requires more than placing some plates or tiles on a steel construction. Get a heat insulation foil under the roof tiles. Furthermore, avoid cement on a roof, cement cracks and water runs down. Preferably select "Neu Style" or similar roof tiles for best water protection. SCG's team will do it all and give you a 5-year warranty – a local building construction might have disappeared when you new roof leaks after one year – SCG/HomeMart is most likely still around.

Make sure that sewers-pipes are big enough and have no 90° angles – only 45° – and correct fall to a drain well. Normally you will get 2" pipes for kitchen and shower, but 3" would be preferred for kitchen where Thai food with lots of oil is made. If you get longer stretch of sewer-pipes, make an 45° opening with a scew-cover, so you can mechanically clean the pipe with a spring, instead of banging a cement deck up to find where the pipe is blocked. Remember, in Thailand, you are a certified plumber, when you can cut and glue two blue pipes together...👍

Let (water proof) wall-plaster cure (dry) for at least one month – preferably three – before painting. Use sandpaper to remove looser particles off the surface before start painting: it's actually an easy job with great benefit. Make sure you get a good quality primer painted twice, before color. Preferabky use three colordecks outdoor. Don't save on paint, if you do will need to repaint the outside of the house after a few years. Use semi-gloss outdoor paint, it will fade in gloss after a year or even a few month, but gives you a long-term better surface protection.

Don't make any too advanced stuff in house design, build a house in Thai-way-of-building. As my Thai architect said: "We can draw anything, but that doesn't mean you can built it!" Construction workers are uneducated – however, many have some experience from construction jobs – so, it basically up to a good forman to get a good built house. Therefore, make sure the foreman understand and know what he is doing.

Aluminum window frames are good; if you choose wood it has to be very hard wood, which is expensice but worth the costs instead of doors and windows that cannot open in the wet-season and cannot close in the dry-season. It also counts for internal doors. If you wish to save money, than indoor plstic-doors are an alternative. Aluminum has the advantage that many locals can make them so the fit the holes in your house. Bying vinyl doors and windows on steel-frame are limited to the size from factories.

If you are considering a European-style kitchen, then be aware of both humidity and termites – the latter loves the European gormet-dish – and if you are expecting to make Thai food, consider an outdorr or semi-open kitchan for that; i.e., you might wish two kichens.

For pool, make sure you have easy access to pump(s) and sand filter. You will need to both maintain and exchange the stuff. You don't need to buy the most expensive imported pump, a cheap one can do the job and might even last longer than the three times more expensive imported.

In general, think of maintenance and service. It's you that are going to do it – or find some that can do it for you – so make your life easy.

I wish you good luck with your project...

Lots o luck achieving that in Thailand!

attento · January 4

Schooling --- Don't forget your child's education. A baby now, but they grow up very fast !

save the frogs · January 4

Take a walk around the area to see how many people own pitbulls before you commit.

Sorry for spamming your thread with nonsense.

GreasyFingers · January 5

You should talk to the local Tessaban on what is required. We did extensions to an existing house and the plans were drawn by one of the draftsman at the Tessaban. He also got the plans approved for a total cost of 10000 baht. They can probably recommend a builder but it will probably be one that gives them a kick back.

Your two biggest problems will be the electrician and plumber. Make sure you use a licensed electrician as I have seen houses up here, supposedly by a reputable building company, that had to be rewired to make the houses safe. Good luck with the plumber as they are usually just handymen.

There are also several building companies in Phitsanulok that you see advertised on billboards along the highway. You can also talk to the building supply shops regarding a builder.

So don't be afraid to ask questions of anyone that is involved.

As far as the land transfer it can be easily done at the Lands Office. Even if you already have a contract to purchase they have their own forms that have to be signed together with the transfer. Go to the LO with the seller with the cash or bank cheque. You will also be required to sign a document the the funds are entirely your wife’s and did not come from you.

But before you do anything take a copy of the title to the LO to check the validity of the title. If it is not chanote be careful as you may not be legally entitled to buy the land or build on it.

Luuk Chaai · January 5

On 1/4/2025 at 5:40 PM, khunPer said:

First and most important thing to consider is that you cannot own the land under your house. Your status in US, green cards and citizenships have no value in Thailand, only your Thai wife can own the land.

Secondly, you shall remember the good old advice: "Never invest more money in Thailand than you can afford to lose".

Thirdly, if it is your money flowing into land and future house, you might need some level of protection. Be aware of that any agreement between husband and wife can be terminated. So, if you need any protection – like a usufruct registration on the land title deed – it shall be done before the land is transferred into your wife's name. You can also protect yourself with a registered loan, but again, it shall be before the deed is transferred to a spuse.

That brings up "title deed". The 10 rai land you buy shall be of "Nor soor 4" title, often named as "Chanote", eventual "Nor Sor 3" title, which can be upgraded to Nor Sor 4 title. Only Nor Sor 4 title is full ownership. If it's a lower title deed, you need to be sure that the land cannot only be used for farming.

You need a building permission – however, in some rural areas houses might be build without one, but I'll not recomment to build without one – and an architect will normally be able to clear all the legal stuff for you.

You can be owner of a new built house – but as said earlier, not the land under it – for which you need to begin with a permission from the land owner, which could be a superficies-agreement. It's the "tessa ban" local office that issue building permission, and later gives you a house number and a "blue house book" in which Thai-residents are registered. All architect drawings, construction contracts and payments need to be in your name, as theese documents are you proof of ownership.

Costs for a house depends of choice of materials and escpecially finish. As a hand rule you can count around 15,000 baht per square meter (10 square feet). A house in Western-level quality would rather be around 30,000 baht or little more per square meter. Luxury costs more than the double of that.

A pool is often calculated as 1 million baht, but depends of size and finish (tiles). For solar panel, check other threads in AN-forums, there are numerous about solar panel, installation, benefits and costs. So, 150 square meters house with a pool might cost from a level around 3 million baht and up.

A few advices from my experience with building a house in Thailand:

Use areated congrete for walls for better insulation and lower power costs for aircon. Preferabkly double walls, which also will cover any visual parts of posts. The extra cost for this is easily earned back by lower power expenses and better indoor climate.

Use "water proof" concrete to avoid cracks in posts, decks and plaster. The surcharge for water proof additive is only a few hundred baht per cubic meter.

Get a separate quote from SCG/HomeMart's "roof experts" for roof construction. The will make a detailed drawing and give you quotes for free. They use galnanized steel construction, which means both a lighter roof and better rust protection. A water-proof roof is a must for a good house, and doing so requires more than placing some plates or tiles on a steel construction. Get a heat insulation foil under the roof tiles. Furthermore, avoid cement on a roof, cement cracks and water runs down. Preferably select "Neu Style" or similar roof tiles for best water protection. SCG's team will do it all and give you a 5-year warranty – a local building construction might have disappeared when you new roof leaks after one year – SCG/HomeMart is most likely still around.

Make sure that sewers-pipes are big enough and have no 90° angles – only 45° – and correct fall to a drain well. Normally you will get 2" pipes for kitchen and shower, but 3" would be preferred for kitchen where Thai food with lots of oil is made. If you get longer stretch of sewer-pipes, make an 45° opening with a scew-cover, so you can mechanically clean the pipe with a spring, instead of banging a cement deck up to find where the pipe is blocked. Remember, in Thailand, you are a certified plumber, when you can cut and glue two blue pipes together...👍

Let (water proof) wall-plaster cure (dry) for at least one month – preferably three – before painting. Use sandpaper to remove looser particles off the surface before start painting: it's actually an easy job with great benefit. Make sure you get a good quality primer painted twice, before color. Preferabky use three colordecks outdoor. Don't save on paint, if you do will need to repaint the outside of the house after a few years. Use semi-gloss outdoor paint, it will fade in gloss after a year or even a few month, but gives you a long-term better surface protection.

Don't make any too advanced stuff in house design, build a house in Thai-way-of-building. As my Thai architect said: "We can draw anything, but that doesn't mean you can built it!" Construction workers are uneducated – however, many have some experience from construction jobs – so, it basically up to a good forman to get a good built house. Therefore, make sure the foreman understand and know what he is doing.

Aluminum window frames are good; if you choose wood it has to be very hard wood, which is expensice but worth the costs instead of doors and windows that cannot open in the wet-season and cannot close in the dry-season. It also counts for internal doors. If you wish to save money, than indoor plstic-doors are an alternative. Aluminum has the advantage that many locals can make them so the fit the holes in your house. Bying vinyl doors and windows on steel-frame are limited to the size from factories.

If you are considering a European-style kitchen, then be aware of both humidity and termites – the latter loves the European gormet-dish – and if you are expecting to make Thai food, consider an outdorr or semi-open kitchan for that; i.e., you might wish two kichens.

For pool, make sure you have easy access to pump(s) and sand filter. You will need to both maintain and exchange the stuff. You don't need to buy the most expensive imported pump, a cheap one can do the job and might even last longer than the three times more expensive imported.

In general, think of maintenance and service. It's you that are going to do it – or find some that can do it for you – so make your life easy.

I wish you good luck with your project...

All good stuff here .. not a fan of chemicals.. But... consider having the need for termite control / hosing installed under the foundation where you can have it injected and sprayed in at least 1x a year ... also placement and access for cooking gas tanks .. we have our tank outside the house and piped in with Stainless steel pipe. ..also the access to your septic as you will eventually need to have it pumped periodiacally .. any and all exposed wiring and piping will take a hell of a beating from the sun.. we have everything encased below grade.. and mapped out .. that includes water lines ... we get out water from our bored well .. run thru a series of filters and conditioners with two 1000 litre tanks ,one for out door use and the other for the filtered water for indoor use .. 1 deep well "torpedo style pump and 3 above ground Hitachi and Mitsubishi pumps .. grading and any outdoor tile.. pitched "away from the house" . stairs.. try to avoid Thai stile steps where you have a 7-8" step with and incline so steep you need to be an experianced mountain climber to navigate ..all steps at our house are a full 12" deep with a 7" rise ... I could go on and on . but.. most important .... YOU.. have to be there on site to oversee what is being done unless you want to re-do things 2-3 times. you may have the best builder .. but the workers,,,,,, well lets just say they are usually local teams with limited " ----- " and don't be surprised to see that they can create 10 tons of garbage and construction debris daily and walk and climb over it all day long. then want to simply burn it away every couple of weeks .. "Safety and orderly is not in their plan. ............ other than that .. good luck .. I love owning our house our ... I am sure you will too !

KhunLA · January 5

Termite control is easy ... NO WOOD in house.

First house, lots of wood, and termites got into all of it. None for structural stability, so after they got done munching, what wasn't replaced with metal, just used wood putty & painted.

2nd house, wasn't suppose to be any wood, but somehow, wood door framing snuck in, and yes, termites got to them. Minor, and simple wood putty & paint, fixed.

2nd house had the spray system under the floor, and maintenance contract for upkeep spraying, and dousing the entire perimeter of house & ground. Failed miserably at keeping termites away.

Present house ... NO WOOD at all & NO TERMITES. Go figure, So, if don't want termites, don't build with termite food.

newnative · January 6

Some good advice and information has been given, and I am certainly learning some new things. We finished our second house build late last year. Even though we were essentially building the same plan as our first house but with an extra bedroom and bath and an expanded master bedroom and bigger Thai kitchen, we still had a few things not go exactly as planned.

My one piece of advice would be to plan ahead as much as possible, and with as much detail as possible, before the build starts. Pay special attention to the electrical plan, including lighting, which is super important. It should be both detailed and specific. Some pointers on that:

Think carefully about where you will need plug-ins. Are you planning to have an electric reclining sofa floating in the living room? If so, make sure you have a floor outlet where the sofa will be so you don't end up with an ugly electrical cord snaking across the floor to a wall outlet. If you are floating furniture, you could have a floor outlet under an end table so you could hide the cord of a floor or table lamp. Pay special attention to plug-in locations in the kitchen and baths but good planning needs to be done for each room, based on functions that you will need a plug-in for. Make sure you have plug-ins in the right locations for all the built-in kitchen appliances planned.

Think about your daily routine and also the furniture you will have. For example, if you will have a home office with a desk, make sure you will have a wall plug-in where the desk will be. With our latest build we knew there would be a built-in desk with a cord hider on top so we made sure to have a wall plug-in in the right position. We also knew we would need electric in a built-in bookcase next to the desk for a printer so that wall area also needed a plug-in--at the right height. You should have a furniture plan in place in advance with at least the major items in place: sofa, beds, dining table, wall-hung tvs, major art work, etc., so you can plan your electric and lighting needs around where they will be.

Don't just put a mark on a floorplan indicating a plug-in is needed. Be specific as to exactly where it is needed--distance from the nearest wall, height up from the floor. The same goes for wall switches. Plan ahead and think about exactly where you want them, and what they will control. Pay special attention to 2-way switches. If you want a switch by your bed to turn off and on overhead lights, make sure you get it in the right location--don't just guess or be vague about it--you don't want it to end up inaccessible right behind your headboard.

Also, don't be vague about air con and ceiling fan locations, especially air cons. Make sure both are exactly where you want them for all the rooms. Ditto for ceiling lights. You should have a ceiling lighting plan with measured locations for the lights so they are wired and installed in exactly the right places you want them. Plan for general lighting, task lighting, and decorative, such as highlighting artwork.

You need to do all of this room by room for every room, including the garage and terrace areas. It's a lot of work but it will pay off down the road when you go to plug something in or turn on a light and the plug and light switch are exactly where they should be. You likely won't get every single thing correct with the electrical and lighting plan but the object is to get as much correct as possible.

Finally, I can second the very good advice to be on site as much as possible supervising and observing the work. Thai spouse and I were on site almost every day work was being done on our latest house and it paid off when we were able to catch errors about to be done--or if questions came up about something--and lots did. We had a contractor who was supposed to be supervising the build but he was also doing other houses and was usually around only at the start of the work in the morning to give instructions and back in the evening--and sometimes not even then. We ended up with a better build by being their ourselves. Good luck!

bangkokfella · January 6

hey hey hey! already answered in other thread here, and i am glad that i can help even here.I think first of all you should find a building thai forum as guys above my comment mentioned. Anyway, straight to the point i asked my dad for some advices (he is a building company worker ex architectural glazing company worker you can pm me and will ask my dad more questions this is company where he works) and he said that you should develop a good plan find a connections. First of all find a good architect, engineer, designer, glazer and whatever person you need, ask your friends, rudes, for good specialists they gonna help you 100%, this is the core you find good people who know how to work and work becomes more enjoyable and easier.

RocketDog · January 7

On 1/4/2025 at 7:39 AM, OneMoreFarang said:

That brings up the question what kind of quality standard you expect.

It seems many here think that a house built in the fields must be the same bad standard like everybody else. If that is what you want, fine.

But if you want high standard parts and high standard work, this is very difficult in Thailand. And many locals won't even understand what it means.

You hit on the major issue about building a home here.

I too wanted to build but after being here I've realized this is only reasonable if you personally fulfill two requirements:

1. You are experienced and have some degree of expertise in all phases of home construction including structure, foundation, plumbing, electrical.

2. You are willing to proceed slowly enough on construction that you can personally monitor and oversee the workers doing their jobs.

Yes, I suppose that somewhere in Thailand there are competent builders and workers who can perform these duties for you. I've just never met any am not willing to trust someone to pick them for me.

After living in a rental house and then buying and making numerous repairs on what I bought I have a clear view of work standards and the expertise of all the flavors of 'engineers' I've seen involved.

Some of their techniques offer gifts that keep giving for years.

Little or no solvent used on plumbing pipes and Fittings, poor electrical connections, wire laid in unsealed pvc conduit and the buried having nicks in insulation that eventually finds moisture and electrolyses the copper until it dissolves, poorly laid tile with inadequate mortar that rise like tombstones as time passes, etc.

ONE THING THAT MUST BE DONE!

I would never build a house here without ALL plumbing and pipe runs, except septic tank/sewer runs, being FULLY ACCESSIBLE along side of foundation,under a raised floor, or in the attic. Failure to do so means you will eventually find yourself breaking up concrete floors or walls to access and repair the poor workmanship as I have found on several occasions including all the pipe feeding and circulating my pool water.

My observation is that everything in Thailand must be done three times to actually succeed at any task including immigration, repairs, new construction simply because it is NEVER done right the first time.

So if you need a hobby that keeps you busy f**king with your house for the rest of your life then let them build it for you without any oversight. If you can't provide or hire the right knowledge and experience to look over the shoulder of each and every tradesman continually as they work then you will pay for it many times over.

You are facing an almost insurmountable challenge.

You've been warned.

Your mileage may vary but mine has averaged -30mpg for over 8 years. (a leak in the tank,fuel lines,fuel pump,etc )

OneMoreFarang · January 7

31 minutes ago, RocketDog said:

You hit on the major issue about building a home here.

I too wanted to build but after being here I've realized this is only reasonable if you personally fulfill two requirements:

1. You are experienced and have some degree of expertise in all phases of home construction including structure, foundation, plumbing, electrical.

2. You are willing to proceed slowly enough on construction that you can personally monitor and oversee the workers doing their jobs.

Yes, I suppose that somewhere in Thailand there are competent builders and workers who can perform these duties for you. I've just never met any am not willing to trust someone to pick them for me.

After living in a rental house and then buying and making numerous repairs on what I bought I have a clear view of work standards and the expertise of all the flavors of 'engineers' I've seen involved.

Some of their techniques offer gifts that keep giving for years.

Little or no solvent used on plumbing pipes and Fittings, poor electrical connections, wire laid in unsealed pvc conduit and the buried having nicks in insulation that eventually finds moisture and electrolyses the copper until it dissolves, poorly laid tile with inadequate mortar that rise like tombstones as time passes, etc.

ONE THING THAT MUST BE DONE!

I would never build a house here without ALL plumbing and pipe runs, except septic tank/sewer runs, being FULLY ACCESSIBLE along side of foundation,under a raised floor, or in the attic. Failure to do so means you will eventually find yourself breaking up concrete floors or walls to access and repair the poor workmanship as I have found on several occasions including all the pipe feeding and circulating my pool water.

My observation is that everything in Thailand must be done three times to actually succeed at any task including immigration, repairs, new construction simply because it is NEVER done right the first time.

So if you need a hobby that keeps you busy f**king with your house for the rest of your life then let them build it for you without any oversight. If you can't provide or hire the right knowledge and experience to look over the shoulder of each and every tradesman continually as they work then you will pay for it many times over.

You are facing an almost insurmountable challenge.

You've been warned.

Your mileage may vary but mine has averaged -30mpg for over 8 years. (a leak in the tank,fuel lines,fuel pump,etc )

It seems to me there are a few contractors and workers who know what they are doing. But they are mostly busy with big projects. Building just one house or renovating one condominium is a small job for them. I understand that they prefer to work on one project for a year instead of 5 smaller projects.

All in all, I am mostly happy with the renovation (from scratch) of my condominium. I hired a woman who works in a 5-star hotel and was responsible for renovating a big part of that hotel. She knew quality builders and she knew 5-star standards. And obviously I paid for that. I am pretty sure without her, or someone similar, it would have been almost impossible for me to get the job done right.

And then I sill checked every day what was going on - which was easy for me because I lived in another unit in the same building.

OneMoreFarang · January 7

On 1/6/2025 at 4:34 AM, KhunLA said:

Termite control is easy ... NO WOOD in house.

First house, lots of wood, and termites got into all of it. None for structural stability, so after they got done munching, what wasn't replaced with metal, just used wood putty & painted.

2nd house, wasn't suppose to be any wood, but somehow, wood door framing snuck in, and yes, termites got to them. Minor, and simple wood putty & paint, fixed.

2nd house had the spray system under the floor, and maintenance contract for upkeep spraying, and dousing the entire perimeter of house & ground. Failed miserably at keeping termites away.

Present house ... NO WOOD at all & NO TERMITES. Go figure, So, if don't want termites, don't build with termite food.

In theory that is a good idea. But how about furniture? No wood?

capin · January 7

Really appreciate all the responses and suggestions. Lots to think about.

carlyai · January 7

19 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

In theory that is a good idea. But how about furniture? No wood?

We went to Bali and bought a container of Teak furniture and sent it back to Thailand, so with a house full of Teak wood furniture, no termites after 8 years.

They are in the yard.

Our house in Pattaya had wooden door jams and they came up through the cement floor and door jam and ate away when we weren't there. They like quiet.

RocketDog · January 8

On 1/7/2025 at 10:01 AM, OneMoreFarang said:

It seems to me there are a few contractors and workers who know what they are doing. But they are mostly busy with big projects. Building just one house or renovating one condominium is a small job for them. I understand that they prefer to work on one project for a year instead of 5 smaller projects.

All in all, I am mostly happy with the renovation (from scratch) of my condominium. I hired a woman who works in a 5-star hotel and was responsible for renovating a big part of that hotel. She knew quality builders and she knew 5-star standards. And obviously I paid for that. I am pretty sure without her, or someone similar, it would have been almost impossible for me to get the job done right.

And then I sill checked every day what was going on - which was easy for me because I lived in another unit in the same building.

Good. You met some of what I listed as prerequisites. Hiring her and her knowledge and contacts was the key to your success.

I must admit I was lucky to find a skilled team that did major work on my house, but I've been waiting a year for them to find time again for my smaller jobs. As you say, the ones with real skill are always too busy to mess with small fry.

So I'm out on the road again kicking stones to see who I can find. If all else fails I have the skills to do what I need but just don't want to do it myself.

I must point out though that renovationg a condo is quite different from building a house. You have fewer options and things like electrical and plumbing are preordained. Example: did You move a shower or toilet to a different location?

More different skills and experience is needed to build a house from scratch. In other words, there's more ways for things to go wrong.

Nonetheless you were successful because you foresaw the possible difficulties, which was the main thrust of my post.

OneMoreFarang · January 8

1 hour ago, RocketDog said:

Good. You met some of what I listed as prerequisites. Hiring her and her knowledge and contacts was the key to your success.

I must admit I was lucky to find a skilled team that did major work on my house, but I've been waiting a year for them to find time again for my smaller jobs. As you say, the ones with real skill are always too busy to mess with small fry.

So I'm out on the road again kicking stones to see who I can find. If all else fails I have the skills to do what I need but just don't want to do it myself.

I must point out though that renovationg a condo is quite different from building a house. You have fewer options and things like electrical and plumbing are preordained. Example: did You move a shower or toilet to a different location?

More different skills and experience is needed to build a house from scratch. In other words, there's more ways for things to go wrong.

Nonetheless you were successful because you foresaw the possible difficulties, which was the main thrust of my post.

Obviously, a house is more complicated. But especially for Thai workers a condominium seems to be already complicated.

My fresh water supply is completely new.

My electrical installation is completely new - mostly made by myself.

We did not change any plumbing pipes in the walls or floors.

I also did the kitchen plumbing above the ground by myself.

If you have to time and the knowhow then I suggest do it yourself. It will make you happy that you did a good job when it's done.

And it will keep you fit - at least that was a plus for me. 😉

Luuk Chaai · January 8

On 1/7/2025 at 9:22 AM, RocketDog said:

My observation is that everything in Thailand must be done three times to actually succeed at any task including immigration, repairs, new construction simply because it is NEVER done right the first time.

as sure as the sun will rise .. truer words have never been spoken

RocketDog · January 8

16 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Obviously, a house is more complicated. But especially for Thai workers a condominium seems to be already complicated.

My fresh water supply is completely new.

My electrical installation is completely new - mostly made by myself.

We did not change any plumbing pipes in the walls or floors.

I also did the kitchen plumbing above the ground by myself.

If you have to time and the knowhow then I suggest do it yourself. It will make you happy that you did a good job when it's done.

And it will keep you fit - at least that was a plus for me. 😉

Also, it gives me an excuse to buy more power tools!

Yay!

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