Plasterboard - available sizes?

[Johnlkuk]

I call it plasterboard, you may call it sheetrock or drywall, but what sizes are available to buy here in TH?

 

I've made a load of holes around the condo where I've fished cables around for a rewire, and now I want to start patching up and making good. 

I probably only need around half a sheet (1200mm x 1200mm (4'x4') ), but can you buy anything other than an 8x4 here? 

 

The thinner board is 9.5mm (3/8") in the UK, but did I read it's 9mm here? 

It doesn't matter, as long as its not thicker. 

 

[sandyf]

24 minutes ago, Johnlkuk said:

I call it plasterboard, you may call it sheetrock or drywall, but what sizes are available to buy here in TH?

 

I've made a load of holes around the condo where I've fished cables around for a rewire, and now I want to start patching up and making good. 

I probably only need around half a sheet (1200mm x 1200mm (4'x4') ), but can you buy anything other than an 8x4 here? 

 

The thinner board is 9.5mm (3/8") in the UK, but did I read it's 9mm here? 

It doesn't matter, as long as its not thicker. 

 

 

I have only ever seen plasterboard as 8x4, easier than the metric.

May be worth considering cement board, variety of sizes and thickness from various suppliers. I bought some that were 1000 x 600 and I think 4mm, normally used on eaves. Also used the 3m x 150mm x 8mm boards quite a bit.

I am sure you would find cement board much easier to work with than plasterboard.

[CallumWK]

45 minutes ago, Johnlkuk said:

I probably only need around half a sheet (1200mm x 1200mm (4'x4') ), but can you buy anything other than an 8x4 here? 

 

 

 

 

 

A 9mm size 120x240 cost 120 baht. Too much of an expense for you?

[Johnlkuk]

1 minute ago, CallumWK said:

 

A 9mm size 120x240 cost 120 baht. Too much of an expense for you?

 

Or the issue could be transport. 

Ever thought of that? 

 

Unless I can buy smaller, I was thinking to buy a whole sheet, cut it in half and leave half at the shop's trash bin. 

Got to be a non-windy day as I'll be on a motorcycle. 

 

That's why smaller would be better. It's not about money. 

 

At least you seem to confirm the thickness is 9mm.

[frank83628]

Yeah, 9mm 8x 4

[Johnlkuk]

16 minutes ago, sandyf said:

I have only ever seen plasterboard as 8x4, easier than the metric.

May be worth considering cement board, variety of sizes and thickness from various suppliers. I bought some that were 1000 x 600 and I think 4mm, normally used on eaves. Also used the 3m x 150mm x 8mm boards quite a bit.

I am sure you would find cement board much easier to work with than plasterboard.

 A good option, thanks. 

I don't know about easier to work with though: cut with grinder / hacksaw? 

Brittle too. 

I've got loads of odd size and shaped holes to patch and don't want to create too much dust. 

[Johnlkuk]

6 minutes ago, frank83628 said:

Yeah, 9mm 8x 4

 

Thanks.

The only other option I've seen is flat (suspended) ceiling tiles, maybe 2' square, that look like plasterboard.

But I can't remember where I saw them, whether they can be bought singularly, or the thickness etc. 

[Jeff the Chef]

16 minutes ago, Johnlkuk said:

 

Or the issue could be transport. 

Ever thought of that? 

 

Unless I can buy smaller, I was thinking to buy a whole sheet, cut it in half and leave half at the shop's trash bin. 

Got to be a non-windy day as I'll be on a motorcycle. 

 

That's why smaller would be better. It's not about money. 

 

At least you seem to confirm the thickness is 9mm.

 

Ask them if they can deliver, not a problem out here in the sticks.

[CallumWK]

14 minutes ago, Johnlkuk said:

Or the issue could be transport. 

 

https://shopee.co.th/ฝ้าทีบาร์-เปเปอร์ทัชไอออน-ลาย-หยาดเพชร-“สีขาวล้วน”-ขนาด60x60x0.8cm.-แบ่งขาย-1-แผ่น--i.3431976.25901712980?

[Johnlkuk]

7 minutes ago, CallumWK said:

 

https://shopee.co.th/ฝ้าทีบาร์-เปเปอร์ทัชไอออน-ลาย-หยาดเพชร-“สีขาวล้วน”-ขนาด60x60x0.8cm.-แบ่งขาย-1-แผ่น--i.3431976.25901712980?

 

Perfect, thank you. 

I think this is my best option. 

 

Thanks everyone for your input. 

 

 

 

[sandyf]

6 hours ago, Johnlkuk said:

 A good option, thanks. 

I don't know about easier to work with though: cut with grinder / hacksaw? 

Brittle too. 

I've got loads of odd size and shaped holes to patch and don't want to create too much dust. 

Yes,  "easier" is a bit of an abstract. As an amateur I never had a great deal of success with plasterboard always ended up with ragged edges.

i have found the cement board a lot more forgiving. I cut it with an angle grinder and ceramic disc. Normal hacksaw would be difficult but a jigsaw type with the round blade like a needle file may work. Dust is a bit of a problem but with you mentioning rewire, assumed a bit messy anyway. The 4mm could probably be cut by scoring and breaking,  bit like a tile. If too thin can easily be bonded together with epoxy putty.

Relatively easy to make shapes with the cement board. I am currently making a new cover arrangement for the septic tank just using scrap cement board. In case your wondering, the hole in the middle is for the float spigot to come up through, water level near the proximity switch at the moment.

[sandyf]

6 hours ago, Johnlkuk said:

 

Thanks.

The only other option I've seen is flat (suspended) ceiling tiles, maybe 2' square, that look like plasterboard.

But I can't remember where I saw them, whether they can be bought singularly, or the thickness etc. 

I think you would struggle to find them now. It is 15 years since I had my suspended ceiling done and they used sheet to do it, think it is 6mm. May well be cement board.

[Luuk Chaai]

On 3/13/2025 at 9:57 AM, Johnlkuk said:

 A good option, thanks. 

I don't know about easier to work with though: cut with grinder / hacksaw? 

Brittle too. 

I've got loads of odd size and shaped holes to patch and don't want to create too much dust. 

stick with the drywall ..  all you need is a utility (razor) knife

grab yourself a length or 2 of the strips so you can have something to screw/mount to

as eample if you have an  8" sq hole..   cut 1 or 2 pcs of this strip about 12" long and place it in the opening ,,screw thru the existing board to fasten it in place then palce your patch piece in and screw it 

 

https://globalhouse.co.th/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.image-gbh.com%2Fuploads%2Fmedium%2FGHtzTLeFlirk.jpg&w=1920&q=75

[sometimewoodworker]

On 3/13/2025 at 4:46 PM, sandyf said:

I think you would struggle to find them now. It is 15 years since I had my suspended ceiling done and they used sheet to do it, think it is 6mm. May well be cement board.

The 40cm square (often patterned) tiles are quite easily available. It’s unlikely that they will be discontinued anytime soon. I still see them being used on local village builds as the skills required are small and they are cheap

[Johnlkuk]

2 hours ago, Luuk Chaai said:

stick with the drywall ..  all you need is a utility (razor) knife

grab yourself a length or 2 of the strips so you can have something to screw/mount to

as eample if you have an  8" sq hole..   cut 1 or 2 pcs of this strip about 12" long and place it in the opening ,,screw thru the existing board to fasten it in place then palce your patch piece in and screw it 

 

https://globalhouse.co.th/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.image-gbh.com%2Fuploads%2Fmedium%2FGHtzTLeFlirk.jpg&w=1920&q=75

 

Thanks. 

Theoretically the patching should now be a breeze. I started out as a plasterer way back in 82.

 

I got lucky as my condo building had some work done recently, and the guys left a load of these metal lathe offcuts in the trash, so I grabbed a few, exactly for this purpose. 

 

I can't imagine they're expensive, but it saves another trip out to find them, and then cutting them down to a transportable size. 

 

I haven't sourced the ceiling tiles locally yet, but the Shopee link mentioned earlier is there if I do get stuck. 

I've actually got similar, aged and discoloured (and flat, unpatterned) tiles in my bathroom, so could even use those first for the patching, then switch them out later for some new ones. 

[sandyf]

17 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

The 40cm square (often patterned) tiles are quite easily available. It’s unlikely that they will be discontinued anytime soon. I still see them being used on local village builds as the skills required are small and they are cheap

That would surprise me as I cannot see that method being cheaper than the way mine was done with the large sheets of plasterboard. Also a lot more work involved putting up the suspension framework for the tiles.

I can only see a preference if the patterned ceiling was wanted. The other thing is the tile method i have seen does give access to the roof space which may be a requirement. However I seen some where the tiles and framework are not a good fit which over here is not very desireable.

Obviously the method is still available, but I have not seen it in any of the builders merchants I use.

[sometimewoodworker]

10 hours ago, sandyf said:

That would surprise me as I cannot see that method being cheaper than the way mine was done with the large sheets of plasterboard. Also a lot more work involved putting up the suspension framework for the tiles.

You clearly haven’t seen the way that the frame can be suspended or the way that they are installed. It is significantly less work and you can’t get the kinds of patterns with plasterboard 

 

10 hours ago, sandyf said:

I have not seen it in any of the builders merchants I use

Then you probably haven’t looked.

 

just a FWIW here the are 

[CallumWK]

13 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

You clearly haven’t seen the way that the frame can be suspended or the way that they are installed. It is significantly less work and you can’t get the kinds of patterns with plasterboard 

 

Then you probably haven’t looked.

 

just a FWIW here the are 

 

So a 60x60 tile at 145 baht is cheaper than a 120x240 sheet at 120 baht. Back to maths class.

 

And it is a lot more work because there is a frame every 60cm, and it has to be 100% correct or the tile doesn't fit, while with a plasterboard it doesn't matter if the frame is not 100%, as it is invisible.

 

The OP didn't ask for patterns, so that is another lame excuse

[sandyf]

12 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

You clearly haven’t seen the way that the frame can be suspended or the way that they are installed. It is significantly less work and you can’t get the kinds of patterns with plasterboard 

You would need to explain to me how the framework for tiles can be less work than this.

Don't the tile supports have to be square? As for cost, your are having a laugh.

 

 

[sometimewoodworker]

13 hours ago, CallumWK said:

So a 60x60 tile at 145 baht is cheaper than a 120x240 sheet at 120 baht. Back to maths class.

The cost of 1 part of a system is not reflective of the cost of the total ceiling. For that you have to include, among others, the cost of a skilled workforce. So it’s back to actual calculations based on real numbers. My math skills and knowledge seems quite adequate to the task, whilst you seem to need a great knowledge base than you are displaying.