Ripped Off Again Tit

[charliemike11]

Just spent a month in Udon Thani, arranged with (I was informed by the wife) a reliable and good builder to construct a wall around our house. The mother in law nephew and daughter reside there we are in the Uk. Anyhow builder said 46 thousand baht for the work and we buy the materials, this price seemed reasonable we had higher and lower quotes from other people. So cut a long story short they seemed good people while I was there worked most days and now we have come home they have dissapeard, we have paid them 33 thousand sofar and we due to make final instalment on completion but they have not done any work for a month. Apparently this reliable and good builder turned up at the house the other day drunk and said he doesnt want to finish the wall now as it is small money. we have piles of sand, stone cement and other items lying around in the garden as we speak.

Im very angry this kind of thing keeps happening in Thailand. The builders name is TEE from Sangkhom Udon Thani if anyone hears of him to do work be warned stay away he is not reliable and has let us down in a major way. I am not wealthy and have borrowed the money to get this wall done altogether so far it has cost me 3 thousand pounds and it is still not finished will try to attach photos of this guy at a later date.

[Bemused]

You have my sympathies. Karma will catch up with him.

[onnut]

I tried the same thing once, it is frustrating. I have since learnt to not pay a satang until happy with the work. It was an expensive mistake and I will not do it again.

[rfukata]

Just spent a month in Udon Thani, arranged with (I was informed by the wife) a reliable and good builder to construct a wall around our house. The mother in law nephew and daughter reside there we are in the Uk. Anyhow builder said 46 thousand baht for the work and we buy the materials, this price seemed reasonable we had higher and lower quotes from other people. So cut a long story short they seemed good people while I was there worked most days and now we have come home they have dissapeard, we have paid them 33 thousand sofar and we due to make final instalment on completion but they have not done any work for a month. Apparently this reliable and good builder turned up at the house the other day drunk and said he doesnt want to finish the wall now as it is small money. we have piles of sand, stone cement and other items lying around in the garden as we speak.

Im very angry this kind of thing keeps happening in Thailand. The builders name is TEE from Sangkhom Udon Thani if anyone hears of him to do work be warned stay away he is not reliable and has let us down in a major way. I am not wealthy and have borrowed the money to get this wall done altogether so far it has cost me 3 thousand pounds and it is still not finished will try to attach photos of this guy at a later date.

Its ashamed things like this happens more than enough here. I have had my own experience with some workers in Ubon Ratchathani and I guess the work mentalities are all the same where ever you are. (drunk and not work)

There may be another side of the story; may be part of the payment of 46K baht went to a middleman as a commission therefore cutting short the construction cost?

[katabeachbum]

This happens all over the world so why blame LOS?

Paying upfront doesnt work, paying weekly for what has been build can work.

Paying on completion (for such a small job) works

[longball53098]

I agree that if the material is paid for then you pay for what is completed not what may or may not get completed.

Now the hard lesson has been learned and to get the wall finished you will I'm sure be more careful.

[ignis]

Same thing happened to Thai friends, most were small jobs but one was very large costing over 10 million to build,

The Lawyers released the 1st payment and building contractors vanished

Edited November 3, 2009 by ignis

[imaneggspurt]

Think of them all as gypsies and you wont be disapointed,.....

[hhgz]

"Im very angry this kind of thing keeps happening in Thailand. "

Some people are sheep, looking to get sheared. I'm sure you have a great reason for paying him 100% of the contracted price before he did anything. Snip snip snip.

[GungaDin]

"Im very angry this kind of thing keeps happening in Thailand. "

Some people are sheep, looking to get sheared. I'm sure you have a great reason for paying him 100% of the contracted price before he did anything. Snip snip snip.

Wrong!

He trusted the Thais as we all do but he paid 33kb not 100%

I guess it's nice to criticize people who have bad luck, eh?

Sheep, hmmm.

[charliemike11]

I was paying by installments to start 5k after 2 weeks 15k after 4 weeks another 13k and the final payment was to be on completion hope this clarifies things.... I payed by installments because theses guys are local workers and have children to feed, As I said whilst I was there they did work hard. I had great expectations and was willing to give a nice brucie bonus now my 62 yr old mother in law and daughter in law are living with the dissapointment as am I.

At least I am not gutted like that poor fella who was banking on a 10 million build (IGNIS) geez thats real bad.... sheep quite apt as I am from Wales but I am not a sheep just had to watch a good guy gone bad and yes like gypsies they run if they can. As for this being a LOS thing well all I can say is Ive had 3 houses built in other parts of the world in the past and nobody ripped me off over construction ..... I can mention several icidents in Thailand over the years, however I still love the King and Country it is the drunken greedy Thai's in certain area's that make me so upset. I am sure as bemused mentioned Karma will catch him. I just wanted to warn people this TEE from Sangkhom cannot be trusted... Thank you for your sympathies all I am not letting it get me down anymore...

[stgrhe]

I was paying by installments to start 5k after 2 weeks 15k after 4 weeks another 13k and the final payment was to be on completion

Installments are fine but they should preferably be related to work performed and not be time stamped. A good way is to try to break down the order content in a number of segments and then weigh the payments to these segments whether they are labour only or include material too.

[Livinginexile]

I hope you can complete your work.

Is all your material safe just sitting around the garden?

You better be carefull, it will all go soon!

[rabcbroon]

This happens all over the world so why blame LOS?

Paying upfront doesnt work, paying weekly for what has been build can work.

Paying on completion (for such a small job) works

because it happened in Thailand