Build A House

[wonderer777]

I fall in love with the rose of the north..

Now i would like to stay here for the rest of my live.

I would like to build a house here for my wife and me. The two kids are at scool in europ.

Land i have enough.

My questions:

- Where can i find idees for hous designes?

- Who are the good architects, constructors, enigneers?

- Does anybody know some good workers or a good firm?

Please tell your experiance... Thanks!!!

[Thaihog]

Reading this reminded me of "Allo, Allo" lol.....

[dmax]

i recently built my house/bungalow in khon kaen isaan province, for a total cost of around 310,000 thai baht and that included the materials and builders labour costs, i was on a budget of 400-500,000 thb and came out very nicely under this figure. check out my threads on the topic named - my isaan bungalow part 1/2/3 and part 4 with pictures and prices. the threads are in the building forum, i had to do part 1 , part 2, part 3 , part 4 because they eventually peter out and people lose interest afetr a while.

i bought nearly all materials myself from various builders merchants in and around my villiage and more materials from home pro in udon and khon kaen. i think i did a very good job too although i did have some major headaches with the builders. i was quoted some prices from farang builders for the same size of build like 1 million baht but this was way too much so i got the thai builders in and i am glad i did too as it saved me 600,000 thb.. make sure you really want to live there first !! also be prepared for some fallouts with builders and be prepared to be there at the build all the time to supervise.

good luck

[elektrified]

Reading this reminded me of "Allo, Allo" lol.....

He apparently does not use the spell checker on TV...O.K... but Europ?

[doppa]

well having experienced building a block of appts. in thailand , my recomendation if you want a trouble free build, is to appoint a european foreman, who can speak thai and is reliable.

having said that, also go and find that needle in the hay stack, it's there somewhere.

from my experience, buy something that's finnished, it'll cost more , but will save you an awful lot of worry.

[miltonbentley]

Contact Daeng at May37. In my view the best architect in Chiang Mai Lectured in the US for 14 years so works using western practices and because he's Thai he can liaise with builders and make sure you do not get ripped off etc.

Make an appointment and go and see him you will not be disappointed

[chiangmaiexpat]

We finished our Chiang Mai house last year. Total cost 4.2 MegaBaht for approx. 320 sqm. I did the architecture and interior design myself using several CAD programs. Hired an architect to calculate load bearing structure and produce the official plans. Construction was carried out by a local contractor. Average job, but honest & fair. I can PM contact data if desired.

If I should ever build another house, I will certainly do the architecture part again. It's creative fun and you get exactly the results you want. I also reckon it's easier to do your own drawings than communicating requirements to an architect who doesn't speak your language.

Cheers, CMX

[wonderer777]

Thanks you all for the "good" proposals! Now i have to study them all!!!

[PeaceBlondie]

We bucked the farang trend. Did it all with locals, in Thai.

[coolxten]

For house design ideas...take a camera and a walk out in different neighbourhoods. Take pictures of designs you like.

[Drew Aitch]

I doubt you could find a better start than by reading this article here: How to build a house in Thailand for Under $25,000

Then follow the links to the step by step procedure from acquiring land, watching out for the corner cutters, and everything else you could possibly need for house building in Thailand. Written by an expat for expats.

Good luck

Aitch

[newbie001]

I think there is a website dedicated to building houses in Thailand. I think that it is Thaibuilder they have a lot of forums and good advice. Most is based in Central Thailand but some of the info applies to all areas.

I wouldn't ever use European architects or contractors here, they over value there skills and undervalue the locals, not to mention many have had major conflicts with their crews. I know of a few cases where the entire crew quit the site because the foreigner boss didn't know how to communicate with his crew and undermined the forman. There are many good Thai firms, but make sure that it is not just a bunch of day hires.

[wonderer777]

Thank you all for this useful tips... But i would be happy to have some good links here. Also others are looking for help. Thanks in advanced...

[anapomme]

If you're still looking for an architect with great credentials, I would like to recommend my boyfriend. He studied in Boston and is fluent in English. Before owning his own firm, he put in time at A49 group (well known and respected firm). If you would like more information, feel more than free to PM me!

[uptoyoumyfriend]

well having experienced building a block of appts. in thailand , my recomendation if you want a trouble free build, is to appoint a european foreman, who can speak thai and is reliable.

having said that, also go and find that needle in the hay stack, it's there somewhere.

from my experience, buy something that's finnished, it'll cost more , but will save you an awful lot of worry.

i think you're dead wrong about that.i looked for a long time and then build my own house with thai builder at minimal cost and maximum input.because i have been a builder for 30 years. but to come to the point,if you can find something that suits you the price can be much better then you can do yourself and you save yourself a year of hassle galore.

[anapomme]

If you're still looking for an architect with great credentials, I would like to recommend my boyfriend. He studied in Boston and is fluent in English. Before owning his own firm, he put in time at A49 group (well known and respected firm). If you would like more information, feel more than free to PM me!

goodness...someone voted my post down! ouch.

[ataloss]

It's been 9 months; yet, no decision. Exactly what are your intentions, and BTW how are your TEFL (luv ur anglish) courses going. Not much salary there to survive let alone afford an architect, and design. You gave little input into where your land is located, its size, and your house needs...bedrooms etc. Hmmm....