Hiring A Handyman

[tatom]

I have always done my own construction, home maintainance, gardening, everything. But now, as Im getting older, it is getting a little too much for me. Im going to need some help and will hire a handyman. Probably a neighbor, or someone I know in the village.

I'm just not sure how much to pay. Ive been very generous with the neighbors over the years, but I want to pay what would be fair to them and myself.

I would like to know if anyone here in Issan has a handyman and what you pay.

Tom Salarak Khon Kaen

[Gary A]

For just grunt labor, I pay 300 baht a day. For skilled labor, a good electrician for example, 500 baht a day is not out of line.

[Lefty]

For just grunt labor, I pay 300 baht a day. For skilled labor, a good electrician for example, 500 baht a day is not out of line.

Agree-those rates are reasonable

Lefty

[SuperGers]

For just grunt labor, I pay 300 baht a day. For skilled labor, a good electrician for example, 500 baht a day is not out of line.

Agree-those rates are reasonable

Lefty

A tad high i think.

In the villages the rate is TB200 for general labour. TB250 for semi-skilled e.g Plasterer etc and you supply lunch and the occasional bottle of Leo (as required )

But then again i'm Scottish ! :jap:

[fatfather]

For just grunt labor, I pay 300 baht a day. For skilled labor, a good electrician for example, 500 baht a day is not out of line.

Agree-those rates are reasonable

Lefty

A tad high i think.

In the villages the rate is TB200 for general labour. TB250 for semi-skilled e.g Plasterer etc and you supply lunch and the occasional bottle of Leo (as required )

But then again i'm Scottish ! :jap:

Agree with your "Scottish" rates. In my village there would be a long queue of job seekers if I would pay 500/day for skilled workers. I'm from SouthGermany (Schwabenland) and over-paying is none of our attitudes. Price may vary by location... in the sticks 200-300/day, in cities of Isaan the 300-400/day should be ok. 500 seem slightly high for this area

fatfather

[klikster]

Depends on the village. Near industrial estates, casual laborers are in much shorter supply.

[GooEng]

a skilled guy who knows what he is doing in the job you have hired him for whatever it is, who works hard, is conscientious and doesn't take the piss, is worth paying well wherever he is.

use the above suggested rates as a guide, but i personally am always prepared to pay according to value, not going rates - and let's face it, why quibble over whether it's 250 or 300 baht a day? if he's decent bung him 400 and a beer at 4pm.

(i'm scottish too... )

Edited November 8, 2011 by GooEng

[Gary A]

Actually my wife does the hiring and firing. She interviews the worker and her first question is how long he thinks it will take. If he tells her a couple of days, she will offer 500 baht for him to complete the job and then buy him a bottle of Lao Kao if he does a good job.

She is one of the original cheap Charlottes. BUT, she has learned that usually you get what you pay for. I hired an electrician mainly to string wire through the attic. It was a hot dirty job and I wouldn't have crawled up there for the 500 baht I paid him for the day. She criticized me for paying him too much but I was quite happy with his work.

She has an aversion to paying by the day. She can't get rice paddy workers for less than 300 baht per day so she pays it, but they must work beside her and if they can't keep up, she fires them. Nine out of ten rice paddy workers are women.

[klikster]

She can't get rice paddy workers for less than 300 baht per day so she pays it, but they must work beside her and if they can't keep up, she fires them. Nine out of ten rice paddy workers are women.

I will echo those sentiments -- Thai women being much better workers than men. My "old maid" wife is a rice farm girl who clawed her way through KK Uni. She likes anything outdoors, and anything growing -- or cows. One day in Do Home she asked a special favor. Would I buy her a proper hand saw.

I told her once that she should learn construction, find a few more women with some skills, and start a small construction company. They can always hire men to do the heavy stuff.

[sinbin]

Leave paying to the wife and you will overpay. She wants to hold her head high by showing prestige. The people she will hire will be people she knows and doesn't want 'kee nok' to be branded about. Where I live in Isaan 150 Baht is paid to people for a 14 hour day, if the work is regular. If a one off, then 200 Baht maximum. SuperGers gets my mark for top answer so far. Gary A, I'm lost for words.

[Gary A]

Leave paying to the wife and you will overpay. She wants to hold her head high by showing prestige. The people she will hire will be people she knows and doesn't want 'kee nok' to be branded about. Where I live in Isaan 150 Baht is paid to people for a 14 hour day, if the work is regular. If a one off, then 200 Baht maximum. SuperGers gets my mark for top answer so far. Gary A, I'm lost for words.

Obviously you don't know my wife. 150 baht for a 14 hour day ??? Where do you live? It's not my money, it's her money. Whatever she makes or spends farming is up to her and she is not in the habit of paying over the top.

[bentarm44]

I dread the day arriving when I can't do it myself. There's almost nothing that the local talent can do better than me, other than make rice or bend and join metal. I have had some good results on time scale by accepting what I was told; then offering a bonus for each day completed before schedule. That was for making and fitting curtains for the house 3 years ago!

[cardholder]

For just grunt labor, I pay 300 baht a day. For skilled labor, a good electrician for example, 500 baht a day is not out of line.

Agree-those rates are reasonable

Lefty

A tad high i think.

In the villages the rate is TB200 for general labour. TB250 for semi-skilled e.g Plasterer etc and you supply lunch and the occasional bottle of Leo (as required )

But then again i'm Scottish ! :jap:

Agree with your "Scottish" rates. In my village there would be a long queue of job seekers if I would pay 500/day for skilled workers. I'm from SouthGermany (Schwabenland) and over-paying is none of our attitudes. Price may vary by location... in the sticks 200-300/day, in cities of Isaan the 300-400/day should be ok. 500 seem slightly high for this area

fatfather

Confirmed from my own local experience. 300 is the maximum I have paid.

Moving slightly off topic but what experiences do people of hourly rates for tractors (for soil spreading) and big digger hire ?

[Prairieboy]

In our village near Amnat Charoen 200 baht per day seems to be the going rate for general labour - electricians, plumbers, welders etc are 300+ depending on proficiency.

Off the topic - I want to know where to buy a gas powered lawn mower in Amnat Charoen or Ubon Ratchathani area - any suggestions??

[SuperGers]

Hi CH,

In my experience it's better to show the tractor guy exactly what you want done and agree a price for the entire job accordingly.

If you agree to pay per hour, no doubt there will be unexplained delays and a general "go slow" in order to pan out the job for as many hours as possible.

As a very rough guide i had a large digger, dig a pool approx 20 x 10 metres and about 6 metres deep recently. It took about 7 hours and cost TB12000 all in. Pay only after the work is complete and to your satisfaction.

Good luck :jap: