We have bought a new shop-house but the seller is not taking any responsibility for repairing bad workmanship/faults. We told her that the roof leaked and gave her a list of faults. She sent in a worker who made some attempt to fit a few things, but not done properly. The roof has leaks and she wont repair it. What is the law if any? Can we take her to law? Is she legally responsible?

We bought the place five months ago and have only been living here for about three months.

I paid around 20k (baht) to a law firm when I bought a condo in 2009 - I know some people think this unnecessary, and I understand why as the lawyers 'seem' to do little except be there and check each step of the process. However, the situation outlined above would be instance where legal assistance would have been prudent - the lawyers would have inspected the property thoroughly and highlight any issues before advising the client.

You could find a local law firm to advise you but you may just be better off putting it down to a lesson learnt and fixing the problems yourself. The seller seems reasonable as she sent someone to make repairs; if you didn't get a lawyer to inspect the property and the seller made no disclosure about the leaks then she has no legal responsibility.

The plumbing and wiring look like easy fixes, the window probably just needs sealant and it's straightforward to install roof ventilation fans. Hardly any roofs have insulation anyway so that's something you would have had to pay to do anyway. You could get that 'Spray foam' stuff (750b/m2) which would stop leaks and keep the house cooler but I know some people advise against it.

the lawyers would have inspected the property thoroughly and highlight any issues before advising the client.

sorry but i have never had a lawyer come and check a property i was about to buy ? what would they know about leaking roofs etc ? i think you go that wrong mate ....... to the OP take it on the chin and fix it yourself it will be less than pursuing the seller ...

Have to say that the pics you've posted represent pretty standard work in Thailand. I have renovated 3 properties here and nothing you have shown has been out of the ordinary, sad to say.

As the other posters have said, try to fix it yourself, poss with the help of a good Thai tradesman (oxymoron?) or a farang who has experience in building/repair work.

Good luck.

You could get that 'Spray foam' stuff (750b/m2) which would stop leaks and keep the house cooler but I know some people advise against it.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

DO NOT GET SPRAY FOAM !!

Do not expect spray foam to stop leaks in the roof! If the roof leaks, get it fixed from the outside because rain water will always find a way through spray foam and then you will not be able to find the spot where the rain is entering the roof. This is from experience.

the lawyers would have inspected the property thoroughly and highlight any issues before advising the client.

sorry but i have never had a lawyer come and check a property i was about to buy ? what would they know about leaking roofs etc ? i think you go that wrong mate ....... to the OP take it on the chin and fix it yourself it will be less than pursuing the seller ...

Quite Right.....You wouldn't get a Builder or Architect to draw up your lease contract or Divorce would you. Find someone with plenty of building experience (in Thailand) to perform a thorough property inspection 'before' you buy, then negotiate the price with a list of repairs...

.Let me know if you need one.

Is the "Seller" the builder? ie you bought from a developer who was building a moo baan, or block of townhouses... if the developer has any kind of reputation (and cares about their reputation) then they'd probably do well to come fix it immediately (might be worth reminding them about their reputation).

Most developments I've been to offered some kind of guarantee (minimum 1 year)

If you bought off a flipper, ie someone bought off a builder, then re-sold it to you...then you have no chance; you were not buying a "new" townhouse at that point you are buying a 2nd hand town house and should have inspected it properly.

P.S. What's up with the "No insulation" pic...? I've never seen a brick wall with "insulation" in Thailand, did you mean "no rendering" or what?