It's apparent that I am the only person in the village in possession of a full set of tools. Or seemingly, any tools at all.

A few days ago the washing machine refused to drain. I took the back off, oped up the drain and extracted several assorted gloved and underwear that had somehow made it past the filter and all was well.

Yesterday a portable air on that I brought from Oz and donated to the BiL stopped working.

I pulled it apart, located the fault, repaired a faulty micro switch and away we went.

In the course of this it was noted that the power board I was using to test the air was also faulty as it needed to be wacked, Fonzie style to get it to work, so I opened it up, soldered the loose connection and continued. All this greatly impressed the assembled crowd.

Today I woke up and outside the door are two more broken power boards, a bike with a stretched chain, a radio and a TV, all naff.

What have I done? Do they think I'm a freakin Elf?

How do I stop this?

Ha ha. Well you now have something to do! Do you do call outs?

Today I woke up and outside the door are two more broken power boards, a bike with a stretched chain, a radio and a TV, all naff.

What have I done? Do they think I'm a freakin Elf?

How do I stop this?

Start charging

Today I woke up and outside the door are two more broken power boards, a bike with a stretched chain, a radio and a TV, all naff.

What have I done? Do they think I'm a freakin Elf?

How do I stop this?

Start charging

Hahaha you got a reputation, ah it will keep you busy

Hope you have a work permit

Don't do anything, and when questioned about it, act a bit surprised and tell them you thought they were gifts.

Deal with them when you have time. But first, there's beer to be drunk, sun to be basked in, sunsets and sunrises to admire...

Priorities, priorities...

I doubt most of that stuff can be repaired anyway. You might be as well just to give them the scrap value and dismantle for parts...

They certainly all need expensive parts.

FFvvffvvvsss.. its pricey, that. You'd need to go into town for the parts. I doubt even the dealer would have that part. No, better to get a new one...

You'll need to do better than

" FFvvffvvvsss.." when it comes to sucking your teeth, though...

SC

Better then them coming and "borrowing" your tools - like forever

At least you still have a tool kit

It's apparent that I am the only person in the village in possession of a full set of tools. Or seemingly, any tools at all.

A few days ago the washing machine refused to drain. I took the back off, oped up the drain and extracted several assorted gloved and underwear that had somehow made it past the filter and all was well.

Yesterday a portable air on that I brought from Oz and donated to the BiL stopped working.

I pulled it apart, located the fault, repaired a faulty micro switch and away we went.

In the course of this it was noted that the power board I was using to test the air was also faulty as it needed to be wacked, Fonzie style to get it to work, so I opened it up, soldered the loose connection and continued. All this greatly impressed the assembled crowd.

Today I woke up and outside the door are two more broken power boards, a bike with a stretched chain, a radio and a TV, all naff.

What have I done? Do they think I'm a freakin Elf?

How do I stop this?

I always say "sorry but I dont have a work permit".

Sent from my GT-I9003 using Thaivisa Connect App

Look on the bright side, at least now you have a hobby.

and do introduce a duel pricing system....an farangs bring stuff to you to fixed 50% of the price you charge the Thai's bringing stuff to you....

Do it TIT style, return it in worse condition than you received it. Word will get around quick enough.

I would make a big robot out of all the stuff and then stand it at the gate . A loon bogle sentinal .

Charge a fee or say no, don't lend your tools either. Half of the time you won't recognize them when they return.

There is a certain resistance here to use tools for the purpose they were intended.

Recently a guy who was helping me build, managed to bend the claw on a hammer, gouge my cement chisel and split my brick trowel. All three of these things are difficult to accomplish and it is amazing that it was all done by the same guy in the same week. It is the second time I have had to replace a cement chisel, what do they do with them?

start a village barter system: ' yer daughter fer my services'...and then things will calm down quickly...

(and then here comes somchai with a couple of disabled big pumps and a tractor and with a dozen nubile nieces in tow...)

but seriously...when mechanical things break down I usually recognize the required action and advise the wife accordingly...but nothing ever gets fixed and then our shophouse resembles a junkyard...not that I mind too much as I was always a 'junkyard dog' kinda guy...

You could always leave the items laid around and forget about them the way Thai people do.

You could always leave the items laid around and forget about them the way Thai people do.

I think that was there when we move in... It would take a long time for the creepers to grow up thorugh it like that.

It looks like its getting rusty as well... Somebody's dog seems to have pissed all over it - I'm sure my dog wouldn't do that.

I don't even know whose it is, anyway. I might sell it for scrap when the gyppos come round next...

SC

Have the same problems with power boards.If I can fix it,I will and if I can't will tell them so and to spend 60 to 70 baht on a new one.Also another one is setting up TV's , dvd players speakers and the like if I can do it no problem and if I can't, tell them so.

Charge a fee or say no, don't lend your tools either. Half of the time you won't recognize them when they return.

There is a certain resistance here to use tools for the purpose they were intended.

Recently a guy who was helping me build, managed to bend the claw on a hammer, gouge my cement chisel and split my brick trowel. All three of these things are difficult to accomplish and it is amazing that it was all done by the same guy in the same week. It is the second time I have had to replace a cement chisel, what do they do with them?

I spent the morning yesterday watching the local drunk who works around the shop for M150 sized bottles of Lao khao. He was chopping firewood with a hammer, which he broke, along with his toe. I have a brand new Fiskar axe in the cupboard, I never considered letting him use it. He probably would have lost a foot.

But bending a claw, that takes some effort.

Mate ... I read all the suggestions above and couldn't better them!

Welcome to your new found status as chief fixer-er-upperer.

Just remember to change for Labour in Beer Dollars and parts at cost for maximum respect ...

start a village barter system: ' yer daughter fer my services'...and then things will calm down quickly...

I would not be so sure about that. What a wonderful country.

Mate ... I read all the suggestions above and couldn't better them!

Welcome to your new found status as chief fixer-er-upperer.

Just remember to change for Labour in Beer Dollars and parts at cost for maximum respect ...

Sister in-law came in last night with four cold king browns and put them down on the bench beside me,so went and got a glass for her, ( I neck the bottle with a rubber holder) opened a bottle and filled her glass.After sittng down,turned to her and said " What did you do this for?I've always got cold ones in the fridge.You don't have to do that." Without blinking an eye,said "Can you come tomorrow and change the set up for the satellite and tv?" So being paid in beer dollars before you are asked is a new one, the only problem is you are obliged to respond.As it turned out she will have to get PSI in as it needs someone with skills I haven't got.

Charge a fee or say no, don't lend your tools either. Half of the time you won't recognize them when they return.

There is a certain resistance here to use tools for the purpose they were intended.

Recently a guy who was helping me build, managed to bend the claw on a hammer, gouge my cement chisel and split my brick trowel. All three of these things are difficult to accomplish and it is amazing that it was all done by the same guy in the same week. It is the second time I have had to replace a cement chisel, what do they do with them?

I spent the morning yesterday watching the local drunk who works around the shop for M150 sized bottles of Lao khao. He was chopping firewood with a hammer, which he broke, along with his toe. I have a brand new Fiskar axe in the cupboard, I never considered letting him use it. He probably would have lost a foot.

But bending a claw, that takes some effort.

Two things may happen if you have a nice piece of kit, like that axe.

A) Someone will see it, find a sneaky way to borrow it from someone other than you and you will never see it again, until it breaks, from cutting rebar or something like that.

They won't recognize its quality and they will refuse to use it even if you offer. Likely thinking that no one else uses one like that so it can't be any good.

I have a pair of very nice western style spades (shovels). they are awesome for digging holes. When a guy came to dig a 2.5 meter septic tank hole I offered the shovels, but he preferred to use a hoe.

I had another guy hired to move some dirt for me, I offered the shovels and a wheel barrow. He tried the wheel barrow once, dumped it halfway and brought it back to me and said it doesn't work. He spent the rest of the day filling sacks by hand and dragging them to the new location. it would have taken me about an hour to do what took him all day and he brought a friend.

Easy - they have to pay for parts and your time is worth xxx baht per yyy minutes, I do 15-minute increments.

Accept bags of rice, cooked food, sexual services whatever as barter, but don't give any credit.

^^ I just noticed that my point B turned into a smiley with glasses

start a village barter system: ' yer daughter fer my services'...and then things will calm down quickly...

I would not be so sure about that. What a wonderful country.

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yeah...and Sam Cooke weren't no slouch either..

Can you post your address please?

I have some tools that I stupidly lent to family and neighbours

Deal with them when you have time. But first, there's beer to be drunk, sun to be basked in, sunsets and sunrises to admire...

Priorities, priorities...

I doubt most of that stuff can be repaired anyway. You might be as well just to give them the scrap value and dismantle for parts...

They certainly all need expensive parts.

FFvvffvvvsss.. its pricey, that. You'd need to go into town for the parts. I doubt even the dealer would have that part. No, better to get a new one...

You'll need to do better than

" FFvvffvvvsss.." when it comes to sucking your teeth, though...

SC

Excellant suggestion. Just do as the thais do and tell them you will fix it "tomorrow".

then when they ask is it fixed yet, tell them you had to order parts from Bangkok (not true)

just keep it going until they give up and just ask for it back to get it fixed somewhere else.

Result.

At least thats what happens when I try to get something fixed here.

Don't do anything, and when questioned about it, act a bit surprised and tell them you thought they were gifts.

LOL I like your sense of humor Thaddeus ...you crack me up

I am probably not as handy as you are Nx99, I am jack of all trades, master of none.

Our house has been here now 3 years, I have a tractor which the nephews operate as a hire basis to local farmers...they are very handy amongst themselves in fixing, welding (sunglasses..ahhhhhhhh!!!, that's another thread) and generally getting the thing going again when it stops.

I have supplied them various tools to help in their quest, and even got them to build their own tool shed to accommodate said such tools, ...........what a shitfight! How they find anything in there is beyond me.

My next project is to start my own personnel collection of tools (LOCKED) so that when I need to do something with a certain tool, I'll know where I can find it because I'll be the only using it.

I tried to explain the "boomerang" principle through my wife....all I got was smiles and lots of head nodding, and of course no boomerang.

Mai Pen Rai