Made every mistake possible, but seem to have it sussed now.

..........................................

Make the hole as far from the sides of the tile as you possibly can.

Double check the location of the hole, and check again. I use a piece of cardboard cut to size of the tile to find the correct location.

Apply masking tape to the glazed side of the tile and mark the hole on the tape. Ensure it's large enough.

Preferably use a drill with 2 speed, on low setting, or low speed on a variable speed drill.

Cool the bit between holes, with water.

Support the tile on a flat piece of wood, that can have holes made in it, not the good coffee table!

Use the smallest masonry bit that you can, for the starter holes.

Use the drill on "drill", never on "hammer".

Carefully break the glaze, and do so all around the hole.

Drill through all the way around.

Use a larger size bit and repeat.

Keep increasing bit size till the holes start breaking through to each other.

If necessary, gently tap the hole center out with a hammer.

If a nice edge is desired, I use a wood rasp to round off the rough bits.

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Hope this helps someone.

You forgot to add,

take an as large as you can handle sledge hummer, firmly place your self in the furthest possible side from the wall, giving your self a much distance as you can from the location of the hole,

Run as fast as you can toward the wall holding the hammer over your head,

as you approach the location of the hole start swinging the sledge hummer in a downward motion, while screaming as loud as you can your favorite curse words.

Ohh, and don't forget to put masking tape on the edged of the hole you want to create.

What a frikkin pallava................... just buy a diamond bit circular hole cutter, various sizes available and a only a few hundred baht. This way you get a perfect nice round hole.

You guys are elegant, my tile guys always just cut a tile in half and make a triangular notch in the middle of each side, all covered by the face plate of the fixture.

Eh I guess that's the quick and dirty method.

OK now I know and I will insist on the real way to do it!

Yup^^^, diamond or carbide (if you don't want many holes) hole saw, lots of water and a steady hand.

Yup^^^, diamond or carbide (if you don't want many holes) hole saw, lots of water and a steady hand.

Where can these be found, I have never noticed them and I haunt hardware stores like a jackal.

Yup^^^, diamond or carbide (if you don't want many holes) hole saw, lots of water and a steady hand.

Where can these be found, I have never noticed them and I haunt hardware stores like a jackal.

My local electrical wholesaler has them in 'electrical' sizes, I'm sure I've seen carbide ones in HomePro, I'll check next time I visit.

Do you have a pic of one of these cutters please?

Do you have a pic of one of these cutters please?

Ah surely do my man!!

I got them at my local builders merchant, not expensive and do the job with ease.

You guys are elegant, my tile guys always just cut a tile in half and make a triangular notch in the middle of each side, all covered by the face plate of the fixture.

Eh I guess that's the quick and dirty method.

OK now I know and I will insist on the real way to do it!

Yep sounds normal, why do it nicely when this codge up will do, typical "Thai Solution"

^^ Lol, I'm in the US, it actually works out fine, when it is grouted it is hardly visible.

But yes you are right.

Just checked, my first tile job - done by a tile guy, hole drilled through. But I <<think>> the other couple of jobs were done the quick and dirty way.

_{you will find that the picture dosnt show that there will be a small drill in the hole saw,}

_{you will find that the picture dosnt show that there will be a small drill in the hole saw,}

Not necessarily, the diamond saws are available both with and without a pilot drill. The ones with a pilot are easier to use hand-held but if you have a drill press or a pukka coring machine you don't need the pilot and therefore don't use energy (and make dust) by creating one.

Yup^^^, diamond or carbide (if you don't want many holes) hole saw, lots of water and a steady hand.

Where can these be found, I have never noticed them and I haunt hardware stores like a jackal.

I'm with you on that.

Perhaps they are available to those with transportation to go all over the place looking for the one shop that sells them in the district, but I'm not doing that on my bicycle.

Besides, why would I go and buy something like that for ONE hole?

Also, I'll bet you won't find them in the village shop in the remotest areas of Thailand.

Yup^^^, diamond or carbide (if you don't want many holes) hole saw, lots of water and a steady hand.

Where can these be found, I have never noticed them and I haunt hardware stores like a jackal.

My local electrical wholesaler has them in 'electrical' sizes, I'm sure I've seen carbide ones in HomePro, I'll check next time I visit.

Not in the Home Pro's that I've been in.

You guys are elegant, my tile guys always just cut a tile in half and make a triangular notch in the middle of each side, all covered by the face plate of the fixture.

Eh I guess that's the quick and dirty method.

OK now I know and I will insist on the real way to do it!

Hmmmmm. I've never been in a Thai hotel or house that the hole wasn't made just by smashing a hole in the tile, and using loads of grout.

As for face plates, LOL.

Yup^^^, diamond or carbide (if you don't want many holes) hole saw, lots of water and a steady hand.

Yes, that's the correct way. Spend a little, save a Lot.

You also get jigsaw blades for cutting tiles if you want to do different shapes.

You also get jigsaw blades for cutting tiles if you want to do different shapes.

Thanks for telling us that. I wasn't aware of them.

You also get jigsaw blades for cutting tiles if you want to do different shapes.

Thanks for telling us that. I wasn't aware of them.

Just remember to cover the surface of the tile with masking tape as the vibration causes the sole plate of the jigsaw to scratch and blacken the surface if you don't.

Yup^^^, diamond or carbide (if you don't want many holes) hole saw, lots of water and a steady hand.

Where can these be found, I have never noticed them and I haunt hardware stores like a jackal.

I'm with you on that.

Perhaps they are available to those with transportation to go all over the place looking for the one shop that sells them in the district, but I'm not doing that on my bicycle.

Besides, why would I go and buy something like that for ONE hole?

Also, I'll bet you won't find them in the village shop in the remotest areas of Thailand.

Youd be surprised where you can find them. I got mine about 2 km past Pranburi heading South and the question really didnt say "where in the remotest part of Thailand can I find"

Ive seen them at Homepro Hua Hin also.

I find its best to take a photo with you on your phone to show them what you want which can be copied off the internet to your phone beforehand.