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Old Expat Problem.....maybe New Solution

Gonzo the Face

By Gonzo the Face
in Chiang Mai

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Gonzo the Face Platinum Member

Gonzo the Face

Posted
Posted

For some 25 + years now I have periodically had the following statement visited on me by expat friends or

acquaintances..... All to do after the marriage/relationship of the lifetime, goes bad and there is a break-up

The guy has bought or built a house that he now will be forced to give up...... as he can own a house but not the land...... and didn't bother with a 30 year or long term lease.

Yes he can take the house but that realistically is more trouble than would be walking away.

I am sure someone must have thought of this before, but ,........ why not go back to the home country and buy a very nice 30, 35 foot motorhome/caravan , 10 metres or so and bring it into the country. There are some real beauties out there and would be more than adequate for life here on the range, or the ex wifes family land more realistically . And if the marriage goes south, well then just pull the plug, put up the awnings, stow the lawn furniture and move out......

There would be other plus' too.

Just a thought , and I never heard once, anyone mention this.....

Any thoughts???

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itchybum Gold Member

itchybum

Posted
Posted

Build it out of containers.

Then just crane them onto the back of a truck.

Make sure you have some rights to visit the land first or you will get done fro trespass.

By the way, the tax for a winnebago such as you speak would no doubt be horrendous.

CobraSnakeNecktie Platinum Member

CobraSnakeNecktie

Posted
Posted

Might be a touch wide for navigating Thailands roads.

I would start with a truck chassis and build my own.

https://www.google.com/search?q=unimog+conversion&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=MY1_UdcVy6ysB5TFgagF&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAQ&biw=1214&bih=717#imgrc=8BZ1izNyV-jgBM%3A%3BWefDMsKaD-1WoM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.bcexplore.com%252FLarge%252520photos%252Felmirage2.png%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.bcexplore.com%252Funimog.html%3B450%3B302

One other idea is to buy a house that is designed to be moved.

When the situation gets bad then just find a new location to move to.... Any view gets old anyway.

jaideeguy Platinum Member

jaideeguy

Posted
Posted

I have had that fantasy for years.....not to make a run on the wife, but to travel this country and stay off the beaten tourist track. Even with no proper trailer parks, there would be no problem finding places to stay. I would be satisfied with a cab over a pick up truck that will sleep 5. A little small, but some are totally complete like the 'Carryboy' and made locally with truck @ THB1.5mil. Nice rig!!

BTW, gonzo....I really like the 2 hot 'momas' in your pic.

FolkGuitar Platinum Member

FolkGuitar

Posted
Posted

Back in our hippie days, we used to build nice livable spaces inside old school buses. I don't know how happy I'd be in one these days, needing a bit more room to spread out, but for someone used to living in a studio apartment or a small one-bedroom place, a converted bus might just fit the bill very well. And when it's time to move on, just re-install the driver's seat, turn the key, and go!

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Songhua Platinum Member

Songhua

Posted
Posted

What about one of those transportable teak houses sold in BKK? somewhere. They back a truck under them and deliver them nationwide. If you decide (or are forced) to move, get another truck and take the house with you.

jaideeguy Platinum Member

jaideeguy

Posted
Posted

The best idea that I've come up with is to go to the US [yuck] and check out the craigslist offerings on the west coast/Arizona/Nevada and fill a container with 2nd hand RVs and parts that are available at giveaway prices and reassemble a few RVs here on a truck or bus frame.....baring in mind that foreigners can't get a license for 6 wheeled vehicles ..........make it lite!

need a younger housemaid Gonzo?? no problem...........

Thakkar Gold Member

Thakkar

Posted
Posted

On the Pacific atoll of Majuro, I once stayed at a hotel consisting of several 40' containers on concrete blocks with all the mod cons and air conditioning. perfectly livable.

T

eyecatcher Platinum Member

eyecatcher

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Anyone who forks out on luxuries such as a house or a car for the little lady takes the risk of separation and usually its inevitable.

so I dont have any sympathy with you lot.

The answer; if she cant afford it, you dont buy it.....if she thinks she can afford it, let the bank give her a mortgage.

Thats how I play it and it works, absolutely no freebies;...after 2 divorces in the West you tend to learn how not to make the same mistakes again.

jocko Gold Member

jocko

Posted
Posted

Anyone who forks out on luxuries such as a house or a car for the little lady takes the risk of separation and usually its inevitable.

so I dont have any sympathy with you lot.

The answer; if she cant afford it, you dont buy it.....if she thinks she can afford it, let the bank give her a mortgage.

Thats how I play it and it works, absolutely no freebies;...after 2 divorces in the West you tend to learn how not to make the same mistakes again.

Ye it's inevitable.

Thanks for the head's up.

Mapguy Platinum Member

Mapguy

Posted
Posted

Never mind the yachts! Gonzo might broadly be onto something here!

I wouldn't think imports would work, but importing an idea and manufacturing it locally in some respect would seem quite feasible.

As I understand it, the issue is basically ownership of land, not a house. Of course, there are generally lease and usufruct arrangements, as well as other work-arounds. See a good lawyer! If people haven't been smart enough to look into that, what can one say ?!

Looking at this differently, I personally would hate to see ghettos of mobile homes and caravan parks spouting up blighting the landscape, but I wonder if there still isn't some market for "portable" residences, not camping vans but grander.

lovetotravel Gold Member

lovetotravel

Posted
Posted

Having lived in RVs for quite a few years, the problem is going to be water, electric and sewer hookups. I can't imagine living here in an RV that didn't have AC. These things are basically tin cans and heat up quickly. 50 amps is necessary to run the rig and I doubt that's available. Otherwise, you are running the generator.

I saw a few rigs here in Pattaya last year. They were on a trip around the world and were parked at one of the malls off 2nd road. I've seen a few smaller rigs here also. Sunrise Tacos has one and they use it as a portable kitchen. Looks nice.

I think it's a great idea...but Thailand is just not setup for this yet. And living in one full time gets old quickly unless you are moving around. Storage is limited (and normally underneath with outside doors). Refers are really small. Beds are small. Etc. You get claustrophobia real quick.

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habfan Advanced Member

habfan

Posted
Posted

Great idea Gonzo but as lovetotravel posted without the water' electric and sewer hookups it could never be used to it's full potential.

BlackArtemis Gold Member

BlackArtemis

Posted
Posted

Great idea Gonzo but as lovetotravel posted without the water' electric and sewer hookups it could never be used to it's full potential.

Pfft, you live in Thailand, do as the Thai's do.

Fill up water at the 50stang/1litre stations, steal electric from outlets near your stall, and dump your sewage and garbage where you please, maybe try burning it first.

OMGImInPattaya Platinum Member

OMGImInPattaya

Posted
Posted

If the house has been legally put in the far and husband's name, and if the wife doesn't want to buy it, I would just raze it to the ground . There, the wife has what she is entitled too...the unimproved land.

WinnieTheKhwai Star Member

WinnieTheKhwai

Posted
Posted

Build it out of containers.

Then just crane them onto the back of a truck.

Containers are essentially solar ovens so will need some structure to shade them. Also it turns out you can't remove too much of the walls to create windows and open spaces without some major reinforcement. And without big open windows, air flow would be terrible. This article has a very common sense approach to using containers and lists out the challenges and limitations: http://blogs.23.nu/c0re/2010/02/builders-guide-to-shipping-containers/

and: http://www.residentialshippingcontainerprimer.com/action%20it

What may actually work best for Thailand is built a traditional Thai house mostly out of wood; this can be disassembled and moved without too much trouble. Some of the companies that sell pre-manufactured wooden homes are even more modular. You just need to redo the bathroom which are typically made out of bricks and cement.

harrry Star Member

harrry

Posted
Posted

No need to dispense with vegetation, a pool, and a few guest houses.

article-2017986-0D2042B800000578-456_966

%25E2%2580%2598Tropical+island+d1.jpg

islandvulcano2.jpg

That vessel is hideous looking. Is it powered by the volcano?

And think of all the oil burnt carrying all that ugly weight round instead of a nice sleek fiberglass shell. smile.png

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