Western Plumber

[GP1302]

Hello.

I have nearly 25 years plumbing experience, this is in commercial, industrial and domestic types of plumbing, I am hopeful about living in Thailand, I am looking for advice about either looking for an employer, or if it is a good idea about working self employed.I am English and currently living in the UK. thank you

[bino]

Sad to say that occupations like this are for Thai people only- forbidden by Royal decree for foreigners.

On top of that- Thai plumbers are so cheap that you probably couldn't make a living on a competitive basis with them.

Edited April 10, 2006 by bino

[Upcountry]

Plus, aside from upper-end condos, and high-rise office buildings, etc., you'll be appalled at what passes for plumbing here. Watch where you walk!

[opothai]

Hello.

I have nearly 25 years plumbing experience, this is in commercial, industrial and domestic types of plumbing, I am hopeful about living in Thailand, I am looking for advice about either looking for an employer, or if it is a good idea about working self employed.I am English and currently living in the UK. thank you

i am in construction in the uk, and the standards ypu get in the uk and thailand are non comparable.

in your trade if you were to be called for a job in thailand and quote the said [ repair or alteration ] what you might uncover and be held responsible for could be very dangerous.

a possibility could be teaching the thais through working on a major project run by a western company,

a few years ago i was with an electrician and he was going to work on a refurbishment and rewire of a hotel, and the best part of his job was to oversee and teach the thais.

plumbing and electrical works in los leave a lot to be desired i'm sure thier should be an opening somewhere

best of luck

[think_too_mut]

Sad to say that occupations like this are for Thai people only- forbidden by Royal decree for foreigners.

On top of that- Thai plumbers are so cheap that you probably couldn't make a living on a competitive basis with them.

If they have been banned from practicing, that's a known limitation.

For me, I would hire someone like the original poster outright, if I were to build my house in Thailand.

Certainly, he would not have to work for the same money as Thais but should have to be aware what the surrounding competition does and price his work accordingly.

For a quality work, doubling or tripling the price of local expertise and labour would be fine by me.

So many building developments in Thailand, I can't believe someone doing a top end building or a house would not listen to the UK experienced plumber.

If we forget 15-20K US$ Isaan "Palaces", there is a lots of room for a good farang plumber.

My guess, if he presses the right buttons, he might be called in to consult and oversee what is being done.

Had I known about the OP, I would have engaged him to design the plumbing network in "my" house and oversee the locals making it happen.

[steveromagnino]

Hello.

I have nearly 25 years plumbing experience, this is in commercial, industrial and domestic types of plumbing, I am hopeful about living in Thailand, I am looking for advice about either looking for an employer, or if it is a good idea about working self employed.I am English and currently living in the UK. thank you

I would suggest you prepare a business plan and get in tight with some architects and property developers working here for residential housing.

THere might be a possibility to set up some sort of business doing quality plumbing services particularly in areas like Phuket and the like. You would not be working as a plumber, you would be overseeing.

However, to do this, you may need to be fluent in Thai, a capable manager and leader, and a business planner. Alternatively, you may be able to find someone who is all of those, and you have the design expertise to add to the mix.

Either way, it sounds like there is some use for this, although my guess is that Land and House style developers already know some of this; most of the rework and bad work is the cheaper end or older stuff surely>?

[Rinrada]

We had some work done at the back of the house over the last few weeks which meant getting in a load of local labourers,floor layers,tilers,roofers and plumbers and they did a smashing job...

With the wife acting as the Project manager,supervisor,accountant and gangerman everything went as smoth as silk.

She bought and had the materials delivered from local suppliers (Samut Prac)while i picked up the electrical stuff...cable switches/sockets/light fitting etc from Central City -Bang-na

(I did my own re wiring...2 in 2 out and 2 away...just like the old days in the shipyards )

As said the guys did a great job and the new marble floors are as level as a pool table

The washing machine,kitchen sinks,Water filters and the new hong nam/ab nams are all plumbed in using "big blue" and as said spot on jobs......and all measured,costed and paid for... AS AGREED...

Ran out of time ...holiday...so on next visit I will do the new supply and earthing/rods /RCDs for the water Heaters.(and test)..........would you adam it...water heaters ...the temp was hitting 40 degrees ...I must have lost 10 kilo......

and of course the BIG bonus was the price.....same job here in my gaff in the UK would have cost at least 10 times as much .....and that also included finishing off our other place in Chiang Mai....plus doors and windows.......

Cant knock the TIT lads ..great bunch of Auf Wieders-zane pet shop boys....krup...highly recco...

[p_brownstone]

I don’t believe there is such a thing as a specialist “Plumber” in Thailand.

I’m hopeless around the house and as things start to give problems and reach “critical mass” so to speak (i.e. complaints from the lady Wife become too much for me to bear) we simply call in one of the local “Mr. Fixit it’s” and give him a list of what needs to be done.

We have 3 of these people on our (or rather my Wife’s’) records and the last time we called in one of them he fixed a range of things – a leaking toilet, a blocked drain in one of the Showers, re-wired my Office and installed new Breakers so I can run several Computers and other appliances without overloading the circuits, changed water filters on the Fridge and Drinking water lines and repaired a UBC Remote Control that was malfunctioning.

Total cost for a days work was Baht 1.150.- ........... and that included a few parts he had to buy from the local general store..

In the past I have used these same people to replace Roof Tiles, replace cracked tiles in a bathroom, repair TV’s, install Floodlights and Spotlights in the garden and build a (brick) Barbecue to my specifications.

In other words specialisation is not a requirement – much less an advantage – in Thailand.

As for employment with big Developers such as Land and Houses etc. I don’t think that’s an option: they go for the lowest price of course but frankly if you know where to go (and obviously they do) you can get excellent workmanship from Thai’s.

Patrick