My girlfriend wants to set up a shelf on the wall above the bed, but in order to do that we need to drill some holes in the wall. Am I allowed to do that without asking the owner of the condo, or do I have to contact her first and ask for permission? I just rent the condo.

Nobody asks for permission to do anything in Thailand - just do it!

Do whatever you want - but don't expect your deposit to be returned.

Anyone knows?

What’s the problem, just fill in the holes when you leave. Use spackle, or do like we did in the dorm rooms, use toothpaste. I’ve never had a landlord notice I drilled and filled.

There was a clause in a contract for an apartment which I rented in Thailand that said I would be charged something like 50 to 100 Baht to 'repair' each hole left in the walls when I leave.

I was quite surprised to see them go into so much detail. I don't bother with any kind of artwork anyway so it wasn't an issue.

A clause like this does give you an insight into the mindset of the person who wrote it though.

Edited October 8, 201312 yr by ukrules

Like Furbie says, drill the holes and fill them when you leave. No-one will be any the wiser. A small tub of filler will only cost you a few Baht ay the local hardware store.

There was a clause in a contract for an apartment which I rented in Thailand that said I would be charged something like 50 to 100 Baht to 'repair' each hole left in the walls when I leave.

I was quite surprised to see them go into so much detail. I don't bother with any kind of artwork anyway so it wasn't an issue.

A clause like this does give you an insight into the mindset of the person who wrote it though.

50-100 for a hole ? are we talking about patpo....? the wages here are 300 thb for an employee. your landlord would make a better loan shark or bookie than the profession he is in.

But the joke aside, he simply can not do this. The basic rules of common law force him to apply arbitrary fairness between the contractual partners, even here in Thailand.

Even if you put a salvatoy clause like: well is point 1) not works the contract will stay in state - this will not fly in a court.

Before you go down this road - talk to him !

Edited October 8, 201312 yr by JakeBKK

If it isn't addressed in the lease agreement then you need to ask. People claiming that holes are easy to patch and invisible afterwards generally have very low standards or simply don't know better.

There was a clause in a contract for an apartment which I rented in Thailand that said I would be charged something like 50 to 100 Baht to 'repair' each hole left in the walls when I leave.

I was quite surprised to see them go into so much detail. I don't bother with any kind of artwork anyway so it wasn't an issue.

A clause like this does give you an insight into the mindset of the person who wrote it though.

50-100 for a hole ? are we talking about patpo....? the wages here are 300 thb for an employee. your landlord would make a better loan shark or bookie than the profession he is in.

But the joke aside, he simply can not do this. The basic rules of common law force him to apply arbitrary fairness between the contractual partners, even here in Thailand.

Even if you put a salvatoy clause like: well is point 1) not works the contract will stay in state - this will not fly in a court.

Before you go down this road - talk to him !

You're a lawyer then?

If it isn't addressed in the lease agreement then you need to ask. People claiming that holes are easy to patch and invisible afterwards generally have very low standards or simply don't know better.

I'm a professional carpenter and work to very high standards. I've filled countless drill holes in walls that you would need to inspect with a magnifying glass to even suspect that a hole had ever been drilled. It doesn't even require any real expertise, just a little care and attention. And a few drops of matching paint, perhaps if the wall isn't white.

If it isn't addressed in the lease agreement then you need to ask. People claiming that holes are easy to patch and invisible afterwards generally have very low standards or simply don't know better.

I patched a lot of holes recently and I mixed the colors to match the wall - result: the holes are impossible to see.

Just use some putty with a putty knife and be careful.

"It's always easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission." - Grace Murray Hopper

If you are confident that you can fill the holes invisibly, no problem, if you will leave the shelf in place when you leave, not to much of a problem (assuming it's level and not likely to fall off).

Like Furbie says, drill the holes and fill them when you leave. No-one will be any the wiser. A small tub of filler will only cost you a few Baht ay the local hardware store.

With my condo painted a light baby blue, spackle or toothpaste filled holes will certainly show up. Landlords are always looking for an excuse to keep a deposit. Why give it to them? Isn't it easier just to follow the rules, rather than to think I can outsmart everyone else. Great in theory, doesn't work in practice.

What does your lease say about drilling holes? What does your common sense say? What would you want a tenant in your condo to do in the same situation? You really need help with this?

There was a clause in a contract for an apartment which I rented in Thailand that said I would be charged something like 50 to 100 Baht to 'repair' each hole left in the walls when I leave.

I was quite surprised to see them go into so much detail. I don't bother with any kind of artwork anyway so it wasn't an issue.

A clause like this does give you an insight into the mindset of the person who wrote it though.

50-100 for a hole ? are we talking about patpo....? the wages here are 300 thb for an employee. your landlord would make a better loan shark or bookie than the profession he is in.

But the joke aside, he simply can not do this. The basic rules of common law force him to apply arbitrary fairness between the contractual partners, even here in Thailand.

Even if you put a salvatoy clause like: well is point 1) not works the contract will stay in state - this will not fly in a court.

Before you go down this road - talk to him !

You're a lawyer then?

No, not exactly but i had to draft quite a bit of contracts, terms and conditions, aup and so on so i had to learn about this kind of stuff.

There was a clause in a contract for an apartment which I rented in Thailand that said I would be charged something like 50 to 100 Baht to 'repair' each hole left in the walls when I leave.

I was quite surprised to see them go into so much detail. I don't bother with any kind of artwork anyway so it wasn't an issue.

A clause like this does give you an insight into the mindset of the person who wrote it though.

50-100 for a hole ? are we talking about patpo....? the wages here are 300 thb for an employee. your landlord would make a better loan shark or bookie than the profession he is in.

But the joke aside, he simply can not do this. The basic rules of common law force him to apply arbitrary fairness between the contractual partners, even here in Thailand.

Even if you put a salvatoy clause like: well is point 1) not works the contract will stay in state - this will not fly in a court.

Before you go down this road - talk to him !

You're a lawyer then?

No, not exactly but i had to draft quite a bit of contracts, terms and conditions, aup and so on so i had to learn about this kind of stuff.

If you have ever been to court in Thailand, you will know that it does not really matter what it says in the contract, or whether it will fly in court. An condo deposit is rarely worth going to a Thai court over - even if you win, and the condo owner knows that, so it is pretty much down to what the condo owner, who has the deposit, says!

Edited October 9, 201312 yr by monkeycountry

If it isn't addressed in the lease agreement then you need to ask. People claiming that holes are easy to patch and invisible afterwards generally have very low standards or simply don't know better.

I'm a professional carpenter and work to very high standards. I've filled countless drill holes in walls that you would need to inspect with a magnifying glass to even suspect that a hole had ever been drilled. It doesn't even require any real expertise, just a little care and attention. And a few drops of matching paint, perhaps if the wall isn't white.

If it isn't addressed in the lease agreement then you need to ask. People claiming that holes are easy to patch and invisible afterwards generally have very low standards or simply don't know better.

I patched a lot of holes recently and I mixed the colors to match the wall - result: the holes are impossible to see.

Just use some putty with a putty knife and be careful.

That's great that y'all can make it look like there was never a hole there. Many people who say that stick toothpicks and toothpaste into a hole and then wonder why they don't get all of their deposit back. To the carpenter: hand the typical renter a hammer and nail and ask him to drive it straight into a 2x4. What's going to happen? Things that may seem simple are regularly botched by people who claim they know better, rarely is it the quality of work I want.

If the OP doesn't care about his security deposit then go for it. It seems many who post here would be rather upset if their landlord subtracted a couple hundred dollars to fix a hole in an unsightly place. I don't care if it is easy. I don't fix holes in rental property. It isn't worth my time. My painter fixes it. If my painter has to drive out and take care of it niether of us are going to like the price but it is your responsibility. If I can't see the hole it isn't a problem but the whole "just patch it and go on" bit of advice only works when Joe Shmoe is able and willing to do a decent job with it and most aren't/don't.

Also, if a renter leaves a shelf it is just as much of a problem as a hole. I don't know if they mounted it properly. Leave a shelf over the spot where people lay their sleeping heads if I have no idea how it was installed? Not happening.

"Drilling and filling" sounds like a lot of fun too.

If I did this, it seems you'd have to make sure you have some paint. I guess if it is a white wall it may be ok.

"Drilling and filling" sounds like a lot of fun too.

If I did this, it seems you'd have to make sure you have some paint. I guess if it is a white wall it may be ok.

As other posters have suggested, you probably won't get your deposit back anyway... so don't worry too much about the details..

need to warn you that Thailand is the only, or at least one of the few that actually not only uses asbestos inbuildings but also promotes its use

enjoy your lungs while you have them, or if the gf's mother is annoying you make sure sweh is present when you do the drilling