Sometimes you just cant make it up

[Strangebrew]

Actually I just go outside to the shed leave door open and sharpen my axe then in full view test sharpness by splitting a log. If they ask a question I just say well last time I had work done paid the guy up front he never finished the job and what he did do was done incorrectly. So small pieces easier to feed croc. And then just give them wide grin.

[southbot]

I think you have to be a certain type of sucker or just a nasty person for this kind of thing to happen to you.

Living on Samui for almost 20 years I have had just so many crews of workers doing this and that, all manner of work.

I always give them fags, whatever tools needed are loaned if they don't have them. Give them food and drinks after a days work.

Never had a problem and for what they are paid, pretty good work done really.

Reckon you just gotta be a luser to have problems like that. It's all attitude, isn't it? Yes, it is.

You know what they say, if you don't like it, leave.

[ClutchClark]

^^^ IGNORE ^^^

Cheers

[jaywalker]

I had 5 - 6 Thais (it varied) assigned to me on a project to rebuild some 20 year old Army trucks.

I INSISTED that we get an air compressor, a 1/2 inch drive impact wrench, 3 air hoses and 2 each 3/8ths drive air ratchets.

I was met with blank stares.

Finally got all that after 3 weeks, and the workers would have a 3/8ths drive air ratchet laying at his feet, hooked to an air hose, but would use the manual ratchet instead, which he was constantly losing and looking for...

They wanted to use a lug wrench for the tires instead of an impact wrench.

It took me 7 months before they ever got anywhere near proficient (should have seen me trying to explain what a Torque wrench is & QUIT! It clicked! QUIT TURNING THAT BOLT!!!). I guess they just thought the click noise was due to the tool being junk.

I had an English translator. He tried & tried, all to no avail.

I tried to set up a factory-type environment.....They just did what they wanted to no matter what.

They lost 100,000 THB worth of tools, could NOT keep any of them organized, built useless engine stands (I had shown them pictures of what they needed).

The entire operation was conducted in a flooded junk yard, replete with vicious dogs, trucks JAMMED in together like you were parking at Foodland = no room to work on them.

I had a hole for a latrine & had to brave the dogs with a large stick to get to it.

I'm probably one of the top 10 or 20 experts in the world on these trucks (RTA owns 1,500 of them, RTMC about 100, RTAF about 30), but I'd rather flip burgers at McDonald's than work with Thais again.

Edited November 11, 2014 by jaywalker

[greenfox]

Give an inch, they'll take everything they can. It's their birthright.

[greenfox]

It's almost as if it's best to give them nothing and treat them like sh!t. Just a like Thai boss will.

Fully expected and respected. Some fool comes in waiing them and giving them stuff for free, then they wonder why they're being treated like a fool and walked all over.

[jaywalker]

It's almost as if it's best to give them nothing and treat them like sh!t. Just a like Thai boss will.

Yes. Thai Boss had to pay so many bribes to the upper echelons, he had precious little to pay his workers (me included).

He actually apologized to me once, saying "It cost him 'So Much' to get this contract" = He could only pay me 100,000 THB a month.

Am sure his workers (his so-called experts trained by me), only got 20,000 or so/month...All due to graft.

I have SEEN with MY OWN EYES brown envelopes being passed around for a "Test Drive" of a new style engine.....We made it about 2 miles/3 KM & they ran out of diesel fuel.....This was a 5 day cross-country trip.

They forgot to put fuel in the truck. It was RTA.

========

Oh yeah, as a part of that new engine installation, the retarded workers yanked out the fuel tank for no reason, drained it and only put 5 liters or so back in it.

I distinctly recall asking them why they were messing with the fuel tank...It had been just peachy for 20+ years........Then they all forgot to fill it for a Korat - Loei - Burma - Kanchanaburi - Korat run...

Edited November 11, 2014 by jaywalker

[greenfox]

It's almost as if it's best to give them nothing and treat them like sh!t. Just a like Thai boss will.

Yes. Thai Boss had to pay so many bribes to the upper echelons, he had precious little to pay his workers (me included).

He actually apologized to me once, saying "It cost him 'So Much' to get this contract" = He could only pay me 100,000 THB a month.

Am sure his workers (his so-called experts trained by me), only got 20,000 or so/month...All due to graft.

The Thai boss laid on the poor-me excuses as to why he couldn't pay you a proper salary, sincerely apologizing, damning the system that's robing you, and you believed it all and even felt for him.

They really are experts, aren't they.

Edited November 11, 2014 by greenfox

[seajae]

have some of my wifes workers doing the new veranda's around the house so we went away for a few days to let then do the dirty work of removing the original eaves. Got home and noticed that all my extremely expensive seedlings(100 x $5@)that were in a special tray in the carport well away form any work needed to be done was not where I had put it. Started looking around and finally found it down behind the stand it had been sitting on with all the seedlings lying on the ground dead or broken, they had not mentioned the fact they had done it too the mil who was home the whole time or even attempted to pick them back up. I went absolutely ballistic as there was several months of my time and effort as well as the money tied up in them and the wife told me there was no use getting upset as they will not care nor will they make restitution, she said she would pay me as they were her workers. The fact that thais refuse to accept any blame when they totally screw up let alone attempt to fix it amazes me, I still have no idea how they did this apart from there being a power point nearby they may have used but even then there were other things around the seedlings to stop anyone going near them, go figure.

[ClutchClark]

Delete

Edited November 11, 2014 by ClutchClark

[In Search of Space]

I had a nice teak gazebo thing in the garden, but after 5 years it needed some work. So I spent a weekend sanding it down & left wife in charge of a couple of lads to treat it & stain it.

Came back on Friday & it was purple with a white roof !

[ClutchClark]

I had a nice teak gazebo thing in the garden, but after 5 years it needed some work. So I spent a weekend sanding it down & left wife in charge of a couple of lads to treat it & stain it.

Came back on Friday & it was purple with a white roof !

I am sorry to find humor from your misfortune but your delivery of that experience was exceptional !

[greenfox]

have some of my wifes workers doing the new veranda's around the house so we went away for a few days to let then do the dirty work of removing the original eaves. Got home and noticed that all my extremely expensive seedlings(100 x $5@)that were in a special tray in the carport well away form any work needed to be done was not where I had put it. Started looking around and finally found it down behind the stand it had been sitting on with all the seedlings lying on the ground dead or broken, they had not mentioned the fact they had done it too the mil who was home the whole time or even attempted to pick them back up. I went absolutely ballistic as there was several months of my time and effort as well as the money tied up in them and the wife told me there was no use getting upset as they will not care nor will they make restitution, she said she would pay me as they were her workers. The fact that thais refuse to accept any blame when they totally screw up let alone attempt to fix it amazes me, I still have no idea how they did this apart from there being a power point nearby they may have used but even then there were other things around the seedlings to stop anyone going near them, go figure.

Perhaps they did it to feel good because they hate what you are.

A farang.

Or just someone much better off, but they couldn't do it against a rich Thai as there would be repercussions.

There are no repercussions for doing something nasty against a farang.

[In Search of Space]

I had a nice teak gazebo thing in the garden, but after 5 years it needed some work. So I spent a weekend sanding it down & left wife in charge of a couple of lads to treat it & stain it.

Came back on Friday & it was purple with a white roof !

I am sorry to find humor from your misfortune but your delivery of that experience was exceptional !

Needless to say I was speechless, the original roof had been replaced with one from a garden shed !

[weegee]

Am having a concrete road laid round my land, have used the builder before, his staff came 2 days ago and I asked them if they wanted a few fish from my lake. I went out and got 5-6 for them. The next day they decided this meant they could go at will and take fish again, this time borrowing my boat and bringing their own net.

My Wife told the boss this was "not on"

His response..............its my fault for giving them some fish.

Even my Wife was amazed at this reply.

Oh well he just lost the big job coming later, not that he'll care at all.

How much a square metre did it cost for the concrete road?

Thanks.

OK Ill give all the members the full story ( except for the ignore ****)

Ive used this builder a few times over the last 3 years, he does not charge crazy prices, hes always been reasonable in his work, not incredible just "ok"

The workers who came this time are obviously a "new bunch" have a feeling hes very busy and got them in.

The price is 60 baht a m2 and I buy all the materials, in case you think Im some mug I aint, the concrete is 210 ksc its 1680 baht a cube as I need about 150 cubes

The road is for light use its 10cm thick with 4mm mesh @20cm centres buried in the middle of the road.

The formwork is 10cm by 6 metre long "C section" steel its on compacted stone about 5 inch thick.

I bought the steel 12 rolls of 20x20cm grid 4 mm thick 50 metres long for 37200 baht (3100baht each) the concrete will cost around 250k baht his labour about 85k baht the whole lot around 380k baht

Total area is 1420m2 and 2.5-3 metres wide ( varies)

His old workers I knew quite well, they worked well and I wa s happy to get them a couple of drinks a day ie M150 or Coffee, this lot though obviously think im a soft touch, theyve slit their own throat now as Im supplying nothing.

No problem communicating with the builder .

So the total finished price is about 267 baht a m2..............which is pretty good as far as i know

Thats a fair price....around here it's 300-310 baht Mtr....with you buying the materials.

[kannot]

I think you have to be a certain type of sucker or just a nasty person for this kind of thing to happen to you.

Living on Samui for almost 20 years I have had just so many crews of workers doing this and that, all manner of work.

I always give them fags, whatever tools needed are loaned if they don't have them. Give them food and drinks after a days work.

Never had a problem and for what they are paid, pretty good work done really.

Reckon you just gotta be a luser to have problems like that. It's all attitude, isn't it? Yes, it is.

You know what they say, if you don't like it, leave.

When ya going then as you have the weirdest attitude Ive ever seen, I suspect that "doormat" tattoo doesnt help though.

[kannot]

Am having a concrete road laid round my land, have used the builder before, his staff came 2 days ago and I asked them if they wanted a few fish from my lake. I went out and got 5-6 for them. The next day they decided this meant they could go at will and take fish again, this time borrowing my boat and bringing their own net.

My Wife told the boss this was "not on"

His response..............its my fault for giving them some fish.

Even my Wife was amazed at this reply.

Oh well he just lost the big job coming later, not that he'll care at all.

How much a square metre did it cost for the concrete road?

Thanks.

OK Ill give all the members the full story ( except for the ignore ****)

Ive used this builder a few times over the last 3 years, he does not charge crazy prices, hes always been reasonable in his work, not incredible just "ok"

The workers who came this time are obviously a "new bunch" have a feeling hes very busy and got them in.

The price is 60 baht a m2 and I buy all the materials, in case you think Im some mug I aint, the concrete is 210 ksc its 1680 baht a cube as I need about 150 cubes

The road is for light use its 10cm thick with 4mm mesh @20cm centres buried in the middle of the road.

The formwork is 10cm by 6 metre long "C section" steel its on compacted stone about 5 inch thick.

I bought the steel 12 rolls of 20x20cm grid 4 mm thick 50 metres long for 37200 baht (3100baht each) the concrete will cost around 250k baht his labour about 85k baht the whole lot around 380k baht

Total area is 1420m2 and 2.5-3 metres wide ( varies)

His old workers I knew quite well, they worked well and I wa s happy to get them a couple of drinks a day ie M150 or Coffee, this lot though obviously think im a soft touch, theyve slit their own throat now as Im supplying nothing.

No problem communicating with the builder .

So the total finished price is about 267 baht a m2..............which is pretty good as far as i know

Thats a fair price....around here it's 300-310 baht Mtr....with you buying the materials.

Its getting more expensive by the minute, told todays concrete lorry drive slowly down here and reverse down...........did he listen??? no full speed and forwards........... 3.5 cubes really badly stuck oh and YOU HAVE TO PAY for it........ its done a huge amount of damage but the "driver knew best"........we refused to pay for it, we now have to try an fix the horrendous mess getting it out will create.

Tota;inabiltiy to LISTEN to anyone as "they know best".........manager says they will not come here again ah yes run away

[ggt]

There was no misunderstanding here...just another example to Thais taking advantage of a generous foreigner...do you think for a minute they would have taken the fish from another Thai? Not without a fight...

[Mooner]

Best thing you can do is employ someone you can go and watch work.

If they're not working there is a chance you were lucky? or they are not that good?

[thaibeachlovers]

I had labourers working in my house with crappy tools, an old nail and a brick to hammer broken plaster off the walls, it would be fixed for free, warranty.

I gave them a real hammer, chissel and pizza, cold pepsi, cigarettes..

When they were gone the tools were missing as well. Later they had to work at another house in the street, i went there and of course they used my tools (which even had our house# in it marked).

Another company, for steel bars had done our whole house for 60k baht. 6 months later my wife called them to build a carport and some small roofs from stainless steel. (total job for 100k baht). The guy made an appointment but didn't show up. We made a new appointment with him but after 2 hours waiting we just went out without seeing him.

Had some workers at my house over the weekend and loaned them a few tools, a decent spirit level, a sharp saw, cement trowel, etc. Each day before they left, they made a point of separating my tools from theirs and pointing them out to me. They even returned a pencil. I was quite suprised as like you I have loaned tools to workers before only for the tools to disappear.

I borrowed a welder from a Thai friend of my wife. No face mask, so I bought one. When I gave the welder back I offered the mask to him ( free ), but he wouldn't take it.

What is it with Thai welders that think they can weld without seeing the work? I often see them using sun glasses, or nothing.