Cost of registering a tabien baan and minimum 'dwelling' ?

[LivinLOS]

Short version.

Are there significant costs in registering a building for a tabien baan and are there any kind of minimum specs that a building needs to be so that it is then considered a 'house' in that way.

Long version.

I have a multi rai land plot unused, which due to changed plans I dont see myself building on in the next couple of yearsat a minimum. I also have been searching for a local workshop / garage / bike and car storage / Man cave without success for a while. It could be to my advantage to build a workshop on my land, which as well as solving my workshop issues allows me to get electricity and water onto my plot. I had looked around for shipping containers (lots of drawbacks) or even static caravan or movable buildings.

Once I started to think of the advantages of this a few things fall into place.. The missus claims to want to plant and grow stuff there, hobby only, something not being done currently as it cant be irrigated without power. I can then get a proper electric and water supply connected.. Even add internet to my man cave.. Even register all vehicles and things to an address we will in future years probably occupy.. My end plan was going to have a workshop anyway and even if its not the initial plan or idea it can be converted to servant / gardener accommodation, office space out of the main house, etc etc.. Basically we are far more likely to tinker around and grow stuff or use the plot, with a decent lockable building on the plot.

I am basically coming round to the idea that a storage building will be useful enough to make its costs worth while, as long as it can be registered as a building with a tabien baan, then electric and water are supplied to the plot. Without the tabien baan I understand its only a temporary and expensive 'development meter' or similar ??

Given I have seen Thai homes of timber that were not much more than a shed, and these have a tabien baan (and electric etc) whats to stop me getting one on a workshop / shed on my plot ??

PS before anyone jumps on the statement when I say 'my land' yes I mean my wifes land..

[Crossy]

Check with your local Ampur office but I believe the minimum is that it's secure and has a working toilet.

[LivinLOS]

OK was planning a toilet in it anyway for man cave duty..

Starting to feel like a couple hundred K into a structure on there has a lot of positives.

[LivinLOS]

I am guessing the tabien baan doesnt have a lot of big costs associated with issuing it ??

[IMHO]

A tabien ban costs about 30 Baht. Better start saving

[dotpoom]

Don't know if the following is considered "Registering". When I first bought my first condo in Thailand I wanted everything just right and heard about the Blue Book. I asked an Real Estate Agent where I could get it. He said "No problem"...his wife would get it for me at a cost of 4,000 Baht. A Thai lady friend said she would accompany me to the Ampur and we would try to get it ourselves. I got the Tabien Ban (blue book) for the condo for the princely sum of 10 Baht. (live and learn).

[LivinLOS]

A tabien ban costs about 30 Baht. Better start saving

555

But you can pay in installments right ??

All sounds positive.. A workshop, then gov power, which in turn gives me water, etc etc.. All adds appeal to the idea..

[IMHO]

A tabien ban costs about 30 Baht. Better start saving

555

But you can pay in installments right ??

All sounds positive.. A workshop, then gov power, which in turn gives me water, etc etc.. All adds appeal to the idea..

A tabien ban is also required for regular ISP services (except 3G), and for services like Truevisions - it can't be a real man cave w/out pron and live sport right?

In regards to power, you can get that w/out a tabien ban, but you will pay a special (approx. double) "construction rate".

Even with a tabien ban, the PEA will still want to visit the site, poke around your wiring, and take some photos as proof it's a dwelling.

Edited February 20, 2015 by IMHO

[LivinLOS]

Yes in part its about getting services to the plot.. I know about the development meter, I lived in a rental house that never got a tabien baan one time and it had a double priced meter (landlord had to pay the difference).

Shame the PEA want to inspect it though.. May make problems for a workshop idea.

[kamalabob2]

The PEA in Buriram will approve just about any structure for permanent meter electricity. I did not recall paying a thing for either of my two yellow house books, but it might have been a modest fee. Like under 100 baht modest fee similar to register a marriage fee. Government fees will only go up in price so I applaud the OP for getting the papers in order now. The Kingdom is "form over function" in my observation and the more "papers' with stamps from Government offices the happier any person in "authority" seems to be.

[Crossy]

Shame the PEA want to inspect it though.. May make problems for a workshop idea.

Just use a simple distribution board, make sure it has an RCD and earth rod (follow the connection diagrams that come with the board), one light, one outlet => permanent supply. QED

[LivinLOS]

OK I miss understood that to mean they would want it to look like a dwelling..

I am thinking basic concrete block shed, But a big one.. And adding a toilet / shower room..

Still a vague idea.. But the addition of water and electric to the plot opens up some use ideas.. And I really need a man cave (7 motorbikes here.. 3 cars.. a trailer.. I would like to build a off road buggy or some other play toy).

[IMHO]

I am thinking basic concrete block shed, But a big one.. And adding a toilet / shower room..

Sounds just like many houses I've seen

I guess the hidden point I was making is, make sure you tell them it's a residence, not a commercial building - while the rates are about the same ATM, that can change at any time.

Edited February 20, 2015 by IMHO

[LivinLOS]

If my aunties stick shack has a tabien baan.. They cant be that fussy !!

[sandyf]

There is a 'dwelling' a couple of hundred yards from me that is just a plain concrete block building. It appears to be a fairly large single room with what looks like a toilet in the corner. It has trellis type shutter doors and they take the vehicle inside at night, middle aged couple and their grown up son live in it.

I built my own house and the local authority in this area are quite particular. What you are considering would not be particularly unusual in the Thai way of life, just to the western mindset.

[LivinLOS]

Thats sort of what I thought.. But also wonder if simply because there will be a farang involved I may get 'inspections' that normally wouldnt apply.

Its strange I cant find a decent workshop on the cheap.. But if I did go this route, it would add some value, add some options, and probably not run me more than a couple of years rent on a workshop.

Thanks for the info.

[sandyf]

Thats sort of what I thought.. But also wonder if simply because there will be a farang involved I may get 'inspections' that normally wouldnt apply.

Its strange I cant find a decent workshop on the cheap.. But if I did go this route, it would add some value, add some options, and probably not run me more than a couple of years rent on a workshop.

Thanks for the info.

As far as the inspections go, happens to everyone. My wife was asked to bring an envelope when she went to pick up the permission to build but as it happens the office was under inspection that day and their was an inspector in the office at the time. The manager just passed over the papers and shook his head. My wife had some baskets for business associates in the car so she went back in and gave one to the manager and one to the inspector, no further problem.

I find it hard to believe there are no workshops available. Around here nearly all new buildings are the same format, the ground floor all have roller shutter doors, They can be used as shops, workshops or residence. My wife's uncle has an engineering company and he took one recently as an office. On one side he has a shop selling batteries and on the other noodles. Two doors away there are 2 joined together and they service cars. Further along I have seen them with lathes and other engineering services.

[LivinLOS]

I find it hard to believe there are no workshops available. Around here nearly all new buildings are the same format, the ground floor all have roller shutter doors, They can be used as shops, workshops or residence. My wife's uncle has an engineering company and he took one recently as an office. On one side he has a shop selling batteries and on the other noodles. Two doors away there are 2 joined together and they service cars. Further along I have seen them with lathes and other engineering services.

Me too..

But I need a double width of a shophouse at a minimum.. and all these new build shophouses they are saying prices 20k plus for a rental.. They look at it as a home and business.. All on busy roads etc.. I am looking at it as a bike shed with multiple floors I dont need.. That money makes zero sense to me.. I could build a huge car port in the rental house I am in and have them tear it down when I leave if thats the only solution (I have gone through 3 6mx3m meter tents in the last year or two.. The sun just wrecks them in 6 months then they collapse next rain and twist everything).. But if I had a shed i could really step up my plans..

One commercially kind of place I looked at also.. Saying into the high 20s... for a breeze block metal roofed space.. OK this was large, probably room for 6 to 10 cars inside, actual factory space.. Ideal really.. All these places are edge of busy roads and hence high land price and they are thinking business / retail / factory / whatever location..

I can rent a rough empty Thai house for 4 or 5 k.. Put my bikes in the downstairs of the house and have a car under the car port.. For a fraction of what I keep being quoted.. But that still doesn't give me a workshop, air tools, it sorta works but just isnt the real solution.

Finding what I would think of as a 'lockup' has proven harder than I expected. Each time I hear a price its many multiples of the price of a crap house..