142k baht for a carport with broken column and secondhand steel U beams for the roof.

Expensive mai ?

Looks better built than a few condos I've seen.

Had something similar size built, tiled roof, iron framework, with stainless steel guttering (but no cement used) for 40,000 baht, Bangkok.

I paid 240,000B for my L-shape porch, 3m wide, 15m in one direction and 5m in another. Done in July 2013.

Here are some before, during and after pics. I love the shera strips celing.

My house is so cool i don't have to pull down the blinds now. I have no idea did I overpaid but I am glad I did it.

I paid 240,000B for my L-shape porch, 3m wide, 15m in one direction and 5m in another. Done in July 2013.

Here are some before, during and after pics. I love the shera strips celing.

My house is so cool i don't have to pull down the blinds now. I have no idea did I overpaid but I am glad I did it.

Shame you have such a nice car port but such a small swimming pool

If you are paying 140.000 bhat for that you are being well and truly ripped off I know I live in the sticks but that monstrosity would only cost about 40.000 bhat by my builder why all these big concrete beams?

A friend has recently had an almost identical carport built. cost him Bt35,000 (in pattaya).

If you are paying 140.000 bhat for that you are being well and truly ripped off I know I live in the sticks but that monstrosity would only cost about 40.000 bhat by my builder why all these big concrete beams?

Hahahaha.... tell me about it.

The home is right on jomtien beach. This is the work done by a 'well mannered' UK guy and his thai subcontractor, a true 'friend'

After 5 months of building this is exactly what the home looks like now. Pictures were made yesterday because my 'friend' abandoned the site taking our 2 million baht deposit with him.

I would have that demolished and rebuilt. That is shit.

A friend has recently had an almost identical carport built. cost him Bt35,000 (in pattaya).

Yes that would be a more honest price for it and the guy who is building that would have still made some money on that.

People are disgusting. Especially those so called expat 'professionals' around Pattaya who came to live the easy live here.

Over other peoples backs unfortunately.

I would have that demolished and rebuilt. That is shit.

You are absolutely right. But its worse then that. The whole renovation is a piece of <deleted>. I am afraid that we might need to knock much more down then only the carport.

We are 5 months into the build now and this is what the home looks like

Promises, promises, promises

nice house> Thailand J,

think you could get a land/house package in isaan along the inland remote mekong for 140K ish.

The home is right on jomtien beach. This is the work done by a 'well mannered' UK guy and his thai subcontractor, a true 'friend'

After 5 months of building this is exactly what the home looks like now. Pictures were made yesterday because my 'friend' abandoned the site taking our 2 million baht deposit with him.

Most farang-run companies here involved in building and real estate and similar services seem to overcharge. I stay well away from them.

As for deposits for such work, I would never hand over money in advance to anyone here. Always pay in stages as the work is done.

The home is right on jomtien beach. This is the work done by a 'well mannered' UK guy and his thai subcontractor, a true 'friend'

After 5 months of building this is exactly what the home looks like now. Pictures were made yesterday because my 'friend' abandoned the site taking our 2 million baht deposit with him.

Most farang-run companies here involved in building and real estate and similar services seem to overcharge. I stay well away from them.

As for deposits for such work, I would never hand over money in advance to anyone here. Always pay in stages as the work is done.

Yes, lesson very well learned.

Even the people you get drunk with on your birthday cannot be trusted

The home is right on jomtien beach. This is the work done by a 'well mannered' UK guy and his thai subcontractor, a true 'friend'

After 5 months of building this is exactly what the home looks like now. Pictures were made yesterday because my 'friend' abandoned the site taking our 2 million baht deposit with him.

Most farang-run companies here involved in building and real estate and similar services seem to overcharge. I stay well away from them.

As for deposits for such work, I would never hand over money in advance to anyone here. Always pay in stages as the work is done.

One would think they would cherish their local work to get on well in life.

I must be a romantic in denial

nice house> Thailand J,

think you could get a land/house package in isaan along the inland remote mekong for 140K ish.

I bet the water in the Mekong is also much cleaner then the sea on Jomtien beach

I paid 240,000B for my L-shape porch, 3m wide, 15m in one direction and 5m in another. Done in July 2013.

Here are some before, during and after pics. I love the shera strips celing.

My house is so cool i don't have to pull down the blinds now. I have no idea did I overpaid but I am glad I did it.

Well at least it looks like that all materials used were new

26 sqm for 140k is about 5400B /sqm, I paid 4000B/sqm for my porch, I have no idea what kind of a

deal I was getting, but i know if you ask 10 contractors you will get 10 different prices.

Just make sure you get what you wanted, thats what money is for.

26 sqm for 140k is about 5400B /sqm, I paid 4000B/sqm for my porch, I have no idea what kind of a

deal I was getting, but i know if you ask 10 contractors you will get 10 different prices.

Just make sure you get what you wanted, thats what money is for.

Can you really calculate this is price/m2 ?

I mean there is no walls, no flooring, no decoration etc etc.

Just 2 columns, 3 beams and a roof.

yes all the material was new I was here during the construction. The price i paid also include cutting down and remove the roots

of two big coconut trees, dig out two underground water tanks, fill the soil, plus a new paint job for the house.

yes all the material was new I was here during the construction. The price i paid also include cutting down and remove the roots

of two big coconut trees, dig out two underground water tanks, fill the soil, plus a new paint job for the house.

Even if you have overpaid a little at least the work is done in timely manner and you are happy with it.

Ours is nowhere after 5 months and it will never be finished

Allright.... i am off to the home now.

We are doing an assessment today on what can be salvaged and what has (better) to be destructed.

Meeting with our lawyers this coming week and start all over finding the 'right' contractors this time.

Thank you all for your input on this early sunday morning and please keep all those remarks and answers coming !!

It really helps being able to talk about. Makes me forget about my anger for a few minutes.

to answer Pheat123, 15'x30' is considered standard family pool in Florida where I come from.

Good luck with the lawyer, if he is honest he is going to tell you that trying to recover anything less than 250,000 THB is not cost effective. They will not work on a contingency in this country and therefore you are going to be facing an uphill battle, with minimum results

The only question I have, is did you get any other quotes from any other builders before you started this project ?

One would think they would cherish their local work to get on well in life.

Indeed. I ran a very successful small business for decades back in Europe with clientèle that came entirely by word of mouth and personal recommendations.

My experience on my condo building committee has taught me that the notion of pride in a job well done just doesn't seem to be very common here. I can only suppose that farangs who end up working here often do so because they also don't have enough pride in their work to do the same job in farangland.

Good luck with the lawyer, if he is honest he is going to tell you that trying to recover anything less than 250,000 THB is not cost effective. They will not work on a contingency in this country and therefore you are going to be facing an uphill battle, with minimum results

The only question I have, is did you get any other quotes from any other builders before you started this project ?

No i did not.

This is a classic case of outright stupidity and misplaced trust.

I read a review about this guy on a well read pattaya real estate blog/website/facebookpage and then also got the same guy recommended to me through a real estate agent.

I met the guy a few times and we signed a contract to do a designing stage for a residence in Hauy Yai in combination with his Rayong based architect.

Then a few months later this house come in between and we wanted to move fast on it so we could live there asap, move out of the rental condo. Since we also needed to go to europe for a couple of weeks in December he seemed the right guy todo the renovation job on this house. Contract was in this case not necessary according to him since it would only delay things.

Somewhere in between that i most have lost my common sense Normally i would never do anything big like that without a contract but he just seemed such a nice guy.

I even invited him to my birthday

We did an assessment today and the more we dig into the more amazed we are.

Does anybody think it is better to replace a concrete beam if it breaks when you slap it with your bare hand?

One would think they would cherish their local work to get on well in life.

Indeed. I ran a very successful small business for decades back in Europe with clientèle that came entirely by word of mouth and personal recommendations.

My experience on my condo building committee has taught me that the notion of pride in a job well done just doesn't seem to be very common here. I can only suppose that farangs who end up working here often do so because they also don't have enough pride in their work to do the same job in farangland.

The 1 thing that differentiates us from animals is that we are supposed to have the capacity/conscious to choose between wrong and wright.

I afraid that the animal world has welcomed another one of their own last week

Only one?

I am going to move this topic over to the DIY Housing Forum where all the experts hang out, hopefully will get some more meaningful input on the construction for you over there.

What is it about men when they come to Thailand.

Man meets woman so he no longer needs his brain.

Man builds house with no previous experience because aforementioned brain left behind.

Man rides motorbikes without helmet again the brain isnt there to be protected.

As a so called expert on this forum i have little or no sympathy with people taking on a project like this with no help, advice, architect, project manager and experience.

For us guys who have a career full of building experience it is still a very daunting and difficult task to pull off successfully.

Play with fire you get your fingers burnt.

Good luck salvaging what you can....but is a lawyer your expert in construction.?

Remove all the concrete, you will feel better. Dump it on the contractor's doorstep, if possible. You may be able to salvage something, but I doubt it, maybe your sanity.

Apart from that... I do everything myself here, occasionally employing people under close supervision.

Ye gods, it isn't just that they never saw a shovel before, they refuse to use one when you show them how much easier and quicker it is.

Start again with someone you can trust, even if you have to sit there all day drinking beer, or not at all. Good luck, mate, and spend ฿40 000.- next time.