Do You Live In A Thai Village Full Time

[macb]

Looks like we had the same house plans macb......here is my home in Pimai.I changed the plans a bit to allow entrance to living room, and turned carport into sitting area.

Yes I think your right mate was your builder a teacher ? WE got a table in the integral carport and I built a seperate carport

macb

Edited November 1, 2006 by macb

[pumpuiman]

Looks like we had the same house plans macb......here is my home in Pimai.I changed the plans a bit to allow entrance to living room, and turned carport into sitting area.

Yes I think your right mate was your builder a teacher ? WE got a table in the integral carport and I built a seperate carport

macb

Not a teacher, a sculptor actually, has done some amazing work. We decided that carport was too small anyway.....came out nice , did it all up in granite, and added a room off the kitchen.

Some kind of goverment plans...I was shown a book in the village.

[macb]

Looks like we had the same house plans macb......here is my home in Pimai.I changed the plans a bit to allow entrance to living room, and turned carport into sitting area.

Yes I think your right mate was your builder a teacher ? WE got a table in the integral carport and I built a seperate carport

macb

Not a teacher, a sculptor actually, has done some amazing work. We decided that carport was too small anyway.....came out nice , did it all up in granite, and added a room off the kitchen.

Some kind of goverment plans...I was shown a book in the village.

Yep we had the same plans as you go into the kitchen out the door on the right we got the laundry area I put a canopy up to protect washing machine then out the other door we got tanks for rain water we wish we had put downstair shower/toilet here instaed of off the lounge

macb

[migrant]

Pics look great guys, any chance of seeing the plans? PM or here

Thanks!

[Gary A]

Had someone told me that someday I would be living out in the boonies of Thailand, I'd have told them they were insane. I have a condo in Jomtien Beach less than a kilometer from the beach. Everything a farang could want is available within a few minutes drive.

BUT wait! Something was missing. I wanted a dog, a workshop and a garden. That's difficult when you live in a condo. It took at least four months for my then girlfriend to convince me to go up to Loei and have a look at her house. I had seen many Issan houses before and wasn't impressed. She finally talked me into making the trip. Imagine my surprise to see a western style, 90 percent completed two bedroom house sitting on two rai. We stayed about a week. The first night I decided that no way could I sleep on her rock hard mattress. The next day we headed into town and bought a decent mattress. I also wasn't pleased with the cold water shower nor the squatter toilet.

After we got back to Jomtien I decide that maybe the boonies would be a good place to live after all. It is a scenic area and quite peaceful. The next trip up I re-wired the house for a hotwater shower and a breaker box. I soon found out the water pressure wasn't high enough to make the pressure switch in the new water heater. Another trip to town and I had a new water pump. Now at least I had a good bed and a hot water shower.

The third trip up I was getting used to the countryside. I hired a Thai handyman and had him tear out the squatter and out in a western style toilet. Now I was pretty comfortable and we stayed over a month. I was hooked on the country life and we started making more plans. We made the move and planned a two meter high block wall around the property but I wanted my workshop/garage first. I had an eight by eight meter block building built and then the block wall. It has now been about three years and this is home.

Unfortunately I'm kind of a crotchety old guy who puts great value on privacy. Before we made the move I told my wife that i was marrying her and not her family. I also told her that it would be just her and I in the house (She has no children) and if she had any intentions of moving in any of the family that I was headed back to the condo with or without her. Life is good and I am content for the first time in my life. I had given up finding a woman who would put up with me. Her family is fairly close and she can go visit them anytime she wants. They seldom come over to the house and that suits me fine. We get along great and she is quite happy to work with her fruit trees and in her garden. I have my workshop equipped the way I want it and have a favorite drinking spot up on a nearby mountain. I go up there two or three times a week for a few relaxing beers in a very scenic spot.

[wongsa]

Bharn Thai upgrades.

Interesting to read Gary A with his plans for a civilised home.

Water pressure can be nigh on non existant...Depending on

the time of day and village use.

We, like most decent szed houses, have a whopping great water tank.

It sits at the back of the house on metal posts about 3 metres high.

It is about 2 metres across and is fed with a normal cistern ballcock affair.

A bit of an outlay, just to get water sloshing out of a tap!

But, as Gary puts it...Us stroppy gits need our comforts.

It is a fairly fine line between contentment and gnawing despair!!

We have two cars and a motorbike.

I don't think I could cope without the motor.

The mother in law is a diamond. Never ever asked for a thing. Nothing.

I could see family matters tipping the balance in a lot of situations.

Tolerance and humour cross the cultural divide...and if you are a tinkering sort

of guy. It's good to look around the hardware shops and builders merchants.

There are loads of plus points to country life.

We are up in the hills on the edge of Khao Yai National Park.

Just driving around is fascinating.

To be perfectly frank. The UK is becoming third world, service wise.

At a frightening rate of knots.

I like the house in Thailand...I really like the Traditional style of house.

Picture of my front wall (hopefully downloaded ok) made out of silalang

and stone carved lotus buds.

We will build a concrete and glass hill house someday>

Don't fall out of your hammocks!

All the best.

[Gary A]

A few pictures of our humble dwelling; First is the house, second is my Ipstar and workshop in the background, third is the kid guard wall, fourth is the front porch and the last is our dog Cookie.

[macb]

Had someone told me that someday I would be living out in the boonies of Thailand, I'd have told them they were insane. I have a condo in Jomtien Beach less than a kilometer from the beach. Everything a farang could want is available within a few minutes drive.

BUT wait! Something was missing. I wanted a dog, a workshop and a garden. That's difficult when you live in a condo. It took at least four months for my then girlfriend to convince me to go up to Loei and have a look at her house. I had seen many Issan houses before and wasn't impressed. She finally talked me into making the trip. Imagine my surprise to see a western style, 90 percent completed two bedroom house sitting on two rai. We stayed about a week. The first night I decided that no way could I sleep on her rock hard mattress. The next day we headed into town and bought a decent mattress. I also wasn't pleased with the cold water shower nor the squatter toilet.

After we got back to Jomtien I decide that maybe the boonies would be a good place to live after all. It is a scenic area and quite peaceful. The next trip up I re-wired the house for a hotwater shower and a breaker box. I soon found out the water pressure wasn't high enough to make the pressure switch in the new water heater. Another trip to town and I had a new water pump. Now at least I had a good bed and a hot water shower.

The third trip up I was getting used to the countryside. I hired a Thai handyman and had him tear out the squatter and out in a western style toilet. Now I was pretty comfortable and we stayed over a month. I was hooked on the country life and we started making more plans. We made the move and planned a two meter high block wall around the property but I wanted my workshop/garage first. I had an eight by eight meter block building built and then the block wall. It has now been about three years and this is home.

Unfortunately I'm kind of a crotchety old guy who puts great value on privacy. Before we made the move I told my wife that i was marrying her and not her family. I also told her that it would be just her and I in the house (She has no children) and if she had any intentions of moving in any of the family that I was headed back to the condo with or without her. Life is good and I am content for the first time in my life. I had given up finding a woman who would put up with me. Her family is fairly close and she can go visit them anytime she wants. They seldom come over to the house and that suits me fine. We get along great and she is quite happy to work with her fruit trees and in her garden. I have my workshop equipped the way I want it and have a favorite drinking spot up on a nearby mountain. I go up there two or three times a week for a few relaxing beers in a very scenic spot.

Great input to my topic thanks very much, I will sit and have a Chang with you sounds very nice indeed. Our house is on just over 1 Rai and all walled the wifes parents are about 100 m's away and done see them very often so we/me have our personell space which suits me, the wife can shout to her mums house and the niece will walk over to the wall and recieve food or whatever.

THis morning the wife who is expecting in January cleared out under the kitchen sink and hoovered and I took the mosquito screens off the kitchen windows and cleaned all.

WE work together well

What a wonderful life

macb

Edited November 3, 2006 by macb

[wongsa]

What's in the workshop Gary A?

[Gary A]

This is my Thai friend's coffee shop. We don't drink much coffee there. The other picture is the view from the shop.

[Gary A]

What's in the workshop Gary A?

I have a MIG welder, a stick welder, power hack saw, drill press, air compressor and various power hand tools including a circular saw, planer and router. I love to tinker and can build or repair most anything. I normally do VERY little and I'm VERY good at it. I'm retired and loving it.

Most of the time I even have room to put my truck in the building.

[macb]

Heres our little house it is on other threads as well I think:

[dvk1951]

God...I love Thailand

TBWG

Me too ...... great post.

Could not agree more with Thaddeus; TBWG (The Bountiful Writing Guy) your writing style and sense of humor break up the moments of a dull day at the office.

Thanks and let it be known that the demand for your stories is expanding exponetially.

[manjara]

I'm not in Isaan and I don't live full time in the village, but the wife, kids and I often spend several weeks at a time up in her family's village in Lampang province (closer to Phayao though).

When I first went there the house was fairly primitive, no windows, only a squat toilet, no hot water, no kitchen (just a tap at the back of the house). My wife had been trying to save money to get the place finished, but it was slow going and various family emergencies had used up all her money.

She was quite embarrassed about the place and not sure if she wated me to go or not. She had a daughter from a previous relationship who lived with her grandmother, and I really wanted to meet her and the rest of the family (my wife had 5 sisters).

I suggested that we complete the house and left her the ATM card (horror!) while I went back to BKK to work.

I usually get the overnight bus down to BKK on Sunday night, and then come back again the following Friday, though sometimes I will stay a couple of weeks in BKK (we have a Condo and a house there).

Things moved pretty quickly and the house was 'completed' after a couple of months and I calculated about 150-200k of expenditure. For that we got a kitchen, a new bedroom with ensuite bathroom, redid the old toilet to western style, added hot water, put new walls with windows, redid the floors and steps tiled downstairs and built a wall around the property (about 200 sq wah).

Life in the village is great, I tend to get up very early (5:30am) and go to bed early (9pm). I take the kids to school in the car or on the motorbike. Usually in the day we go out and shop for food in the nearby town, or go and look at the land/crops/buffalo (we have about 40-50 rai now). We aoften look at land that people want to sell us! Her family grow stuff on the land and are always in and out of the house. Her mother and daughter (my stepdaughter) live in the house and dinner time is a very communal affair. The men eat in a group, usually with the local moonshine &/or beer, and I usually join them eating the various raw meats and chilli conconctions.

We give minimal regular help to her family, just allow them to use the land and the odd 'neung pan' baht here and there (plus I buy copious amounts of beer while I'm there). We have bought computers for the school, and when we do give the mother in law some money, she always gives it to the school or hospital or some other cause anyway!

I always tell my wife that I married into her family and expect her to be close to her family and that they are always welcome, either in the north or in Bangkok. It does seem that most farang wall themselves in and don't want anything to do with their wives families which I think is a shame, but each to their own.

We have bought some more land (about 10 rai) on a hillside and that's where we plan to build a bigger house eventually (I'm 40, so I've a bit more work to do before I retire!). My wife wants to turn it into a kind of park for the village in the meantime (last weekend we were in Pattaya and she was asking about getting trees delivered from Nong Nuch gardens to Lampang!! - sometimes I have to explain the concepts of 'monthly income' 'not living beyond').

The Thais have started a village bank to lend money to people to do small projects and I'm seriously considering getting involved in that, although only if they ask me. I've seen similar concepts in Scandinavia do very well.

I keep telling the thais they should keep ploughing with buffalo, and that farang will come and pay them money to be allowed to have a go! They think I'm joking! ...someday...

There's nothing better than grabbing a couple of beers, some thai snacks and heading up into the mountains on the motorbike with the wife. We just find a quiet spot where there's a shelter and sit and eat and drink, chatting to any of the farmers that come by (in my case, chatting is probably an exaggeration of my thai skills!)

If it wasn't for the fact that my wife doesn't like me to be 'off the leash' in BKK on my own, we would probably live up there all the time with me commuting to BKK during the week. But that ain't gonna happen!

[wongsa]

Nice houses, workshops and views over a Chang.

I love the "termite nest" high and narrow hills in Indo China.

The trees seem to hang on for all they're worth.

The quality of light and heat generated mist makes life here very satisfying.

Riding your motorcycle past fields of maize and sunflowers.

The blazing road and a distant glimmer of a Wat amongst the trees.

The twenty mile shopping journey weaving past the potholes. The clink of the beer laden fridge opening again...

Coming home has never felt so good.

Edited November 3, 2006 by wongsa

[macb]

Soidog - Your family situation is similar to mine. I have 4-yr old daughter who will start school next year, doesn't speak much thai yet (we still live in US). Want to move to Surin area where my wife's grandma lives, but probably will be looking to buy or build home there. I plan to work (maybe teach english?) but not sure how that will work yet. I know this is off topic of original thread, but saw you were logged in and wanted to ask: what do you estimate will be a decent living allowance if already own home in rural area close to surin, no rent,etc. I have estimated 10000 to 15000 per month from reading other threads. Just trying to plan financially for the move.

Jason (wanttoescape)

Sorry, totally screwed up the end of my previous post. From reading other threads, I have estimated monthy living cost as 20000 to 25000 baht. Is this a reasonable estimate? No rent, no private school tuition, no car payments.

I seem to recall laying out outgoings for you in some detail

[migrant]

Gents,

I've said it before here, but gotta repeat

Thanks for the posts and pics! (and pm's!!)

I'm still a few years away, so this helps me....fantasize (never thought day to day life would be part of my fantasy!!)

Most of my quality time has been down in Cha Am/Hua Hin area (I love the ocean) but you all are giving me thoughts to spend some time inland (Thai fiance is agreeable to most anywhere). I like to putter about, and have always coveted privacy, and a large enough yard to play in.

[Gary A]

Quote -

I always tell my wife that I married into her family and expect her to be close to her family and that they are always welcome, either in the north or in Bangkok. It does seem that most farang wall themselves in and don't want anything to do with their wives families which I think is a shame, but each to their own.

.....................................

I don't discriminate. I was the same in my home country with my own family. Short visits are fine once in a while but I'm not about to let them set up camp and stake a claim.

[hansnl43]

Quote -

I always tell my wife that I married into her family and expect her to be close to her family and that they are always welcome, either in the north or in Bangkok. It does seem that most farang wall themselves in and don't want anything to do with their wives families which I think is a shame, but each to their own.

.....................................

I don't discriminate. I was the same in my home country with my own family. Short visits are fine once in a while but I'm not about to let them set up camp and stake a claim.

Gary A, I agree

[wongsa]

On the "Who wears the trousers" subject.

The missus and family know that all the money I have put into The Relationship is expendable.

I can, and have, got up and walked out. With just a carrier bag of stuff.

When the sister (with her pet farang husband) tried to call the shots, last year...

I got a neighbour to give me a lift to the nearest main town and caught a bus to BKK.

The look of utter shock on a crowd of people watching the car pull away said it all.

We finally met up 300 miles away on the coast.

No mobile telephone link was available.

I had found, and got to, the tiny bit of coast, where we had stayed the year before. I had booked up and paid for two bungalows. As cheap and infinitely better than the sister had found the year before.

Don't think that Thais can get you a better deal than you can find yourself.

Keep your independance and consciously interact with where ever you are.

The f*** ups are half of the crack!

Let the people get used to the idea...I got up, off my ass, and got here.

It's no great deal to go right on back!

Thai existance is a bit Poker Faced.

Whatever the expressions facing you. Don't rely on your intuition.

Rely on your own dynamics. You need a raft of insular talents to stay content.

Like Gary A, with his workshop. You want to stand alone apart from just flinging money about.

People will respect you for your resourcefulness.

...And there is always TV to be your Virtual drinking partner!

Pip pip!

[TBWG]

God...I love Thailand

TBWG

Me too ...... great post.

Could not agree more with Thaddeus; TBWG (The Bountiful Writing Guy) your writing style and sense of humor break up the moments of a dull day at the office.

Thanks and let it be known that the demand for your stories is expanding exponetially.

Hi DVK1951

Thanks for feedback, now i'm just off to look up exponetially in the dictionary!!

TBWG

[macb]

TB

Let me know what it means when you find out lol

[wongsa]

Anyone keep cows near the house?

The missus was toying with the idea of raising them to sell.

They would have to live on our land. With a short walk up the road to pasture.

I would be interested in other peoples' feedback.

Are they a stinking addition and more trouble than they are worth?

Is there any economic gain in turning part of the gaff into a MOO Bharn?

Turning a potentially pleasant fruit orchard (front garden) into a bovine morass...

Any cow/kwai owners. Your comments would be an insight.

[macb]

Anyone keep cows near the house?

The missus was toying with the idea of raising them to sell.

They would have to live on our land. With a short walk up the road to pasture.

I would be interested in other peoples' feedback.

Are they a stinking addition and more trouble than they are worth?

Is there any economic gain in turning part of the gaff into a MOO Bharn?

Turning a potentially pleasant fruit orchard (front garden) into a bovine morass...

Any cow/kwai owners. Your comments would be an insight.

In my opinion cows are a waste of time we had 8 cows some went out for other people to look after and it works like this the first calf they keep, I am told we had three calfs born and they all died unfortunately I dont believe this.

I told the wife to sell them and put money in the bank.

[macb]

Anyone keep cows near the house?

The missus was toying with the idea of raising them to sell.

They would have to live on our land. With a short walk up the road to pasture.

I would be interested in other peoples' feedback.

Are they a stinking addition and more trouble than they are worth?

Is there any economic gain in turning part of the gaff into a MOO Bharn?

Turning a potentially pleasant fruit orchard (front garden) into a bovine morass...

Any cow/kwai owners. Your comments would be an insight.

In my opinion cows are a waste of time we had 8 cows some went out for other people to look after and it works like this the first calf they keep, I am told we had three calfs born and they all died unfortunately I dont believe this.

I told the wife to sell them and put money in the bank. Have a look at the farming section for better advice

[wongsa]

Cheers for your comments MacB.

I just wanted a knee jerk response to "Cows as a sideline".

This is altogether different to "ranching", for want of a better word.

I get weary of "creating a living" for family members who need a few 100,000 Baht to get an idea off the ground.

Who, for the sake of The Family, and trying to help out, has bought a taxi.

Easy money, easy job...then...

Mysterious Thai illness descends on Taxi Driver.

The cow project appears to be a 000,000 Baht project...(of which there are an infinite number)

This, and my last post, are not negative rants.

They outline how family and friends will discuss projects in Thai Perspective. It will then be championed by a team leader and put to Khun (Chang in hand) Farang as A Winner!

This requires someone elses money and has scant chance of being repaid!

So much for the Village Experts.

There are many Thai Pups for sale

This hasn't really struck a chord on this thread...But my friends with Thai houses and families...find it a common cause of grief!

Have fun everyone!

As MacB puts it. I will!

[macb]

The key phrase here is Ground Rules once your ground rules are installed and excepted whether liked or not everything runs smoothly.

Let me tell you little story from about 18 months ago and what my response was.

When the wife andI were living in Pattaya whilst the house was being built, my wife introduced to a female friend who spoke some English after this encounter I never saw her again.

But prior to our house party in the July this was some 8 months since we saw the friend, she turned up at mam's house my wife and I went to see her, then she came to our house to look round, (I thought to myself why has she come all this way on a m/c from other side of Surin MONEY)

THis lady said to me my Farang has left me I not work for 2yr and have no money, I said get a job then. My wife said she wants to borrow your money, I said how much you want, she said 10000 bht.

I pointed to my house and said this house is Mac & Bees house, it does not say Siam Commercial Bank. Her parting comment was never mind its okay I will see you at your party, to this day we have never seen her again.

AS for setting up business in the village I was going to build a village shop for the wife but this would effect villagers that have shops already so dismissed that idea, then I considered a mini wholesalers to provide local village shops with the items they sell but dismissed this also because most of them would want credit, the only thing I would consider is buying a tractor as this can be busy nearly all the year round.

[Gary A]

the only thing I would consider is buying a tractor as this can be busy nearly all the year round.

I don't know Mac. I had my heart set on a little four wheel drive Kubota with a rotary tiller, a rotary chopper and a front blade. The 350,000 baht price choked me up a bit too. After giving it a lot of thought and seeing my wife's vehicle become the family taxi I decided against it. I'd be too selfish to loan out my new tractor. Since my wife pays for her fuel and maintenance I don't say too much but it still irritates me. I keep thinking what they did BEFORE she had her own vehicle.

[wongsa]

I like the replies folks.

This train of thought outilnes an important aspect of "live in a village full time".

An interesting thought to mull over...When we were building Our front wall on Our land...The next door neighbour started ranting and raving.

They had planted trees on their access and had got used to cutting across "another way".

That other way happened to be a lump of land I bought.

Boundary lines (walled or fenced) are an important part of Your Place in a village. People of all ages are a bit light fingered...and if you are going to lend someone anything- Lost, wrecked, given away.. Are all possible results.

This is prpbably the same the world over but for the old chestnut...Loss of Face!

Got to dash now-

Catch you lot later!

[chechoie]

Mac's right about ground rules. Of course a few fibs here and there don't do any harm either.

Every time we visit to check on the progress of the house and anybody mentions money in

any way shape or form, the wife repeats the story of how we have worked long and hard for

many years just to build this house and how all our money has went into it and we only have

enough left for living expenses. No money for any business ventures or the like.

She sounds like a broken record and I expect people get the message:

Don't even ask.

She does not have a big extended family so I suppose that a plus also.

I expect the locals won't believe this because when I designed the house I got a wee bit carried away.

It ended up a lot bigger then I Iintended.

I also knocked down her brother's family shack and built them a house close by. (This is not as crazy as

it sounds. If me and the wife ever go away for a while we will have security and someone to take

care of things while we are away. I've known her brother for about ten years and he is a hard working

honest guy).

So I guess we will be approached at some time or another but trying to get money out of my wife is

like trying to take a bone away from a pit bull terrier. I suppose because she never had a lot in her life

she wants to make sure that now she has something she will not lose it.

Anyway, up until now nobody has asked for nowt, long may it continue.

I don't mind helping out the local school with some football kit or some good cause where I can see where the money is going, but I would never finance a local business venture.

Edited November 11, 2006 by chechoie