Farangs know nothing

[Mot Dang]

I built a very nice house in the northern part of the Buriram province. My wife and I agreed on the design, which was agreed to by the builder. The design is a traditional Thai design, up on pylons, two long quarters with a long wide central passage way. There are wide overhanging eves right around each of the quarters which overhang almost all of the central passageway/veranda. In the hot months the kids sleep out there to catch the breezes. All agreed, I went to work in BKK and left my wife to supervise

I came home from work in BKK, just after completion, and from the front gate I thought that looks brilliant, she's done a good job. But as soon as I got upstairs it hit me straight away that the eves above the passage way were far too short. They had been shortened. I went crazy automatically blaming the builder. But no it was my wife, she thought it "looked" better. Both the builder and I had gone through with her that the eves had to be wide to reduce the amount of rain on the passageway. I said to her why does she think this design was established over decades ?

So now in the wet, excessive rain comes in. One day I'll fix the problem, but at the moment I like to see her pushing a mop.

[Yann55]

Sounds like you have enough left over for a nifty spirit house.

A nifty spirit house with a nifty verandah too.

[monkeycountry]

Is "cube" a construction term for m3 or Ft3 or similar in England?

[DLang]

She thought I was mad for wanting to earth her shop and use an RCD. The local hoodlums who call themselves electricians were saying, "Mai pen rai..in Thailand you don't need that stuff".

Thai electwisitee different.

No need Earth.

[fred Kubasa]

I am absolutely certain, if you've been married more then 1 day, that your wife has caused some need for re wiring in your brain so, like an avalanche --

GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN !

[franck1972]

Oh, i've faced this kind of situation soooo many times.

After some years, I came up with a solution that solves many problems :

It's easy, make the people responsible for the consequences of their ideas.

In this case, I would have showed workers my calculations.

You agree, good.

You don't, Ok, go on, but then you will have refund the difference if you ordered too much.

You will see, people think twice when a possible loss of money arises, thais even more than farangs actually... :-)

[pigeonjake]

we are just having these 2 guest rooms built, i orderd all the materials, the builders like it that way,

im over on a few bags of cement and a little sand, but ill use them up doing something around here,

col mate if thats all you have to worry about you arnt having a bad life mate, enjoy your new veranda,

im having the 2 guest rooms built hopefully for paying guests to come and have a look at a thai falang working farm, and ask me questions on how to get things running with pigs,chickens ducks and fish, ive made a few mistakes along the way, maybe ill be able to help other not to,

can tell them the prices for building works ect,

we all know the score man meets girl and they want to start a farm, well come and stay here for a week or 2 to see if its your kind of life,,lol

take care all

jake

Jake i would love to come, only 1 snag!! You have wheelchair access?

As i am now paralysed from the chest down, it is difficult to go anywhere.

col i know you are mate,

in fact i think ill put a ramp in, so if you want to come and look at a farm working, with a thai lady and falang man come along, but we just arnt there yet, another month or so and we will be ready for guests,

a good tidy up after the building work, ive started a bit of a web page, not much in that to see yet, just pics of me and the family on the farm and a bit of how we got started,

ill pm you when we are ready,

you take care Col

jake

Hi Jake,

Mate I would be really interested in paying you a visit when you are running, you mentioned a web site, is it possible to post it or pm me with it so I can follow your progress,

Cheers mate

this is the site,like i say im not a web site builder but you will get the jist of what im trying to do, to help other members on here and other people who want to settle here,

thaifarmlife.com

its not much to look at, like i say we are still building the guest houses and then ill have to tidy up, but it isnt a RESORT its a thai falang working farm, and im sure i can help others with advice, i dont think the girls will be happy in a lot of what i will tell people but i want to help them who want to settle here,

take care

jake

[sandmike]

Is "cube" a construction term for m3 or Ft3 or similar in England?

MC, cube normally refers to m3, it's shorthand talk for cubic metre.

Cheers, SM

[Ballbearing]

My wife built our mud brick bungalow.

She designed it, she took care of the planning / scheduling and she instructed the local workers (mostly rice farmers) exactly how she wanted it built.

Started off with the intention of being a 1 room bungalow where I could go and hide if the karaoke got too loud in the bar but it must have got lost in translation. LOL !!!

[SheungWan]

maybe they're not very good at maths...

Or maybe they are perfectly good at maths......

[Mot Dang]

My wife built our mud brick bungalow.

She designed it, she took care of the planning / scheduling and she instructed the local workers (mostly rice farmers) exactly how she wanted it built.

Started off with the intention of being a 1 room bungalow where I could go and hide if the karaoke got too loud in the bar but it must have got lost in translation. LOL !!!001.JPG002.JPG012.JPG013.jpg016.JPG021.jpg

Cool house !

Yep, I think we both have seen similar experiences in building a house in Thailand, and supervised by the trouble and strife. But really this happens in any country, the difference is Thais are a little bit more forgiving that you got angry with them.

Once you get away from the typical 4 wall cinder block bungalow design common up-country, anything can happen.

[zac5000]

I saw a falang wearing a Tee shirt a few days ago, It reads--- "I DONT NEED GOOGLE_ MY WIFE KNOWS EVERYTHING"

[elgordo38]

I was witness to one of these Thai construction jobs in a medium size village in Phitsanulok. The contract was signed by my then g/f's mother as her father had run off to Bangkok shortly after her sister was born (sent no money home). It was a large project 600 sq. metres done in 3 stages. The first stage was a store on the bottom and our apartment on top. I am not a contractor but have a little experience. Right off the baht I told my g/f and her mother they were planning way to big and costly for the size of the village. There was not enough traffic there to sustain a building of this size (store). We moved into our apartment at the beginning of the rainy season and it was the really rainy season of a about 4 years ago. While the the contractor was busy on the 2nd section I was busy mopping up water in every room. The water pouring in even short circuited our breaker panel. The drywall started to sag in places. It was running in around the windows what a disaster. In the bathroom the water had to run uphill to get to the drain and he placed an electric plug right beside the shower head. When they complained to him the contractor he told them that they were crazy and knew nothing about construction. I often thought I would like to go back and see how the completed building fared out just never had the heart.

[bheard]

Welcome to Thailand.

I have heard many stories of a similar nature to yours.

If you have hair ,be ready to tear it out, but don't worry too much, it will all work out in the end.

Good luck

Good luck indeed.

"it will all work out in the end".

No it won't - it didn't for him did it?

Each of those episodes chips away at a marriage.

[DLang]

She would not be my wife for long if she didn't know who she must listen and obey...

That's the spirit. True love.

[SoiBiker]

If I wanted somebody to obey me, I'd get an employee, not a wife.

Oh, wait...

[kjhbigv]

You live and learn. Just remind the Missus about this time, the next time you get work done. Sometimes, I really do think Thai's think we are a bit stupid....until they are reminded of who invented the TV, the internet, the aeroplane, the train, sewerage, the car, landed a bloke on the moon, the wheel etc etc! Not bashing, just reality!

[Wasima]

Hello,

My GF and I made a pact: if we have the same opinion she decides, if different opinions it is me who decides...

LOL - hubby and I have the same pact... only in reverse hehehe

[Thakkar]

On TVF, I read about this a lot. Personally, I haven't experienced it because Mrs T is not like that...oh, wait...Mrs T is saying something...

"What is it, honey, can't you see I'm busy? Oh, ok, I see."

...well she says she *is* like that.

Shows you what *I* know.

T

[goreme]

Doesnt the same thing happen in the west as it's much cheaper to order extra than it is to run out, stop work and have to resupply piecemeal.

That's why project costs are always general estimates.

[Mot Dang]

She would not be my wife for long if she didn't know who she must listen and obey...

But do you have a Thai wife ? You didn't actually say you did. If you do, maybe one morning you will wake up and find you have had a hair cut - a Thai hair cut. Don't laugh it happens.

[The Usual Suspect]

Hey Colin.......Do I detect a recurring theme here?

[tomyumchai]

Having a new veranda built on our home.

We are paying for materials, workers labour only.

Fun and games, worker gives my wife a list of materials, wife shows me. !! what is this !! list for materials darling says the wife, rubbish says i.

I had already calculated quantity of materials required, after 42 years in construction in UK i think i know what is required.

Workers ordered 3 concrete columns, i said 2, workers ordered 2 cube sand 2 cube stone 14 cement.

I said 1.5 cube sand 1.5 cube stone 5oo kilos of cement. 5 cube dry materials/mixed 3.5 cube wet.

Roof sheets workers want 68, i said 60. Steel i said 9 4x2 workers said 13, i said 14 2x1 workers said 8.

Ceiling sheets i said 6, workers said 4. shera wood workers said 100, i said 80.

Quess who my wife listened to, me or workers?

Easy she listened to (rice farmers) workers.

Now we have 1 concrete column left 5 cement 3/4 cube sand 3/4 cube.

8 roof sheets , 22 shera wood.

We had to order 4 more 4x2 steel, 5 more 2x1 steel, 2 more ceiling sheets.

What a bloody fiasco, but darling workers said, i listened, why you not listen to your husband, who has more than 40 years experience.

You work in England this is Thailand. So you require the same materials no matter what country it is.

The mind bogols at the logic of Thais, or lack of logic.

Force your wife into admitting her fault. Force her to introspect, and acknowledge the gravity of her error, and the amount of money she cost the family. Force her to apologize and to promise she will never side with a fool again, over a trusted spouse. Only in this way will she grow, develop as a human being, and improve as a person and a spouse. This kind of thing is very painful for a Thai, as introspection is not something they like to engage in. But, it works. I have used it, and it works.

why not take the whip out beat her, chain her to table and withhold rations as well, your dealing with an adult not a child, how perfectly arrogant of you

I suggest we do something similar for farangs...dunce cap and sit the corner facing the wall, based on a lot of the response on TV going to need a big wall and a lot of dunce caps...

why dont you read his replies before gobbing off like a prick.....hes paralysed from the chest down.... this forum is so full of dicks its unbelieveable....

[Scully]

From your other posts your missus sounds nice, the problem with nice is they hate conflict. It's much easier to disagree with us, their less significant other half than a bunch of stranger's.
That's my take on it anyway, as your reaction is probably like mine i.e. oh well <deleted> it never mind.

[mike324]

I learned from experience first time constructing my office, I have more than 20 electrical outlets, light switches, boxes of unused carpeting, 5 faucets, etc too much to name. Can't trust Thais with their calculations. The only positive light is that at least they did not take all these home.

[thailand49]

I've through it and maybe more!

First, read your post. Yes, you are not in UK, no matter how much experience you have in construction. Personally, if I had your experience I would do it myself. That being said which you can't ( another subject ) or won't someone else is got to do it!

You got forty plus years but what you lack is learning how they think, because of that you are beating yourself over the head which many of us have done and learn the hard way.

The items you list are minimum in cost basically peanuts. If you are so concern in being right then do this... take the list... and order what you think they need and see what happens. You might learn something from doing this..

I look at what you are building... The roof panels I can see them ordering a few more.. I have a apartment that is built with these panels, I have myself gone up and replaced them after a storm and I'm light frame 60 Kilos, and have crack a number just lightly walking on the floor. Many of these products are poorly made and at times break just installing.

Majority of the workers are not educated just following the foreman and the foreman most likely has no real license and lack any real ability to calculate anything. Many I have worked with use other people plans and just follow them. In the real world, there is a thing call a Department of Building even in Thailand. Before you really build you got to have plans submitted to them with all the proper calculations for everything. Given the proper and register plans you obtain a ownership addition legal! but in Thailand they just built without ever going through the channels.

As for you wife... this is very common.. " you are in Thailand " what is different is the only respect she might have for you is when you give her money! other than that a women who had nothing before you came along now has it all.. all means she like to showoff, be in charge... in front of other Thais, she has no idea, no real education, if she does she wouldn't need you right? If she listens to you she loses face, this is not that you know nothing it is just the way it is, you do not need to stand up to her for something this small, but at some point you will because a Thai with this type of attitude it is a matter of time something comes along bigger it will happen!

Good luck

[Howitzer]

In this case OP is basing his own personal experience and equating it to the entire country. Kind of boogles the mind why his own wife wouldn't listen to her own husband who being a farang and being quite old (from his avatar) which would mean he has vastly more experience compared to the thai workers who i might add are rice farmers according to the OP and thus inferior to him because they are just nameless, brainless, faceless rice farmers who couldn't be better than a farang in the construction business. The most ironic thing is his wife who is thai and whom he married would rather listen to her own countrymen you know those stupid low class rice farmers working in construction over her own husband who with his vast experience and being a farang should definitely know more than them. Then again he chose to actually stay in thailand and marry her and then start a diatribe on the country afterwards. It is kind of like getting yourself a pet chimp and then complaining that the chimp poops itself and doesn't behave like a human should not that i am advocating that thais are in any way related to chimps but rather the odd way some of you farangs complain of the country that you yourself chose to reside in despite knowing or thinking that it's inferior to your own home country but yet still choosing to stay there. That would be akin to moving to say zimbabewe and then complaining hey they don't have nice looking cities and homes and their basic ammenities like electricity, running water always seems to shut down unlike back in my home country where everything worked.

[Howitzer]

who is the boss in your house?,the wife ,the workers or you,

you knew you were correct in the quantities of materials you

needed,why did you not put your foot down,you were paying

i would think.

regards Worgeordie

Everything was done to save face.

Also if they were ordered that they were WRONG! the pillars would have been constructed to collapse after the first gust of wind.

Now it is not good for the Farang's health to hustle the Asian

brown,

For the Farang riles, and the Thai smiles and he weareth the

Farang down;

And the end of the fight is a tombstone white with the name of

the late deceased,

And the epitaph drear: "A Fool lies here who tried to hustle the

East."

Then the next farang who read the tombstone looked and thought oh i'm definitely no fool i'm here to stay though. Let me hustle the asian brown.

[MAJIC]

Having a new veranda built on our home.

We are paying for materials, workers labour only.

Fun and games, worker gives my wife a list of materials, wife shows me. !! what is this !! list for materials darling says the wife, rubbish says i.

I had already calculated quantity of materials required, after 42 years in construction in UK i think i know what is required.

Workers ordered 3 concrete columns, i said 2, workers ordered 2 cube sand 2 cube stone 14 cement.

I said 1.5 cube sand 1.5 cube stone 5oo kilos of cement. 5 cube dry materials/mixed 3.5 cube wet.

Roof sheets workers want 68, i said 60. Steel i said 9 4x2 workers said 13, i said 14 2x1 workers said 8.

Ceiling sheets i said 6, workers said 4. shera wood workers said 100, i said 80.

Quess who my wife listened to, me or workers?

Easy she listened to (rice farmers) workers.

Now we have 1 concrete column left 5 cement 3/4 cube sand 3/4 cube.

8 roof sheets , 22 shera wood.

We had to order 4 more 4x2 steel, 5 more 2x1 steel, 2 more ceiling sheets.

What a bloody fiasco, but darling workers said, i listened, why you not listen to your husband, who has more than 40 years experience.

You work in England this is Thailand. So you require the same materials no matter what country it is.

The mind bogols at the logic of Thais, or lack of logic.

Force your wife into admitting her fault. Force her to introspect, and acknowledge the gravity of her error, and the amount of money she cost the family. Force her to apologize and to promise she will never side with a fool again, over a trusted spouse. Only in this way will she grow, develop as a human being, and improve as a person and a spouse. This kind of thing is very painful for a Thai, as introspection is not something they like to engage in. But, it works. I have used it, and it works.

That would be "loss of Face" big time,I guess nobody has ever told you,it just don't happen in Thailand,and I believe forcing your wife to admit she was wrong,would be more painful for you than her!

[Andre0720]

Calculations in Thailand...calculations...

You buy for 150 bahts. You hand over 500 bahts. Out comes the calculator, and after some tapping on the keys, they hand over 350 bahts.

God forbid that this calculator malfunctions....