irlguy1 Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 Hi guys I have bought some land in phayao (near chiang rai) and will be looking for a reputable builder to build a falang style concrete house. Would anyone have any contacts and advice for the build. I know there are some nightmare stories for new builds so any builders with references would be appreciated. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Assurancetourix Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 Maybe asking Villagefarang about that ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villagefarang Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 (edited) We had a great build and are still friends with our contractor 8 years after but he is not in your area and to be honest his work can vary based on how busy he is, how much time he can spend on-site and who he is able to find for his crew. His really good floor tiler died shortly after our build, so things change. As important as the builder is your ability to be on-site and to communicate effectively. Things will go wrong and you have to be there everyday to catch things before moving on to the next thing. Good plans are essential be so is flexibility. If I were you I would ask around in your area and stop to look at houses in your area. When the word gets out that you are looking, the builders are likely to come to you. Be warned, however, people will be expecting a finders fee either from you, or the builder, which he will then add into the cost. Having lived here awhile I am sometimes reluctant to recommend a Thai friend to a farang I don’t know really well because of some of the nightmare stories I have heard about dealing with farangs trying to build a house in Thailand. Edited September 12, 2015 by villagefarang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irlguy1 Posted September 12, 2015 Author Share Posted September 12, 2015 We had a great build and are still friends with our contractor 8 years after but he is not in your area and to be honest his work can vary based on how busy he is, how much time he can spend on-site and who he is able to find for his crew. His really good floor tiler died shortly after our build, so things change. As important as the builder is your ability to be on-site and to communicate effectively. Things will go wrong and you have to be there everyday to catch things before moving on to the next thing. Good plans are essential be so is flexibility. If I were you I would ask around in your area and stop to look at houses in your area. When the word gets out that you are looking, the builders are likely to come to you. Be warned, however, people will be expecting a finders fee either from you, or the builder, which he will then add into the cost. Having lived here awhile I am sometimes reluctant to recommend a Thai friend to a farang I don’t know really well because of some of the nightmare stories I have heard about dealing with farangs trying to build a house in Thailand. Thanks for the reply. Problem is there are only 2 Falang style houses in the area so nobody to ask The last concrete build here was 6 years ago. We will have my wife's dad on site and he has built wooden houses and some extensions to his own house in brick but he wouldn't have enough experience to do a full house build. All the people he knows in the village are all (Thai qualified builders) in other words, not qualified lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachproperty Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 (edited) Not trying to be funny .....but what is a "farang" style house? I've seen two types of house ....old and new "wood" houses ....AND ..."concrete" post and beam homes with brick or Qcon finished walls (farang style house?) Edited September 12, 2015 by beachproperty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachproperty Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 Well....since no answer as to "what is a farang style house".....I will assume you mean a typical Thai concrete post and beam home. first off....I would not be so quick to dismiss your father in law as a builder (most contractors do very little work themselves ....they supervise the workers) or the people in the village helping to build. KEY is....have you ever built or had built for you anything before (ie do you have experience or know anything about construction)...If not...well then...good luck, because even if you find a contractor he will more than likely take advantage of you (mix bags of concrete on site instead of trucked in ready-mix, use inferior grade steel rebar, and other materials etc....so his margins are higher) wish you luck though....as said by another poster YOU should be on site to supervise the work.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrilled Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 I haven't ever seen any houses in Thailand that look like houses in the U.S.I would like A rancher but I doubt it can be built. Also I have heard that Asian termites are really bad.So I guess don't build your house out of wood, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villagefarang Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 At some point you will have to deal with what is available and affordable, I’m afraid. Anyone with the kind of skill set you seem to require is going to be in high demand and will most likely have a minimum build cost that he is willing to work on. There would be no point in doing smaller jobs with less profit for someone of that caliber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtklay Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 I define a Farang house as one that you live inside of, rather than outside like the Thais. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irlguy1 Posted September 12, 2015 Author Share Posted September 12, 2015 Not trying to be funny .....but what is a "farang" style house? I've seen two types of house ....old and new "wood" houses ....AND ..."concrete" post and beam homes with brick or Qcon finished walls (farang style house?) No reply because I was working To me a Farang house is concrete not wood and has an internal fitted kitchen not external area. It is built on the ground not on stilts and it has indoor toilet/bathroom etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irlguy1 Posted September 12, 2015 Author Share Posted September 12, 2015 Well....since no answer as to "what is a farang style house".....I will assume you mean a typical Thai concrete post and beam home. first off....I would not be so quick to dismiss your father in law as a builder (most contractors do very little work themselves ....they supervise the workers) or the people in the village helping to build. KEY is....have you ever built or had built for you anything before (ie do you have experience or know anything about construction)...If not...well then...good luck, because even if you find a contractor he will more than likely take advantage of you (mix bags of concrete on site instead of trucked in ready-mix, use inferior grade steel rebar, and other materials etc....so his margins are higher) wish you luck though....as said by another poster YOU should be on site to supervise the work.... Not built one nor am I a builder hence asking for recommendations. I am fully aware of being ripped off again that's the reason I am asking for reputable builders. Thanks for reply though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irlguy1 Posted September 12, 2015 Author Share Posted September 12, 2015 (edited) At some point you will have to deal with what is available and affordable, I’m afraid. Anyone with the kind of skill set you seem to require is going to be in high demand and will most likely have a minimum build cost that he is willing to work on. There would be no point in doing smaller jobs with less profit for someone of that caliber. The two houses that I referred to in my earlier post are very well built concrete Falang style and were not expensive but like I said it was six years ago so hoping we can get in contact with the builders. Edited September 12, 2015 by irlguy1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachproperty Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 (edited) Well....since no answer as to "what is a farang style house".....I will assume you mean a typical Thai concrete post and beam home. first off....I would not be so quick to dismiss your father in law as a builder (most contractors do very little work themselves ....they supervise the workers) or the people in the village helping to build. KEY is....have you ever built or had built for you anything before (ie do you have experience or know anything about construction)...If not...well then...good luck, because even if you find a contractor he will more than likely take advantage of you (mix bags of concrete on site instead of trucked in ready-mix, use inferior grade steel rebar, and other materials etc....so his margins are higher) wish you luck though....as said by another poster YOU should be on site to supervise the work.... Not built one nor am I a builder hence asking for recommendations. I am fully aware of being ripped off again that's the reason I am asking for reputable builders. Thanks for reply though. "reputable" builder....in Thailand???? I'm afraid that's like looking for a needle in a haystack! ....but possible....I found one. Again I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss your father in law or people in the village. There are a few advantages to using them... 1. Maybe, just maybe ....they really know what their doing and will do a fine job. Remember its just concrete post and beams...Prep the steel, form it up, and add ready mix concrete... key is to just make sure its "square" and "level" 2. By giving the locals a job....you will build up "good will" with them which is a great thing if you are going to be living there. Give them a small job at first....if you're going to "wall off" your property have your father in law and village workers do it... OR build a small one room "out building", Utility room, etc..... See how they do ....if crap...not much lost....move on ....but now you have some experience with workers which will go a LONG way in dealing with the contractor later. Personally, just finished 500 sq meter of units on the beach. Cost ...shade under 9,000/sq meter....including built in kitchens (4) and toilets (8)..."farang style". Unfortunately, for you, builder is on the Eastern Seaboard. Edited September 13, 2015 by beachproperty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irlguy1 Posted September 13, 2015 Author Share Posted September 13, 2015 Well....since no answer as to "what is a farang style house".....I will assume you mean a typical Thai concrete post and beam home. first off....I would not be so quick to dismiss your father in law as a builder (most contractors do very little work themselves ....they supervise the workers) or the people in the village helping to build. KEY is....have you ever built or had built for you anything before (ie do you have experience or know anything about construction)...If not...well then...good luck, because even if you find a contractor he will more than likely take advantage of you (mix bags of concrete on site instead of trucked in ready-mix, use inferior grade steel rebar, and other materials etc....so his margins are higher) wish you luck though....as said by another poster YOU should be on site to supervise the work.... Not built one nor am I a builder hence asking for recommendations. I am fully aware of being ripped off again that's the reason I am asking for reputable builders. Thanks for reply though. "reputable" builder....in Thailand???? I'm afraid that's like looking for a needle in a haystack! ....but possible....I found one. Again I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss your father in law or people in the village. There are a few advantages to using them... 1. Maybe, just maybe ....they really know what their doing and will do a fine job. Remember its just concrete post and beams...Prep the steel, form it up, and add ready mix concrete... key is to just make sure its "square" and "level" 2. By giving the locals a job....you will build up "good will" with them which is a great thing if you are going to be living there. Give them a small job at first....if you're going to "wall off" your property have your father in law and village workers do it... OR build a small one room "out building", Utility room, etc..... See how they do ....if crap...not much lost....move on ....but now you have some experience with workers which will go a LONG way in dealing with the contractor later. Personally, just finished 500 sq meter of units on the beach. Cost ...shade under 9,000/sq meter....including built in kitchens (4) and toilets (8)..."farang style". Unfortunately, for you, builder is on the Eastern Seaboard. Dad is well respected in the village so that's a bonus but has never ever built off plans. That is my only real concern as he is a good carpenter and ok bricky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villagefarang Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 "reputable" builder....in Thailand???? I'm afraid that's like looking for a needle in a haystack! ....but possible....I found one. Again I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss your father in law or people in the village. There are a few advantages to using them... 1. Maybe, just maybe ....they really know what their doing and will do a fine job. Remember its just concrete post and beams...Prep the steel, form it up, and add ready mix concrete... key is to just make sure its "square" and "level" 2. By giving the locals a job....you will build up "good will" with them which is a great thing if you are going to be living there. Give them a small job at first....if you're going to "wall off" your property have your father in law and village workers do it... OR build a small one room "out building", Utility room, etc..... See how they do ....if crap...not much lost....move on ....but now you have some experience with workers which will go a LONG way in dealing with the contractor later. Personally, just finished 500 sq meter of units on the beach. Cost ...shade under 9,000/sq meter....including built in kitchens (4) and toilets (8)..."farang style". Unfortunately, for you, builder is on the Eastern Seaboard. Very good advice. We had no experience so we got the local guys to renovate the MIL's kitchen. Afterward we knew they couldn’t do our planned house. Fortunately my wife really got interested and read everything she could get her hands on. She even drew up the floor plans, with some input from me, which we took to an architect who developed the blueprints. Without her interest and input the project would have been much more difficult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachproperty Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 "reputable" builder....in Thailand???? I'm afraid that's like looking for a needle in a haystack! ....but possible....I found one. Again I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss your father in law or people in the village. There are a few advantages to using them... 1. Maybe, just maybe ....they really know what their doing and will do a fine job. Remember its just concrete post and beams...Prep the steel, form it up, and add ready mix concrete... key is to just make sure its "square" and "level" 2. By giving the locals a job....you will build up "good will" with them which is a great thing if you are going to be living there. Give them a small job at first....if you're going to "wall off" your property have your father in law and village workers do it... OR build a small one room "out building", Utility room, etc..... See how they do ....if crap...not much lost....move on ....but now you have some experience with workers which will go a LONG way in dealing with the contractor later. Personally, just finished 500 sq meter of units on the beach. Cost ...shade under 9,000/sq meter....including built in kitchens (4) and toilets (8)..."farang style". Unfortunately, for you, builder is on the Eastern Seaboard. Very good advice. We had no experience so we got the local guys to renovate the MIL's kitchen. Afterward we knew they couldn’t do our planned house. Fortunately my wife really got interested and read everything she could get her hands on. She even drew up the floor plans, with some input from me, which we took to an architect who developed the blueprints. Without her interest and input the project would have been much more difficult. 100% agreed....need to get the wife on board and involved Although I know a little about constuction and building homes ...without my wife's interest, input and helping to interpret (my builder spoke no English....sometimes I just had to use simple drawings to explain things to him....but it worked).....the building process would have been untenable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachproperty Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 Well....since no answer as to "what is a farang style house".....I will assume you mean a typical Thai concrete post and beam home. first off....I would not be so quick to dismiss your father in law as a builder (most contractors do very little work themselves ....they supervise the workers) or the people in the village helping to build. KEY is....have you ever built or had built for you anything before (ie do you have experience or know anything about construction)...If not...well then...good luck, because even if you find a contractor he will more than likely take advantage of you (mix bags of concrete on site instead of trucked in ready-mix, use inferior grade steel rebar, and other materials etc....so his margins are higher) wish you luck though....as said by another poster YOU should be on site to supervise the work.... Not built one nor am I a builder hence asking for recommendations. I am fully aware of being ripped off again that's the reason I am asking for reputable builders. Thanks for reply though. "reputable" builder....in Thailand???? I'm afraid that's like looking for a needle in a haystack! ....but possible....I found one. Again I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss your father in law or people in the village. There are a few advantages to using them... 1. Maybe, just maybe ....they really know what their doing and will do a fine job. Remember its just concrete post and beams...Prep the steel, form it up, and add ready mix concrete... key is to just make sure its "square" and "level" 2. By giving the locals a job....you will build up "good will" with them which is a great thing if you are going to be living there. Give them a small job at first....if you're going to "wall off" your property have your father in law and village workers do it... OR build a small one room "out building", Utility room, etc..... See how they do ....if crap...not much lost....move on ....but now you have some experience with workers which will go a LONG way in dealing with the contractor later. Personally, just finished 500 sq meter of units on the beach. Cost ...shade under 9,000/sq meter....including built in kitchens (4) and toilets (8)..."farang style". Unfortunately, for you, builder is on the Eastern Seaboard. Dad is well respected in the village so that's a bonus but has never ever built off plans. That is my only real concern as he is a good carpenter and ok bricky. Building off plans ....should be easier..... Plans are the guideline....just follow the instructions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irlguy1 Posted September 13, 2015 Author Share Posted September 13, 2015 "reputable" builder....in Thailand???? I'm afraid that's like looking for a needle in a haystack! ....but possible....I found one. Again I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss your father in law or people in the village. There are a few advantages to using them... 1. Maybe, just maybe ....they really know what their doing and will do a fine job. Remember its just concrete post and beams...Prep the steel, form it up, and add ready mix concrete... key is to just make sure its "square" and "level" 2. By giving the locals a job....you will build up "good will" with them which is a great thing if you are going to be living there. Give them a small job at first....if you're going to "wall off" your property have your father in law and village workers do it... OR build a small one room "out building", Utility room, etc..... See how they do ....if crap...not much lost....move on ....but now you have some experience with workers which will go a LONG way in dealing with the contractor later. Personally, just finished 500 sq meter of units on the beach. Cost ...shade under 9,000/sq meter....including built in kitchens (4) and toilets (8)..."farang style". Unfortunately, for you, builder is on the Eastern Seaboard. Very good advice. We had no experience so we got the local guys to renovate the MIL's kitchen. Afterward we knew they couldn’t do our planned house. Fortunately my wife really got interested and read everything she could get her hands on. She even drew up the floor plans, with some input from me, which we took to an architect who developed the blueprints. Without her interest and input the project would have been much more difficult. 100% agreed....need to get the wife on board and involved Although I know a little about constuction and building homes ...without my wife's interest, input and helping to interpret (my builder spoke no English....sometimes I just had to use simple drawings to explain things to him....but it worked).....the building process would have been untenable. Wife already has the plans done She is totally committed to this. If she could build it herself she would. Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sceadugenga Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 We used local labour and the wife kept the books, did the ordering and paid the workers. I noted that after the job we had enough stuff left over to do a little work on the old peoples house but no one's perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irlguy1 Posted September 18, 2015 Author Share Posted September 18, 2015 Bump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sceadugenga Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 All I can suggest is driving around Chiang Rai, particularly the outer areas and housing estates, until you see a house that you like the look of under construction. The Old Chiang Mai Road, route 1211, usually has something going up, also the hilly area west of the city. Then just stop and ask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irlguy1 Posted April 16, 2017 Author Share Posted April 16, 2017 Update Found an awesome builder and the house is almost finished. I cant recommend them highly enough. Completely professional, no delays and they build to European standards. They build all over mainland Thailand and do swimming pools too which will be my next project :) https://www.togetherconstructionthailand.com/ https://www.facebook.com/tconstruct/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1FinickyOne Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 I have seen friends who were very happy with their builder proceed to recommend him and have him do a horrible job for the next guy... I am also in an out of the way location and it is not easy to get someone to come and deal with things, even to clean an a/c unit... a guy known to be reasonable doing work in town, wanted 5x the usual price to come 40kms... that's just how it is... We did get lucky with a builder, but that was many years ago - since then, a mixed bag as mentioned above, competent craftsman and plumbers and electricians can make more in other areas... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randell Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 To Irlguy1 I am very happy for you connecting with a goodcontractor to build your house I hope you will be very happy it well done thanks for the update that's always nice to hear the end result. Randell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irlguy1 Posted April 16, 2017 Author Share Posted April 16, 2017 I have seen friends who were very happy with their builder proceed to recommend him and have him do a horrible job for the next guy... I am also in an out of the way location and it is not easy to get someone to come and deal with things, even to clean an a/c unit... a guy known to be reasonable doing work in town, wanted 5x the usual price to come 40kms... that's just how it is... We did get lucky with a builder, but that was many years ago - since then, a mixed bag as mentioned above, competent craftsman and plumbers and electricians can make more in other areas... I have seen 3 of his other builds personally and he is now building a 3 bedroom with a pool in Udon for a guy I know. I think they know that they are onto a good thing. He plans on being the stand out contractor in Thailand and so far so good. If he can get access to a site he will build on it. No matter where you are. One thing I found funny and tragic at the same time was that because his name is Alan people keep thinking he is Alan the builder which is a company that some of you may have seen here and on other sites but that company has been getting very bad reviews since the original Alan sold the company name and all its reviews. The new Alan the builder company is NOT a good company and fool people into false security by using old reviews and testimonials. So beware and don't hire them. The Alan that I hired has nothing to do with them and his company is Together Construction Thailand. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevvy Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 Our house has a truss roof system, so the is a cavity between the plaster board and the brickwork of 4in. There are no internal columns. We had local people do it , and the truss roof was a team who came up from Pattaya . The rooms are 4 metres high . It can be done ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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