Build A House.

[coldcrush]

Hiya all,

does anyone have any drawings for houses? Know where I can get some? Nong Khai area any good builders?

Thanks

[Crossy]

Check out this thread http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=64565

Look at this website http://subweb.dpt.go.th/pip/house_model/framehome.html (click the third button from the left).

If you like those plans full detail construction drawings are available for free download courtesy of Mr Thaxin, the download is somewht contrived though. I have downloaded the lot so if you want a CD drop me a PM.

[brahmburgers]

no matter how good of a builder you find, adhere to the following;

1. never pay more than a small 'advance' until the particular phase of a job is finished

2. even when a particular phases is finished - insect and check it out thoroughly - to your satisfaction - before paying. glitches may still crop up later, but that's just tough tamales.

3. Each time you explain something you want done - make the worker listen to your whole schpiel, and include sketches. 9 out of 10 times, the worker will cut you off at the beginning and say (in Thai) "I know, I know, no problem." Continue to explain, and when you're done, start from the beginning and explain it all over again in scintillating detail.

4. watch everything all the time - or at least as much as possible. Do not assume things will get done right. Especially watch things that can't be undone- such as cement and tile work. Look over the guy's shoulder if need be.

I have had a lot of experience building in Thailand - both with skilled and unskilled workers. I write this because I've been burned several times for being too nice of a guy and for being too trusting, and for believing what workers say - when it turns out they tell you what you want to hear - rather than the basic truth of the situation (i.e. 'no problem, I can do that').

There are more than a few stories of farang getting ripped off by contractors taking an 'advance' and never being seen again. I didn't have that problem, but I had several workers over time who stole things (mostly power tools). You can be naive like I was, and try to trust all the sweet young guys on the job site, or you can be brutally realistic and be untrusting. It's your choice.

[oxymoron]

no matter how good of a builder you find, adhere to the following;

1. never pay more than a small 'advance' until the particular phase of a job is finished

2. even when a particular phases is finished - insect and check it out thoroughly - to your satisfaction - before paying. glitches may still crop up later, but that's just tough tamales.

3. Each time you explain something you want done - make the worker listen to your whole schpiel, and include sketches. 9 out of 10 times, the worker will cut you off at the beginning and say (in Thai) "I know, I know, no problem." Continue to explain, and when you're done, start from the beginning and explain it all over again in scintillating detail.

4. watch everything all the time - or at least as much as possible. Do not assume things will get done right. Especially watch things that can't be undone- such as cement and tile work. Look over the guy's shoulder if need be.

I have had a lot of experience building in Thailand - both with skilled and unskilled workers. I write this because I've been burned several times for being too nice of a guy and for being too trusting, and for believing what workers say - when it turns out they tell you what you want to hear - rather than the basic truth of the situation (i.e. 'no problem, I can do that').

There are more than a few stories of farang getting ripped off by contractors taking an 'advance' and never being seen again. I didn't have that problem, but I had several workers over time who stole things (mostly power tools). You can be naive like I was, and try to trust all the sweet young guys on the job site, or you can be brutally realistic and be untrusting. It's your choice.

All really good advice. Like Brahmburger I to have built here in Thailand and compared to my projects in Australia it is quite unique.

The first thing I would suggest is to really ask if you need to "BUILD" if you do be very very sure of what the final cost will be. Contrary to popular belief building materials are expensive. Labour is cheap but you get what you pay for and you need 5 Thais to produce the same output as one Oz, Oz Pom or Oz Italian, and you get one tenth of the quality.

One of the biggest expenses is cement Thai's use it as if it was water. Also the bricks, din blocks, are never layed straight or perendicular the house is usually "squared" up at the end with the "sarp". You would not believe how much cement at 113 Baht a bag is used for their "sarp" what we call render.

Oh and generally they never protect against "termite infestation" when they lay a concrete slab. provide a waterproof membrane under a slab or a damp course to the second row of brickwork. Plumbing is the Thai way so lack of 'pee" traps floor overflow or stepped wet areas. Electrical well read for yourself on the thread "should the neutral be earthed"

If you decide to use a builder I offer the advice given to me by an Asian business man when I was negotiating a multi mil $ deal once. "To an Asian a contract is a snap shot of what we both feel at that minute in time. After that anything can happen. Do not waste you time with your way of legal action because we will tie you up for as long as it takes for you and your company to walk away."

If you build good luck, may you have the patience of a saint, and may your sanity be cyrogenically be preserved.

[spot]

If anyone has already built a house here, I'd be interested to know how much it cost?

Cheers

Spot

[pumpuiman]

Hiya all,

does anyone have any drawings for houses? Know where I can get some? Nong Khai area any good builders?

Thanks

http://www.dtcp.go.th/workinfo/house_model/doc_house.html

here is a link for government approved house plans. The house above was built with govt. plans.(see #11)

Cost...about 1,700,000 after addition and other improvements

[ilyushin]

Seems like you would design the concept and let the engineer proceed to drawings.

Good luck!

Ilyushin

[jing jing]

I'd suggest ,as an alternative to the government plans, those home design books available at any Se-ed bookstore. The one I pulled my house plan from was the blue "120" book, which is all single-story designs. Many of the local builders have a copy of it... there are plenty of other books to choose from as well.

[Dupont]

Best bet is to find an existing house you like, ask the owners if alls well, then pursue the builder, get a FULL SPECIFICATION and try and get the same one built. Also take the spec to somebody that knows what they are doing (preferably outside of Thailand).

Unless you have considerable experience, your house is going to be a series of bodges, cut corners, missunderstandings, omissions, mai bpen rais and same same but differents! Funny little anecdotes in the local store and on the bus, but with 5 million baht plus, at stake.... not so funny.

Most problems people have here is that they don't realise the depth of specification required even in the west, to get simple detail done correctly, let alone piling, roof pitching, flashing, shuttering etc. From what I have seen here, concrete cancer is a major concern for the future, and most buildings only have 2 years guarantee.

Design your own house and the builder is going to be doing it for the first time which makes it worse. Get a plan for a simple bird table off the internet and try and make it yourself. Then make ten more. Which is the best? the first or the tenth!!!

A proper spec is going to run to hundreds of pages. It should look like a small telephone directory, not a computer generated picture of a completed house.

[maprao]

no matter how good of a builder you find, adhere to the following;

1. never pay more than a small 'advance' until the particular phase of a job is finished

2. even when a particular phases is finished - insect and check it out thoroughly - to your satisfaction - before paying. glitches may still crop up later, but that's just tough tamales.

3. Each time you explain something you want done - make the worker listen to your whole schpiel, and include sketches. 9 out of 10 times, the worker will cut you off at the beginning and say (in Thai) "I know, I know, no problem." Continue to explain, and when you're done, start from the beginning and explain it all over again in scintillating detail.

4. watch everything all the time - or at least as much as possible. Do not assume things will get done right. Especially watch things that can't be undone- such as cement and tile work. Look over the guy's shoulder if need be.

I have had a lot of experience building in Thailand - both with skilled and unskilled workers. I write this because I've been burned several times for being too nice of a guy and for being too trusting, and for believing what workers say - when it turns out they tell you what you want to hear - rather than the basic truth of the situation (i.e. 'no problem, I can do that').

There are more than a few stories of farang getting ripped off by contractors taking an 'advance' and never being seen again. I didn't have that problem, but I had several workers over time who stole things (mostly power tools). You can be naive like I was, and try to trust all the sweet young guys on the job site, or you can be brutally realistic and be untrusting. It's your choice.

All really good advice. Like Brahmburger I to have built here in Thailand and compared to my projects in Australia it is quite unique.

The first thing I would suggest is to really ask if you need to "BUILD" if you do be very very sure of what the final cost will be. Contrary to popular belief building materials are expensive. Labour is cheap but you get what you pay for and you need 5 Thais to produce the same output as one Oz, Oz Pom or Oz Italian, and you get one tenth of the quality.

One of the biggest expenses is cement Thai's use it as if it was water. Also the bricks, din blocks, are never layed straight or perendicular the house is usually "squared" up at the end with the "sarp". You would not believe how much cement at 113 Baht a bag is used for their "sarp" what we call render.

Oh and generally they never protect against "termite infestation" when they lay a concrete slab. provide a waterproof membrane under a slab or a damp course to the second row of brickwork. Plumbing is the Thai way so lack of 'pee" traps floor overflow or stepped wet areas. Electrical well read for yourself on the thread "should the neutral be earthed"

If you decide to use a builder I offer the advice given to me by an Asian business man when I was negotiating a multi mil $ deal once. "To an Asian a contract is a snap shot of what we both feel at that minute in time. After that anything can happen. Do not waste you time with your way of legal action because we will tie you up for as long as it takes for you and your company to walk away."

If you build good luck, may you have the patience of a saint, and may your sanity be cyrogenically be preserved.

I agree with the comments I highlighted in blue. But sounds as if you have had some bad luck.

The main point that caught my attention is earth the neutral THIS IS AC NOT DC You put an earth spike in the ground and earth all you earths through the consumer panel to the earth outside.

You use a panel with RCD which trip all if the current entering the unit does not equal the current leaving ie you have a problem.The circuit breakers to protect each circuit if the current drawn exceeds the rating of the circuit breaker.

However you never earth the neutral! Copper rod outside as earth to all earths in plugs showers, metal pipes etc then you have live and neutral !!!! AC is alternating current. Please tell me you have not done this

If you have an RCD (Residual current detector) and you have earthed the neutral it will trip all the time.

Sockets should have 3 connections live earth and neutral.

My thai builders work very hard indeed and however they are supervised all the time.

[bangkokeddy]

Fortune Town have various CDs for sale with house plans and home design software to help you create your own plans, with a bit of practise. I enjoyed messing around with the software and the 3D diagrams I produced helped the builders understand how I wanted my house to look from different angles. You can also design the garden, parking areas, etc. etc. The architects plan I had already paid for was crap and the 3d software helped me plan things and visualise in more detail. I don't think the software would replace a good architects plan, but it might help you visualise how the building will look from different angles, colours etc. I'm hooked now - I just designed my first dog kennel. One step at a time.

[JRinger]

Hiya all,

does anyone have any drawings for houses? Know where I can get some? Nong Khai area any good builders?

Thanks

you may want to take a look at www.thai-land-house.com , looks pretty good.

[southerndog]

Hiya all,

does anyone have any drawings for houses? Know where I can get some? Nong Khai area any good builders?

Thanks

you may want to take a look at www.thai-land-house.com , looks pretty good.

From every thing I've heard, building your own home is an ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE. Every THAI that I've met that has done this has greatly regretted it.

[old wanderer]

I'd suggest ,as an alternative to the government plans, those home design books available at any Se-ed bookstore. The one I pulled my house plan from was the blue "120" book, which is all single-story designs. Many of the local builders have a copy of it... there are plenty of other books to choose from as well.

I am preparing to build house 37 from this book.....I am waiting on a price at this time. It will be built at a resort in at Wang Keow near Saraburi.

[Hssl]

Been searching the old posts - change of computer - i lost a very handy link, but i remember a TV member had their own site with a lot of the goverment approved plans on it the dctp site links don't seem to work...................

Anyone?

TIA

[Bemused]

Hi Coldcrush

Whatever design you do use, please don't pick anything with obtuse or acute angles in the floor plan of the structure. Getting wood mitred to the right angle, tiles cut etc causes all kinds of problems for Thai builders. The roof is a nightmare if your house is a trange shape.

Please don't be put off building a house by all the other quotes. Building in Thailand is difficult and full of problems with people making off with your cash. However, the pleasure of creating your own piece of architecture in a place you love makes up for all the difficulties.

Most people who deisgn their own houses, get it wrong. Get some professional help even if you use an existing plan.

Good Luck

[Crossy]

Been searching the old posts - change of computer - i lost a very handy link, but i remember a TV member had their own site with a lot of the goverment approved plans on it the dctp site links don't seem to work...................

Anyone?

TIA

The government plans are here:- http://www.crossy.co.uk/Thai_House_Plans/index.html

[Hssl]

Thanks Crossy