I have decided that I am ready to build my main house in Thailand. So I send the wife off to get some quotes from some builders. Then my wife tells me that we can't start building the house until October, when the Buddist Lent period finishes. Now, I have been here many years and heard and seen many strange local customs but this is the only one that has really wound me up

So, I ask the wife why we can't start building until October. Her reply is because of Buddist Lent period. Which is strange to me because what has monks staying in the same temple for 3 months got to do with building a house? I know a few Thai's give up drinking or eating meat but I suspect they don't give up building houses. My wife can't explain it to me, other than its to do with Buddist Lent and we needed to have  started the house before Buddist Lent or we need to wait 3 months now.

It does make sense to wait until the end of the rainy season to start building a house but that isn't the reason being given by the wife. I know Thai's are more conservative through Buddist Lent, avoiding having weddings and moving house. All I will be doing is building a bigger house next to our temporary house on the same plot of land.

Does anyone more knowledgeable than me know what my wife is on about?

 

This is just my take on this problem.

Different Thais place different importance on Buddhist events.

This is a most important time for Thais, and if your wife says not to build until a certain date, then go with that idea.

If you don't follow her advice, and something goes wrong when you're building the house or it's finished, it will be all your fault, regardless of whether it is or not.

If her family lives around you, you will also be in long term trouble with them.

You can use this 3 months to really plan ahead and get completely organised.

An example:

Last Saturday was the full moon and the weekend was the start of Bhuddist Lent. We usually go to the temple on such occasions, but I couldn't go. When my wife got home it started raining heavily, and I rushed out to shut the shed door, and she said 'can you close the house windows too', unfortunately I raised my voice and told her to shut the bloody windows herself as I had to go to the shed.

When I came back she abused me for raising my voice on this special day.

Now we've been married for 20 years and travelled and worked together in a few countries, but, I didn't expect this.

So the moral is to go with what she says, and keep saying 'yes dear, yes dear'.[emoji3]

 

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If your wife says cannot, listen to her.

Some Thais are very sensitive about things like this.

First if the monks dont bless the foundations your wife will not be happy, probably refuse to live in the house.

Anything goes wrong it will be your fault, whether it is or not, you will be to blame.

Also after the house is built there will be the possibility you will get kicked out, and nothing you do or say will make any difference.

Happy with what the wife says or not, listen to her.. 3 months more to prepare/plan, and not a long time.

Didn't I read this same post just recently?

Also bear in mind that until the rice harvest is in (october or November) you just can't get anyone to help on other chores like building work.

This is a real problem in Thailand. You just need to go with the flow.

If you find that irritating, just wait until construction has finally completed and you are primed to get a good night's sleep on that new mattress under AC...   BUT, now you have to wait some days or weeks for the auspicious day which has been determined by the local shaman.  

41 minutes ago, dotpoom said:

Didn't I read this same post just recently?

 

You did indeed.

 

 

I understand the Buddhist Lent reason, BUT waiting will let you know how and what the rainy season will do to your building site. A daily watchful eye  will let you know where to reinforce your building site or maybe to move your site a few meters due to erosion or sand washing away.

Have your wife invite your chosen contractor to the site periodically during Buddhist Lent.

Thanks for all the helpful replys. I have heeded your advice and told the wife that we won't start the house build until after Buddist Lent if that makes her happy.

 

While the general advice about using the extra time to better prepare is useful, I would add that the house has been in the planning stage for 3.5 years and the land has been settling for 4 rainy seasons already. So I guess 1 more rainy season isn't going to do any harm but neither is it going to throw up any suprises.

 

I will take the opportunity to apologise for effectively double posting about this local Thai custom. Thanks for dotpoom and Crossy for pointing that out. 

 

 

I might wind up my wife by saying that the movie "Frozen" is based on a Northern European superstition not to build between October and March because it will make the spirit of the Ice Queen "Elsa" angry and she will freeze the village for a long time. . 

 

Rainy season knukle head. Look out side your door. LOL. 

You're better off building after the rains have stopped anyway.  Yeah, for your wife it's about superstition.  For you, it should be about the affect of lots of rain pouring on your construction project <then you wonder why your foundation falls apart a couple of years later>  Push the house building off to November.  

Excellent advice. I hope he takes note. Those of us that know respect the seasons and gauge accordingly with our honey do's. LOl.

Waiting for rainy season to finish.

My wife tells me that people can't get married or enter the monkhood during this period as well.

Some things we deem superstition are bounded and founded in reason... your wife may or may not know the reason. 

 

We also accept many things that we don't understand... for me, that I can touch a key on a remote control and get an entirely other channel on a TV screen. I can't really understand that. But, I have come to accept it. 

Maybe she is expecting the flood of Burmese workers exiting the country to reverse.

I would do as she says. Anything bad happening it will be your fault. But tell her that next decision will be yours whatever is up next. Dont let her boss around with all decisions as where to have this room or kitchen etc etc. Buddha say cannot have this here bla bla

We build an substantial extension to our house from July to November 2011 without labour priblems. The flood nearly ruined the party but that was an act of God. We are however now in the process on building a house in Phetchabun and it is a different story. The labor is all tied up with farming. I think it is not so much the lent as that farming is now the priority. We are now looking at bringing in labor from Bkk to build the house.

after 20 years of marriage ?

You finally want to build ?

But your wife says no?

Tell her the next 20 years it is going to be your way or ....no way.

Tell here your Farang Lent starts in 3 months and does not end before 20 years  are passed ......

 

 

 

 

Some years back we had to buy our car on a Saturday and we had to buy it inbetween 09:00 and 12:00

 

like most have said just go with it as if something goes wrong it'll all be your fault. 

5 hours ago, kenk24 said:

Some things we deem superstition are bounded and founded in reason... your wife may or may not know the reason. 

 

We also accept many things that we don't understand... for me, that I can touch a key on a remote control and get an entirely other channel on a TV screen. I can't really understand that. But, I have come to accept it. 

You have evil spirits in your remote. Best to take it to the nearest temple.

During thunderstorms, a village neighbor will start blasting away with a shotgun. My Thai GF tells me it's to ward off evil spirits, just like they do when someone dies. It seems to be working for him.

 

10 hours ago, deucebi said:

Does anyone more knowledgeable than me know what my wife is on about?

True, you can't start building a house before after Lent, and you need the monks to inform the right good luck lucky date to begin building – furthermore, from my point of view, it also make some sense, not to construct foundation during rainy season – believe OP should visit this recently published thread...

Cant start building after July 9 ??

Started by sirineou, July 1

Go for a second opinion and ask the fortune teller down at the local big c.