Thats my retirement plan to do some supervision for peanuts in Thailand, I'll be in Udon Dec to mid feb09.
I built my home, took photo to local ampur office and they gave GF whos owns the land a blue book
you may have good Thai quality workers , but the will always try to rip you off, even the family, they will charge you top dollar for their own labour, the wife or GF thinks might as well give it to family
if any help is needed in the later half of the year give us PM
Seek Recommendation and Advice on building
Ray-Charles,
In my opion, before you start with the construction of the house you should go back to the why first. Your answers in your last post sort of confused me a bit. What is the purpose of this house? Is it for your wife to live in while you work in the US and visit periodically or is it for you to retire to and you both of you live in the village. I read where you only spent a couple of days in the village. I think this is hardly enough time to determine if village life is for you. You don't give many details of the village location or size and that would be crucial info that we don't have that only you can take into consideration. I lived in my wife's village for about 3 months in Loei, 120K from Udon and about 100 houses. There was actually a house to rent in the village as a school teacher moved to his new wife's house in another village. Her family was great and there were some good and bad people in the village. It was an experiance and was at times fun but after 3 months figured it was not for us and needed a little bit more. We have moved 4 times since we have been married in a little over a year. We live in Nong Khai now, renting a house here and even though it is great, not sure if it is permanent yet. I guess what I am trying to say is that as you mention it has been your dream to have a custom built house, you better make darn sure the village is the place you want to live in the future in that custom built house. A couple of days visit seems a little bit short on the time side to enable you to make that most important decision of where to build. Some seem to love the village life and some hate it. Building the house is easy but I think a more pertinant question for you may be what is village life like and can I live there? Obviously there are many issues, both personal and economic, to your situation that we don't know that may make it all make sense so just my 2cents worth.
And as our friends in the Mastercard commercials say:
First trip to the village, 10,000 baht
Build house in the village, 1,500,000 baht
Deciding you don't want to live there after you build house, priceless
(just joking on the mastercard deal)
Keg
In my opion, before you start with the construction of the house you should go back to the why first. Your answers in your last post sort of confused me a bit. What is the purpose of this house? Is it for your wife to live in while you work in the US and visit periodically or is it for you to retire to and you both of you live in the village. I read where you only spent a couple of days in the village. I think this is hardly enough time to determine if village life is for you. You don't give many details of the village location or size and that would be crucial info that we don't have that only you can take into consideration. I lived in my wife's village for about 3 months in Loei, 120K from Udon and about 100 houses. There was actually a house to rent in the village as a school teacher moved to his new wife's house in another village. Her family was great and there were some good and bad people in the village. It was an experiance and was at times fun but after 3 months figured it was not for us and needed a little bit more. We have moved 4 times since we have been married in a little over a year. We live in Nong Khai now, renting a house here and even though it is great, not sure if it is permanent yet. I guess what I am trying to say is that as you mention it has been your dream to have a custom built house, you better make darn sure the village is the place you want to live in the future in that custom built house. A couple of days visit seems a little bit short on the time side to enable you to make that most important decision of where to build. Some seem to love the village life and some hate it. Building the house is easy but I think a more pertinant question for you may be what is village life like and can I live there? Obviously there are many issues, both personal and economic, to your situation that we don't know that may make it all make sense so just my 2cents worth.
And as our friends in the Mastercard commercials say:
First trip to the village, 10,000 baht
Build house in the village, 1,500,000 baht
Deciding you don't want to live there after you build house, priceless
(just joking on the mastercard deal)
Keg
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arjay
- udonmap.com
- Posts: 8345
- Joined: October 2, 2005, 12:19 pm
- Location: Gone to get a life, "troll free"
RC, Keg's advice seems very sensible and sound to me. I would certainly keep it in mind, if you haven't already done so.
Your motives sound honourable, but are you planning to live there (in the house in the village), and could you? Have you tried it for any length of time?
Some can. I know I couldn't.
Your motives sound honourable, but are you planning to live there (in the house in the village), and could you? Have you tried it for any length of time?
Some can. I know I couldn't.
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laphanphon
MR D I am building a house for my wife if she decides to dump me the house is hers I don't want any thing including money from the sale if she sold it my reason is I m building it as a gift you don't take back gifts. why is every one looks at how much they will lose if the marriage fails
Think positive and believe the marriage will last. my personal observation of thai women only few will look for better. / thinking they will get more $ by switching partners but most of them wind up with nothing due to stupidity and greed.
Think positive and believe the marriage will last. my personal observation of thai women only few will look for better. / thinking they will get more $ by switching partners but most of them wind up with nothing due to stupidity and greed.
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Ray.Charles
- udonmap.com
- Posts: 844
- Joined: July 14, 2008, 7:13 am
I am enjoying the psycho-analytical droppings and learning from them, as well.
Unfortunately though only one member sent me a reference for an architect. Neither did I get any high level do's and don't's in construction; my list in the opening post was prepared from reading the forum. I also wanted to know whether I got my math correct in the area (Rai) conversions, and my budget right for an architect.
I was going to get BobHelm's help to post the house plan, but decided to postpone that because so far it seems that there is little interest on quantitative matters.
Before we get back to the juicy stuff, let me comment on the unscrupulous Thai labor. Where I live in the U.S., if you do not know much about the internals of an automobile, it is pretty amazing how many things the repairmen, even at the dealerships, find that are wrong with it. A friend of mine used to be the service manager at a dealership, he could barely tell an engine oil stick from a transmission oil stick. He is now making zillions in the Wall Street; god bless him, we are still friends.
I also know that the estimate for a job by the trades people often depends on their guess at both the ignorance and the pocket book of the home owner, a table of estimates by the zip codes! Like any businessman, they are in it to maximize their profit. As long as there is no monopoly and fraud, it is just the free market. I am sure that there are totally honest, whatever the word means in this context, trades people in the world, may be in Sweden but it would too cold for me to live there, except in Malmo!
I worry less about the ignorance tax that I will have to pay in Thailand, and worry more about the honesty and the competence of the labor. In the States, the trades people, generally speaking, are efficient and competent. Plus, there are all kinds of recourses if they do not deliver.
Now back to the juicy stuff....Why?Why?
Lak told me that her life has been like a Thai soap opera. Father died in an accident, the nearest sister died from illness. After the divorce she had to leave her only child, a 10 year old son, with her husband's family because she did not have money to care for him; in her words "no money, no job, no place to call home and not want to "trouble" my family". There must be some 'white night' complex inside me in helping her, and a corresponding gratitude inside her. But then I could be in such a relationship with millions of lady-Thais. There has to be something more to it than that, but who the hell needs to be analytical about these sort of things. Go into a relationship with not just a check list to find the best 'employee/partner', but run into someone who gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. I think that I think the way aznyron thinks; I guess he is another one of us romantic fools. Also, because I know myself somewhat, I worry more about myself to screw this thing up than her doing that.
keg, thanks for being thoughtfull, and thanks to arjay also for raising the village living concerns. You may want to take a look at the "Why UDON" thread in the general Secttion (p2) for some background.
Lak spent her childhood with her two sisters, a brother, and her parents and the rest in TUMBON NAKWANG, AUMPHER MAUNG; she is now back there living with her mother.
When she did not know that I can spare some extra bahts; she was prepared to support me by working in a food business. A consideration in choosing the place to live then was where she can have a food business; that was Phuket, Pattaya or Chiang Mai because of the presence of many man-Europe in those places.
Keg, its a coinncidence that like you she had lived in Loei when her father was posted there. Since I like mountains, I had asked Lak "Why not LOEI". She was not interested. Anyway, now we have settled on Udon, and now ask where in Udon, and ask rent or buy or build. We talked about making our home nearer to the city, especially if she wants to run a food business there. (She wants to support at least herself, and is apologetic that she is not doing that now because I asked her to spend full time learning English).
Yes, Keg, at the moment, I can stay with her only part of a year. She knows the life of a soldier's wife; her father was a soldier, and her brother is one now, living on a navy base near Bangkok while his wife and baby are in Chiang Rai.
Why not rent until I can come over and get to know the place better, and our relationship is more secure. Yes, we can. But, a rental is likely to be available nearer to the city where she would be less comfortable living alone a good part of the year. At the village she has her clan, the rice farms, the temple, etc. I will check if there is any rental available in the village.
Keg, I couldn't be completely sure in just 2-3 days if I would like to live in her village. But, I do know that I am not a city boy. I liked her family rice farm with a two storey shack on it, a 4 km walk from the village, a good distance for me to walk one way or ride a bicycle both ways. I liked the 5-minute walk to the village temple, and I liked walking with Lak and the family dog to the inner village.
Udon is 20-30 minutes by motorcycle; wish it was a little nearer; but it is not too far to drop in to eat with Lak or by myself for a beer and an English-speaking fix.
Relationship with the family and the local folks will be fine as long as they wouldn't ask for money. I may be able to help on my terms as long as they wouldn't ask. Lak knows about that and has had a 'discussion' with her mother about it. She is a strong-willed girl, and fortunately for me, her two siblings are on their own, and the mother at least have her own home, and have a husband who brings home some bahts. In the end, if it does not work, I will pack up and leave, and if I am able to come over 'permanently' at that time, Lak will probably move with me despite her feelings about wanting to take care of her mother.
I will have a trip there next month, before I start to dig, if I choose to dig. I am collecting information in advance so that I can move quickly should I choose to take the plunge.
Anyway, for me life can not be all about calculations.
Thank you all for caring.
Unfortunately though only one member sent me a reference for an architect. Neither did I get any high level do's and don't's in construction; my list in the opening post was prepared from reading the forum. I also wanted to know whether I got my math correct in the area (Rai) conversions, and my budget right for an architect.
I was going to get BobHelm's help to post the house plan, but decided to postpone that because so far it seems that there is little interest on quantitative matters.
Before we get back to the juicy stuff, let me comment on the unscrupulous Thai labor. Where I live in the U.S., if you do not know much about the internals of an automobile, it is pretty amazing how many things the repairmen, even at the dealerships, find that are wrong with it. A friend of mine used to be the service manager at a dealership, he could barely tell an engine oil stick from a transmission oil stick. He is now making zillions in the Wall Street; god bless him, we are still friends.
I also know that the estimate for a job by the trades people often depends on their guess at both the ignorance and the pocket book of the home owner, a table of estimates by the zip codes! Like any businessman, they are in it to maximize their profit. As long as there is no monopoly and fraud, it is just the free market. I am sure that there are totally honest, whatever the word means in this context, trades people in the world, may be in Sweden but it would too cold for me to live there, except in Malmo!
I worry less about the ignorance tax that I will have to pay in Thailand, and worry more about the honesty and the competence of the labor. In the States, the trades people, generally speaking, are efficient and competent. Plus, there are all kinds of recourses if they do not deliver.
Now back to the juicy stuff....Why?Why?
Lak told me that her life has been like a Thai soap opera. Father died in an accident, the nearest sister died from illness. After the divorce she had to leave her only child, a 10 year old son, with her husband's family because she did not have money to care for him; in her words "no money, no job, no place to call home and not want to "trouble" my family". There must be some 'white night' complex inside me in helping her, and a corresponding gratitude inside her. But then I could be in such a relationship with millions of lady-Thais. There has to be something more to it than that, but who the hell needs to be analytical about these sort of things. Go into a relationship with not just a check list to find the best 'employee/partner', but run into someone who gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. I think that I think the way aznyron thinks; I guess he is another one of us romantic fools. Also, because I know myself somewhat, I worry more about myself to screw this thing up than her doing that.
keg, thanks for being thoughtfull, and thanks to arjay also for raising the village living concerns. You may want to take a look at the "Why UDON" thread in the general Secttion (p2) for some background.
Lak spent her childhood with her two sisters, a brother, and her parents and the rest in TUMBON NAKWANG, AUMPHER MAUNG; she is now back there living with her mother.
When she did not know that I can spare some extra bahts; she was prepared to support me by working in a food business. A consideration in choosing the place to live then was where she can have a food business; that was Phuket, Pattaya or Chiang Mai because of the presence of many man-Europe in those places.
Keg, its a coinncidence that like you she had lived in Loei when her father was posted there. Since I like mountains, I had asked Lak "Why not LOEI". She was not interested. Anyway, now we have settled on Udon, and now ask where in Udon, and ask rent or buy or build. We talked about making our home nearer to the city, especially if she wants to run a food business there. (She wants to support at least herself, and is apologetic that she is not doing that now because I asked her to spend full time learning English).
Yes, Keg, at the moment, I can stay with her only part of a year. She knows the life of a soldier's wife; her father was a soldier, and her brother is one now, living on a navy base near Bangkok while his wife and baby are in Chiang Rai.
Why not rent until I can come over and get to know the place better, and our relationship is more secure. Yes, we can. But, a rental is likely to be available nearer to the city where she would be less comfortable living alone a good part of the year. At the village she has her clan, the rice farms, the temple, etc. I will check if there is any rental available in the village.
Keg, I couldn't be completely sure in just 2-3 days if I would like to live in her village. But, I do know that I am not a city boy. I liked her family rice farm with a two storey shack on it, a 4 km walk from the village, a good distance for me to walk one way or ride a bicycle both ways. I liked the 5-minute walk to the village temple, and I liked walking with Lak and the family dog to the inner village.
Udon is 20-30 minutes by motorcycle; wish it was a little nearer; but it is not too far to drop in to eat with Lak or by myself for a beer and an English-speaking fix.
Relationship with the family and the local folks will be fine as long as they wouldn't ask for money. I may be able to help on my terms as long as they wouldn't ask. Lak knows about that and has had a 'discussion' with her mother about it. She is a strong-willed girl, and fortunately for me, her two siblings are on their own, and the mother at least have her own home, and have a husband who brings home some bahts. In the end, if it does not work, I will pack up and leave, and if I am able to come over 'permanently' at that time, Lak will probably move with me despite her feelings about wanting to take care of her mother.
I will have a trip there next month, before I start to dig, if I choose to dig. I am collecting information in advance so that I can move quickly should I choose to take the plunge.
Anyway, for me life can not be all about calculations.
Thank you all for caring.
RC,if you are looking for a quality builder,I have a Thai friend in Nong Khai that lived in the USA for 30 years,returned to NK about 3 years ago,bought 1 rai of land in town and had a house built.It is the best quality built house,I personally have been in,in Thailand.Not a mansion or anything like that,just 100% satisfactionEverything was done exactly as my friend wanted with quality materials!
If you are interested,PM me and I will give you Sams Email.You can talk direct with him!Don't worry,neither him or I will be getting anything from it!He is a straightshooter and likes to help!
If you are interested,PM me and I will give you Sams Email.You can talk direct with him!Don't worry,neither him or I will be getting anything from it!He is a straightshooter and likes to help!
No offense RC but I think people are just trying to tell you to take it a bit slow and give yourself enough time to evaluate your own situation from an informed point. Most Falangs, me included, cant believe how lucky we are to meet this perfect little Honey who waits on us hand and foot and asks for nothing in return. We then turn up at the Village and see them living in what we would consider squaller and immediately want to help in some way. We build the house and tile the floors and even furnish the place to make it a home. And guess what?? The family still live outside eating and drinking and even sleeping on their little Bamboo table, eating with their fingers and living the traditional life that they love. The house that you build is just a show piece for the neighbours to show their wealth. If you live there you can expect family and friends to wander in at all times of the day and night, especially meal times, and you will find yourself nothing more than a visitor who's pointed at and laughed about on a regular basis. If however you build away from the family when people come to visit they will feel like guests and will be humble in your presents because they are out of their comfort zone. These are things to seriously consider and you can only get a grasp of the situation with long term experience. So my advice is, slow down and walk before you run.
Ray before you build make sure that what you want. I just want to say I am building a house in my wife village I have no intentions of living in it it a gift from me to her since she is been with me she has done every thing for me and if I should die in the next year or two I want her to have some thing I don't buy her gold or any kind of jewelry I also want to say my in laws are just wonderful people when it comes to money I am the one borrowing from my in laws not them asking me for money. So I do want to say there are many horror stories about thai ladies but there also some wonderful stories which never get told. when you arrive in Udon stop at the night market on the first saturday of every month and meet us for some good enjoyment and few drinks both soft and alcohol drinks. and just keep in mind what ever you buy for the lady in your life consider it a gift because if it does not work out the way you planned it you can walk away feeling good about your self and always keep your life savings in your home bank and spend only what you can afford to lose until you are 100% sure this is the lady for you good luck
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Ray.Charles
- udonmap.com
- Posts: 844
- Joined: July 14, 2008, 7:13 am
Nice, thoughtful advice, aznyron.
No offense taken, Aardvark.
To the contrary, I think that your point is well taken, indeed the point about not wanting to host the village social club in the house is very well taken by me, one who treasures his privacy. One of the reason for wanting a two level house is that the village meetings could be held downstairs whereas I would have my bedroom, sitting room, and a balcony (and liquor) upstairs. In tense situations, I would expect my lady-Thai, Lak, to provide me with room service!
I may not mind dropping in a village meeting every now and then as long as I have my escape pre-planned.
Lak's siblings, the elder sister, a professor in Bangkok, and the elder brother, a navy guy with a few stripes on his shoulder, know how to eat in a restaurant. Lak knows to keep her mom away from me, and I actually like her grandma. Then of course there are a million other folks, including half-a-million relatives living in the village. I hope that she would be able to control the crowd after she is informed of my preferences! Then again she is tough; she may just tell me to take a walk to the rice farm.
By the way, all of you my well-wishers would be happy to know that I am searching for a rental in Lak's village. This would alllow me to not stay in a hotel, not stay in Lak's mom's home (too small for more than a few days), and will allow Lak to stay in the village for security and company when I would not be staying with her. This way I can soak in the village life a bit more and not rush the construction also.
Now, you all can let go of that sigh of relief and pray for me that I find a suitable rental in the village.
No offense taken, Aardvark.
To the contrary, I think that your point is well taken, indeed the point about not wanting to host the village social club in the house is very well taken by me, one who treasures his privacy. One of the reason for wanting a two level house is that the village meetings could be held downstairs whereas I would have my bedroom, sitting room, and a balcony (and liquor) upstairs. In tense situations, I would expect my lady-Thai, Lak, to provide me with room service!
I may not mind dropping in a village meeting every now and then as long as I have my escape pre-planned.
Lak's siblings, the elder sister, a professor in Bangkok, and the elder brother, a navy guy with a few stripes on his shoulder, know how to eat in a restaurant. Lak knows to keep her mom away from me, and I actually like her grandma. Then of course there are a million other folks, including half-a-million relatives living in the village. I hope that she would be able to control the crowd after she is informed of my preferences! Then again she is tough; she may just tell me to take a walk to the rice farm.
By the way, all of you my well-wishers would be happy to know that I am searching for a rental in Lak's village. This would alllow me to not stay in a hotel, not stay in Lak's mom's home (too small for more than a few days), and will allow Lak to stay in the village for security and company when I would not be staying with her. This way I can soak in the village life a bit more and not rush the construction also.
Now, you all can let go of that sigh of relief and pray for me that I find a suitable rental in the village.
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Ray.Charles
- udonmap.com
- Posts: 844
- Joined: July 14, 2008, 7:13 am
No, thats why I asked you all to pray. Don't you all believe in Buddha?
Its a tough set of requirements that I am trying to negotiate.
May be I can refurbish where Lak lived when she was growing up, smack in the center of the village behind her grandma's house. Grandma would love that. Talk about an immersion in a village culture. Lak's mother's home is on the border of the village, still just a walking distance from the center.
Its a tough set of requirements that I am trying to negotiate.
May be I can refurbish where Lak lived when she was growing up, smack in the center of the village behind her grandma's house. Grandma would love that. Talk about an immersion in a village culture. Lak's mother's home is on the border of the village, still just a walking distance from the center.
Ray Charles - I Got a Woman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAvP3eV73Vs
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAvP3eV73Vs
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Ray.Charles wrote:No, thats why I asked you all to pray. Don't you all believe in Buddha?
Its a tough set of requirements that I am trying to negotiate.
May be I can refurbish where Lak lived when she was growing up, smack in the center of the village behind her grandma's house. Grandma would love that. Talk about an immersion in a village culture. Lak's mother's home is on the border of the village, still just a walking distance from the center.
As a matter of fact,no I don't believe in Buddha and prayer to him But since you are talking about ''miracles'',anything is possible
I doubt if you would have a privacy problem upstairs,as long as you left your ATM card downstairs
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samesame657
- New Member
- Posts: 7
- Joined: March 4, 2008, 8:58 pm
Couldn`t agree more...aznyron wrote:MR D I am building a house for my wife if she decides to dump me the house is hers I don't want any thing including money from the sale if she sold it my reason is I m building it as a gift you don't take back gifts. why is every one looks at how much they will lose if the marriage fails
Think positive and believe the marriage will last. my personal observation of thai women only few will look for better. / thinking they will get more $ by switching partners but most of them wind up with nothing due to stupidity and greed.
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Ray.Charles
- udonmap.com
- Posts: 844
- Joined: July 14, 2008, 7:13 am
Re: Seek Recommendation and Advice on building
Have retirement visa, have international driving permit, have rented a house, and now on to the next stage...on the prowl for some land.
My lady-Thai, Lak, agrees with you guys that we should not build and live on her land next to her mother; we do not even need to be very close her village. Nevertheless, Lak would like us to live in Udon, or somewhere between NongKhai and Khorat. Neither she nor I have any idea how to go about looking for that land. About 2 Rais would be nice enough for a small house, vegetable and fruit gardens; but we can go up to 10-12 Rais if the price is right.
We will also consider buying such land with a house on it.
Our last preference would be buying in a housing estate.
Any leads from youu guys?
My lady-Thai, Lak, agrees with you guys that we should not build and live on her land next to her mother; we do not even need to be very close her village. Nevertheless, Lak would like us to live in Udon, or somewhere between NongKhai and Khorat. Neither she nor I have any idea how to go about looking for that land. About 2 Rais would be nice enough for a small house, vegetable and fruit gardens; but we can go up to 10-12 Rais if the price is right.
We will also consider buying such land with a house on it.
Our last preference would be buying in a housing estate.
Any leads from youu guys?
Re: Seek Recommendation and Advice on building
Ray,
have a look www.issan-estates.com
Especially the Riverside Garden Home project, plot from 1 -2 rai and 15 available,
Call me or PM if interested, There is a house availble for rent on this development so you could supervise building
have a look www.issan-estates.com
Especially the Riverside Garden Home project, plot from 1 -2 rai and 15 available,
Call me or PM if interested, There is a house availble for rent on this development so you could supervise building