Renovating an old rural village home in Thailand.

[Faz]

Saga 2. The bursting blue SCG hose pipe.

Having initially requested a strong reinforced hose pipe for use with a water pump, the staff at Global directed me to the 'best' (in their words) to a blue SCG hose pipe. I purchased a 30-metre hose several months ago, and a 20-metre hose four weeks ago.
Only in the last few weeks have we been switching from mains water feed to the tank and pump option, which is when the hose pipes started bursting.

On complaining to Global on the issue, the departmental boss, insinuated the SCG pipe in question wasn't suitable for high psi use, unless the end of the pipe was left open, in other words no end nozzles. The wife was reluctant to challenge her with questions I posed, perhaps for fear of one of them loosing 'face', but her attitude of 'pffffffft' and waving us off with her hand pissed me off.
She probably thought that was the end of this 'farang'.

My argument being Global staff recommended and sold me a product not suitable for its use.

So, I contacted SCG this weekend. Indeed, in some respect, the boss wasn't telling any lies.
The SCG pipe in question is not recommended for higher psi pressures.
The staff should not have recommended that particular hose pipe for use with a water pump.
SCG agreed with my grievance, as they do manufacture and supply Global with reinforced hose pipes suitable for higher psi pressures.
As a result of my call to SCG, they contacted my local Global branch, which just also happens to be the head office, and within minutes the boss of the plumbing section was ringing my wife like a flustering headless chicken.

I have an account and spend a lot of money with Global. My request to resolve the situation was not for a refund, but to credit my account. Apparently, she doesn't have the clearance to authorise that, she has to speak to someone in a higher authority.
The jury is out, but if it's not resolved by tomorrow afternoon, I'll be in Global kicking up shit.

It's not always about the cost, it's the principal that matters.
It's their responsibility to give staff product training, not mine.

 

[Faz]

So, apart from repairing one cupboard unit Saturday, I also wanted to temporarily set up the new 55" LG TV we purchased early in the week, as 'True' are supposedly calling to connect the internet Sunday morning.

The story with True so far ..................
We originally placed an order with True in April, but requested a 'first fix' making cable installation easier before the ceilings were installed.
At the time we were advised the 1000Gb download was available.
The engineers arrived at the specified date and time and had the cable installation completed within 20 minutes.
At the same time, we booked a second visit for the modem and connections to be completed after we came back from our UK trip in June.
True never arrived at the appointed date.
We contacted the local shop who again arranged another visit, which again True failed to keep.

We were then told, due to the length of time from placing the initial order, we'd now have to make a new order - FFS!
Soooooooooooo ............ we spent 2 hours on Friday afternoon at the shop going through another order.
Gigatex modem, but 3 choices of TV decoders, the unit that has a card in a side slot, the small square True ID unit, or the new larger rectangular True ID box.
At our permanent residence, we have two TV sets. One in my den, which uses the traditional decoder with a card inserted, and a True ID box in the main living room. I recalled the problems we had with the True ID box, when it was installed, so opted for the decoder with the card, only to be overruled by the wife and True staff to accepting the new rectangular True ID unit.
The True assistant informs us they have many issues with foreigners and the choice of decoders. Many return to complain, but she doesn't understand the problem.
To be continued .................................................

So late Saturday afternoon, I managed to move an older cupboard where the TV would be situated, unpack, fit the feet and stand the TV on the unit.

 

[Faz]

Sunday 19th November.

True are due to arrive between 0900 - 1200 today to complete the installation.

Meanwhile, I start to strip the back off the second cupboard and clean the remainder.

The builder arrives 0930, wants to finish tiling the front room then tile the 3rd bedroom, whereas I want him to finish and grout the front room first before moving onto the 3rd bedroom. My reasoning is simple, as we're constantly having to move items around, juggling furniture and emptying rooms.
Currently, everything including 2 bicycles that were in the front room are outside down the side of the house. By the close of day, I want to bring those items back into the front room, without having to move them out again for grouting.
We compromise, agreeing he'll finish the tiling in the front room, grout and clean the other half, allowing me to move items back into the room without having to remove them again, before starting to tile the third bedroom - it's like musical chairs.

The third bedroom is full of boxes of tiles and more clutter that's in need of sorting out.
Another big box of the MIL's bedding, gardening tools and more bric-a-brac.
We empty our stuff out of the bedroom, just in time as True arrive at 1100.

The MIL has come down with us today to sort out the boxes of bedding and linens, discard what's crap, what to keep, what requires washing and what can be stored in her cupboard. She constantly disappears to visit her friends, returning with one at some point, and they're going through pieces of fabric, cutting some off for her friend to take home.
By the end of the day we go from one empty cupboard, 3 boxes and 2 bags ...................



To one empty cupboard, 4 boxes and 4 bags.



That's Thai progress for you

After laying the last few tiles in the front room and grouting and cleaning the other half, he makes a start in the 3rd bedroom, but notes there are still a lot of boxes of tiles to be moved (for the large front porch) before he can finish the bedroom next week (hopefully).
Through the wife and translation, my message is that's your job mate, you're doing the tiling.
Although only 3 off 60cm x 60cm 12mm thick tiles in a box, they're heavy. They can be moved into the front room near the front doors, or better still, moved outside to the side of the house where they'll be more accessible to the front porch.
The labourer moves 5 boxes and stacks them upright (not flat) in the front room against the clean, newly painted wall before I intervene and stop him.

Continued ....................

 

[Faz]

Sage 3. The True installation.

They go outside to run the previously left coiled up fibre optic cable down to the corner where the connection point is, then proceed to connect the modem whilst still on the floor, connect to their computer and start programming. We're asked for a username and password, so far so good.
Then comes the first part of the bad news, due to a lack of demand in the area, only a download speed of 500 MGB is available, not the 1000 MGB we were told.
False promises, I'm not surprised, heard it all before, but for 850 BHT a month I can live with it.

The 850 BHT a month also includes the installation of 2 cameras that using their APP you can record for 7 days and view the cameras in real time.
As we'll only spend limited time in the village, that's certainly a handy feature to have.
The next piece of disappointing news is that after connecting the modem to a PC with an Ethernet cable, they can only get a download speed of 328 MGB. After making a phone call, they advise that 300 MGB is the speed in our area, and they're pleased with getting 328 MGB, but a far cry from the 1000 MGB we were told we'd get.

Next, the two cameras. We decide to have one under the front porch under the patio ceiling looking across the front of the house and the gate. The second in the corner of the rear porch above the back door looking across the rear window, washing machine, water tan and part of the rear garden.
When unpacked, although the cameras have a ceiling mount, they come with a cable the same length as a phone charger, one end with pins plugging into the rear of the camera, the other end going into an electrical socket.
Now, this is what the shop don't know or advise. Unless you have an electrical socket installed at ceiling height adjacent to where you want the camera installed, then it's fecking useless. Even internally, if installed on the ceiling, the lead won't reach a socket. Only if it's freestanding on a unit adjacent to a plug socket is it of any use. I don't want to know when someone is in the house, FFS I can fit an alarm to deter a break in, I want to know if anyone is snooping around the property.

After spending over 80K on a new electrical installation, I'm not about to start altering the wiring to accommodate these cameras. The easiest solution would be to run an extension lead to the cameras. These have been left in the boxes for now, I've more pressing matters to attend to.

They now mount the modem on the wall, pissed, I say nothing, another small job to attend to.

Now the fun really begins when they connect the TV. It's a fantastic picture and sound, but how do I change the audio to English?
At first, they're confused between 'visual' and 'audio' and go to TV settings where you can change the language displayed.
True broadcast many of their channels in multiple languages, such as English, Chinese, Vietnamese and more.
My decoder at home (with the card in the side) comes with a remote that has an 'audio' button.
With certain channels, particularly sports and movies (even the terrestrial channels) you can press 'audio' and it displays onscreen a choice of Thai, English, even Chines or Vietnamese for movies from those respective Countries.
It's a feature the installation guys are unaware of and why should it be, the fault technicians are fully aware of it.

Slowly the picture comes together, and I understand why the shop has so many problems with the choice of decoder with foreigners.
The True ID units don't carry this feature, the remotes don't have an 'audio' feature button.
The decoders with a card, which have to be pre-ordered, programmed and issued by Bangkok, is the difference.
The wife understands now and rings the shop, but has a problem explaining the issue to the manager.
Sunday evening back at home, I show the wife how to use the 'audio' feature button on my remote, then records a program with Thai audio, which I then change to English audio. The manger is off Monday, so Tuesday the wife will call with pictures of both type of remotes and a recording of how to switch audio languages.

I fully understand why they have so many complaints from foreigners now, the True ID boxes are purely in Thai audio, only the decoders with a side inserted card have the facility to change audio using the different remote. Great when you bring the staff up to date with their own product training standards for free.
I believe in future the manager, when dealing with foreigners, will now understand the issue and insist on the decoder with a card.
The engineers did state when we resolve the problem, they'll call back next week.

 

[Quarky]

It does make you wonder how the country functions at all...

 

[Faz]

So, it's now 1400 on Sunday and I not only feel as though I've not achieved much this weekend, I actually haven't.
It's been an absolutely frustrating weekend with the builder and True.
Not to be racist, but incompetence, common sense and the Thai train of thought is so different to experiences back in the UK.

The builder has now started laying tiles in the 3rd bedroom. Each time the labourer brings him another bucket of cement, he stands with dirt cement covered hands either side of the door frame and on the walls. Three times I ask the wife to tell him, but for some reason she's reluctant.
Is this a case of the lower, subservient Thai woman that is only good for cleaning up after a man - I don't know, but by this time I've totally lost the plot this weekend and changed into an Ogre.
At first, I politely move his hands off the door frame and wall, pointing out the mess he's making. If that cement dries, it's a bugger to clean off, and we'll probably need to repaint an area. He laughs as though I'm joking and immediately puts his hands back.
This time, I remove his hands more forcibly, point and beckon him to clean the wall, which again he finds amusing.
He wasn't so amused when I threw a wet sponge at him and beckoned him to clean his mess-up, he then knew I wasn't joking.
He apologised by way of a wai and cleaned it up.

I distinctly get the impression Thai men often ignore a woman, they're there to clean up after them and do their bidding, that's their role. Well, not in this house it isn't!

The front room fully tiled;




One frustrated and angry Ogre, signing off for now.

 

[Faz]

It does make you wonder how the country functions at all...

Yeah, I went to see a doctor this morning, told him off my frustrating weekend, how I was losing my patience and coming to the end of my tether.
He replied, 'I don't understand'.
With a clenched fist, I answered, 'AND JUST WHAT THE FUCK DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND'.

I came away with a prescription for Valium.

 

[MarcTwoSix]

Saga 2. The bursting blue SCG hose pipe.

Having initially requested a strong reinforced hose pipe for use with a water pump, the staff at Global directed me to the 'best' (in their words) to a blue SCG hose pipe. I purchased a 30-metre hose several months ago, and a 20-metre hose four weeks ago.
Only in the last few weeks have we been switching from mains water feed to the tank and pump option, which is when the hose pipes started bursting.

On complaining to Global on the issue, the departmental boss, insinuated the SCG pipe in question wasn't suitable for high psi use, unless the end of the pipe was left open, in other words no end nozzles. The wife was reluctant to challenge her with questions I posed, perhaps for fear of one of them loosing 'face', but her attitude of 'pffffffft' and waving us off with her hand pissed me off.
She probably thought that was the end of this 'farang'.

My argument being Global staff recommended and sold me a product not suitable for its use.

So, I contacted SCG this weekend. Indeed, in some respect, the boss wasn't telling any lies.
The SCG pipe in question is not recommended for higher psi pressures.
The staff should not have recommended that particular hose pipe for use with a water pump.
SCG agreed with my grievance, as they do manufacture and supply Global with reinforced hose pipes suitable for higher psi pressures.
As a result of my call to SCG, they contacted my local Global branch, which just also happens to be the head office, and within minutes the boss of the plumbing section was ringing my wife like a flustering headless chicken.

I have an account and spend a lot of money with Global. My request to resolve the situation was not for a refund, but to credit my account. Apparently, she doesn't have the clearance to authorise that, she has to speak to someone in a higher authority.
The jury is out, but if it's not resolved by tomorrow afternoon, I'll be in Global kicking up shit.

It's not always about the cost, it's the principal that matters.
It's their responsibility to give staff product training, not mine.

I always complain at how awful and indifferent service is on Vancouver

Home Depot is a perfect example
You walk into any Home Depot in the US and ask a question, they will have someone on staff that can pretty much expertly answer your question

I'm not exgerratting when I say I have never had a question answered in Vancouver at Home Depot

 

[Faz]

Update:

The SCG blue hose pipe Saga.
After initially complaining to Global about the (bursting) SCG hose pipe they recommended and described as the 'best', when we were fobbed off I contacted SCG directly with my complaint, that being Global sold me goods not fit for the purpose, which SCG agreed with and contacted Global themselves over the issue.
Well, yesterday I returned the SCG hose pipe to Global expecting another round of confrontation, but instead, a staff member of the plumbing department lead me directly to the returns desk where I was immediately fully refunded without further questioning.
All the staff appeared to be fully expecting my return and had been briefed to give a refund. I was in and out within 10 minutes.

The True ID TV decoder Saga.
Read my early post explaining the issue, re unable to switch 'audio' to English.
The installation engineers after enquires confirmed there wasn't a facility to change the audio settings with the True ID decoders.
Meanwhile, the sales team have sent a report to Bangkok HQ requesting a change of the decoder to the type with a card inserted.
Again, yesterday I decided to follow this up directly with True HQ and spoke to the technical team at True visions.
YOU CAN change the 'audio' language output with the True ID decoder, it just appears that neither the sales nor Installation teams are familiar with how to do it.
The technician agreed it would be far less frustrating and convenient for customers, if these staff members were familiar with the capabilities of the equipment they recommend and then install.

The moral here (as experienced with banks and government departments) if you get fobbed off with the 'No hab' or 'No can do' make further enquiries at a higher level. The levels of communication and training are quite appalling in Thailand.
There are knowledgable and experienced members of staff, the trick is in finding them!

 

[Faz]

It's that time of the week again, and we're back to the village house again.
The builder advised he'll be present Saturday and Sunday.
The front room is now fully tiled, but two thirds await grouting, whilst the 3rd bedroom only has a few tiles laid and awaits completion.
After that, only the front porch (9m x 4m) remains to be tiled.

It's a good feel factor knowing the builder will be out of the house, and we can get organised sorting the internal rooms out and not constantly moving items from A to B, then to C. We've already ordered some pieces of furniture, but not as yet arranged a delivery date, although I was hoping for Sat 2nd December as a possibility.

Sat 25th Nov.
It's 1030, and we have no idea where the builder is.
It's rice harvesting time and the wife has disappeared to arrange for her rice crop to be cut either today or tomorrow.
200 metres from the village house, the wife owns a plot of land (over 4 hectares) of which almost 1 hectare is an orchard, the remainder a rice paddy field.

Left to my own devises, with the addition of an extra cupboard built in the front room, I decided to get the worktop cut down to size and get the supporting galvanised steel frame cut and fitted. These 2.4 x 1.2 metre Viva boards I'm using as a worktop base are friggin heavy, and I nearly suffer a hernia trying to take it outside for cutting. Using a circular saw, I cut it down to 60.5cm x 2 metre.





The two old beds make a perfect workbench for this task and once cut the two separate sheets are much more manageable to handle.

 

[Faz]

It's now 1100 and the builder finally arrives and the wife returns.

Finishing grouting the front room is the priority today, then tomorrow we can clean, mask and paint around the wall edges.

I cut the steel cut to lengths and start fitting the pieces to form the support for the Viva board.





As with the other worktops, after cutting to length, I fix the outer pieces by first drilling a 4.5mm hole through the steel using an HSS bit.
I then open this hole up using a 7mm multipurpose drill bit and drill directly through into the wall, which I plug using size 7mm plastic plugs.
I used 2 1/2" size 10s screws with a washer to secure to the walls.
Cross supporting pieces are cut and wedged in, awaiting welding.

 

[Faz]

The builder goes for lunch at 1230, and I tell him to bring his welder over afterwards, I can then fit the worktop.
After lunch, it takes him all of 20 minutes to weld the steel pieces together.

I mark the worktop in line with the steel supports for fixing screws.





I use 1 1/2" self drilling roofing screws to fix the worktop down.

I also have enough edging trim left to fix around the external edges.

 

[Faz]

Meanwhile, the builder finishes grouting the front room tiles and the wife prefers to clean up after him as he's useless, before she gets back to cleaning a cupboard she started first thing this morning.



The wife is still constantly disappearing, chasing down the rice cutting crews.
Although there are plenty of crews still around the village, many have no time today and aren't returning tomorrow. Eventually she finds a crew returning tomorrow and promise to harvest her field the following morning.

The builder manages to complete tiling the 3rd bedroom, but it needs grouting yet.




As this brings Saturday to a close, the wife gets a 3/10 for her efforts and help today, whilst the builder makes an extraordinary claim that tomorrow he'll finish grouting the bedroom and complete tiling half of the 9m x 4m front patio error.
I bet him 100 BHT he doesn't, but he's full of confidence, so I up the bet to 1,000 BHT.

 

[Faz]

Sun 26th Nov.

We arrive at 0830 and the wife is off to her field to ensure the cutting crew have arrived as promised.
I want to get the frame and doors fitted to the cupboard in the front room and hopefully paint it.

Nothing ever runs smooth or as planned and as I present the frame to the aperture I'm hit with a problem, namely the builder's measuring abilities.
There is at least a 1cm gap in the height.



I could, just infill on the top, but would be concerned about cracking later. There is an existing concrete lintel on the top already, so I prefer to concrete at the base to lift the door frame up. Where there's a will, there's a way.



Taking measurements with my tape measure, which must differ from the builders, I lay an extra bed of concrete to the base, but have to leave it to set before I can fit the frame and doors, which now won't be this weekend.

 

[Faz]

A truck arrives at 1000 laden with rice. The wife has spread some sheets out covering the garden where she'll spread the rice out to dry.
Newly cropped rice, still shelled, needs to be spread out and constantly turned for at least 2 days in order to thoroughly dry out before it can be shelled and polished. In essence, for me, it means no help from the wife in the house today.

It reaches 1200 and no sign of the builder.
My day gets worse when I discover the wife, for lunch, has brought me a carbonara noodle she got for free with some other product purchased at Big C.
There is a reason it's free, because they couldn't sell it on its own. Whilst it has a taste of carbonara, it's like chewing on elastic bands, the noodles are so tough.
To compliment this dish, she also brought two rounds of bread (you read that correctly).
Yummie, I've always wanted to dip some bread in carbonara noodles.

1230 and the builder arrives, but announces he has to leave at 1400 to drive his eldest son somewhere, although his eldest son can drive.
Perhaps he doesn't have a licence, but that never stops 40% of the Thais from taking to the road.
He thinks he has time to start mixing cement and start laying some tiles on the patio, whilst the priority is to get that 3rd bedroom grouted.
His excuse is his grout mixing bucket is dirty after he previously mixed way too much grout for the front room and didn't clean the bucket out afterwards, so the remainder has set in his bucket. He could have used the leftover to grout the previously partly tiled 3rd bedroom, but that would have meant using some initiative. Life is tough at the top of any trade, you'll have to clean your own mixing bucket then, the wife is busy!

One grouted and cleaned (to Thai standard regulations) 3rd bedroom floor.


I'd previously hoped to have the front room and 3rd bedrooms tiled, grouted and cleaned, then the tiles masked, and the wall edges painted this weekend, so I could arrange delivery of some furniture (including beds) next weekend, but I guess we'll have to wait another week before we're in a position to have a sleepover.

 

[Faz]

Unable to complete fitting the frame and painting the front room cupboard, and with the prospect of the builder now starting to tile the front porch next week, I revert to repairing that old cupboard out on the porch that was damaged by the wind.

I remove the damaged side piece and cut a new piece of 1/8" plywood to fit.
I also note that the 3/4" nails I previously used to fix the new plywood sheeting are coming loose and not holding.
So, I reinforce the fixings using 1" nails on the exposed ends, but on the rear sheets additionally add 3/4" self-tapping screws as reinforcement.

Why not use glue, I hear you ask?
Well firstly, only the PVA type glue is available locally and not very good, whereas decent wood glue I could only find through Lazada.
I did glue the1" damaged side frame with (proper) glue before fixing a new side piece of plywood.
The second reason being, as I've found with existing furniture with hardboard or plywood sheeting affixed to the back, when you push something to the back so it presses on the rear backing, when glued it doesn't prevent a ply ripping and the sheet easily detaching, hence I used larger headed screws where the fixing aren't seen.







Afterwards, I moved these cupboards indoors to clear the front porch and leave it free for tiling.

 

[Faz]

By Sunday evening, the porch was clear of obstructions, and there are a host of unfinished jobs for me to attend to next week.
Some of which I need further materials to complete.

On another note, True didn't arrive as promised on Sunday to fit the Wi-Fi booster in the front room either.

The rice was rapped up in sheeting, stored in cardboard boxes, or any other crevice it would fit, and will all have to be pulled out to expose it to the sun again next weekend to thoroughly dry it out, so doubtful the wife will accomplish the chores I set her to complete, which delays having any furniture delivered.
It's pointless putting anything where it's supposed to go in the front room or 3rd bedroom until the tiles are cleaned properly, and the bottom wall edges are painted, otherwise it will all have to be moved around again.

 

[Faz]

Sat, 2nd December:

This morning, we're expecting a delivery of some items, namely a desk, a tall storage cupboard, a coffee table, 3 x sets of drawers, dining table and 4 chairs, and an 8' by 4' sheet of 1/8" ply, so I can fit a new back to the second lounge cupboard unit.

I've listed a total of 7 jobs to complete this weekend, all being well, namely;
1. Cut and fit a new ply sheet to the back of the second lounge cupboard unit.
2. Cut and fit a half tile to the new cupboard worktop in the front room.
3. Fit the door frame to the same cupboard.
4. Paint the same cupboard exterior.
5. Stain/varnish the two cupboard units in the lounge and the double wooden bed.
6. Arrange awnings to be fitted at the rear.
7. Measure windows for curtain rails and curtains.
8. Clean the 3rd bedroom floor and window.
9. Bag the harvested rice.

With the builder due to arrive to start tiling the front porch, and now not trampling through the house, we can continue with cleaning floors except for the front room, which is currently stacked with anything that as yet can't be stored elsewhere, or is a work in progress.





First job was to bag the harvested dried rice, as you can see.
Some was taken for shelling and polishing and will be collected next week.

 

[Faz]

Meanwhile, inside the lounge area, it looks a little cleaner and tidier than previously, although we're still short on cupboard space and finding a home for everything, but that should be resolved within the next couple of weekends.





Next Saturday we'll be taking delivery of the beds, settee and TV wall unit.
Through the previous week, I'd been shopping for bedding in preparation and some brought from home, which has been thrown in a corner of one of the bedrooms for the time being.

 

[Faz]

The builder must have wet the bed this morning, as he arrives at 0900, along with his labourer.
He wants to start tiling from the front doors going left towards the gate, but as we're expecting a delivery that would hamper access across the patio, so he starts by tiling from the doors towards the right, leaving clear access across the patio to the front doors.

Delivery duly arrives at 1130.