Fell in a Ditch & Got Price Gouged - Not My Week!

The construction of the Thai house is progressing, with significant work done on the back patio and other areas despite upcoming holidays. The team has been busy acquiring materials, dealing with a new builder, and even removing some unwelcome pests. The final two slats for the wall have been installed, completing the entire wall except for the front gate. The initial quote for a custom-made front gate was 55,000 baht, which is considered too expensive. The idea is to build a stronger, more ornate iron gate oneself for about 25% of the cost, as the proposed stainless steel gates are thin and costly. A motorized gate with a remote control is a preferred alternative, offering convenience over elaborate aesthetics, especially since the house is located at the end of a small, dead-end street. Work on the back patio involves filling the area with dirt and then adding concrete to make it flush with the house. This area will serve as an outdoor living space, including a kitchen, laundry, dining area, and barbecue space, covering over 40 square meters. Several loads of red dirt were delivered, with the expectation that four loads would be sufficient. However, the digger used to spread the dirt was unavailable as it was being used to load dirt elsewhere due to high demand before the Songkran holiday. Another digger will be brought in to spread the dirt. There's also a plan to raise and level the front area for a future cement slab, but the back patio is a priority because steps will soon be built, making truck access difficult. It's also better to complete the groundwork now for the concrete truck to access the area easily before walls are erected. Five loads of dirt were delivered for 4,000 baht, which translates to about 800 baht per load, or roughly $120 for 10 tons of dirt. A digger arrived to spread the dirt and tidy up a gravel pile. The leveled ground in the back patio area looks significantly better and is ready for concrete. Before concreting, rebar holes and piers for a future roof over this important back section of the house need to be installed. The digger also leveled the front area to prevent water from pooling during rain. The last obstacles for the pool area, a tree and its trunk, were removed to avoid leaf issues. The digger operator mentioned that a fiberglass pool could be easily installed there, and he could assist. A trip to buy materials involved a dead motorcycle battery and a search for a replacement. Honda didn't have the battery, but one was ordered for delivery in three days. During the material run, a store was found to be price gouging, charging higher prices for delivered items and an excessive delivery fee for blocks. For example, a bag of concrete was 135 baht for pickup but 155 baht for delivery, and 400 blocks would incur a 2,000 baht delivery fee. A different "mom and pop" store was found, offering better prices and a better attitude. They offered the needed soffit blocks at 25 baht per block, with delivery included. This store also offered asphalt paving for a driveway at 30,000 baht for over 200 square meters, after negotiating down from 50,000 baht. An incident occurred where the truck, laden with 350 kg of cement, backed into a ditch that had been dug for a new wall section. Neighbors helped by using large pieces of teakwood as levers to pry the truck out, with the assistance of the digger operator. The truck was successfully extracted without apparent damage. The materials from the "mom and pop" store were delivered, including cement fiberboard for the roof overhangs and special cement for finishing the interior and exterior walls with a skim coat. The dug ditch was filled, eliminating the hazard. A 15mm piece of plywood was purchased to create a form for an upright and a curb, as 10mm plywood was unavailable. The plywood was used to complete the bottom part of a form by sunset, with the upright form to be built the next day. A new crew started working on the siding, but initial steel supports had to be redone as they were incorrectly spaced by the previous builder. The new crew, being older and more experienced, worked efficiently. They are expected to work for a couple more days before the Songkran break and then return after the holidays, possibly joined by another crew for block work. Four or five young hens appeared on the property, likely scared over the wall. The wall, exposed to direct sun, was noted to be extremely hot, while shaded blocks were at a normal temperature. 200 blocks and some screws were delivered, ensuring materials are on hand for when work resumes after the holiday break. The new crew had already installed the first few soffits. The week was productive, despite the truck incident, which was resolved quickly. The next update will be after the Songkran break.