Property zoning restrictions?

[bladerunner2120]

thanks for that information....now im seeing why so many farang developers live over there...its JUST so easy

[splitlid]

comedian

[bladerunner2120]

im not wrong am i

[hhfarang]

Yep, it's the wild, wild west, er... east!

[crazy88]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-phase_electric_power

A bit of light reading.

Crazy 88

[margaretcarnes]

Could it be the eight industrial quality air conditioners, the five water pumps, the appliances including two microwaves, three refrigerators, oven, hob, dishwasher, clothes washer and dryer, water cooler, 3 tvs, multiple sound systems, computer and peripherals, yard and home alarm system, dozen fans, remote controlled entry gate, and about a thousand light fixtures in the house and on the property?[/quote]

Big house then HHF?
It kind of puts things into perspective though. Compared with the number of appliances needed in a UK house there's little wonder expats have huge electricity bills these days.
A quick recce of Maison Carnes here reveals one fridge/freezer, one clothes washer, one TV, one computer, one ghetto blaster, one microwave, 12 low energy light fittings plus one strip light, and a charger for an electric scooter! Garden lighting is solar powered. No fences allowed therefore no gates.
It's probably the smaller - often overlooked - appliances with heating elements which gobble the juice like toaster and iron, but useage is minimal anyway - as with power tools.
All for £35 a month. Less than 1700 baht.
Ok - a different scale of property and clearly less people in it but... so many more appliances are needed in a hotter climate. Our major cost is mains gas for heating/water/cooking after all. Swings and roundabouts!
But so far in the LOS there seems little effort to produce energy saving appliances and lights, and given electricity is the major fuel - and sunshine in plentiful supply - that seems strange.

[BaaBaa.]

I think my bill is about 1200 around June and I think the GF has the aircon on to long, the bloke 4 doors down, with the same size house, pays 7k a month aircon, he has it on in every room, all day.

[Super Joe]

and multiple sound systems

a different scale of property and clearly less people in it

I think hhf was referring to electrical HiFi equipment Mags

SJ

[Nereus]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-phase_electric_power

A bit of light reading.

Crazy 88

Some good relevant facts in that link, but a lot of it not related to Thailand. The USA system is very strangely complicated, for reasons that I have never had explained to me, and I have worked extensively with their system.

In Thailand, and indeed a lot of other countries, the high tension (HT, that is sometimes referred to as MV), the grid is connected in "Delta", without any "tapping's" as shown in the illustration. This system is a 3 wire system, with the phase to phase voltage being the reference. If you look at any of the poles around you will see this, the small conductor up above the 3 power lines is a grounded lightning conductor.

At the transformer the primary side remains connected in delta, with the secondary side connected in what is called "Star", that is, a "Y" shaped configuration. Across any two ends of the "Y" the phase to phase voltage appears, its magnitude depending on the design ratio of the transformer, in Thailand it is 380 Volts. The centre point of the "Y", called the star point, is where the neutral conductor is connected. The voltage from the end of any one "leg" of the star, to the centre point, is root 3. or 1.732 of the phase to phase voltage, which here gives 220 Volts. The system is a 4 wire distribution arrangement, being 3 phases plus the neutral, which again you can see on the poles.

For each consumer connected to single phase, 1 phase and the neutral is run into the premises, and the supply authority tries to balance the system by connecting alternate consumers to different phases along the system. If the consumer requires 3 phase, then all 3 phases and the neutral are run in.

They also try to follow what is called the M.E.N. system, (Multiple Earthed Neutral), which is also an International standard. The theory behind that is supposed to be increased safety, and indeed it is, IF followed correctly.

One of the biggest problems with the distribution system here is the skimping of conductor size, along with the usual half arsed way of doing things like making proper connections.

I hope that the above is of some interest.

[crazy88]

Very accurate nereus.

The alternation of consumers is fairly standard with each having one phase and a neutral. This is the case with most properties here as it is in the UK. 3 phase electric connected phase to phase gives 380v in Thailand so none of your standard domestic appliances, including aircon and water pumps are suitable to be used this way as it will fry them.

Crazy 88

[Nereus]

Very accurate nereus.

The alternation of consumers is fairly standard with each having one phase and a neutral. This is the case with most properties here as it is in the UK. 3 phase electric connected phase to phase gives 380v in Thailand so none of your standard domestic appliances, including aircon and water pumps are suitable to be used this way as it will fry them.

Crazy 88

Not sure what you are getting at there, crazy88. 3 phase 380 volts is the supply voltage provided by the secondary output of the transformer by design, it is not "given" because of a phase to phase connection? With a 3 phase 380 volt supply to a house all of the single phase, 220 volt appliances are connected from one phase to the neutral, and the load should be split around the 3 phases in the same way that the supply authority does.

Many imported appliances, such as water heaters, ovens etc., have provision for connecting them to the higher voltage, albeit "single phase". In the case of water pumps, both local and imported are designed to run on 3 phase, 380 volts. Commercial air cons can also be 3 phase, 380 volts.

There is a good explanation on the following link. Under the sub heading "earthing" there is a good schematic of a delta / star transfomer.

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/1.1.htm

[bladerunner2120]

ok..so theres plenty of info about electrcity but developing is no problem.....

[splitlid]

yes no problem,

however........

you will need:

1. money. you cannot get any from banks, so you must have enough to do what you want, live, grease wheels, etc etc.REMEMBER: there are many hidden costs involved.

2. patience. things in the west are set out. you know what is required and how to get things,here, goalposts move daily, things take longer, and the paperwork is excessive.

3.Friends. they know people and will help when you need it.

a few years ago, there were hundreds of developments cropping up everwhere.
chancers, people jumping on the money wheel, estate agents etc all having a go.
now there are maybe 50.

all faded due to the crisis, lack of funds, criminal intent, poor builds, blah blah blah.

theres many more things to consider, but im having a beer and cant think of any, so someone else can have a go.

good luck.

[Super Joe]

now im seeing why so many farang developers live over there...its JUST so easy
ok..so theres plenty of info about electrcity but developing is no problem.....

Considering what little has been discussed so far in the thread, I really don't think 'developing' means what you think it means.

SJ

[bladerunner2120]

developing to me means purchasing land in this case vacant and building several townhouses (townhouses come in varied sizes) to completion, includes house ready to move in all paving and landscaping, Ive done several small projects here, my original thought was to rent out all bar one either as holiday rentals or mixed holiday and long term, if that wasn't working well subdivide and sell off.
since i am a builder i thought this might be a better solution for me than trying to do something i know nothing about to earn a few baht.
Partners brother in law is a builder there and she tells me well connected...so if the information is correct, sums add up and i can afford it then i would be quite keen to give it a go.
Of course i expect problems that's the building game, if it isn't a supplier then its a tradesman or relevant authority, believe me they really dick us around here if your a developer obstacles are thrown up all the time from the councils to hinder you its not easy to get past town planning stage no matter how experienced you are. Example...my sister has been waiting more than 3 years to have a heritage order removed from her fibro clad beach house so she can demolish and put 3 new units on it, The relevant person in charge wont even reply to calls or make himself available to meet when shes in town.
You guys seem to have it easy over there, as long as you have the money you pretty much can do what ever you want.
I do think property is over priced in areas such as hua hin and one of the reasons i think is because farang builders/developers build for there own market, inflating prices, that's not to say that there cheap houses, maybe we think we have higher standards than the Thais in what we want in a house but often there just bigger.
Personally i look at the space how it feels and its function, i haven't seen any house plans over there that has excited me as far as the lay out is concerned but then again I'm not into BIG and I'm not looking to make a killing either as i said earlier the idea to build is to rent out several so i can earn a few baht.