Avoiding the Hua Hin Farang Building Mafia

[easyas]

Can anybody recommend a reliable Thai building team for a house build in Hua Hin that is NOT under the control of one or other of the Hua Hin Farang Building Mafia?

[MrPlum]

This has probably been asked many times but for me, I would go to some of the buildings that are under construction and ask who the developer/builder is? Better yet, find Thai builders doing government buildings. If they do shoddy work, I doubt they will get paid or renewed. You tend to get into trouble when builders have too much work and sub-contract to cowboys. So make sure the builder you hire is the one actually doing the work, or will be responsible for it.

Not sure about enforcement but you could ensure your contract specifies exactly what you want doing as well as staged payments and penalties. If builders baulk at the terms, they may not be the builder you want. Then again, if they they don't bat an eye, they may be the ones who will cheat you.

You will obviously need someone you can communicate with.

Not sure myself who the 'mafia' are but I'm sure there must be one honest builder amongst the foreigners. He's the one booked solid for the next 10 years.

A topic 'Who built your house and are you happy with it?' is a bit more positive and might encourage more suggestions.

[splitlid]

Bit harsh, your suggesting that all western builders are criminals.

[brianks]

Probably the best way to check Farang builders is to Google their names and see what information comes up on the internet on them. For some it is some interesting reading.

[advocate]

Do not use the standard Mickey Mouse contract from the builders here. It offers no protection for the customer whatsoever. Their contract is usually only 2 or 3 pages long. My contract for my build ran at least 8 pages. You also need a building specification list that details all specs and grades of materials.

Many builders will just take a payment and walk off the job. They can make a windfall amount this way and not have to bother doing the work.

Best if you buy all materials and pay the builder for labour only, or you will find suppliers are not being paid. Best to break the payment schedule into 7-8 payment stages rather than the 4 or 5 they use.

Their idea of qaulity work seems to be that if you can't see it, it doesn't matter how shoddy the work is. Beware esp of so called plumbers and electricians who don't have a clue what they are doing.

You need to be there for the entire build or they will cut every corner they can.

[easyas]

Bit harsh, your suggesting that all western builders are criminals.

Where on earth do you read that in my post?
I am merely trying to remove an additional layer of unneccessary overhead cost.
However, now you raise the subject, HH does indeed have a reputation for unscrupulous Farang builders - doubtless by no means all, but who knows one from the other?

[easyas]

A topic 'Who built your house and are you happy with it?' is a bit more positive and might encourage more suggestions.

Agreed - I'll try that and see if I get any responses!

[dozer]

There are a couple of faring builders, who have been here for 20 years plus and they know how to get the best out of a Thai construction crew. However the majority really don't have a clue and it's embarrassing to see them trying to communicate.

[splitlid]

Bit harsh, your suggesting that all western builders are criminals.

Where on earth do you read that in my post?
I am merely trying to remove an additional layer of unneccessary overhead cost.
However, now you raise the subject, HH does indeed have a reputation for unscrupulous Farang builders - doubtless by no means all, but who knows one from the other?

the word 'mafia' gave me the impression, but maybe my definition is wrong.

[easyas]

Bit harsh, your suggesting that all western builders are criminals.

Where on earth do you read that in my post?
I am merely trying to remove an additional layer of unneccessary overhead cost.
However, now you raise the subject, HH does indeed have a reputation for unscrupulous Farang builders - doubtless by no means all, but who knows one from the other?

the word 'mafia' gave me the impression, but maybe my definition is wrong.

The word "mafia" is often used to describe a loose informal association of business entities with the common purpose of keeping control of a particular business activity in order to raise profit margins - taken to an extreme these practices are in fact criminal in many countries - for example America has its anti-trust laws - not that these are invoked very often!
In HH farangs "own" their own work crews and no work is carried out by these crews unless it first passes through the hands of the "owner" who takes a substantial cut.
Most HH Thai work crews are "owned" in this fashion.

[advocate]

I know many,many, people who have been ripped off for millions of baht here. Try suing the builder and you stand a good chance of getting shot. If that's not mafia, I don't know what is.

If I ever build here again, since I would have to be there every working day, and buy the materials myself, I would just act as my own general contractor and hire each trade.

Why pay someone to manage your build who wants to maximise their profit by using the cheapest materials and crappiest workmanship. They are in a conflict of interest and will look after themselves first.

[Ginjaninja]

http://www.visavapat.com/en/

website sucks...
Sansiri is using this lot for projects in Hua Hin. I've been told they build single houses.
GN.

[splitlid]

I know many,many, people who have been ripped off for millions of baht here. Try suing the builder and you stand a good chance of getting shot. If that's not mafia, I don't know what is.

yes, i agree, i know many people that have lost large amounts from these 'mafia'.
Alot seem to have disappeared due to the recession. they will be back when the boom hits again, and i don't think it is restricted to western builders only. Many people have the same problems with Thai builders.
I think the thing that upsets me about the title of the thread is that it tars all western builders with the same brush and this is definitely not the case.

[advocate]

The western builders still have to hire Thais to do the work, and if they get ripped off, so will you. I know this first hand. So you may as well hire the trades and buy the materials yourself. Giving a builder, Thai or Western, a large sum to buy materials, is just asking for trouble.

When the supplier doesn't get paid, they come looking for you. In their minds, their material is on your property, so you should pay. I know this first hand.

Even if your carefull, you can still get ripped off. The last Thai "builder" I had who I paid for labor, refused to pay the crew. Guess who the crew expected to pay? Doesn't matter that I already paid. Mind you, I did feel sorry for the crew as they are just working men with families to feed,so I paid.

A lot of the western builders really have no construction or development skills anyways. They just came to Thailand and tried to reinvent themselves to take advantage of the boom. They were probably used car salesman in their previous life.

[advocate]

To clarify, there are only 2 western builders here that I know of who enjoy a decent reputation. But who wants to pay western fees for their services? I don't. I want to pay the going rate for Thailand.