Thai Housing
Buying a house in Udon Thani, or indeed Thailand, is the preferred option over house building in Thailand for many ferang as it does save the hassle of communication when trying to instruct the Thai builders, especially when they start to deviate from the plan and build how they think it should look (Yes - it can happen!). The only downside to owning a house in Udon Thani (when you have bought land to build it on) is that it is never 100% yours, another reason why buying or even renting a pre-built house is a favoured option.
The Basic House
Houses in Udon Thani vary wildly and as always is very much dependent on income. Up here in the north east a lot of houses are not much more than wooden huts on top of wooden stilts, sometimes concrete stilts. This does not just apply to rural areas as you can find many such homes in the inner city of Udon Thani as well.
These houses were built when timber was affordable and the are mostly finished off with a tin roof that is only good for keeping the rain out. The down side is that it makes the house several degrees hotter. These houses are not often partitioned inside so everything that happens, happens in a single room. You will hopefully find an outdoor toilet and room to bathe. I say bathe as opposed to anything else as they typical way to clean is to pour water from a large bucket over the head and down the body. Electric showers and baths are sold in the shops but Thai's seem to happy with doing what they have always done and do not seem keen to change. Window frames are also made from wood and do not usually have any glass in them (so they are not really windows at all), they are designed to keep the sun out but you can open them for ventilation.
These houses were built when timber was affordable and the are mostly finished off with a tin roof that is only good for keeping the rain out. The down side is that it makes the house several degrees hotter. These houses are not often partitioned inside so everything that happens, happens in a single room. You will hopefully find an outdoor toilet and room to bathe. I say bathe as opposed to anything else as they typical way to clean is to pour water from a large bucket over the head and down the body. Electric showers and baths are sold in the shops but Thai's seem to happy with doing what they have always done and do not seem keen to change. Window frames are also made from wood and do not usually have any glass in them (so they are not really windows at all), they are designed to keep the sun out but you can open them for ventilation.
A Bit More Modern
This is a slightly more modern and more costly house. The lower floor is of a concrete block and post construction with wood forming the upper section of the house and with proper windows and tiled roof!
There are a good number of these houses around and a sigh of at least a little money came there way once upon a time.
There are a good number of these houses around and a sigh of at least a little money came there way once upon a time.
Traditional Thai
This is a traditional Thai style house with the beautiful steeple style roof that gently curves out as it heads towards the base. You will see this style of roof on most (if not all) temples (wats).
Bungalows
Concrete beam, post and wall bungalows are popping up around the outskirts of Udon Thani in recent years. Most are built by developers and proper builders (not Thai rice farmers - more about that later) to a proper design and specification. They are typically built to rent out although several have been bought out-right by those that can afford to do so.
For me, they are a little small and you do not often get much land attached to one of these properties and personally I like space to build a large pond, flower beds if possible and have lot's of green foliage in the shape of trees, palms and tall grasses.
For me, they are a little small and you do not often get much land attached to one of these properties and personally I like space to build a large pond, flower beds if possible and have lot's of green foliage in the shape of trees, palms and tall grasses.
Large Modern House
This is a modern day example of a two story house, constructed nearly entirely of concrete with a tiled roof. This type of house will typically cost in the region of 3.5+ million Baht (about £70,000).
If it has been designed by a Thai then it is likely the house is very much "open plan" on the lower floor where as a ferang might design in with separate kitchen, utility room, living room etc.
Thai's with money soon look to be building a house in this style in Udon Thani
If it has been designed by a Thai then it is likely the house is very much "open plan" on the lower floor where as a ferang might design in with separate kitchen, utility room, living room etc.
Thai's with money soon look to be building a house in this style in Udon Thani
Our House
Finished in August 2012, a reasonably large bungalow made entirely out of concrete beams, posts and block walls. We opted for a tin roof as money was a little tight at the time but that is something we can change when we have the required funds.
The bungalow sits on 1 Rai of land (1600 Sq m) in a lovely quite location just a few kilometers from Udon Thani.
To sell a house on land this size could possibly fetch up to 3 million baht (about £60,000).
We kept it simple in terms of design as I knew that to try and build something more complicated would lead to problems with the people building it. As with many ferang, my wife has a brother who has been building houses for years, the problem is he has only been building houses for other Thai's for years and has no concept of our way of building. So when it comes to wanting a drainage system that goes under the house to the outside, this was completely lost on them - it's not the Thai way of doing it!
The bungalow sits on 1 Rai of land (1600 Sq m) in a lovely quite location just a few kilometers from Udon Thani.
To sell a house on land this size could possibly fetch up to 3 million baht (about £60,000).
We kept it simple in terms of design as I knew that to try and build something more complicated would lead to problems with the people building it. As with many ferang, my wife has a brother who has been building houses for years, the problem is he has only been building houses for other Thai's for years and has no concept of our way of building. So when it comes to wanting a drainage system that goes under the house to the outside, this was completely lost on them - it's not the Thai way of doing it!