Cost of building a house in Thailand?

Lovely house, just one critique: the orientation of the house. The sun comes in a lot through the bay windows and glazing... the ACs are gonna run hard. I’d have preferred the back of the house (pool side) facing south with tinted windows.

there's no accounting for taste ;) 😏

He can barely handle his own thoughts... you want him to be a homeowner too? =)

I really don’t get what you’re trying to say... but whatever... I wasn’t overthinking it, just sharing my taste 😛 Those colonnades at the entrance with the AC unit as wall decor, square stainless steel balconies, and a house facade right on the road—none of that fits my aesthetic standards. Now all that’s left is to furnish it with IKEA 😏 As for my house, sorry, that’s my private life 😛

Thai houses, much like their city centers, aren’t always known for their elegance. When I return to Europe, I try to visit Tuscany to soak in the beauty. In just one Italian province, there are more beautiful things to see—by our aesthetic standards—than in all of Thailand. And that’s not a criticism of Thailand, just an observation that the beautiful wooden houses haven’t stood up well to time or real estate pressure.

It's clear that the "modern" architecture in Thailand is pretty lamentable, especially in that nouveau riche style represented by the house shown above.

Hi Bernard, what a great concept!

Congrats on this success, and thanks for sharing your experience ;)

Anyway, the point is to feel good in your own home. It’s a project for yourself, not for others. And very often, those who criticize live in Europe in tiny studios or crappy apartments. And I know some...

Anyway, the point is to feel good in your own home. It's a project for yourself, not for others. And very often, those who criticize live in Europe in a crummy studio or apartment. And I know some...

Oh really, so you know Merk 😏? Does he have a deep fryer at his place 😛?

Anyway, the point is to feel good in your own home. It's a project for yourself, not for others. And very often, those who criticize live in Europe in a tiny studio or a crappy apartment. And I, uh, know some...

Oh really, so you know Merk 😏? Does he have a deep fryer at his place 😛?

😏😏😏

Good evening,

I’m also surprised by the criticism since I wanted to show that it’s possible to build in Thailand in a modern style for myself or in a traditional style like others... Depending on the topic of the post...

For Merk99 Ugly, nouveau riche, Ikea furniture... Hmm... 🤪 It seems that for some people, it’s impossible to accept that others can achieve their projects, which triggers venomous jealousy and unjustified criticism that’s not helpful for sharing experiences... Could there be a bit of frustration involved? Best,

hi

did you forget to account for the equivalent in surface area and volume of a basement or attic space??

all the stuff we store: garden tools, archives, old papers, suitcases, bikes, etc.

the mother-in-law’s room?

the housekeeper’s room?

classic oversight when designing with European standards while forgetting the basic principles of architecture in tropical countries, namely: ** protecting from the sun ** evacuating hot air, which requires ventilation under the ceiling and roof ** evacuating humidity, which also requires ventilation

ventilation means living with doors and windows wide open with mosquito nets

otherwise, it’ll be like the "modern" Thais—AC all year round

same remark about tropical architectural design: the roofs don’t extend outward and don’t provide shade, so walls and openings take direct sunlight

no roof ventilation? so between the false ceiling and the space under the roof, it’ll hit 60°C in summer small openings in the gables often suffice (that’s why all traditional Thai houses have high ceilings, pointed roofs, and gables with openings—often beautifully carved wooden ones)

but hey, you’ll quickly notice this in practice and fix it

Hi, You forgot to plan the equivalent in surface area and volume for a basement or attic space?? It's a single-story house.... It's a choice made knowingly.

All the stuff we store: garden tools, archives, old papers, suitcases, bikes, etc. I already have another house 100 m away, which is actually a nice Thai-style storage space...😕

The mother-in-law’s room? Not necessary.... she’s been in a small urn for two years now.... Actually, it’s just the two of us, no kids....

The housekeeper’s room? That’s my wife!!! The second bedroom is for her.....

A classic oversight when designing with European standards, forgetting the basic principles of architecture in tropical countries, namely: ** Protecting from the sun Who, the house or me.....? This house, oriented east/west, has no direct sunlight except at 4 PM when the sun sets on the bay windows and street-side windows, but the sun isn’t hot at all.... You can see that in the video, by the way. ** Removing hot air, which requires ventilation under the ceiling and roof Really! Do you know how and what the thermal conductivity value of a concrete tile is compared to other types of tiles?? See CPAC Monier. ** Removing humidity, which requires ventilation What humidity? Relative humidity? Ambient air? Or the bathrooms? We don’t heat the house, and we don’t install a VMC (mechanical ventilation) like in Europe—the house isn’t airtight at all, unlike in Europe. This is interesting: http://www.enviro-option.com/fr/humidite-maison If, by chance, condensation occurs, installing a VMC later is easy

Ventilation means living with doors and windows wide open, with mosquito nets.

You’re right!!! I’ll have huge problems—I’ll come back to you for help

Otherwise, it’ll be like the "modern" Thais—air conditioning all year round. Do you know any country in the equatorial or tropical zone where you can sleep without AC? I don’t.... since you can’t keep the windows open because of mosquitoes or other critters.... I’m obviously talking about farangs.

Same remark about tropical architectural design: the roofs don’t overhang and don’t provide shade: hence, walls and openings take direct sunlight. Really! I’d never noticed that..... You’ll have to show me where! I must be blind around here.... Still, it’s odd....

No roof ventilation? Haha, there’s a little trick... (not my idea, of course...). So, between the false ceiling and the roof space, it’ll be 60°C in summer (well, 46°C max). Small openings in the gables are often enough (that’s why all traditional Thai houses have high ceilings, pointed roofs, and gables with vents—beautifully carved wooden ones). Did you install thick Stay Cool between the false ceiling and the roof? Surprising!! I can guarantee it’s become a national standard in Thailand for all (modern) houses.

I’m not sure you’ve fully grasped the new modern standards in Thailand. But you’re entitled not to like the modern style. By the way, if you live in Thailand, you must have a traditional house—since you talk about them so well—feel free to show us! I’d understand all these flaws you’re pointing out better.

Here’s the address of a 100% Thai company currently working on 213 houses under construction. They don’t own the plans for the models, but you have a huge choice between modern or more traditional styles—just not in wood, even for the door....

http://pd.co.th/v6/en/model_result_wood.php?S_STYLE=5 http://www.thailandbuilders.com/ http://thailandhousebuilder.com/gallery/

But you’ll quickly see that in practice and fix it.

Of course.... 😉 Thanks anyway for your perspective—it makes us ask the right questions. Best regards,

Sawadee krap

No matter where you are in the world, They say you need to build three houses to get one right. Your first one isn’t bad at all! Personally, I chose the rental option—no strings attached. Thanks for this sanouk info!

Beautiful house, but how much does it cost? That’s the reason for this post originally

Hi,

The goal is indeed to find out how much a modern-style house costs. Be aware that it’s located in an area with no real estate value—what we call a "dead end."

6.3 million baht excluding land (that includes 1.3M in change orders, air conditioning included). A bit pricey... but this model doesn’t exist, and I intentionally increased the size, so the price reflects that. So, for 180 m², the rough cost would be around 4M excluding land.

Check out the budgets for modern houses here and compare the larger ones to the smaller ones—it gives a good idea of market prices:

http://pd.co.th/v6/en/model.php

Best regards,

A little update on the progress of this villa. Curious that it hasn't changed at all and no cracks for a year. The paint still looks as good as new after two seasons... And you didn't notice the 1.20 meters of roof overhang either... As for the sun, check out how it looks at 9 AM. Here's the proof from 2016: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTQAcTC1RpE I'm also sharing my design for the house's pumping station... And it works really well! To download it, click here: www.dropbox.com/...013-01-2016.pdf?dl=0

hi

I just got back from Thailand and saw lots of houses with a kind of waxed concrete finish on the walls and floors—maybe that’s it! Does anyone know what the process is?

It looks amazing!

Thanks for your help!!

Hello, I just got back from Thailand and saw many houses with a kind of waxed concrete finish on the walls and floors—maybe that’s it! So, does anyone have an idea about the process?

It’s definitely trendy these days. It’s done the same way elsewhere. Personally, I prefer wood, but even the cheapest plank is now sold at gold prices...

The issue with cheap labor is that it can often compromise construction quality, especially when basic rules aren’t followed. Poor mixing, like with cement and sand, or skipping essential techniques for foundations, can lead to cracks and serious structural problems. In these situations, no one checks if best practices are being followed, and mistakes only show up years later. To avoid these headaches and ensure your work is high quality, you can check out this site.