Toon, my partner spent his childhood days growing up in the Phitsanulok area, in the hills close to Wang Thong in Thailand.
Together some years ago we spoke about retiring there and this trip cemented our thoughts for our future. We agreed to purchase a block of land, 2 acres with great views and a small dam where we can create a small rock river leading from the naturally formed creek.
This trip however was about catching up with old friends and family there and doing some renovations to the old house on the family block. We achieved our gaols and more.
We firstly needed to fit a hot water system and water supply to the bathroom, it being constructed of old tin sheets with a concrete base, not five star but functional. The water supply and hot water system was easily implemented within three hours, including a tap to fill the old showering pot and a cleaning hose for the toilet.
Toilet? yes, my next job was to install a flushing toilet, simply placed in the corner and with some redirecting of the waste pipe it was in and working on the first day. I added some finishing grout glue after two days to complete the stability. So on day one we had a flushing toilet and hot water system installed, that was our gaol for the two weeks, but we had it done in one day. Brilliant, and to the elation of SIM (toons little brother who had never had a flushing toilet or hot shower at home)( Toons aunty and uncle included).
From the bathroom we moved onto extending the roof pitch at the front of the old house, about three meters. Gathering measurements and quotes for the supply of material was not easy for me as my Thai lingo is poor at best. But in the end Toon translated between his uncle and I and the supply was ordered and delivered the next day.
The erection went ahead straight away the next morning and was 80% completed by sun down. The rest was finished the next day by Toons uncle, I got pissed off at hammering tin nails into hard wood, frankly I would of screwed them all, but that is not the Thai way.
We then moved onto some Kitchen reno's, rewiring (including extension into the bathroom), sensor lighting outside and moving the lights for the completed old house roof over hang. The kitchen had a bench installed, which I might add was magnificent, an old slice of tree timber was lying on the ground and I used that, planed it up and oiled it with a some vegetable oil and lemon juice (2-1 mix). Great. I then did a quick repair and rotation of the water supply, that ended the day successfully.
Over the next few days we pottered around doing little things, nothing of substance and toyed with ideas of extending the balcony by 2 metres out and three meters long, but the idea halted, the time constraints we had and getting the right timber supply became laborious, its now next years job.
We started to wind down and visit a few Temples and Waterfalls, drink more beer and socialise locally, during that time we were offered the block of land (2 acres) and after looking at it three times agreed on a purchase price.
We headed to Bangkok for our last day, a day by the pool and spending some time with Toons sister, before heading home on a red eye flight.
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