Thai workmen, is it ever a good idea to let them in?

[jacko 8,822]

I only wanted my grass cutting.

My usual gardener kept cancelling at the last minute so we found a new guy.

 

He cancels the first day.

Turns up... second try...and now I can't even wash my butt after taking a dump.

 

First he can't start his 20year old strimmer.

Off he goes, has it looked at, comes back and it still won't start.

So I borrow one, next I see they are taking it apart... doesn't like the head and wants to swap it with his.

I just know some of the bolts are going to be lost.

 

Then he cuts my main water line..... hence my inability in the bathroom,,,, running the strimmer too close to the pump pipework. Now he is borrowing all my tools leaving them lying all over the place......chucking cigarette butts all over the place.

 

For sure some botch job coming here, it really needs 3 new elbows and a valve to do it right.

 

I think the last gardener kicked the head off one sprinkler and broke another!

 

Let us hear them, tales of woe and the odd 'my guy is great' post.

Edited November 24, 2013 by jacko

[spike 236]

sounds like the same situation I've had with lazy bar girls I've employed...once you hire them...you usually have to pay them off to get rid of them...and then you can hire someone else.

[jacko 8,822]

sounds like the same situation I've had with lazy bar girls I've employed...once you hire them...you usually have to pay them off to get rid of them...and then you can hire someone else.

I bet it is a struggle to get them off their phones.

Can't turn a corner in Homepro or Homeworks without falling over one!

[CheshireTom 1,377]

I bet it is a struggle to get them off their phones.

Can't turn a corner in Homepro or Homeworks without falling over one!

 

You should invest in a lawnmower the next time you're in HomePro. They might even chuck in a strimmer for free.

[harro1 256]

I'm guessing a strimmer is what Aussies call a Whipper Snipper.

 

My air conditioner got serviced while I was away working. Dirty shoe prints on the tiles through the condo. Crap on the shower floor where they washed out the filters. Lights in the bathroom and extraction fan left on. Typical Thai service.

[bratpack 91]

If u want a job doing properly,do it yourself,and get some excersise lol.

 

Seriously, i have had good uns work on the house and a couple of bad ones.Always try to get future brother in law for jobs,but since the younger brother in law had a stroke,at 30 yo,the older one is taking care of him,so no worker now

I only wanted my grass cutting.

My usual gardener kept cancelling at the last minute so we found a new guy.

 

He cancels the first day.

Turns up... second try...and now I can't even wash my butt after taking a dump.

 

First he can't start his 20year old strimmer.

Off he goes, has it looked at, comes back and it still won't start.

So I borrow one, next I see they are taking it apart... doesn't like the head and wants to swap it with his.

I just know some of the bolts are going to be lost.

 

Then he cuts my main water line..... hence my inability in the bathroom,,,, running the strimmer too close to the pump pipework. Now he is borrowing all my tools leaving them lying all over the place......chucking cigarette butts all over the place.

 

For sure some botch job coming here, it really needs 3 new elbows and a valve to do it right.

 

I think the last gardener kicked the head off one sprinkler and broke another!

 

Let us hear them, tales of woe and the odd 'my guy is great' post.

[jacko 8,822]

If u want a job doing properly,do it yourself,and get some excersise lol.

 

Seriously, i have had good uns work on the house and a couple of bad ones.Always try to get future brother in law for jobs,but since the younger brother in law had a stroke,at 30 yo,the older one is taking care of him,so no worker now

Not capable at the moment mate.

But after today I am seriously thinking of buying my own strimmer and starting to do it again myself.

 

I already have one of those cheaper electric ones but they aren't up to the job and you spend most of the day threading the damned things!

 

Last time I had a bigger job done the workers seemed to spend most of the day mooching in my toilet and I was scared to death one of the damned toddlers they always bring would drown in my pool.......first thing they do when they arrive is sit around eating and then they are all off for a shit!

Edited November 24, 2013 by jacko

[Bushcraft 2,591]

I've had my fair share of incompetents and slipshod work as well, apart from a casual attitude to punctuality. Now I won't take the next-best worker who claims he can do everything, as they tend to.

There are very capable, hard-working and honest Thai electricians, plumbers and all-rounders out there, but the secret to finding them is personal recommendation by people who have similar standards to yours. That plus having a live-in who brooks no nonsense from workers and tells them in their own lingo what is expected of them for how much.

I can recommend a very good bloke for electrical work, fan installation, A/C etc. in Pattaya if somebody wants one.

[Gary 4,119]

My wife cuts our lawn. I have a Honda 4 stroke weed whacker that needs no oil in the gasoline. Probably about 8 years old now and other than a new angle head, it's all original and still runs great. In fact I'm not permitted to cut the grass and weeds. I cut good stuff that she says are her herbs. They look like weeds to me.

 

Buy your lady a 4 stroke weed whacker and teach her how to use it. DON'T even consider a 2 stroke because Thais forget to put the oil in the gasoline. She did hire a local handyman, ONCE, and he did the same thing yours did, cut a water line.

[short 215]

Try grass and weed killer. Doesn't harm metal.

[jacko 8,822]

My wife cuts our lawn. I have a Honda 4 stroke weed whacker that needs no oil in the gasoline. Probably about 8 years old now and other than a new angle head, it's all original and still runs great. In fact I'm not permitted to cut the grass and weeds. I cut good stuff that she says are her herbs. They look like weeds to me.

 

Buy your lady a 4 stroke weed whacker and teach her how to use it. DON'T even consider a 2 stroke because Thais forget to put the oil in the gasoline. She did hire a local handyman, ONCE, and he did the same thing yours did, cut a water line.

She is a bit small to handle the mower and one of the better weed whackers,

And to be honest she does enough work around the place.

Mind you she has made the job harder always planting stuff.

 

I found hauling the lawn mower around exhausting (doesn't have engine assisted wheels), too many awkward corners, edges and stuff too.

Always ended up in a lounger with a fan blasting me after 20 minutes.

Even the bloody Thai hardware annoys me, unreliable poorly made crap that it is.

Used to spend more time trying to get the old mower running until I broke the starting pull in frustration and gave it away!

Fancy making it all from plastic.

 

Had someone coming round every 2 weeks, a rather strong looking Thai lady and her helpers, she knocked a concrete night light ornamental thing over into the pool with her big behind. She could never get her mower going. Seems like they lose interest after 3-4 visits and start letting you down.

Edited November 24, 2013 by jacko

[jacko 8,822]

Try grass and weed killer. Doesn't harm metal.

Yeah, the old solution of concrete it over!

[jacko 8,822]

Being a glutton for punishment, and tired of looking at an unkempt garden, and not able to heave my lawn mower about, I called the same guy back.

A little like the Garp film, I thought he couldn't do me harm again.......

And I seemed to be right... he cut grass, trimmed edges and worked well for about 3 hours.

I paid him off and looked at the resulting well manicured bushes and lawn thinking, better this time.

I still got water!

 

He had managed to knock off all 4 of the largest Star apples off the bush as if they were invisible, but never mind.

 

When the Missus got back she was less impressed.... many of the little guppies or whatever in the large pot with a lotus plant were deciding to go belly up.

He had made the same mistake the wifey had previously made of putting fertilizer in with the fish for the benefit of the lotus.

She had killed off 2 potfuls of fish before........

You kinda think a gardener would know these things.......(he has a garden centre this guy). If anybody has any of these expensive koy fish, beware your gardeners!

 

Until next time......

Edited January 14, 2014 by jacko

[bigmick 840]

I have a Thai man come round once a fortnight with a couple of his employees and they work for about 1 - 2 hours on the garden cutting the grass/trimming trees/trimming edges etc and I pay them 500 baht per visit. They do an excellent job and always on time and clean up after them selves every time. Let me know if you want their number

[jacko 8,822]

I have a Thai man come round once a fortnight with a couple of his employees and they work for about 1 - 2 hours on the garden cutting the grass/trimming trees/trimming edges etc and I pay them 500 baht per visit. They do an excellent job and always on time and clean up after them selves every time. Let me know if you want their number

Jeez I pay the fish-killer a lot more than that!

I do have a fair bit to do though.

I have been through 4 different groups and they just seem to lose interest or create some issue.

Neighbour had to fire off one group as all the plastic Raco fittings kept vanishing.

I like them to bring all their own gear and take away all the cuttings.