Despite a long rainy season, being the second time this year involved in war and a hot winter, we make small developments again.

After our nearly one month break this year October, we wanted to start up and go on again to finish the outside of the main house. The idea was to finish the veranda roof so we could work 'dry' to go on with the benches and balconies of the veranda. 

After the huge storm that broke many ceramic rooftiles one and a half year ago we ordered a lot new tiles as replacement and to keep in stock 'in case of'. It worked out we had enough to make the veranda roof with them instead of using metal sheet. Still having tiles in stock. 

We only needed to change the construction a bit and had to order round ridges, barges, barge endings an a round hip end. This took some weeks. 

It worked out this waiting was no problem. 

The rainy season this year did not want to end. Several days it was not possible to work (welding and painting) at all. Some days only one hour. It made me crazy but... it was the way it was. 

It took till the fourth week of November till we finally could go on working to make some progress. Starting to give shape to our basic idea. 

And, as nearly always, the work took more time than expected. But, being retired, no problem.

Starting Sunday December 7, for the second time this year, we became part of a war. A border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia. No fun so to say. 

Ongoing 'earthquakeshocks' and pressure waves that even broke a four meter long prestressed concrete hollow core slab floorplate on the outside entrance of our main house. Maybe, for this pressure waves we build too strong. But who ever expected a war at this place? 

Starting yesterday, December 27 2568/2025, there is a ceasefire agreement for three days and we hope this will be extended. 

The crack for ever is an ongoing remembrance.

Although just at the end of the so called 'redzone' we wanted to go on building. I want to be honest, this ongoing situation is not good for your mood. Welding veranda steel, feeling the blasts because of artillery and long range weapons, and hearing the (open) windows shaking in their fittings. Our dogs close to us because they did not feel comfortable. Phatsamon following the latest news. Really all together no fun and not stimulating to go on with our activities. But we did. 

What did we achieve? 

# After months, finally our veranda is finished. It became a kind of prayer without an end. We will place a ceiling around march next year before the first heavy storms arrive. 

# We installed the generator for the house, everything working fine. 

# We had to renew the floating switch for the 60 meter deep well pump because the main water storage tank ran out of water.  

# We ordered and got delivered our curtains in the living room.

# We ordered and got delivered a mosquito screen door for the main entrance. 

After harvesting, that took a very long time this year and caused me a long period of hay fever, the cows and water buffalo's are back in the rice fields again. Many young animals are born and our dogs are exited to play with the calves. Because the fields are still very muddy this nearly caused an accident with a just born calf, stuck in the mud and nearly drowning. It took a lot of effort to safe the baby but, happily, we succeeded and it's doing well. 

We don't want to have any problems with the farmers and fear a bit possible repercussions. 

So we decided to close the veranda on both sides and make a gate. The dogs now can be inside and outside the house because actually the veranda is part of our living room creating a space of 40 m2 together inside and outside.

Still our animals run several times a day in the fields and forest but only if we are around to keep an eye on them and the cows and buffalo's are not grazing.  

So far, our 'winter' is very hot. Temperatures during the day of around 34 degrees C. We only got some lower temperatures end of November. In the evening around 18 degrees C. And you see, I needed three layers of clothes and my hands were freezing ;). 

The next step in our process that will take some time will be creating the outdoor stairs to the yoga/meditation sala on the first floor.

Frans & Phatsamon

email:   pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

Last month no progress

One month no construction progress at all at our place. 

We took a one month break and, together with our four dogs, went to Mae Rim / Chiang Mai for a holiday. 

Back home in Surin again we found our place as a green oasis. Happy to find the place safe and without disturbances back. All our security measures worked fine. We hope they will serve us longer. 

It's still hot, humid and the rainy season is still not finished. An invitation to nature during our holiday to try to take over our place again. Everything is more than green. Grass high. Our big pond nearly not visible anymore. 

So we started with cutting grass and cleaning up a bit. We had some small damage because of ants in our inside kitchen and had to repair an electric wire because a rat tried to taste it. No big things further on as far as we know now. 

Temperatures will fall now and the coming period is great to go on with finishing the outside. We hope the rains will stop soon so we can go on.

It's time to finish the veranda roof of the house and to start with welding the stairs to the upper yoga/meditation sala. After that the sun protection around the house. Still some things to do but we take it easy.

After the main house outside is finished as well, we will start with the first part of the new fence and entrance 'gate' to make. 

Next year November the excavator will come to start with landscaping our adjacent rice field. The land need to settle a bit before we can put (small) trees in it and we can complete the surrounding fence. 

We keep you posted.

Frans & Phatsamon

email:   pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

Rains, Lime, Ants, mouses and theft. Just some disturbances we have to deal with.

September is the worst month to work on outdoor construction because mostly its the time of very heavy rainfall during the rainy season. 

And although, if we compare so far with other years we lived here, it's not to much flooding so far this year, its very disturbing. Our garden has changed into a mud field and even our dogs don't like it. 

Sometimes I only can work half an hour per day. Welding is hard to do or not even possible as well as painting.  So, not much progress with the veranda roof. 

Again so to say, we have no schedule or deadline and I am retiring so it's only a matter of accepting it. The inside of the main house is finished so we can live. On the other hand after nearly six years we want to finish this process to start with another project. 

No worries about 'nothing to do'. We had to do a lot of unforeseen maintenance this month. 

Our well-water is rich in lime causing chalk in water-pipes, taps, shower heads, toilets, wash bins, etc..

A problem we are dealing with since we started our process. This lime asks for a lot of cleaning and also damages a lot because of the produced chalk. Many taps we had to renew already, the washing machine needed several repairs and parts renewed, toilets many times fail to run smoothly, etc..

Beginning this month our water supply stopped. It worked out the water filter system between our 60 meter deep well and the water storage tanks was totally clogged with chalk. Also the consumer pumps did not work proper anymore. 

The inside of the filter container turned into a rock although regular backwash and rinsing. The pump, again, happily we could fix ourselves. 

A specialized well known company in Thailand with a branch in Surin (Filter Mart Co, Ltd,) advised to install a new filter system including a Master Zetra ZR-L  automatic water softener. An expensive but necessary change and we hope and think it's worth it. We expect less disturbances and maintenance of our water system and sanitary ware. 

Saturday September 20 they installed it. So far the results are great and the water is soft. We have to fill up salt every around four weeks and we made a contract for yearly maintenance and resin mix renewal. 

It took two days to clean taps, glass shower walls, toilets, etc., with vinegar and everything now is (and so far stays) 'chalk free'. To give an impression, the picture below of the black bucket with only the chalk layers of one toilet water reservoir. 

Another ongoing disturbance are 'our ants'. We have many species trying to escape the wet soil and drained fields and trying to find shelter in our buildings. The small 'fire-ants' disturb and destroy the most. They find their way trough electricity pipes to switches and outlets. Ruining them from working well. A matter of ongoing cleaning during the rainy season. 

Last week Wednesday, we got an announcement by the village loudspeaker system from our village mayor to become even more alert because of theft in and around our village. 

Electricity lines were cut and stolen. A couple of weeks ago the same thing in our neighboring village from the German/Thai couple we know. Around midnight thieves come with a pick-up truck and just cut the cables hanging on the poles to sell the copper or aluminum (Update October 1, 2025: During daytime the same couple got the experience for the second time). Also burglary takes, for whatever reason, place more we heard.

Reason for us, living in the rural area, to take several additional and also different safety & security measures and to give a check up / maintain what we already have and installed. 

For a while one of our group cctv camera's did not work anymore after a change of WIFI settings we made after moving in into our main house. I failed to reconnect this cam so far. Because of the warning we received now I did. I discovered a mouse bite the cable to the camera under the ceiling of one of our pyramids. So I had to take part of the bathroom ceiling and outdoor ceiling out to repair. Everything working fine again.  

Frans & Phatsamon

email:   pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com