Building and work permission second stage of our process. The Pyramid guest room(s)

Working in the garden and around the labyrinth this afternoon, we got a phone call of the Or Bor Tor (Local government and building supervision). They had no other questions and could totally agree with our ideas as drawn on the 18 pages set of drawings. 

So we stopped our activities to go on the scooter to pick up the official building and work permission directly. The most great thing is the local government agreed with building pyramids. 

We will start first with building guest room 1. So only one of the two small pyramids. Just to get some experience we can process in the further design of our main house and yoga/meditation/tantra studio. 

Before we will start we need to order some materials (like Velux roof windows) abroad and need time to finish the labyrinth. This will all take about one month we think depending on the weather. 

Again, no problem, we have the time. The building permission gives us one year time. 

Frans Captijn

e-mail: pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

First gravel path results and no damage on the sewage system

Actually it is far too hot to work at the moment. Phatsamon this afternoon told me to take a rest. It's not only very warm but also very humid. 

Yesterday I took the time to take weeds around the labyrinth out. It was deep digging to get the roots of the weeds out and to clear the area around. I need it to have free workspace to work on plastering the gravel and, after everything is finished, to place around 100 plants (small bushes) to make the Labyrinth really a nice and attractive special meditative and spiritual area at our site. 

Plastering the special two components gravel I only can do between around 4 and 6 PM (just before sunset). So far only one bag of plaster a day. Going on with this is an option but will take a long time. It is the way it is, and again... we have the time. I never did do this before so I started with some small pieces as a try out. 24 hours after drying you need to take the cement on top out with a 100% acid. The picture of the heart of the rose (center of the labyrinth) shows the first results after using the acid and rinsing with water. 

This afternoon we learned to have Kadhow walking around is not always a nice idea. At our site he has more than 2000 m2 to walk. Around the site he has forest and many rice fields to enjoy being outside. But... this afternoon he choose just that only one m2 meter of plaster to put a footprint ;). I repaired already (just on time). 

I also checked two subsidence's thinking a sewage system pipe broke underground. Happy to discover after digging and taking the surrounding gravel away, this had only to do with the settling of soil in relation to the gravel bed around the draining pipes. The rainy season is doing it's work. Working on an already installed sewage system is not my favorite thing. Happy no repair was needed and everything underground was in good condition. 

Frans Captijn

e-mail: pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

Relocation from Bangkok to Surin

Last Monday and Tuesday we did the removal of Phatsamon her belongings from her apartment in Bangkok to Surin. A trip of about 450 km that both times took us a bit more than eight hours drive with the Kia truck. That's actually a long drive and the GPS said a bit more than five hours is 'normal' driving time (90 km/hrs is the regular speed limit in Thailand on highways). But... going to or coming from Bangkok that's never the truth. This capital with over 10 million of inhabitants drives me, driving a car or this time our truck, crazy. Many times 12 lanes and above another 6 so all together 18 lanes also makes the GPS suffer a lot. Even now during the virus problems the city and traffic is more than busy. And travelling in the evening or night seems to be a great idea but... roadwork everywhere. But finally we made it. 

Dog Kadhow joined. The city is nothing for him. He did with us an overnight stay at Phatsamons apartment. He is fond of going with the truck. Sitting higher he likes the view but after over three hours sitting it became to much and he found himself a way to sleep between us on the bench. 

Arriving at Surin, family members helped us to unload the truck. Yesterday and so far today we spend on fixing things together again at her moms house and our site. 

The truck last Sunday was delivered back by the garage and has a new alternator. It worked out the electricity problem is solved. Still the truck seemed not really happy to make the trip, full loaded, back. Producing dark grey and black smoke climbing the hills. 

Phatsamon deciced to stop working. Work at the moment in Thailand is hard. Over 8.3 million of unemployed workers because of the virus problems. She could not work for over three months because of lockdowns between provinces. On the other hand her work was getting harder and harder. So we decided working together here on our process gives much more fun and with that she 'earns' more than going on in Bangkok and having her regular costs of rent, travel, energy, etc.. 

She and we have other plans, look forward to it and we will see what it will bring in the future. She is happy to be close to her family here and with me (so am I). 

Now the truck is driving again, yesterday we picked up 28 bags of special gravel for the Labyrinth path to make. We also have to give our sewage system a check up. Possibly because of moving the old tree, months ago, one of the pipes is damaged because of the weight of the big truck of the company that carried the tree. 

So, we can go on with our activities now although many depends on the weather. This afternoon I stated with the special gravel. I only can work with it after around 4 pm because of the temperatures. It is a special mixture of very small gravel and special white cement (epoxy?). I can mix one or more bags on a time but need to finish the work with the material within two hours. The cement under layer (concrete base) need to be 'moist' for about 24 hours before pouring the mortar. 

The whole labyrinth is grounded at several places (the wind rose) and also the two layer wire mesh has ground pins. The center got a copper ground pin of nearly 2 meters with a copper round wire connection ( a kind of antenna) to be sure of connection with the earth. 

Some info about Surin (thanks to Wikipedia): Surin is one of Thailand's seventy-six provinces and lies in lower northeastern Thailand also called Isan. To the south it borders Cambodia. Surin, with a population of 1.4 million people, covers a total area of 8,124 km² from the Mun River in the north to the Dangrek Mountains in the south. The capital is Surin City with a population of around fifty thousand.

Elephant province: Approximately 25 percent of all the elephants in the kingdom are raised in Surin, predominantly by the ethnic Kuy people. Elephants and scenery are increasingly seen as potentially lucrative by the provincial government which has attempted to make Surin a popular destination for international ecotourism. Domestically, Surin has a reputation for its fine silk and silver beaded ornaments produced in tourist-focused villages such as Khwao Sinaring Handicraft Village. 

Frans Captijn

e-mail: pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

Some delay and toads karaoke party

There is a dutch saying: "Without transport everything comes to a standstill". 

It is sad to say but again we have problems with our Kia truck. It did not start.

This time it seems the alternator is broke and need to be changed. This spare-part needed to be ordered because it was not in stock so we have to wait a couple of days and hope we will have the truck back before the weekend. 

In the mean time we got a call our order of the special Earth tone gravel/cement mix plaster for the labyrinth path arrived at Home Mart in Surin. So, we have to wait till the truck is ready again to pick up the 28 bags.  

On the other hand, if we should have the plaster already it was not possible to use it. 

Yesterday we got a more than huge and several hours long tropical rain shower that flooded for some time our site and filled up the pond (and the surrounding rice fields). The farmers were waiting for it. The dirt road to our site is one big mud road now and hard to drive with the scooter. 

And that shower made the field animals more than happy. The whole night we had a very loud opera and karaoke of toads (picture with thanks to Daniel Trim). Many locals walked in the evening and night with head lamps to find and catch the frogs. Its a specialty to eat here (not for me so far). 

Frans Captijn

e-mail: pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

6649 Mosaic tiles, 13 kg glue, rain and animals watching what's going on.

Two weeks later. Some bleeding fingertips(hard for me to work with gloves) but the walls (lines/structure) of the petite Chartres Labyrinth are finished now. So ready to 'fill' the path (walkway). We ordered already 28 bags of special mortar for that but it takes about two weeks for the company to arrange it in the color we want. No problem. We have time. 

Some villagers/farmers drive the dirt road in front of our knock down home on their scooters curious about what's all going on at our site. Same with the animals around us. Not only dog Kadhow and his girlfriend Joke watch me working but also our eagle (actually it is a so called Bhraminy kite bird) and some Asian Openbill birds keep an eye on what's happening. Maybe they think we are building a new bird airport. 

Because of many rain (and thunder that does not make Kadhow amused at all), Phatsamon's work start to show its effect. The Bhumibol grass is doing well (just as her tree seeds). 

 

Frans Captijn

e-mail: pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

Resumption of work

This morning, together with dog Kadhow on the scooter, we delivered all the signed paper work and four sets of all together 18 drawings to get building permit for the next stage of our process. Building of two pyramid rooms. Actually we will start with one of them first to get some more experience. We think it will take four till six weeks to get permission. After that we will begin with the preparations to start the building process and to order the first materials. 

A lawyer is giving us advise about procedures to follow. We really want to follow Thai laws but having not too much experience we welcome his advice. Because of immigration rules I cannot start working on this second step before, in my name, we have the second building permission. Happy to have a so called 'Yellow Book', an official address and a lease agreement of the land. Be sure we keep you posted about the progress.

In the mean time we resumed the work of the first permission on our site. Rain in the late afternoon, evening and night started so we have to slow down a bit. No problem so far. 

Phatsamon working with her grass in the garden and I gluing the mosaic tiles that mark the walls of the walking paths of the labyrinth. 

Frans Captijn

e-mail: pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com