Rob and On's House from beginning to completion

Thailand - as I see it.

Rob and On's House from beginning to completion.

Rob and On started building their home in February and completed it in August.  It is located in the center of Chiang Mai and conveniently located near the airport, night bazaar, shopping centers, schools and a local swim club.

Beginning Construction

The architect and builder guaranteed that the house would be done before the baby was born in the middle of August.  However, Tyler was born two weeks early and the builder brought in extra crews and finished the house before Tyler was brought home.  That was quite a feat and very honorable.
 

Coming along quickly.

The house is constructed of concrete and reinforced steel with four bedrooms and four bathrooms.

Starting to look like a house.

All finished.

Our Suite.

The entire house is in shades of green with  matching tiles in the kitchen and bathrooms. It has large windows with beautiful handmade curtains and elegant tie backs and screens.  Our suite is on the first floor with our own bathroom.

The kitchen is well equipped with a large refrigerator, large drawers and cabinets.

Kitchen

The living room and dining room are large and directly connect to the kitchen. From the kitchen window you can see the greenhouse with rows and rows of plants and flowers.

On's Garden

Wall before Willi painted it.

Wall after Willi painted it.

There is a front gate and four walls around the property.  They have their own well.

 Upstairs are three large bedrooms, one a master suite with huge closets and connected bath. They have done a beautiful job with the railings, stairs, fixtures and beautiful granite on the counter tops.

Stairway

A Beautiful Entrance.

Initial Sort of Clothes from the BJPT Thrift Shop

Thailand - as I see it.  

We just arrived in Chiang Mai, Thailand after 4 flights and 28 hours in the air.  One of the first things we did after we arrived at my son's home, was to open the bags of clothing from the BJPT Thrift Shop.  We brought two 50 pound bags of children and baby clothes. 

This is On (Robs wife) sorting the clothes

When we started sorting the clothing we met Rob's housekeeper who was a childhood friend of On my son's wife. The housekeeper keeps the house clean, does the wash, helps with the garden and takes care of the baby when On and Rob have to run errands.  She works 6 days a week for 10 hours a day.  The photo below is of her labeling a few of the pieces of clothing for some recent refugees from Burma who live in her community.  They came with only the clothing on their backs, so the few pieces of clothing On and Rob's housekeeper requested will mean a lot to the kids. 

Each piece of clothing is individually labelled for the kids

This is Children's Day in Chiang Mai

Thailand - as I see it.     Children's Day is a big thing all over Thailand.  The children are given presents wherever they go.  The airport is open for children to go on the military planes and visit the airport.  Children are taken to the movies.  We went to a movie today and there were hundreds of children.  The malls were full of children.  It is a day they look forward to all year.  Talking about children,my grandchild, Tyler is 5 months old and walking in his little rolling walker.  He is a smiley friendly baby.

Our First Day Back in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Thailand - as I see it.    Our first day back has been very busy.  We flew from Singapore to Chiang Mai, a 3 hour flight and our son, Rob and his wife, On met us at the airport.  We took a van home from the airport and enjoyed the smells and sights of Chiang Mai again.  We visited their new home for a few minutes and then went to the store and had a nice Japanese dinner and shopped.  We then went to the massage parlor and got foot massages.  We went back to the house and looked all around.  I will talk about the house in my next blog.  It is nice and warm during the day and cool for sleeping at night.  The air is crisp and clear.  What a treat to be back in Thailand with our children and grandchild. 

One of the Eight Great Places to Retire You Never Heard Of

Thailand - as I see it.

I just received a wonderful e-mail from Kiplinger.com.  The article was written by Laura Cohn and it tells some interesting facts about Chiang Mai, Thailand.  It was listed as one of the great places to retire that you never heard of.

People ask me about Thailand and if it is safe for my son and his family. I have always told them a bit about Chiang Mai but this next small article says it all in a nutshell.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
* Population: 1.6 million in the province: 250,000 in the city.
* Climate: Tropical - March to May temperatures can reach 100 degrees
                 Average high for the year is 89 degrees and average low is 68 degrees.
                 Dry season is from mid November to early May.
* Proximity to water: The Ping River runs through the city - otherwise it is land locked.
* Proximity to major Airport: Chiang Mai Airport (CNX) is less than 10 minutes from the city center.
The Draw: Far from the civil unrest in Bangkok, this city in Northern Thailand offers cooler temperatures.

                 It also offers a calmer environment.  Renowned as a medical tourism destination.
                 It is home to ample supply of private hospitals, state-run clinics and full service pharmacies.
                 The pharmacies provide high-quality health care at bargain prices.
Tip: As an outsider, you cannot own land in Thailand without a local partner.
       However, you can buy a condo or an apartment.

We have experienced the medical facilities first hand and completely agree.

The construction continues.

Thailand - as I see it.

The construction on the house in Chiang Mai is continuing at a rapid pace.  It is interesting for Rob and On to watch the process continue.  Much of the work is done by hand.

Rob and On

Thailand - as I see it.

Rob and On ready to take off on his motorbike.  We were so happy together in Chiang Mai.  We had just walked the Walking Street right near our hotel and they were going back home for the night.  The big kitten on her shirt hides the tummy a bit.  August will come very soon and a new little Cutler will be arriving.  The happy parents to be sure do look happy.  The Boo Yah  (grandparents Willi and Marcia) are happy too.