About Cool Thai House

Cool Thai House started as a personal record of building a house in Pattaya, Thailand — and turned into one of the longer-running collections of practical, first-hand building information for foreigners in Thailand.

What this site is

A working record of real projects, not marketing copy. Roofs that had to be rebuilt. Metal that bent under the weight of tile. Contractors who cut corners, and the ones who did exceptional work. The point has always been the same: show what actually happens on a Thai building site, so the next person knows what to look for.

Content here falls into three groups. The Sample Builds follow one house from foundation to finished home, photographed at each stage. The Reference pages cover the general principles behind each part of a build — materials, methods and common failures. The Articles cover the things that are not construction at all: land and house ownership for foreigners, planning, and how to spot the people who will cost you money.

Who writes it

The site is maintained by Dozer, who has been building and renovating in Thailand since the early 2000s. The original material dates from 2001 onward and has been kept largely as written, because the fundamentals of building here have not changed much — the problems in 2004 are the problems today.

The forum

The Cool Thai House forum is where the ongoing conversation happens. Build threads, questions, photos and answers from members who have been through it. If you are planning a build, that is the best place to start asking.

Photographs

The photo gallery holds larger collections of individual projects, including many not covered by the articles here.