Arguably the most challenging and frustrating thing one can expect when moving to Thailand, or establishing a permanent part time residence, is everything associated with setting up a home.  It makes no difference if you are renting or buying, trying to navigate everything associated with creating a livable space can be daunting, to say the least.  The most difficult scenario is, without question, the setting up of a newly built condo.

If you get a place that is fully furnished, to your liking, a significant amount of the work will have already been done.  Buying furniture, large appliances, and custom window coverings is an experience you will gladly trade for a root canal…believe me!  Add to that everything associated with outfitting a new kitchen, and bath.  Sit down and make a list of all the items you need to purchase for just those two rooms and you’ll begin to understand what a difficult chore this really is.  Now think about everything you need to set up the bedroom(s), right down to the little things like clothes hangers.  Then there is everything associated with washing and ironing clothes. In addition, you’ll need a TV, stereo, floor fans, mop, bucket, broom, table settings, accessories, and so on.  And don’t forget the water heater for the shower.  That will have to be purchased AND installed!  If it’s a new home you’ll also need towel bars, toilet paper dispensers, and curtain rods installed.  The list seems never-ending.

Also keep in mind you are shuttling all the small items via taxi.  It is an endless series of trips back and forth to a half dozen or more stores, bringing back only what you can carry each time.  Ever try bringing an ironing board home in a small taxi?

You can get larger items delivered, and if you plan it right, the store will also bring smaller items such as microwave, TV, and stereo.  But that’s only if you are getting bigger things like refrigerator, or washing machine at the same time.  Of course, you will need to provide delivery instructions…think about that one for a second or two.  OH…did I mention none of these people speak English?

With all that taken care of, you also have to think about getting Internet set up.  To do this you first have to have a telephone number, with the telephone company…get the picture?  And just because you’ve managed to get Internet set up in your space doesn’t mean it works with your computer.  In fact, that very well may be the most frustrating part of the process.  There is nothing more wearisome than watching a bunch of Thais chattering back and fourth as they make all kinds of changes to the settings on your computer, and its obvious they poses only rote technical training that does not cover the unexpected problems associated with a computer that came from America.  Trust me…I’ve been there.

To try and cover every nuance of what the above entails is impossible.  If for no other reason, everyone’s experience will have its own unique set of problems.  Suffice to say, trying to do this on your own is going to take a very long time, and require a prescription for valium.  If you plan to close on a new condo, and try to set it up in 60 days you’re being overly optimistic.  If you intend to do it on your own, that is.

Photo Courtesy of Asia Boy

And that brings us to the point of this article.  If you ever hope to make it through all of this, in a timely fashion, and with your sanity intact, you must have the assistance of a Thai boy.  Not just any boy, mind you.  He needs to be sharp, have good English skills and a little moxie. This is not a job for a passive little queen.

If you get yourself a good boy, as a full time assistant, he will cut the process time by at least half, not to mention keep you out of the loony bin.  The list of things he can streamline for you are endless.  He will handle negotiations and other translations, set up deliveries, be the Thai speaking phone contact, set up and manage installations, give taxi instructions, carry bags, recommend stores, show you how the refrigerator, washer, stereo, and TV works, to name just a few.

Now don’t go shopping for a boy like this on your own.  Rely on farang acquaintances you’ve made to recommend candidates.  Then take the boy on one or more test runs, such as shopping for a day, or dealing with an issue that needs to be resolved with the condo administration office.

How much is a boy like this worth?  Depending on how good the boy is, he should get between five hundred and a thousand baht a day, with a healthy bonus at the end if he does a really good job.  What he can get done for you in one week, will take you two or three.  Its money well spent, assuming you can find a good boy.  And don’t select a boy based on how cute he is.  Focus on the task at hand.

7 days times 500 baht = 3,500 baht or roughly $100
7 days times 1000 baht = 7,000 baht or roughly $200

This is a no brainer folks!

A friend of mine just got done paying a REALLY good boy for 5 days of help.  All he could do was rave about how wonderful it was now that he had a boy taking care of things.  Prior to that, his progress was miserably slow and frustrating.  I know he would tell anyone it was money well spent.