citizen33

I have an old tester on top of my wardrobe that I picked up for GBP15, and another in a decent secondhand test set that cost more but not $500.  The multi-meter test is better than nothing, I'm just saying that it is not the test a professional electrician in the west will use, and it will not tell you if Somchai has saved a few baht by sticking  in a 12 inch earth rod rather than an 8 foot one.

It has to be a  loony fantasy, but I've often wondered how a heavily subsidized chippy would go down in provincial Thailand.  Would the locals eventually get hooked if the F & C were handed out free for a while?  KFC seems to have made some inroads, and the classic British dish has far more pedigree.  I've noticed that Thai students in the UK fall back on fish and chips when confronted with less familiar alternatives.  Just dreaming, of course.

Talking of north of the border, I still have wonderful memories of lovely crispy haddock from one Lochee chippie.  He did deep fried Mars bars as well!

_{Be careful of relying on a multi-meter or cheap socket tester to test the ground connection.  They will show whether you have a connection to ground but not the condition of that connection.  You really need a professional earth resistance tester for this job - doubt that there are many inThailand.}

We all have a right to our opinions and the OP's account touches on a number of negative things about Isaan that won't be news to TV regulars. For myself though it comes across as a caricature of village life. I built a house in an Isaan village about 10 years ago, lived there and worked in a nearby city for 15 months, and since then have stayed about two months a year, with continuing work connections in the area.  True, I don't suppose I would have picked that spot apart from my wife's wishes, but it is quiet, affordable and a convenient commute to a nearby work place.

It is true that the demography of rural Isaan is changing with an awful lot of younger people (of both sexes) moving to work in the big cities and many grandparents looking after grandchildren to compensate for the absent generations.   This may contribute to the perception that a lot of people don't do much work, though I wouldn't say that is the case in my village, where several have public sector jobs and many work very hard indeed.  Even given the seasonal cycle of agricultural work, there are a lot of farmers doing house buidling work during the quiet times, something that has been encouraged by the building boom in the area.

Regarding houses, yes, some belong to elderly westerners (like myself in a few short years, no doubt).  But in my village there are four farang houses and at least twenty modern and well appointed, Thai-owned dwellings.  The reason is the very advantageous loans available to civil servants, which can build an impressive house when say the husband is a police officer and the wife a nurse.  And yes, as another poster said, almost all these homes have aircon in at least one bedroom - for the Thai occupants.

If you get to know certain government departments in Bangkok you'll find that quite a lot of educated Isaan people have gone on to do rather well.  The region has a growing university sector and a lot of demand from local students for higher education courses.

All this being said, I have to confess that the prospect of mingling with a throng of inebriated farmers at an all-day drinking session of the kind common at a local wedding or wake does not appeal, but then a lot of the working villagers would feel the same way.

The usual practice in the villages is for the local (typically part-time) builders to do this kind of work, and as some of the posts above suggest they may not do a particularly good job.  When I acquired my tank and pump I bought the gear myself and got my local builder to help put it in with a bit of my own input.  I think the point about valves and bypass  above is excellent advice.  All I would add is make sure the valves are of good quality and don't let your helper sink everything under concrete (I've had to change a couple of valves and it makes it harder if they are sunk into some little hole).  With the standard Thai plastic pipes the tank/pump bit isn't that hard as a DIY job, but it would make sense to check your proposed pipe layout with somebody who has experience.