Well drilling help in northern Chiang Rai

[ThailandBob]

I'm looking for some experience with well drilling in Chiang Rai province. We already drilled a well to 35 meters and the water sucks! I want to re-drill on a different site if it makes sense.

[King Cotton]

21 minutes ago, ThailandBob said:

I'm looking for some experience with well drilling in Chiang Rai province. We already drilled a well to 35 meters and the water sucks! I want to re-drill on a different site if it makes sense.

Hi, @ThailandBob! How long ago was the 'bad water' well drilled? All wells, either deep bores like yours and shallower artesian wells all need a few weeks for the water flow, through the subsoil, to rinse the muck away and to settle-in.

[ThailandBob]

2 hours ago, King Cotton said:

How long ago was the 'bad water' well drilled?

About 6 months ago. I was quoted ฿150k for a 100m well and 2k per meter beyond (diameter wasn't specified). That seems way too high.

[ThailandBob]

Note, the well was drilled right next to an old irrigation pond. I suspect that the well wasn't sleeved properly, and pond water is seeping into the bore.

[Stardust]

9 minutes ago, ThailandBob said:

About 6 months ago. I was quoted ฿150k for a 100m well and 2k per meter beyond (diameter wasn't specified). That seems way too high.

Quite expensive for Thailand so it should be not more than 80 000 to 100 000 baht.

[ThailandBob]

6 minutes ago, Stardust said:

Quite expensive for Thailand so it should be not more than 80 000 to 100 000 baht.

The first well was around 30k for 35 meters.

[Stardust]

10 minutes ago, ThailandBob said:

Note, the well was drilled right next to an old irrigation pond. I suspect that the well wasn't sleeved properly, and pond water is seeping into the bore.

It is not sand or mud in the water? And after a few days normaly should be clear. 6 month and still dirty water then this bore you can forget.

[Stardust]

1 minute ago, ThailandBob said:

The first well was around 30k for 35 meters.

Yes thats realistic

[King Cotton]

14 minutes ago, ThailandBob said:

Note, the well was drilled right next to an old irrigation pond. I suspect that the well wasn't sleeved properly, and pond water is seeping into the bore.

Not sure re the sleeving issue; i.e. how and with what, but having it next to the pond will guarantee that pond water will filter thro' the soil, either into your bore or around the sleeving at least.

When you say the water 'sucks', does that mean smell and taste bad or is discoloured?

[Stardust]

10 minutes ago, ThailandBob said:

The first well was around 30k for 35 meters.

But normaly if the water is not very clear after a hour they will come after a few days to check again and then kniw if they have to drill again ( deeper or in another field). Definetly you complain why they not do like it is common practice.

[ThailandBob]

11 minutes ago, King Cotton said:

When you say the water 'sucks', does that mean smell and taste bad or is discoloured?

Badly discolored and gets worse the longer it sits. For instance, fill an empty 1.5-liter water bottle and let it sit for a day. Next day, it has the color of Mountain Dew. Following day, it looks like orange drink. The ferrite level is off the charts. And, according to one company, there are pesticides and small life forms. Given the pond is at the edge of a rice field and has fish, I don't doubt what they are telling us.

The house that this well is for is for my wife's parents are in their mid 70s. Farming is all they know. They insisted on us having the well drilled next to their remaining 2-rai rice field so that it could serve as dual use for irrigation (instead of having to pump from the pond during dry season). The kicker is, there's not enough water coming from the well to irrigate 2 rai. Takes all day to fill a 2000L tank.

Edited October 31, 2021 by ThailandBob

[Stardust]

2 minutes ago, ThailandBob said:

Badly discolored and gets worse the longer it sits. For instance, fill an empty 1.5-liter water bottle and let it sit for a day. Next day, it has the color of Mountain Dew. Following day, it looks like orange drink. The ferrite level is off the charts. And, according to one company, there are pesticides and small life forms. Given the pond is at the edge of a rice field and has fish, I don't doubt what they are telling us.

I think you are right 

[ThailandBob]

13 minutes ago, Stardust said:

But normaly if the water is not very clear after a hour they will come after a few days to check again and then kniw if they have to drill again ( deeper or in another field). Definetly you complain why they not do like it is common practice.

Actually, that's what we did. Submersible pump would pump for about 5 minutes and the float switch would shut it off. It runs intermittently for maybe 5 minutes and stops. This goes on all day. It's powered by solar panels. The driller came out and drilled another bore about 30 meters away.The output was even worse.

They blamed it on the solar. I was home in Hua Hin when this was going on, so was getting this all second hand from my wife who was on the site. After the second bore, the driller called it quits and we got stuck with the first well.

[TukTuk]

We paid 40,000 for 80m well in Isaan in December 2019.

The water comes out clear. I tested it with a water kit from US

Completely drinkable. (Testified by the fact that almost 2 years and NO one sick)

My brother in law built the roof and installed the tank. 7,000 baht total for both.

[ThailandBob]

26 minutes ago, TukTuk said:

The water comes out clear. I tested it with a water kit from US

We're not even close, but your story is what we envisioned.

[ThailandBob]

 

Hi, I went with Chiangrai Water. I have been stuck away from my home in Hua Hin for the 3rd week now. I came here expecting to stay for 4 days to get a handle on things. I had with me, my dog, 4 days worth of clothes so I needed to make a decision.

They have an English speaking owner and an English speaking sales person who has better English grammar than many of the Americans I worked with in my professional life as a software company owner.

They charge 150k for up to 100 meters. Guaranteed do drill at least to 60 meters. I was able to negotiate with them that they would run the water pipe from the well to the settlement tank -- about 35-40 meters, relocate my solar array and existing well pump, and install a float switch in the settlement tank and run it through a conduit back to the well to stop the well pump when the settlement tank is full. 

Guaranteed flow of 2000L per hour, 48,000 per day or my money back.

They also charge a 5000 baht engineering fee to send an engineer out to survey the area, look for best location, etc. I get that 5000 back at the end of the job.  Sure enough, yesterday, they showed up, along with some provincial people who apparently have to "bless" the location, complete with a wooden sign that translates to something like, "This is a well location". The guy holding the sign posed for pictures when the well location was selected. I got pictures of it. 

Today the setup crew came to the site, but they couldn't do much because they were expecting a "macko" to show up, which didn't. They needed to create an open pit to collect rain water to be used to cool the drill. Interesting. But tomorrow they drill. I don't see any rain in the forecast, so not sure what they're going to do for water. 

Remember, I don't speak any Thai other than to get a cold beer and some food. It's been Google Translate for everything. I think I know what's going on, LOL.

 

[RampantRabbit]

On 11/6/2021 at 5:53 PM, ThailandBob said:

Hi, I went with Chiangrai Water. I have been stuck away from my home in Hua Hin for the 3rd week now. I came here expecting to stay for 4 days to get a handle on things. I had with me, my dog, 4 days worth of clothes so I needed to make a decision.

They have an English speaking owner and an English speaking sales person who has better English grammar than many of the Americans I worked with in my professional life as a software company owner.

They charge 150k for up to 100 meters. Guaranteed do drill at least to 60 meters. I was able to negotiate with them that they would run the water pipe from the well to the settlement tank -- about 35-40 meters, relocate my solar array and existing well pump, and install a float switch in the settlement tank and run it through a conduit back to the well to stop the well pump when the settlement tank is full. 

Guaranteed flow of 2000L per hour, 48,000 per day or my money back.

They also charge a 5000 baht engineering fee to send an engineer out to survey the area, look for best location, etc. I get that 5000 back at the end of the job.  Sure enough, yesterday, they showed up, along with some provincial people who apparently have to "bless" the location, complete with a wooden sign that translates to something like, "This is a well location". The guy holding the sign posed for pictures when the well location was selected. I got pictures of it. 

Today the setup crew came to the site, but they couldn't do much because they were expecting a "macko" to show up, which didn't. They needed to create an open pit to collect rain water to be used to cool the drill. Interesting. But tomorrow they drill. I don't see any rain in the forecast, so not sure what they're going to do for water. 

Remember, I don't speak any Thai other than to get a cold beer and some food. It's been Google Translate for everything. I think I know what's going on, LOL.

Prices  it  seems  are  all  over the shop, I  had two wells  drilled  about 7  years  ago, at the time  massive drought around here (Pranburi) The reservoir at Pranburi Dam was  almost empty, price was 150k, 80  metres  deep, they drilled a first well and it didnt provide  enoough water, about 1000litres and hour so they did a  second and got 4000  lits  hour, I kpet  both after a fight with them wanting to  fill  one  in, I got  it tested in BKK cost 5k to test, good  water, bought my own pumps  Franklin and built my own well  houses and installed my own  pressure  tank Grundfos (35k) and  piping runs  100  meytres to  main house . After watching Thai workmen over the years  I never let anyone do any work execept myself.

[palooka]

On 10/31/2021 at 9:04 PM, ThailandBob said:

About 6 months ago. I was quoted ฿150k for a 100m well and 2k per meter beyond (diameter wasn't specified). That seems way too high.

Seen you coming with that price.

[palooka]

Lucky in Sa Kaeo water is only 6 metres down.  Villager drills by hand, supplys sleeve for well, a pump and fittings for B5,000 and a bottle of Thai whisky to celebrate when finished.  Pump is very basic and expect to buy a new one soon, but it works.  Others use a drill rig on the back of a pickup and will put them in for B10,000 with a basic pump.

[TukTuk]

The well digger is saying a prayer that is luck and finds water.

Edited November 11, 2021 by TukTuk

[ThailandBob]

On 11/11/2021 at 1:54 PM, RampantRabbit said:

Prices  it  seems  are  all  over the shop, I  had two wells  drilled  about 7  years  ago, at the time  massive drought around here (Pranburi) The reservoir at Pranburi Dam was  almost empty, price was 150k, 80  metres  deep, they drilled a first well and it didnt provide  enoough water, about 1000litres and hour so they did a  second and got 4000  lits  hour, I kpet  both after a fight with them wanting to  fill  one  in, I got  it tested in BKK cost 5k to test, good  water, bought my own pumps  Franklin and built my own well  houses and installed my own  pressure  tank Grundfos (35k) and  piping runs  100  meytres to  main house . After watching Thai workmen over the years  I never let anyone do any work execept myself.

 

 

A beautiful job. Are you able to filter it to be suitable for drinking? If so, what type(s) of filters are you using? I'm looking for a UV filter for drinking water, to be installed next to kitchen faucet.

[RampantRabbit]

On 11/13/2021 at 1:25 PM, ThailandBob said:

A beautiful job. Are you able to filter it to be suitable for drinking? If so, what type(s) of filters are you using? I'm looking for a UV filter for drinking water, to be installed next to kitchen faucet.

Doesnt need  filtering ,  had it tested nothing nasty in it, but I dont drink water anyway

Edited December 2, 2021 by RampantRabbit

[ThailandBob]

Impressive.

[Thaidup]

The wife's cousin is at my place now, she told me 1000 baht a meter and if they can't produce the goods no bill.

They spent 1/2 day yesterday drilling and digging the slurry trench.

I asked her if they are sure they can get water, they used a water diviner to locate the area to drill,

Will find out soon enough i guess.

[Thaidup]

Well final word is it was a fail.

They bored down 30 meters, pulled up water that looked more like concrete slurry, it was grey and muddy and stoney, I gave them 2000 baht for their time and fuel costs.