You experience everything in Thailand (225)
In the series of stories that we post about something special, funny, curious, moving, strange or ordinary that readers in Thailand have experienced today: Neighbour, Mr. Engineer….
About the dangers of thinner
Our neighbor is called 'naay chaang'. Mister engineer. Mister builds and renovates houses and fixes everything that is architectural. And it still stands!
Near our house he built a bath-bedroom that still stands, and a long three meter high wall along the alley where the most wind comes from. That too is still magnificent to show off! Mister engineer enjoys respect and is assisted by a fellow technician, a porter and a whopper of a welding machine where sparks fly through the knotted and glued power wires…
It was time to refurbish his own house and guess what, the window frames should have a good turn. A new paint! But first the old paint has to be removed.
Thinner!
He started rubbing and scraping to give the hardwood frames a good clean and used a pot of thinner for that.
Step up, music, the occasional sapphire, and because of the heat a fan. Patlom they say here. Much needed because in the Isaan it can run well into 40 Celcius and then you would like a fresh air at your work.
And so the gentleman went to work with a pot of thinner and a scraper, but forgot something. Of course you shouldn't point that fan at you when you're dealing with paint-dissolving waters that have an intoxicating effect. Surely a naay chaang should know that?
No! He doesn't know if he thinks this is for sissies. Oh, I've seen them! If I lend a welding machine and add welding goggles or a welding cap: I will be laughed at. My wife's son then lay in bed for days with welding eyes…
Borrow a jigsaw or a concrete drill (believe me, you'll learn that.,..) and add hearing protectors and safety goggles: you will be laughed at. That's for wimps! .
So Mr. Engineer didn't think twice and went to work on his window frames. Until his wife heard nothing more and went to have a look. Sir flat on the floor. By 'invigorating' vapours, so to speak. With all his might he dragged mister engineer to his bed where he lay in front of Pampus for two full days and couldn't utter a boo or bah..... Warn doctor? Oh are you crazy….
Well, the good man survived. So, folks, thinner? Watch out…
Submitted by Eric Kuypers
Well written.
In the past, I have been working with a flex to shorten protruding concrete iron on the balcony.
Standing on a ladder with 1 leg and holding the balcony with 1 hand, the flex snapped out of his other hand and the flex swung through the air on the cable at a reasonably safe distance from me.
There is a lot of tinkering going on in our village.
Often the woman is morally obliged to ask someone from the family to do the job.
Tiles fall off the wall, masonry walls fall over, doors and windows don't close.
Countless examples.
The TV program ; my husband is a handyman, would be a success in Thailand.
Yes Eric,
Then those thinner / acetone sniffers must be real champs, and not wimps.
Because after a few 'sniffs' they feel in heaven for a while, because your engineer neighbor went under sail for 2 full days.
PEER, I have no experience with sniffing. I think youth sniffing (glue) stops when a heavenly moment is reached.
About the neighbor, my wife told me that he had been working all morning and I suspect that he overdosed. Anyway, he will never do it again…..
Then at least it would be better Thinner, and not junk! Ha ha.
Yes, there are technical schools in Thailand, but most young people really have to rely on 'teachers' while working and then things sometimes don't go as well.
They are usually rice farmers when the harvest is done they have another job, such as bricklayer or tiler or painter etc. Usually it goes well but there are also those who don't understand it and are Mr. engineer 55555 LOL.