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Parrothead

Another reason Cambodia will be a Third World country for the rest of my life.

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Parrothead

Because of the way many Khmers do business. Other reasons will certainly help this trend to continue, as well.

 

On March 21st, I updated our well drilling project, noting that, while it originally had been the first item on our priority list, it has slowly, but surely, moved down that list. Here is what I wrote in the March 21st topic, regarding it:

 

 

Anyway, part of that reason is, we can't seem to get the wellman out to the job site to talk with us a bit more about a possible location of the bore (well). However, we have sorted out the initial tank for the system.

 

Let me go back a bit, to January 5th. On that date, I created a thread regarding the costs of the bore. While we had inquired with other wellmen in the area, we both felt pretty comfortable with this guy. He talked saying (in his Khmer version) that he knew the area like the back of his hand. He said he had drilled other many previous bores in that area and it would be no problem to put on in for us at the farm. No problems. Easy. A 10cm well will go in with no worries. (Keep that last part in mind, for referencing later in this story.)

 

Since then, we have been trying to schedule him to go out to the farm, so we could pick out a suitable location on the site for the bore. (I know little to nothing about bores. I figured someone with experience in drilling them may have a better idea than we would, regarding location of the bore on the site.) Repeatedly planning, just to have him delay us one day after another. 

 

Finally, I had enough of his bullshit. If he were in the US and conducted business like that, he would be out of business in minutes. Yes, I know. "Paul, you ain't in Kansas anymore." Finally, I had her ring him up, with me pissed off in the background - I'm sure he knew I wasn't happy, Chan called and basically asked that we please schedule it. She told him we would be happy to pay for his time. We just needed him to go out there with us for an hour, just to have a look, then return back to town. He finally set a time and date with us to go out to the farm.

 

The day comes - Day before yesterday, Sunday, the 9th of April. 2pm was the meeting time, but when she ringed him to go meet, he delayed it another 30 minutes. Okay, 2:18pm, we headed to his office. Right to the minute, we showed up at half-two. Bright eyed and bushy tailed, punctual as can be, we just knew we would be on our way to the farm in just minutes. (Yes, I know that doesn't mean a lot in the "Land of Wonder".) 

 

He informed us that his vehicle was in the shop having the air-con serviced. So, now he waited until Sunday for them to fix an issue I am sure didn't happen on Sunday. But, what the heck. We agreed to wait. 

 

Then, he hit us with another issue. He started telling us how we needed to find another driller to sort this, because his drilling rig won't drill through rock, etc., that is out there. 

 

Wait. Stop. Hold the phone a minute. This is the same asshole that told us he knew the area "like the back of his hand", right? I mean, we talked with him back in JANUARY. Now, we are in APRIL, and he has changed his story, saying his rig will not drill there? Why not tell us in January, rather than now? Yep. Bullshit three feet high.

 

I had her translate to him, for me, to at least go out there and have a look, please. Then, he could make up his mind. Maybe it won't be as difficult as he thought it would be, was my thinking. So he agreed. Problem is, the vehicle isn't back yet. We even offered to pay for a taxi to take us all out there, so we won't burn all our daylight. After all, this is a pretty important thing to sort. He wouldn't have it. So, we waited...

 

3:00pm rolled around. We wait.

3:30pm rolled around. We wait some more.

I was thinking, by the time we get out to the farm, the daylight to walk around the property would be gone. So, I was quickly getting fed up with it.

3:45pm rolled around. I finally asked her to tell him we are heading out. If and when he has the time, please call us and we would head out there with him. 

 

Just a few minutes later, his vehicle arrived. So, in we got and off we went - to the farm.

 

45 minutes later, we arrived at the farm. It was going on 5pm, by then. Sun was low in the sky, but still providing ample light.

 

He walked around the front yard, then, he headed down the road to have a look at another bore, a bore with the hand operated pump. When he came back, he said he had talked with the owners of the house near the well. Some how, he had sorted that, yes, most definitely, it would take his big rig (for 15cm bore drilling), to drill OUR well at the farm. For sure, the 10cm drilling rig would not cut it, literally. He waited a little while to tell us this bit of information, though.

 

Now, keep in mind, this is the same feck knuckle who professed to be an expert and knew that area, due to having drilled so many bores out there, previously. He was the master, know-it-all.

 

Finally, he informed us that he DID have a solution for us. He would bring his big rig out and drill for us. This would ONLY cost $2,000 USD! (Did I mention that, originally, back in January, the asshole told us the big rig would cost $3,000 USD for a 15cm bore to be drilled? Wow! $1,000 USD discount, just by waiting from January to April, although all this time he had been too feckin' busy to go out to the farm?) What a dickhead. 

 

He just doesn't want to drill the well, I figure. He damned sure didn't remember the original price he gave us for the 15cm well, either way. 

 

Additionally, he stated that he wouldn't be able to get his truck to the property anyway, due to the water in the dyke from the recent rains. (Thanks to the March and early April rains, some of our plans are now fecked, apparently, even this one - if we chose to go with having the story changing prick drill the bore.)

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JohnOBohn

   Go online & get detailed lans to make Ur own drilling rig.    Pretty simple using all manurl labor.   takes a little time but labor is cheap.

    Old Submariener Sam on PPanglao made the drill head, etc and drilled several successful wells with itt.  

    Need to water witch for best location for well.

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andy

I would not give this guy the time of day. How far away is the hand pumped well? If it is not too far away, it may be worth making an offer to put in a electric pump and pay a arranged cost to the owner.

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Parrothead

I would not give this guy the time of day. How far away is the hand pumped well? If it is not too far away, it may be worth making an offer to put in a electric pump and pay a arranged cost to the owner.

 

Can't. It is a community well.

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andy

Ok. I understand this, service to ten dwellings. Is it provided by Cambodian red cross?

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Parrothead

Ok. I understand this, service to ten dwellings. Is it provided by Cambodian red cross?

 

No idea, who drilled it. Wish we had been there when they did, though.

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andy

Wish we had been there when they did, though.

 

Unfortunately Paul they would probably not give you the time of day! Organisation's with overseas money.

I have found it better and less complicated to do work for myself in Cambodia. But drilling for water is beyond me. Finding good reliable people is difficult.

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Parrothead

 

 

Unfortunately Paul they would probably not give you the time of day! Organisation's with overseas money.

 

I may be wrong here. But, my thinking was, whomever sponsored it, still had to get a third party to drill the well. I was thinking I could have gotten them to drill ours, after they were finished with the other one. Was just a thought. 

It's like the cement guys who had 6 cu. meter concrete trucks, along with a temporary concrete plant a couple of roads over from the farm. Had we been ready when they were around, we could have gotten some serious foundations poured at the time, very reasonably priced. 

Story of my life. When my ship comes in, I will be at the airport.

 

 

 

But drilling for water is beyond me. Finding good reliable people is difficult.

 

Ol' Tha is pretty reliable. From time to time, though, he acts like a woman on her period. Otherwise, he's pretty good. Once in a while, he will act like he is spending his own money, though, and wants to do a job much cheaper - and less quality than I will accept. 

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andy

after they were finished with the other one

 

Problem is (not all) but most Khmers will do the less work possible.

 

he will act like he is spending his own money

 

His thinking is that, he saves you money, you pay him more. Or he can cut corners, to work less.
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Parrothead

 

 

His thinking is that, he saves you money, you pay him more. Or he can cut corners, to work less.

 

True. But, sometimes, I want to have something that will last longer than by doing it the way a Khmer would. 

 

And, we pay him pretty well now, for what he does for us. I don't mind paying additional monies to guys who are good workers.

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