Where to buy hardware tools in Buriram?

[Jon Terry]

Yes Nick they are opening next to Nissan a lot going on here at the moment.There are plenty of houses need improving for sure but is there enough trade for these stores only time will tell.

Stunner I reckon there will be plenty of trade for them.
 When I first came to the village (Tabon Tapek) in 2003 it was proper poor and nothing going on, we were the Rich family cause we had a new Suzuki smash !!! If I saw a Farang pass through in a month I was lucky (or not).
Check the place out now it is booming everyone has new trucks and big homes going up everywhere, in my family alone the Kids are coming back from years of hustle in Bangkok and buying back family land and building their new homes back on the land of their ancestors, I know it ain't just my family doing this. Plus all the new generation farangs arriving every year.
This place needs tools !!!

[Prakhonchai Nick]

 I like your idea about Thai returning home, but if I was to take some of my older power tools etc would you have to pay tax anyway?

Jon- you are a farang and always will be. if the Thai authorities can relieve you of some cash they will.

[stunner]

Well Jon there is lots going on here now new shops,government buildings,restaurants,roads,hotels,houses etc its boom town.

[Jon Terry]

Yep Boom town it is, but for how long ? I've been hearing rumours that the Thai economy has Ireland written all over it !!
Hope they are wrong as I don't think it would end well in Thailand if it went tits up, The Thai's are a little less understanding than us when we hit bad times, my income has practically halved in the past three years and I just dust myself off make sacrifices and get on with it.
But I think if you give a Thai a big new shiny truck, a business, nice home land and a temporary lift in cast/status. These are not things they will give up in a hurry and when lost they will never admit that they were strung along the gravy train like everyone else, they WILL want blood.
 The Thai people will see it as being tricked, not that they did not realise that, if it's too good to be true it is too good to be true !!! We can tell them all about our sufferings and mistakes in the west but they want the good stuff, and we all know they will take it and ask questions later.

[Prakhonchai Nick]

Most of us here cannot understood how the economy has held up as it has over the past years. Instead of collapsing, the baht seems stronger than ever, despite all successive governments perceived faults and the clashes between the various "coloured groups"

To keep on topic, all the hardware stores that are expanding throughout Thailand, must have investigated the economy before starting their expansions, so there is hope that all is not as is rumoured.

Even you Jon, must have some hopes for the future of the Thai economy if you are considering settling here permanently later this year.

[stunner]

 Jon just dreaming the pound will go up this year ha ha.

[Jon Terry]

Nick I really hope the Thai economy stays good forever as it will be where I finish up, but it is one place I would not want to be if it crashes.
 My deep feelings on this is that the new world super powers India and China etc will keep the Thai economy strong with trade and shipping etc, so I don't really feel that in the long term Thailand has anything to worry about, plus all the rice it produces will be the new oil in the future.
But they need to be aware of the pitfalls of consumer culture. 

[Jon Terry]

Jon just dreaming the pound will go up this year ha ha.

Too right stunner it is so hard to save up for a similar visit like we used to make regularly strong batt and a weak pound is shite for us Thai/farangs in the UK.
What we send each month is today worth about 60% of the same amount  7,8 years ago. But we are luck that after all this time it has sunk into my inlaws that the world situation has caused this not our greed we send what we can and nothing less.

[Jon Terry]

Nick when did they start their research into the expansion?
It could of been before the warning signs flashed up.
But I think you are probably right and that  the research predictions will be correct for some years, many people will move back from the cities to the villages and back from other farang places, perhaps as a bolt hole from a collapsing world economy, there is always somewhere to make money in bad times, and it is usually where people feel safe. And that is with their families.
 

[kamalabob]

Genuine DeWALT, Makita, Bosch power tools are easy to buy in Buriram for a lower cost than the "chain stores" at a shop that gives a real discount on the price, accepts cash or credit cards, delivers for free, has trained staff for repairs on site, repairs at the store location or will ship the broken item to the appropriate authorized repair facility.  This small store has a higher volume of actual tool and water pump sales than any other store in Buriram.  You can see the NEW location which is sort of open, directly across the street from the Buriram Provincial Electricity Authority office.  That new large location is on the right hand side of Highway 2074, which is the same as Lak Mueang Road, just a few miles past the Buriram Private Hospital.  The current location is the store on Sunthon Thep Road where a two officer "Police Hat" is in front of a corner shop.  The owner will give you his mobile phone number, he has staff that can install and maintain water treatment systems, pool pumps, all for reasonable prices.  I've compared prices on specific models at Do Home, Global House, Thai Watsadu, IQ, HomeMart, Home Pro, Home Works and this shop has never been higher on the items I priced.  The owner can also advise you in person on what some repairs when the warranty runs out might cost on various brands, hence why he recommends certain name brands.   If you go in person, he has catalogs with enough English and he will write down a price for that model.  Global House would be a fantastic addition to the retail scene in Buriram, but Home Pro will just have untrained sales staff  with "interesting" sale prices.  Ask the English owner of ICE furniture where he buys his top end power tools. 

[Prakhonchai Nick]

Does the shop have a name Bob?

[davu]

if I could just find a robust one wheeled wheel barrow with inflatable tyre.
You can buy almost anything in Thailand as long as it has a machine attached. Simple stuff like hand tools, - a proper spade, digging fork or pick for instance, chisels...  I learned long ago that using a machine isn't always the best way.

[kamalabob]

The independent shop is named "Ruangsang Thai".  The male owner speaks very good English in person, and has a decent understanding of English. He is not afraid to use google images in working with a customer to find the exact product the Farang is trying to explain.  This shop is the wholesale location for many brands of power tools and water pumps for the smaller shops.  They do a thriving business in water supply installation and upkeep for villages and housing developments. 
The mobile phone for the owner named "Phi Chai" is 089-844-9680.   Best to see him in person to obtain a written price quote and this shop is excellent on "after the sales" service without a run around or lame excuses.  I had not seen this shop stock "high end" hand tools, but I was not looking for such.  After seeing how Thai construction workers mistreated some hand tools I brought over from America I see no sense in better hand tools for the Thai workers we employ.  But I certainly understand why a handy expat would desire a proper hand tool that did not rust in one week.  I was first informed of this Buriram tool shop by the local carpenter we hired as he seemed to take care of the tools he owned. 

[kamalabob]

Better photo of a free delivery from "Ruangsang Thai".  The staff of this shop seemed to inform my wife in Thai how various  purchases work and darn if she did not enjoy her made in England Bosch lawn mower.  Really not a crazy price for a power mower actually made in the UK sold in Thailand for a fair price.  But Makita also makes a decent line of electric mowers that come with real warranties. 

[Pichai]

DaveU:  My store has just received a brand new model of Marton Jumbo Heavy Duty wheel barrow with a single pnuematic front tire. I've put this new model of wheel barrow inside the front door of my Buriram Builders Merchants Store on Highway 2074 which is laocated directly across the Buriram-Phutthaisong Highway from the Buriram Provincial Electricity Authority. 
To BillH52 and Jon Terry:  I'm proud to show that DeWALT power tools are sold at a discount at my Buriram Builders Merchants store and my eight full time tool and lawn mower repair staff perform authorized DeWALT Power Tool repairs, often the very same day, right here in Buriram.  No other hardware store can actually repair the DeWALT, Makita, Stanley, Bosch or Hitachi Power Tools they might sell.  My family owned store discounts and provides genuine repair service both during and after the warranty period. My shop is the only shop in Buriram Province that sells enough DeWALT Power tools to have two DeWALT bicycles for the hardware store staff to scoot about.