There is no such thing in Cambodia. A Vietnamese guy who has done work for me before, bought along two Cambodian guys to help with some repair and reno work. They started to paint the finish coat of paint on top of rusty steel without even sanding it down. Then I had to convince them to put a primer paint on. Then I had to make them put a tarp covering on the floor to stop drips on the tiles. Then had to show them how to sand back the built up plaster on the wall joints using a block of wood with the sand paper wrapped around it. Then had to tell them to use a sealer coat on it . then. then, then,,,,,,,, I realized I had for got the old proverb, If you want a job done properly ,, do it your self.

China & Korea same same... I suspect all of Asia except (perhaps) Singapore.

I don't think there are any such things as 'Trades' with: qualifications, examinations, journeymen and apprentices. If your brother-in-law has a hammer, a pair of pliers and a flat-head screwdriver, he's a plumber... or an electrician!

Cruisemonkey wrote: ↑Sun Jul 30, 2017 8:54 am China & Korea same same... I suspect all of Asia except (perhaps) Singapore.

I don't think there are any such things as 'Trades' with: qualifications, examinations, journeymen and apprentices. If your brother-in-law has a hammer, a pair of pliers and a flat-head screwdriver, he's a plumber... or an electrician!

I have a 14 year old boy in the extended family out in a village. They came to visit one day and I gave him a mastic gun and tube of sealer ,,, pointing out a gap where the down pipe joins the guttering. By the time I went down stairs to get a rag and returned, he had already cut the end off the nozzle, climbed the ladder and half completed the job.. I am seriously thinking of training him as my maintenance man.

Cruisemonkey wrote: ↑Sun Jul 30, 2017 8:54 am China & Korea same same... I suspect all of Asia except (perhaps) Singapore.

I don't think there are any such things as 'Trades' with: qualifications, examinations, journeymen and apprentices. If your brother-in-law has a hammer, a pair of pliers and a flat-head screwdriver, he's a plumber... or an electrician!

To quote you on my other post: "that's pretty effin nasty. Who stole your soul/empathy/compassion?"

Do you see how opinions vary over topics?

You just painted four different nationalities as incompetent.

Have a good day.

Duncan wrote: ↑Sun Jul 30, 2017 9:09 am

Cruisemonkey wrote: ↑Sun Jul 30, 2017 8:54 am China & Korea same same... I suspect all of Asia except (perhaps) Singapore.

I don't think there are any such things as 'Trades' with: qualifications, examinations, journeymen and apprentices. If your brother-in-law has a hammer, a pair of pliers and a flat-head screwdriver, he's a plumber... or an electrician!

I have a 14 year old boy in the extended family out in a village. They came to visit one day and I gave him a mastic gun and tube of sealer ,,, pointing out a gap where the down pipe joins the guttering. By the time I went down stairs to get a rag and returned, he had already cut the end off the nozzle, climbed the ladder and half completed the job.. I am seriously thinking of training him as my maintenance man.

Sounds like he's got common sense by the balls. I'd go for it!

Sounds as though the kid has potential; unlike the 'maintenance guys' at my university in China who were peasant farmers until the government expropriated their land for the campus and gave them jobs as 'Tradesmen' (with no training). Retarded chimps could do a better job.

soup wrote: ↑Sun Jul 30, 2017 9:19 am

Cruisemonkey wrote: ↑Sun Jul 30, 2017 8:54 am China & Korea same same... I suspect all of Asia except (perhaps) Singapore.

I don't think there are any such things as 'Trades' with: qualifications, examinations, journeymen and apprentices. If your brother-in-law has a hammer, a pair of pliers and a flat-head screwdriver, he's a plumber... or an electrician!

To quote you on my other post: "that's pretty effin nasty. Who stole your soul/empathy/compassion?"

Do you see how opinions vary over topics?

You just painted four different nationalities as incompetent.

Re-read it. I think I painted ALL of Asia as incompetent, except (perhaps) Singapore.

Cruisemonkey wrote: ↑Sun Jul 30, 2017 9:29 am

soup wrote: ↑Sun Jul 30, 2017 9:19 am

Cruisemonkey wrote: ↑Sun Jul 30, 2017 8:54 am China & Korea same same... I suspect all of Asia except (perhaps) Singapore.

I don't think there are any such things as 'Trades' with: qualifications, examinations, journeymen and apprentices. If your brother-in-law has a hammer, a pair of pliers and a flat-head screwdriver, he's a plumber... or an electrician!

To quote you on my other post: "that's pretty effin nasty. Who stole your soul/empathy/compassion?"

Do you see how opinions vary over topics?

You just painted four different nationalities as incompetent.

Re-read it. I think I painted ALL of Asia as incompetent, except (perhaps) Singapore.

You went from zero to the asshole list in a matter of minutes. Nice work.

Pretty well all are indeed incompetent. With no trades based training and no technical schools with properly trained teachers that's what you get. Along with no national standards and few quality materials available and few wanting a job performed unless the cost is minimal.
I saw a job advertised in Phnom Penh yesterday for a construction supervisor familiar with Cambodian building regulations. I fell off the chair laughing.
Unfortunately standards have fallen in the west and regulations are often ignored thanks to cheap Chinese imports. Australia has dodgy electrical cable and fittings and flammable cladding on hundreds of buildings, as does the UK.
I just had an electrician replace hundreds of zinc coated saddles and fixings for galvanised to all our external conduits.The difference in cost between zinc and galv is about 7 cents each. I think he replaced about 500, so for about $50 no more rust stains.

Duncan wrote: ↑Sun Jul 30, 2017 8:23 am There is no such thing in Cambodia. A Vietnamese guy who has done work for me before, bought along two Cambodian guys to help with some repair and reno work. They started to paint the finish coat of paint on top of rusty steel without even sanding it down. Then I had to convince them to put a primer paint on. Then I had to make them put a tarp covering on the floor to stop drips on the tiles. Then had to show them how to sand back the built up plaster on the wall joints using a block of wood with the sand paper wrapped around it. Then had to tell them to use a sealer coat on it . then. then, then,,,,,,,, I realized I had for got the old proverb, If you want a job done properly ,, do it your self.

I think there are two or three different types of panters/ workmen in Cambodia.

One's that know what they're doing and take care of what they're doing. Not sure if it's a sense of pride or fear that drives them though.

The next is the guy who hasn't got much, if any, of a clue. Both boratey and Khmer have trouble with these guys clams of knowing how to do a job. Lots of them around with the building boom.

The third type is the first type working for a foreigner.

Eg, My clients, three brothers, were having the front doors and steel shutters repainted. They had two young Khmer guys scraping it off by hand. I asked why they weren't using stripper, as it took them 2.5 days to finish the scraping. Didn't really get a sensible reply. Anyhow they did a good job, if a little noisy.
Then they painted them. Primer/ undercoat and I think two top coats Not a drop of paint pretty much anywhere, and a nice smooth finish.

I reakon most Khmer just totaly take the piss when they are working for boratey. I have so many stories from Otres. It's almost as if that's where their sense of pride comes in. Or maybe there's not enough fear factor.