Composite Yards Thailand

[Composite Ben]

Hello all,

Does anyone know of composite boat builders in Thailand as I would like to work there. Yards that build with glass, carbon, pre-preg, infusion etc. Any help will be great.

Many thanks,

Ben

[brian eiland]

I will send you a private message. Let me know how it works out for you as I will be relocating there as well.

[Andy Pitt]

If you send me a mail to Boatman@ksc.th.com I can give you all the information you need on Thai yacht building and Thai yards. I have 20 years experience building yachts and managing yacht projects there. Rgds Andy Pitt. www.andypittprojectmanager.com

[Frosty]

You will need a work permit. Working without as many are tempted to do will result in your arrest, and It is a serious offence.

Many agents offer to assist in getting one but it still remains difficult.

[CTMD]

Since we're talking thailand here....

Can anyone recommend some Thai yards that would be suitable to build a 50+' aluminium sailing cat. We'll also be looking for an independant project manager.

[Boatbuilder BC]

Composite Marine International. They are partners with cobra international the windsurf and surf board company and Green Marine from the UK. They are the only decent boat building company around. They produce carbon racing yatchs, open 40's and lots of pre preg components.They are BOI registered and have no problem getting work permits.
I have seen alot of "boat building" companies in Thailand and there are very few you would want to work or that can pay anywhere near a western wage.
info@composite-marine.com

[Frosty]

There are boat yards here that can do that stuff. I advise you to come here and have a look, there are flights between Chonburi area and Phuket which will be the main areas.

Working here on the shop floor is not a good idea . Apart from the wages being crap (although the cost of living is very cheap) it wont work. You will not be able to speak Thia or mingle with the thais. You would be the only round eye for a start. Food , the heat , toilets,,---sorry.

[Boatbuilder BC]

Ben i would advise you do some research before coming for a look. As i said Composite Marine International are the only yard i know that are equipped to do high end (decent) stuff, i.e large ovens, cnc machines, cleannrooms,autoclaves and climate controlled areas for doing large VE and epoxy infused projects as well as pre preg. As you know its hot there and for high end boats you need a high end facility. Maybe Frosty has the names of more companies but i've been in Thailand a while myself and i haven't seen them. If you pop over for a look you will find mainly low end polyester work.

[Alik]

From our experience, most of foreign employees stay in Thai boatbuilding company less than one year unless they are shareholders. Most of them will run away in first 1-2 months, or will travel form company to company on ‘probation’ basis. In these short term cases, getting work permits is an issue and any probation work looks illegal.

Also, most of builders here are on budget range and once they employ a foreigner they would require all-round skills as equipment/system installation, furnishing, purchase, management skills, etc. They need more than just experience with composites. There is plenty of Thai laminators and foremen capable to do fiberglass work in low-end production.

[brian eiland]

Since we're talking thailand here....

Can anyone recommend some Thai yards that would be suitable to build a 50+' aluminium sailing cat. We'll also be looking for an independant project manager.
Is your design quite a bit different than the 50-52 footer being built there already? Those fellows have quite a backgrd with biulding of alum in Thailand

I'd be interested in what you might be working on as I have a couple of gentlemen interested in a 50-55 foot sailing design...likely in Thailand...perhaps a private message

[CTMD]

No need to go private,

The boat is very preliminary at this stage (just discussions at this stage no drawings). The client is looking for a very seaworthy long distance cruiser. The boat will be "long" for its amount of internal space, keeping weight out of the ends. I've emailed a few companies in Thailand and I'm yet to get a reply.

[Frosty]

Why do you want to build in Thialand? there are language problems ,quality control, taxes etc.

Your in the best place now. You need to get on a plane and check it out yourself, hotels are cheap.

[CTMD]

Why Thailand?

I've built my company around the premise of listening to my clients and providing what they want. This particular client has expressed a desire to have his boat built in Thailand and has asked if I know or could recommend any yards that he could visit as he will be passing that way soon. Short of jumping on a plane after the first phone call, without any knowledge of the Thai industry I've ended up on the net doing research. Rest assured that I'll be visiting yards before me make any commitments.

[Hostins]

im not sure, discard this if im wrong, but, isnt cheaper there? workers and all the stuff?

[Composite Ben]

Thank you to all the positive imput from various people. I will get back to you in turn.

ไม่พบคำ คุณ

Ben

[alberto88]

Is many good yards here, a lot of different scale and scope.

CMI is part of Cobra, but have a lot of foreigner and staff turnover; now seem to be running well though but not so much high tech stuff, plenty of mass production RS type boats now.

Serenity and SEAT and Latitude 8 type yards all specialist in some area, and do quite good business, also have yards like ******* Boat yard that is very skilled. But not sure any of these yards would need staff though. Serenity specialise in catamaran already, but not sure about whether can do aluminium. I know Buzzcat used to do aluminium boat, but not sure if he still does. I think maybe.

There are also really really bad yards as well. Some promise and always promise but never deliver anything, and do very low quality work. You can spot yard like this; always pay the worker very low, not invest in training, not have decent equipment, always changing people. Often will be run by a foreigner too, and have many fights with other foreigners because they always try to cheat foreigner customer; they cannot be brave to cheat Thai customer, as Thai customer will come back with a gun and settle 'out of court'.

My friend have some problem exactly like this at the moment with some yard there.

[brian eiland]

....CMI is part of Cobra, but have a lot of foreigner and staff turnover; now seem to be running well though but not so much high tech stuff, plenty of mass production RS type boats now.
Is CMI still in operation??

Didn't Cobra International close down back in Dec?? That's what my wife told me.
http://surfermag.com/features/onlineexclusives/thailands_cobra_international_locks_out_employees/

[alberto88]

just shut down during worker shut out; now back and running as normal.

But other yard that sounds similar CSI, maybe this the one more likely that will close down soon; CMI still going quite ok I think; lots of orders and work for them with a decent number of staff who are now all back at work.

Cobra has 3,000 employee or more.