Reliable / Reputable Garage

[Woody1]

I was hoping I could get a few recommedations regarding the above topic.

I know I could trawl through hundreds of posts on probably many threads on this forum and others too, but I'd prefer to receive up to date info / recommendations on the subject and not waste time going through all kinds of negative and off topic posts.

I'm looking for a reliable / reputable garage in the Pattaya South / Central / North area who can service and possibly fix a few minor other repairs to a Chevrolet Colorado Z71 4x4 Auto (120,000km service)? Travelling a little further isn't a problem either, the main point is that the service is carried out thoroughly!

Before anyone suggests going to Chevrolet, I would have done but for the following; initially I would have done but they have a two week waiting list which I can't really wait for. Other reasons, but not the main one, are I didn't mind paying main dealer (rip off) prices when the car was still under warranty, but as it's now seven years old there isn't anything to really gain from it. Also the service staff at Chevrolet have proved over the years that they aren't the most diligent, and on a few occasions I've had to take the car back to them for rework (when conveniently nobody can speak English, (I know I'm in Thailand so I should be speaking the language).

Cost is not a major concern, as I use my car to travel to and from work, and as such the majority of servicing / wear & tear costs are reimbursable, but will require a proper receipt, not a, "Fred in the shed" back street job.

Thanks in advance for any helpful suggestions.

Woody1

Thanks in advance for a

[Jayman]

His name is Sakhda and he's a very competent and fair mechanic. Used to work in the dealership garage for many years before he opened up his own garage at home. I got his details and the recommendation from TVF and I'm happy to pass it on.

081-715-6819

He's in North Pattaya. He's even come to my house before on the dark side to have a look and lend a hand when I had some issues one time and refused to even take money for his help.

We've had him do service on our vehicle a few times now and he's always fair and does a good job.

[timekeeper]

His name is Sakhda and he's a very competent and fair mechanic. Used to work in the dealership garage for many years before he opened up his own garage at home. I got his details and the recommendation from TVF and I'm happy to pass it on.

081-715-6819

He's in North Pattaya. He's even come to my house before on the dark side to have a look and lend a hand when I had some issues one time and refused to even take money for his help.

We've had him do service on our vehicle a few times now and he's always fair and does a good job.

he has been the subject of a favourable thread on TV before

good guy!

[Woody1]

His name is Sakhda and he's a very competent and fair mechanic. Used to work in the dealership garage for many years before he opened up his own garage at home. I got his details and the recommendation from TVF and I'm happy to pass it on.

081-715-6819

He's in North Pattaya. He's even come to my house before on the dark side to have a look and lend a hand when I had some issues one time and refused to even take money for his help.

We've had him do service on our vehicle a few times now and he's always fair and does a good job.

he has been the subject of a favourable thread on TV before

good guy!

http://www.thaivisa....7-car-mechanic/

Thanks for the recommendations gents.

I have spoken to Khun Sakhda, and made an appointment for him to collect my car from my home (his suggestion) next Wednesday morning (subject to confirmation on Tuesday as he informs me he's very busy). This could work out well as in the OP I mentioned that there are a couple of other things that require looking at aswell as a service, a bit of rattling and vibration from wear and tear, which you would need to drive the car to diagnose properly I would believe (although I have a pretty good idea what the problems are). Additionally, he doesn't live that far from me (SSCC), so could be handy in the future too.

I'll let you know how things work out.

Timekeeper, thanks for the link to the older thread, many positive posts regarding the work of Khun Sakhda which is reassuring.

[Bagwan]

A pal of mine in the UK put his car in dock to tighten up the steering. It was decided to replace the steering rack. When he got his car back he still thought that the steering wasn't as precise as it should be. When he complained, the mechanic looked incredullous and asked, "You haven't been driving it have you?"

[Woody1]

His name is Sakhda and he's a very competent and fair mechanic. Used to work in the dealership garage for many years before he opened up his own garage at home. I got his details and the recommendation from TVF and I'm happy to pass it on.

081-715-6819

He's in North Pattaya. He's even come to my house before on the dark side to have a look and lend a hand when I had some issues one time and refused to even take money for his help.

We've had him do service on our vehicle a few times now and he's always fair and does a good job.

he has been the subject of a favourable thread on TV before

good guy!

http://www.thaivisa....7-car-mechanic/

Thanks for the recommendations gents.

I have spoken to Khun Sakhda, and made an appointment for him to collect my car from my home (his suggestion) next Wednesday morning (subject to confirmation on Tuesday as he informs me he's very busy). This could work out well as in the OP I mentioned that there are a couple of other things that require looking at aswell as a service, a bit of rattling and vibration from wear and tear, which you would need to drive the car to diagnose properly I would believe (although I have a pretty good idea what the problems are). Additionally, he doesn't live that far from me (SSCC), so could be handy in the future too.

I'll let you know how things work out.

Timekeeper, thanks for the link to the older thread, many positive posts regarding the work of Khun Sakhda which is reassuring.

Well, as I mentioned in my earlier post I would let you know how things worked out.

All I can say is that the recommendations for Khun Sakhda are well founded. Very polite gentleman, punctual, excellent mechanic, fair with his pricing, and speaks pretty good english, basically I will be using his services again, and have already recommended him to a friend who needs some work doing.

[thenervoussurgeon]

Very good mechanic ,have used him many times. recently i got disalusioned with Chevrolet main service ,not as good as they used to be.

Edited November 16, 2012 by Rimmer

[Jayman]

I too have completely given up on Chevy dealer service and will only use Khun Sakhda.

[marstons]

Gave up on the Toyoya dealers Khun Sakhda did a great job, he has a vehicle lift, well set up. i sat and waited, nice view over looking the little river relaxing whilst he worked on the car. Near the croc farm some where but i followed him there and put in sat nav. next time he will collect.

Exellent.

[pluto_manibo]

I also have given up on the Chevy dealer. Any chance of getting Khun Sakdhas' Garage GPS coordinates. I desperately need some issues taken care of on my colorado. Chevrolet have let me down time and time again.

[timekeeper]

His name is Sakhda and he's a very competent and fair mechanic. Used to work in the dealership garage for many years before he opened up his own garage at home. I got his details and the recommendation from TVF and I'm happy to pass it on.

081-715-6819

He's in North Pattaya. He's even come to my house before on the dark side to have a look and lend a hand when I had some issues one time and refused to even take money for his help.

We've had him do service on our vehicle a few times now and he's always fair and does a good job.

he has been the subject of a favourable thread on TV before

good guy!

http://www.thaivisa....7-car-mechanic/

Thanks for the recommendations gents.

I have spoken to Khun Sakhda, and made an appointment for him to collect my car from my home (his suggestion) next Wednesday morning (subject to confirmation on Tuesday as he informs me he's very busy). This could work out well as in the OP I mentioned that there are a couple of other things that require looking at aswell as a service, a bit of rattling and vibration from wear and tear, which you would need to drive the car to diagnose properly I would believe (although I have a pretty good idea what the problems are). Additionally, he doesn't live that far from me (SSCC), so could be handy in the future too.

I'll let you know how things work out.

Timekeeper, thanks for the link to the older thread, many positive posts regarding the work of Khun Sakhda which is reassuring.

Well, as I mentioned in my earlier post I would let you know how things worked out.

All I can say is that the recommendations for Khun Sakhda are well founded. Very polite gentleman, punctual, excellent mechanic, fair with his pricing, and speaks pretty good english, basically I will be using his services again, and have already recommended him to a friend who needs some work doing.

i am pleased that worked out for you woody

[Woody1]

His name is Sakhda and he's a very competent and fair mechanic. Used to work in the dealership garage for many years before he opened up his own garage at home. I got his details and the recommendation from TVF and I'm happy to pass it on.

081-715-6819

He's in North Pattaya. He's even come to my house before on the dark side to have a look and lend a hand when I had some issues one time and refused to even take money for his help.

We've had him do service on our vehicle a few times now and he's always fair and does a good job.

he has been the subject of a favourable thread on TV before

good guy!

http://www.thaivisa....7-car-mechanic/

Thanks for the recommendations gents.

I have spoken to Khun Sakhda, and made an appointment for him to collect my car from my home (his suggestion) next Wednesday morning (subject to confirmation on Tuesday as he informs me he's very busy). This could work out well as in the OP I mentioned that there are a couple of other things that require looking at aswell as a service, a bit of rattling and vibration from wear and tear, which you would need to drive the car to diagnose properly I would believe (although I have a pretty good idea what the problems are). Additionally, he doesn't live that far from me (SSCC), so could be handy in the future too.

I'll let you know how things work out.

Timekeeper, thanks for the link to the older thread, many positive posts regarding the work of Khun Sakhda which is reassuring.

Well, as I mentioned in my earlier post I would let you know how things worked out.

All I can say is that the recommendations for Khun Sakhda are well founded. Very polite gentleman, punctual, excellent mechanic, fair with his pricing, and speaks pretty good english, basically I will be using his services again, and have already recommended him to a friend who needs some work doing.

An unpleasant update!

I was just having a look around my car a few minutes ago, and noticed that there was oil on some of the front suspension and steering linkages.

When I popped the bonnet open I couldn't believe what I saw!

Following the recent service, including oil change, the rocker cover cap has not been put back!!!! In it's place sits the funnel which was used to fill the engine with oil!!!!! There is oil everywhere under the bonnet, and absolutely none showing on the dipstick when I checked the oil level!!!! This is a basic trainee mistake and extremely fortunate hasn't resulted in the engine seizing already!!! Although god knows what damage has already been caused to the engine over the past 2 weeks.

My friend whom I recommended Khun Sakhda to also had a service and a couple of minor repairs carried out, when his car was returned to him Khun Sakhda informed him that he needed a couple of other minor jobs done in a month or so. That very evening whilst he drove home from central Pattaya to Khao Noi the radio went off then all electrics failed in rush hour on Sukhumvit!! He was lucky that he was already in the nearside lane when the car cut out, and that he was with his wife who was able to request the assistance of a couple of guys nearby to help push the car to the very side of the road and out of the way of other traffic. Khun Sakhda took the car away again and then returned it with another invoice for 7000 Baht of additional work! At the time, although I wasn't happy to have recommended this mechanic to my friend, and his car subsequently breaking down, I put the electrical breakdown down to being a coincidence with the timing of the service.

Now though, I do not put this down to being a mere coincidence after seeing what he has done to my car, at best I put my friends breakdown down to incompetence, and at worst to purposely creating additional work for himself! Not replacing the rocker cover cap on my car is an unexcusable act of gross incompetence and negligence from someone who is meant to be a trained mechanic!!!

I will not be recommending this so-called mechanic to anyone else, and certainly won't be using any of his lousy services again!! I just hope I haven't learnt my lesson in a very expensive manner by requiring major repair or replacement work of the engine carried out!!!! I suppose only time will tell!!!

So for now, I'm stuck at work in Sriracha with a car without a rocker cover cap, and an oilless engine!!!

Be warned if you are considering using the services of this man, all is not what it's meant to be!!!!

[Jayman]

hmm.. that's sad to hear. Thank you for the honest report none the less.

[Fgis]

Anybody else reporting problems with him ?

[pattayadingo]

Consistency seems to be the problem with some mechanics.

I used one off the far north end of Sukhumvit, almost out of Pattaya. He did good work and repaired bad work done in another city.

Yet when I had the brakes serviced by him, that was the end of the car and almost the end of me too when the brakes failed.

It does make you wonder what you have to do to get consistency with a mechanic.

[Fgis]

People don't like Bquick around here ?

[SidJames]

Consistency seems to be the problem with some mechanics.

I used one off the far north end of Sukhumvit, almost out of Pattaya. He did good work and repaired bad work done in another city.

Yet when I had the brakes serviced by him, that was the end of the car and almost the end of me too when the brakes failed.

It does make you wonder what you have to do to get consistency with a mechanic.

As is often the case with small contractors they don't check work done by their minions when they are busy.

This is often made worse when they have fallen out with the staff who then do shoddy work as way of getting back at their boss.

Quite often these small contractors are excellent in their own right but have no management skills. It's the same the whole world over

[Jayman]

People don't like Bquick around here ?

No idea what that is. Care to enlighten us?

[Fgis]

http://www.b-quik.com

[Woody1]

A pleasant reply regarding Khun Sakhda, the gentleman I mentioned in my earlier post who's car broke down on Sukhumvit asked Khun Sakhda to sort out another problem this morning.

Khun Sakhda arrived on time, fixed the electrical problem, and charged my friend next to nothing!

So, on this I'll give him another go.