RamdomChances

So as the law stands....a Thai girl can marry at age 15....she cannot work in a place of prostitution or act as a prostitute until she is 18. Now as far as I know there is no law that states that she can only marry a Thai man at that age, but would be willing to concede that point if proven wrong. However if a farang did marry a girl under the age that applies in his country to overseas underage sex then he could be arrested on his return irrespective of the Thai law.

RC

I know this happens a fair bit but I still cant help but think they have stooped to new levels and it will cause problems in the village in the future

One guy married a girl from our village not long ago and just returned with 5 friends to find wives. No big deal

But the 1st guys wife went around the village asking who wants a farang husband and the girls and there families paid money to the wife for being pair off with one of these old guys

Now the problem I have is that these where not bar girls but normal village girls with Thai boy friends and probably being pressured by family to marry to get the dollars.

I cant help but feel that the young Thai guys are gone to start to cause trouble as there little darlings are sold of to guys two or three time there age one of the girls is 17 years old

To me it all seams a bit sick

But the 1st guys wife went around the village asking who wants a farang husband and the girls and there families paid money to the wife for being pair off with one of these old guys

Its pretty comman, there was a woman here who was interested in a friend of mine, her family offered us 100,000 if we persuaded him to marry her, as others have said I'm just not interested.

You have an odd definition of "better life". Being forced to marry some abusive alcoholic twice her age who's going to treat her like a slave and sweep her off to some alien country where she doesn't speak or read the language and she's thousands of miles away from everyone she knows and loves?

RC

Urea will have a big 46-0-0 on the bag (if it dos'nt say urea).

RC, I'm very interested in your Fortified rice hay operation. I have a 70 head feedlot in Khao Yai. The ruizzi/centro meadows have been slow to come back (even with irrigation) due, I presume to the cold snap. Only enough old jumbo left for about 5 days, and it's so tough the boys are picking their teeth with it   Would a first-hand look at how you make it be out of the question? We have a food barn with four 3 sided concrete bays, each 3x5 metres. I would be forever grateful.

regards

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No problem mate I'm in Nakorn Sawan, just send me a PM from here and I'll give you my number ect.

I know an other falang in that (sort of) area doing the same thing, he makes ruizzi silage as well, though he's got a lot of land. Whats your experiance with "jumbo" verses "ruszzi" I've got about 40 rai I want to put over to grass next year and am debating the best to grow, I've done jumbo before but found it just does'nt grow back quick enough and is better suited to "cut and carry" feeding rather than grazing.

Its (the fang mak) is supposed to be good for beef cattle with increaced weight gains over normal hay I recon I get between 10-20% increace in milk yield over normal hay with it, not as good as fresh grass but unless you've got your own a lot cheaper and readly avalible.

Heres a couple of links :-

http://www.fao.org/ag/AGA/AGAP/FRG/AFRIS/Data/550.HTM

http://www.fftc.agnet.org/library/article/pt2003026.html#0

Thank you very much for all the help, now i will study the links.

I found urea, and mollasses    in really one pot of molasses stand on my land for about 8 month and i always wonder what it is (my wife wanted to start to mix  with ricestray but had never the time or whatever else ... yeah thats how the things work here (sorry).

Sundrieing is possible and i did it already, only i ve read about a project (from University in Vietnam) and they found out that the quality and the weigthgain is much more high with silage cassave and the numbers of the counted wormeggs degcreased alot.  Only grass about 2500, Cassava sundried 1500, Cassava silage 300 !

Thats why i wanna do it, cuz the goats have exspecially in the raintime wormproblems!

Yeah yeah life is not easy, thanks a lot, i am happy i dont stay alone with all that problems.

Bye

Frank

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"Bambina" is a vet and "bina" keeps goats both are very helpful if you PM them with any questions or problems.

RC

hmmm, urea as fertilizer ?! What is the thainame or the label of the product (you know if i ask about urea they wont understand what i mean

Molasses (gat nam tan) liquid sugar basicaly, you buy it in drum's, I've never used it though, some people just put it on plain hay straw to make it more palatable to eat.

I've got milk cows and the milk production definatly goes up when we feed "fang mak" as opposed to plain straw.

Chownah is right that you dont have to add anything to cassava leaves, and you can just make cassava hay if you can dry it, which shouldnt be a problem at the moment.

We dont do any real silage as we cant produce enough fresh food during the season for then to eat let alone have a surplus that we need to store. The urea treated straw is more of a chemical reaction than a bacterial one I think (I had a link on how it actually worked but cant find it now) It's good for us as the straw is readly avalible all year in large quantities and is reasonably cheap. We have 3 "bunker" silage pits, each with a capacity of around 280 bails of hay (or about 5 tones dryweight) and one lasts around 7 days (I could really do with putting an other one in).

RC

Some people add molasas, just to increase the food values of silage, and yes you need to pack it as tight as you can, mabye you will need some sort of drain, depending on how much water the leaves have when you start the process, very dry thing you have to add some water.

We make a a hay silage, which is more like treated straw than a true silage, we add urea (sold as a fertilizer) and water then cook it for around 2 weeks. It raises the protien level to around 9% from about 3% and makes it more palatable and easier to digest.

Theres a couple of threads around on goats if you do a search, I'm no expert on them as we keep cows. you can make silage in the big blue plastic drums you see here as well. It will probably be a bit of "trial and error" for you to get it right, if you find it's too wet you can pre-wilt the leaves a bit by just leaving them to dry in the sun for a while.

RC

Basicaly you need to chop it and store it without oxegen getting in.

How much are you thinking of making and what for?

Heres an extract from this link

"Silage Production Practices and Techniques in Thailand"

http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/Proceed...nado/chap28.htm

In Thailand, silage has been produced in several methods, enumerated below:

  1. Concrete bunker silos. These are built at dairy farms and government research station with varying sizes. Concrete bunker silo in dairy farms in Ratchaburi and Phrae provinces is 145 cm. wide, 450 cm. long and 115 cm. high with 5 tons capacity.

  2. Concrete trench silos. Built in dairy farm in Petchaburi province with a capacity of 150 tons.

  3. Trench silos without concrete frame are built at Trang Animal Nutrition Station and Petchaburi Animal Nutrition Research Center. Their capacity varies from 20 to 120 tons.

  4. Plastic stack silos are usually set up on solid or concrete floor. A large plastic stack silos (about 35 m long x 7 m wide x 2.5 m high) with thicker plastic sheets are made at Chiengmai Livestock Research and Breeding Center, and its capacity is 200 to 250 tons.

  5. Paper tuber silos. These are the by-products of a food processing company and are widely used as silo in dairy farms at Ratchaburi province. Each tube has a capacity of 100 kg.

  6. Small round-baled wrapped silo is made at many sites of Animal Nutrition Research Center, its capacity is 50 kg.

  7. Silage in black plastic bag is widely used at small dairy farms in Thailand. Its capacity is 40 to 50 kg.

  8. Silage in jumbo bag is used at small dairy farms in Ratchaburi and Petchaburi provinces. Its capacity is 600 to 800 kg.

Here's some other links on the subject.

Ensilaging of tropical forages with particular reference to South East Asian systems.

http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/pasture...s/chinpaper.htm

and http://www.fao.org/ag/AGA/AGAP/FRG/AFRIS/Data/535.HTM from "Animal feed resources"

Also you could get in touch with your local Animal Nutrition Division they bwill be able to offer you local advice. Here's the web site http://www.dld.go.th/nutrition/Eng/model3/index.html

Oh I make a type of "hay" silage from rice straw "fang mak" we make it in concrete bunkers, about 4meters by 10 meters, enough for about 280 bails of hay at a time.

RC

The growing season here, well where I am anyway, it might vary a bit regionaly, goes from anout May to October. Usually get the first rains around end of april, making the ground soft enough to plough, and the last rains about october/november. Unfortunatly I'm not sure about rice, can you grow anything in the paddies or is it just sutible for rice, the growing time for rich I though was about 3 months, they double crop here, treble in some areas, with acces to irrigation.

Around here they(first/second crop) maize/sunflower, maize/sorghram, maize/cotton, sugar caine (1 crop a year, it takes that long to grow). Peanuts and I belive soya can be double croped, but you second crop is risky and they are'nt cheap to plant and look after. Other than that if they have any live stock put some "yaa jumbo" in grows in just about anything, does'nt need much water, no looking after, and its cheap, its only much good for feeding cattle ect though not a cash crop.

RC

Well I live in "Central Thailand"(which by the way is'nt just BKK most of its rural) and I've spent a fair bit of time around some parts of Issarn, a bit in the north and very little in the south (I'm discounting Phuket as it's its own little world). To be honest there is virtually no difference that I can see from your average familly in Issarn to your average family in central thailand. OK reginol foods,accents and traditions withstanding . I've never really spent enough time in the other areas to tell.

RC

The Thai man in this thread has mainly been stereotyped as a 'boozer', 'irresponsible' etc... This is fairly harsh generalization.

According to realistic figures Thais are amongst the heaviest groups of drinkers the world has to offer but,.... this sociological phenomenon encircles 'Rural Thailand'. Statistics show that amongst Thais with an education level of higher than grade 9 the level of alcohol consumption on average with that say in London, is in fact less.

This brings in the fact that, before you can make any generalization about 'heavy drinking' amongst Thai males you will have to decipher, for yourself, the sociological circles within which you mix.

I'd love to know where these men actually get the money to sit around drinking all day.

It was'nt that long ago in UK that it was considered "common" to have dark skin as you would obviously have a manual job working outside, the avalibility of forigen travel changed that and as you say it's now fasionable to have a "winter tan".

RC

I dont really have much problem with Thai drivers, actually the driving is quite prebictable here after a while. Trying to enforce the same rules and standerds as your home country here will just not work, you've just got to adapt to the driving style here. The thing is most of the driving laws are very simular to most western countries , they are just seldom enforced

Saying that I think if someone opend a thread in a board about any country everyone could find something to complain about...strangley I've naver heard anybody admit to being a bad driver ....but everyone else is

dr.cruella is there a database now listing all the falangs here and the social status of their GF's...WOW, next thing you know they will get a central computer records for things like ID cards and driving licences

RC

Bambina I know it's not your field, but do you know what I can use to spray my land, for large scale tick control. It would have to be harmless to animals, been trying to find something for a while now.

maybe try insecticide as pyrethrins .. (brand as Radd Water-Base) u can grab in from supermarket

coz low-residue (diff from organo phosphate /DDT) and after expose light , air ,temp ..it will be gone(in-activate) in few days

alternative way " rotenone " from plant

" LOTIN"

โล่ติ๊น

- crashed it's root .. and then add water , keep it for 24 hrs and then use the (white) solution which contain "rotenone" spray around (can use with animal too)

Derris elliptica (Roxb.) Benth.

common name - Derris, Tuba root กะลำเพาะ เครือไหลน้ำ โพตะโกส้า โล่ติ๊น*

โล่ติ๊นแดง ไหลน้ำ อวดน้ำ

*** toxic to FISH

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Thanks Bambina.....I must of missed your reply a few days ago. The problem is that I want to spray where we keep the cows and I have'nt really got anywhere else to put them for even a few days, so the first one is out really.

I might have a look at finding that root, and trying to make some up.

Thanks RC

In fairness to the OP hedid go out of his way to state that "This post does not reflect my opinion, it is the opinion of Thais in general" and I have heard that sentiment expressed on many occasions. It's probably due to the fact that "generally" falangs either like darker skined women or are just totaly indifferent to the skin colour, tend to be less sensitive to previous relationships/children ect and less interested in having a "beautiful" wife as a sign of status.

It's not rocket science really

RC

Issarn men sit around all day drinking lao khao, trying to work out how to sell thier wives/daughters/Gf to falangs to pay for their drinking habits. Oh and are all poor.

Central men are just interested in buissines, money and face as they are all chineese/thai and they are all rich.

Southern men are all radical muslims,hate everyone else and speak with a silly sing song accent.

Northern men live in little villages on mountians making cute handcraft stuff, they probably dont have electricity or running water and they keep cute little wild pigs.

Alledgedly

The Dude has read all of the advice given here thus far and would discard a good deal of it. Far and away the sanest, realistic and most solid advice is that of Dereklev. The Dude digs his advice so much that he feels he needs not post his own. I hand out a shovel to the OP to dig this advice also and take heed. On this advice: Learn it, know it, live it. Cheers    

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Your right it's good sound, sane,safe advice. It's the sort of advice that I would of given myself when I was thinking about coming out here (it's also the advice everyone else gave me), the sort of advice your bank manager would give you for better or worse I did'nt listen though and came anyway and many other people do.

Nothing in life is certian, there are people that have came here with less and made a good life for themselfs, although there are many, many more who have came and lost it all. Some people will take a risk, others want cast iron garenties

Fortunatly I dont have to rely on the UK gov pension, but I still cant touch mine for an other 15 years.

RC

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Thanks The Dude, I 100% do not think that someone aged 43 can sell their home in the UK be left with 100,000 pounds and expect to live a good life out here on the proceeds.

Random sure my advice is not to everyones liking but by the time th OP had blown his money he would be homeless and with very little chance of employment back home in the UK! !

By the way Random did I come across to you as a Bank Manager when we met at Richard's (Cheeky Farang) party.......

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No mate, you did'nt come across "bank managerish " and I do actually agree with you thats it's not the best idea and the chances are that he'll lose a lot of money. Some people do come here and make it with less than that, but for every sucess there loads of failours.

RC

Or the monkies who think it's appropriate to drive 6 inches from my rear bumper at 120KPH.

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or the monkies who drive 120 kph in the fast lane and wont pullover even though your only 6 inches off their rear bumper

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Random Chances, your being a little unfair. He is only in the fast lane because he has to turn right in about 10 kilometres.

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I always remember being in the car with my Mother-in-law, she does'nt drive much, but I asked her why she kept in the "fast" lane" . She showed me the sign saying "slow traffic keep left" and said "well I'm doing 80 kph thats not slow" and proceded to drive all the way at 80 kph in the fast lane

Or the monkies who think it's appropriate to drive 6 inches from my rear bumper at 120KPH.

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The Dude has read all of the advice given here thus far and would discard a good deal of it. Far and away the sanest, realistic and most solid advice is that of Dereklev. The Dude digs his advice so much that he feels he needs not post his own. I hand out a shovel to the OP to dig this advice also and take heed. On this advice: Learn it, know it, live it. Cheers    

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Your right it's good sound, sane,safe advice. It's the sort of advice that I would of given myself when I was thinking about coming out here (it's also the advice everyone else gave me), the sort of advice your bank manager would give you for better or worse I did'nt listen though and came anyway and many other people do.

Nothing in life is certian, there are people that have came here with less and made a good life for themselfs, although there are many, many more who have came and lost it all. Some people will take a risk, others want cast iron garenties

Fortunatly I dont have to rely on the UK gov pension, but I still cant touch mine for an other 15 years.

RC

After visiting Thailand twice now and after a recent announcement at work that there will be a big possibilty of 1/4 of the workforce being made redundant. I would love to change my life in a big way.

If i was made redundant at 43 and to sell my house i would have about just over £100,000 to my name.

I have a girlfriend who works in Patong as a manager of a restuarent and here its that i would love to live and maybe marry her.

I know that if i was to ask the forum a question like would i be able to buy a small house and buy into a small bar and live, with this kind of money. Then answer would be collosal with so many things and pitfalls to think about. But in general would a dream like this be possible or would i need a lot more financial clout and still need income from abroad.

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I looked at lots of things in Phuket and to be honest when you looked at the financial fig's they did'nt look sustainable as everything is lease hold and IMO way overpriced. Renting your house out at least initially is a good idea, it gives you something to go back to if needs be. Do you have any pensions coming out when you are older? Thats got to be a big thing as 100,000 pounds is not a lot for the rest of your life, if it's only got to last till your 60 then you have more of a chance.

It can be done but to be honest the odds are against you especially if you want to stay in Phuket (I doubt that I would still be here if I stuck to staying down there). My advice would be to try and rent out your house, and come out and stay there for a few months, rent an apartment and just live and look around , get to know the place and the buisinesses there. Keep and open mind on what sort of thing you want to do. The failour rate for bars in Patong is huge with many people just lasting out for 1 term of their lease, dont forget if you lease a bar for say 2 million for 3 years, at the end of that time you have to find an other 2 million and so on...ect

Anyway it can be done but the odds seem stacked against you, good luck...you'll need it

RC

Yesterday I was mainly doing "big boy's" plumbing, big 2.5 inch stuff not the usuall girly half inch stuff....have'nt had a drink for aged

I bought mine from an itinerant burmese labouror, 500bhat, two packs of kong tip and a bottle of lao chao...... I think I was done

I have a 2001 Ford Ranger with nearly 120,000 on the clock.

I have just replaced the tyres with another set of Michelins, and apart from a steering problem that required replacement parts about 50,000 km ago it is still going strong.

I have looked at the new Triton and the Toyota Vigo and I think that they are both ugly pick ups.

There was a bit in yesterdays Nation about the Bangkok car show and a couple of pictures of possibly the new Ford and that looks ###### ugly too.

Do all the car manufacturers design computers talk to each other to see which can make the ugliest cars nowadays?

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Next time your down have a drive of the Vigo, it's nice...then again I might speak nice to my BiL and bring it up with me next week I did'nt like the looks at first ...they sort of grow on you after a while and I can see the outside when I'm driving it

RC

My other pick-up is a Nissan, and to be honest it's not a patch on the Isuzu, nothing wrong with it it's just the Isuzu is better in all respects, then again neither are a patch on my brother-in-laws new vigo. As for the new mitsu, i'm with the others, dont know anything about it except that it's ugly, Oh I think it's actually the most powerful out of all of them.

RC

Threshing rice means removing the grain from the straw.  Its done in the field.

Milling rice means taking the grain and removing the hull (also called the husk) and removing the outer coating of the grains of rice which is called polish (also called rice bran) after it is removed.  Brown rice does not get polished. 

The rice hulls are used in making industrial abrasives because they contain alot of silica.  I use rice hulls for mulch in my garden.  Rice hulls are also used as the fuel for firing low quality bricks.

Rice polish is high quality animal feed.  Most of the protein (if not all of it) gets removed in the polish....that's right, the most nutritious part of the rice gets fed to animals!!!  When my wife has our rice milled she can choose to either keep the polish or not.  If she lets the miller keep the polish then she pays a lower price for the milling....don't know the prices though since she does this chore.

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Just to add to that. The outer usually called "geap" although could be "greap" is used a lot in chicken farming as well, a bit like saw dust would be used back home, just to cover the floor. It's very cheap about 800 bhat a lorry load.

The polish (lamb in thai) is indeed good quality animal food, I think we used to buy it for around 5 bhat/kg, but is used in the making of most pelleted animal foods in Thailand.

RC

Strangely enough I did'nt bother with the lobster dinner at the country club, did fancy a bottle of Sang Som over my mates house though