cooked

Trying to eliminate all the risks from life, might as well end it all right now AFAIC

Yes, contacting a disgusting tropical disease is all part of life's rich tapestry, go for it. While you're at it, have unprotected sex with a ladyboy in Pattaya, drive a motorcycle without protective clothing, don't get your kids vaccinated.

Maybe you should look at your soil first - is it heavy, does it have organic content,, worms? We have ready access to cow manure and have a compost heap, I am cautiously adding river sand bit by bit and seeing a big improvement in the quality of the soil. The odd corner here and there that haven't received any sand yet are hard as concrete, So you have to consider stuff like that first.

Chillies will be happy in full sun, tomatoes don't seem to like that. Why don't you just try stuff, googling as you go? That's what I did, every situation is different. At the moment we have ginger, sweet corn, yard long beans, cucumbers, Chinese cabbage, garlic and onions, clumping onions and chives, various herbs, melons (that don't seem to be doing too well, insect attack), tomatoes and sweet peppers, all under shade. Growing pumpkins was a catastrophe, they tried to take over the whole garden and we got sick of them.

But we live in Isaan, have to water every day. Certainly easier if you start just before the rainy season but we manage most stuff all the year round.

It is certainly worthwhile being able to take stuff out of your own garden that hasn't been showered in pesticides twice a day,

Agree 100% with your methods just adding a few tips if your soil is heavy add gypsum also and for pest control I use a mix of neem (sadea in Thai ) oil ,garlic ,cinnamon and molasses keeps most insects away . I spray every three weeks . I cold press the neem seed to extract the oil but many parts of the the neem tree have different uses , in India it is know as the tree of life . Google neem tree for more information . The neem tree is found all around Issan just ask your wife to point it out to you . Cheers

Neem oil: you can buy this, which I do, since making my own Neem product from the leaves was too much hassle. Mixed with Chilli, garlic and so on confuses the insects' sense of smell. It also confuses my sense of smell as it really smells bad. However the next time you water, the effect will be gone. You can try Neem: 'Bai Sadaou', Bye sadow or whatever.

Cold pressing Neem seed? We have a few Neem trees around but I can't see myself clambering into the trees to collect seeds and pressing a year's supply in advance.

The whole village was amused when they heard that I was making my own Bai Sadaou ticyture, they thought I was too miserly to buy something that gives you cancer to do a good job of it.

Live in a motel for a few days, then look. Internet is not the way to.go.

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If I went down that road then I would buy a sword stick.

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Maybe you should look at your soil first - is it heavy, does it have organic content,, worms? We have ready access to cow manure and have a compost heap, I am cautiously adding river sand bit by bit and seeing a big improvement in the quality of the soil. The odd corner here and there that haven't received any sand yet are hard as concrete, So you have to consider stuff like that first.

Chillies will be happy in full sun, tomatoes don't seem to like that. Why don't you just try stuff, googling as you go? That's what I did, every situation is different. At the moment we have ginger, sweet corn, yard long beans, cucumbers, Chinese cabbage, garlic and onions, clumping onions and chives, various herbs, melons (that don't seem to be doing too well, insect attack), tomatoes and sweet peppers, all under shade. Growing pumpkins was a catastrophe, they tried to take over the whole garden and we got sick of them.

But we live in Isaan, have to water every day. Certainly easier if you start just before the rainy season but we manage most stuff all the year round.

It is certainly worthwhile being able to take stuff out of your own garden that hasn't been showered in pesticides twice a day,

I used to swim in what I now realise was a heavily polluted canal in the UK. I didn't have any problems but I would definitely not let my kids swimming in this kind of gunk, taking a good shower immediately afterwards would be a good idea.

Maybe googling 'water borne diseases will help you make a decision.

I have given up on importing vegetable seeds from Europe, there always seems to be some kind of problem with heat, light intensity, day length or disease. I did get some Cleome spinosa, sunflowers with large single head and large seeds, a random selection of sedum seeds seems to be doing ok.

We have a nice clump of strawberries with about one flower per square meter. They don't seem to get pollinated or we get very small fruit that fall off. Isaan.

In the Middle Ages in England, no meat on Fridays. Eventually ducks, puffins, seals, whales and dolphins were declared to be fish so they could be eaten on Fridays.

We must get the rice farmers to check what happens to this merchandise.

By the way, what kind of efficiency and safety standards are we to expect if this thing gets built?

Hang on there. I am just repeating what I was told, why don't you ask him what he is talking about? I was also previously told that if I did a 1000Km oil change the warranty would be void also.

That's sounds crazy. My new Attrage says no first service required for 6 months whereas i am used to having an oil change at 1,000 km. So if i do that my warranty is invalidated ?

Makes me think that if I do have a claim on the warranty they will be looking really, really hard to put the blame on me. I don't like the thought of driving 10 000 Km before first service, but I just did just that.

E20 saves money with a small dip in km/l, E85 a bigger dip but again saves you money. Most expensive benzine is a waste of money imo/

The engine design is for fuel types listed not E85.

If he uses E20 that's fine the other fuels listed he can use if E20 isn't available.

I get all sorts of conflicting information about fuels.The dealer told me to use Gasohol 91 in my Nissan Almera. At the service station we found E 20 marked inside the petrol hatch. In the booklet it says, more or less, that you can use anything. 91, 95, E 20.. I had the service done yesterday and the mechanic told us that using E 20 would possibly reduce acceleration and engine life. My car runs just fine on 91 so that's what I will continue to use where possible.

A shame as I had just got the people at my usual service station not to whistle at me when we turned up in the truck, they don't have 91.

I bought a new Nissan and get three years road side assistance for 'free'.

They almost certainly will require you to be taken to their dealership even if you have to pay extra towing milages. This means you will not be able to get a quick local get you home fix that you would by using a closer garage.

won't.

http://www.nissan.co.th/en/Owning/Twenty-four-hour-roadside-assistance.aspx

Ok. Never tried urea and I worked as a 'lawn expert' for 30 years. Atrazine does not sterilise soil for many years as stated above, I used it many times when preparing first class lawns. It prevents seeds (other than grass seeds) from germinating.

Look, if you want anything resembling a decent lawn you will have to use naughty chemicals. Environmentally friendly solutions don't exist, only changes in attitude about what a lawn should look like in Thailand. Good luck.

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Hang on there. I am just repeating what I was told, why don't you ask him what he is talking about? I was also previously told that if I did a 1000Km oil change the warranty would be void also.

I bought a new Nissan and get three years road side assistance for 'free'.

Rule of law anyone?

Who lives by the sword shall die by the sword. Whether justified or not, these guys just got a taste of their own medicine.

I thought I'd get back to you good folks. I had the first, 1000Km service done today and I asked why The salesgirl had told us to use Gasohol91 when it was marked on the filler cover E20. He told us that if that was what we were told (by the way she only told us that when I asked directly what I should use) then if we had any problems with the motor and they thought we had used E20 there would be no guarantee. You just can't win, can you?

This is a unique situation, TIT. Nobody governing or wanting to govern, so the farmers find themselves obliged to do what any civilised democracy would have done long ago. An inventory! This will be a first in Thailand if they get it right. 20 years ago the USA would have had CIA agents hatching dirty tricks all over the place.

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I was in the South of Koh Samui last year and I only got half heartedly wettened a bit once. I told to kids to desist, as I had just taken out my camera, and they did. Lasted two days as far as I could see.

I believe that you must rule out common aims between the rice farmers and Suthep's anarchy party. The guys in Isaan just want their f(*&^ ing money, if they don't get it they won't be going to Bangkok for cosy pop concerts and picnics. But they will go back home when they get their cash. Some of the guys are going to loose their lands, house, car, everything if they don't get paid soon. Much more serious, direct, clear aims. ... that is what worries me.

I hate 'Farnags' without even knowing what they are.

Something like a brussel sprout?

Ohu.Sorry for my error.

Farnag is perfectly acceptable as I proudly invented the term a year or two ago while drunk. It is a cross between a Farang and a Balrog

I just finished weeding my flower garden and I always have a few of these in there, very difficult to get rid of with their long roots that tend to break off at just the right depth so that you can't get at them but they can grow again. Don't Roundup the stuff immediately after cutting, you might want to wait 10 days, giving water, so that you have enough leaf surface to apply to. Obviously you will have naked spots where these weeds + surrounding grass have died down (and there is no guarantee that they won't grow back, some weeds are very robust).

If you have the energy, you can try putting on rubber gloves and pick the plant up with your left hand and apply Roundup (maybe 5%, but not more) with a sponge.The vapour from Roundup can kill other plants so maybe evening would be a good time. Forget the vinegar for now,

There are many excellent weed killers for lawns around, but not in Thailand. I don't think that Dicamba alone would do it.

I live on about ฿52 000.- a month, also in a house that is built by and belongs to my wife. I have a health insurance for ฿10 000.- a year, which is just a first response solution really. It would be nice to have financial reserves to be able to get back home in case of a serious medical condition developing. We bought a car, 100Km a day going to a private school (not paid for by me) and the family truck really isn't suitable for that kind of mileage on these roads. ฿8600.-. + ฿5000.- gasohol. Electric bill around ฿500 - ฿1000.- a month, we have two AC units and I have never been conscious of stinting in their use although they are turned off at night.

Small kitchen garden, chickens and ducks, but MOST IMPORTANTLY the wife's family nearby that helps out when necessary. We have weaned ourselves off splurging at the beginning of the month to waiting until the end of the month. 10 people living in the family compound and only two bringing in a regular income.

Kid's education: I supplement the school with some home schooling, an hour or two on Saturdays, English, natural sciences and maths, while she teaches me Thai.