linno2

Thanks all for the advice and tips.

It wasn't a moan but more a heads up on what can develop for many of us living in a village which can suddenly impact on the enjoyment of it all. No different to rural anywhere. Not sure a daughter any less angst?? I have 2 sons and a daughter ( grown up ) of my own but sport, living near the coast and other recreational facilities meant more meaningfully occupied free time.

In this case I like the advice of staying out of it. It's a no win situation I suspect to do anything else and whilst the suggestion of doing more with him to substitute time with the local lads is a good potential solution , it hasn't worked in this case. Actually we aren't that close, a consequence of me not being around a lot and language. He is a good kid in many ways but a typical 15 year old. And there is not much for him to do in a village, so it's into Burirum to hang out and play computer games etc etc. Who knows.

His mum has spoken to him about the usual pitfalls, girls,vandalism, grog, crime etc, but again hard to tell a teenager anything. He has never been beaten, his father hasn't been around since he was six months old so none of those dramas. It's just the age and the environment he finds himself in.

It won't become a him or me situation, as you right, I would never win that one, but if push comes to shove, well, que sera sera. Not a worry.

My concern is that he gets through this period without major damage. It may well be expensive for me but that's OK if it is just something that money can fix.

It's a worry.

But thanks again for the advice, much appreciated. We just keep letting him know we love him, value him and are concerned for him . I am learning to be a Thai fatalist.

This is not advice - just sharing my own experience.....blended family of 6 kids - kids all get on extremely well and this is great and works well. Ages from 16 to 29. Have had all the trials and tribulations you could imagine but it now is starting to work rather well after years of consistency and hard to muster patience. Lessons learned over the last 10 years - 1) my wife's kids thought I would take her away to another country (big worry) so thought that they had better try very hard to discourage me. They were creative and persistent and almost succeeded! I just prevailed maintained the same standard for all kids. I only found this out in thr last few years and we can laugh about it now. 2) Thai kids (Boys especially) seem to grow up more slowly than Western kids (due to a combination of factors such as experience, expectations and cultural issues) so some shift in your own expectations may be needed 3) Thai kids like all kids will do things that bring disappointment and joy - I made sure all issues were acknowledged and dealt with, and always celebrated the successes 4) criticism has to be done in private or it can backfire 5) find what they can do, and like, and see if you can foster something along these lines (sport, gold fish, bike riding etc) 6) give them the means to make some money from their own efforts - e.g. mushroom farm, some chickens/eggs, labouring etc (this was good for their self esteem and gave them some independence) 7) make it possible for them to be a success in small medium and large ways. 8) raising kids has to be in a team effort with their mother - and it was very hard for her. Has it been easy - NO not at all. Has it been worth it - YES, overall it has been worth it. One thing that helped me was that my own mother re-married when I was 12 - fortunately the man she married has been a very good role model for me - he married my mother and decided this would involve her sons as well. I am essentially applying his approach. Good luck mate!

Also wonder how many road accidents and pedestrian poked eyes from the obstructing election billboards/posters along every road and footpath. German guy I know in Phi Mai got a THB20,000 fine for having a company brand name icecream banner in front of his shop 35 x100cm. So there must be some billboard control somewhere but not consistently applied.

I am looking for Thai language e-books on line if you have come across such a site in your internet searching. Will help to keep my wife content while we are out of Thailand.

Cheers

http://www.thaivisa....nguage-e-books/

Thanks for the reference to the thread BuckarooBanzai - much appreciated!

Cheers

Linno2,

I used to have both the M7040 and the M6040, just a few of my personal views on these tractors:

The M7040 i would class as a fair tractor, It was dissappointing that they did not put the synchroshift on the machine, although they put the forward / reverse shift beside the steering wheel but still having to clutch all the time. As for the shift on the fly for 2 -4WD, I did not know that the Thai machines had this, One of the guys who works for me decided to put one of the tractors into 4WD as he was moving slowly and i heard a loud clunk, so he was told not to that again !, i know that the US machines have the shift on the fly. Same goes with the Diff lock, do not try to engage that with the wheels spinning nor with the front wheels at a full turning radius, one of the neighbours did this and cost him a fortune on repairs (L3408). By your mail, you seem to have had a lot of repairs / wear and tear on the M7040, i only kept my M7040 for about 1 year but had no problems in that time, although this cannot be a comparison with 3 years on your M7040.

Kubota never give Thailand the exact same model as the US or UK, cutting out certain features most likely to make their machines cheaper. A prime example of this is their KX-080 excavator, the Thai spec has done away with the swing boom, arm rests, refueling pump along with some other features, most of the items that made the overseas KX-080 best in its class. I ended up having Kubota import me a Canadian spec KX-080 beacuse of the that.

As for spare parts manual, Kubota will give you that if you push them hard enough, i am offshore at the moment, but i am sure i have the parts manual for the M7040 at home, if i have, you are more than welcome to it. Kubota dealers need to be constantly pressured if you want anything done, and i mean constantly, as in a daily basis, i found that out the hard way. If a buy a new machine from my dealer now, the first thing he does is set down the parts manual and and A4 piece of paper in front of me, he knows that i will automatically order critical spares with the machine. Kubota BKK were in a major bind with spares, during and after the floods, although they were attempting to take shipments in from Japan during this, they still had major issues, no-one including Kubota had a plan "B" for floods.

As for the M6040, I was not impressed with it at all, it is good to look at, but my M5000 i had at the time was performing just as well. I was told a few months back that Kubota were stopping production of the M6040, so there may be a new model coming to replace that machine.

Again, this is just my opinion, your best bet would be to get Kubota to give you a M6040 demonstrator for a few days.

Regards

Thanks for the offer of the manual for the M7040 - I have an e copy so OK now. Re the M6040 thanks big time for the intel. I will wait to see what comes out in the near future. I agree the shift on the fly is a luxury but even the M7040 gets bogged and the 4WD is used so many times. Happy tractoring!

Thanks for the suggestions - both sensible and easy.

Cheers

I purchased the Kubota M7040 about 3 years ago - the first Kubota in the village and the first of this size in the district. What have I learned? A major consideration re the choice of tractor is the type of soil it has to work. I am near PhiMai in Nakhon Ratchasima and it has a high clay content and is very very sticky or like concrete. Being a more powerful 4WD gives us much more work in the district than the 2WD tractors - especially the iron horse Fords that are extra heavy. The first rotary tiller was rubbish made in Pitsanulok - couldn't cope with Phi Mai sticky. The second one much better and allegedly now produced by Kubota. The tractor has worked hard in these conditions and has had problems with the 4WD change on the fly system, gearbox, the hydrolic system, the injectors. We have worn out the front tyres, battery replaced and a new clutch and pressure plate - normal wear. Our absolute major problem has been getting spare parts. Kubota has continuously let us down, even with things like bearings. The price is also very high for locally manufactured Kubota parts and the M7040 is the least catered for by the large local agent. The floods of course made a very bad supply problem absolute - there was no phone contact from Kubota re the parts. No response from Kubota Japan (calls and emails) when we were seeking help about sourcing parts.

We have had to be creative and with some success. We sourced all the bearings through non Kubota labelled but identical specification bearings. Friction plate for the clutch was from a truck. The failed hydraulic pump spindle was made from a cut down version of another truck component (sized up on the lathe). Now there are numerous aftermarket service kits appearing on the market - again not with a Kubota logo but so far they have worked. Still unable to buy some components for the hydrochange spacers and a changer yoke. The badly worn yoke was 'rebuilt' with layers of weld and hand filed to the new specification and we have heard about a process that can rebond the friction surface on the spacers - still trying to find the place. Getting a parts manual is a must (cannot buy one from Siam Kubota) but can download in English from US parts suppliers and the part numbers seem to be the same. Also found a tyre supplier that was selling identical product for 40% cheaper than Kubota so shop around. Service charges are very high as well and doing as much as we can has helped a lot. The per km transport costs also add up quickly. We find that many other Kubota owners have the same service problems with smaller models. One poor local farmer has been waiting for over 1 year for parts to fix his tractor, and this is with the Kubota agent conducting the repair!

In summary the Kubota is much less thirsty than the large fords and has a greater scope of work in difficult situations. It is powerful and technically more refined (a much more recent design). My main disappointment is the seeming disinterest in helping us to keep it on the road. 'i on promise at the time of sale - low on delivery once we had purchased it. Having said that we will probably buy the M6040 later this year - the word is that it "has been designed for Thailand". It is technically dumbed down substantially. e.g. no on the fly shifting between 4 and 2WD. Unfortunately they do not supply a bucket for it - I really would like to get a 4 in one - but will need to go to another supplier for this implement. I have been looking to import parts from the US as they are all for sale on line - but the horror stories of Thai customs has lessened my enthusiasm so far.

In Australia I have a truly bullet proof 45 year old MF135 with the the 3 cylinder Perkins - what a legend!

Any helpful info on keeping the M7040 alive in Thailand would be very welcome! Happy farming!

Cheers

I am looking for Thai language e-books on line if you have come across such a site in your internet searching. Will help to keep my wife content while we are out of Thailand.

Cheers

My wife has a 12 month multiple re-entry up to 90 days per entry like many have referred to above. As you know there is no visa label any more. Our problem is that we cannot find the slip of paper with the details and I want to book a ticket for her to Australia. I know that the visa expires soon but not sure exactly when. I checked out the Immigration site the VEVO service for online checking - but it says you need the transaction number for the visa (on the lost paper) or a password - which we have never had as I think this relates only to countries that are eligible for the E visa application (not Thailand) and that we can only access VEVO whilst in Australia. Has anyone got any ideas on how to find out the validity of a labelless visa without the slip of paper?? Any advice appreciated.

Cheers

Glad your sister in law has a strapping son, espacially since 18 years ago there would have been some very dangerous (now withdrawn) sprays on the market. One thing in her favour would have been the stage of her pregnancy - at the end of the 2nd trimester as the greatest risk for the foetus in pregnancy is in the early formative stages of the first trimester. Nice for the good news!

Cheers

Doing some rennovations at the family village house - I can relate to the head injuries mentioned by others - 4 times in one day with the blood to prove it - progressively more painful! Have been able to buy farung height doors at Global! I must be slow learner.

Cheers

Korat has of course now opened its Global House on the road toward KK, have purchased lots of building materials and same for Do Home. Home pro more expensive by far and Neo Home on the road toward BKK is lacking. The range is largest in Do Home - especially as they have increrased the floor space with the new mezzanine floor and escalator! Do home always take ages to go through the check out. I often have to visit more than one store as the products are often not available at the one site. I recently purchased insulation from Do Home as it was THB130 less per bail. Global house had MDF board for THB200 cheaper than Do Home - so a mix and match approach needed I think. GH did have a useful web site with online catalogue.

two examples from my extended family make me worry: uncle has a back back spray unit that leakes and wets his shirt. An hour later he is in huge trouble with fever, breathing difficulties and vomiting +++ - next example was when we bought 5 rabbits for daughter - aunty gives the healthy happy rabbits some of the leaves from plants in her veggie garden. 30 minutes later they were all dead! I discovered some local practices - not reading the instructions - thinking that to double or triple the strength will double or triple the effectiveness of the product - buying pesticides from 'home remedy' or 'snakeoil' vendors with no information regarding the ingredients.

I once read in an Australian farming magazine an add for a small self contained surveillance unit. It was comprised of a small camera less than the size of a matchbox with the equivalent of a data stick or flash drive and a 9volt battery. Total size about 2/3rds the size of a pack of Krung Thip. The unit takes a shot periodically - you can set the interval from 1 second upwards. When it gets full (depending on the size of the memory) it overwrites from the earliest shot. More expensive models had a movement sensor that turned the camera on and off after a period of no movement. It could work in the dark as well. It was dark coloured and would go unnoticed mounted up on a tree. If something goes missing you can take it down and connect to your computer to vew the pictures. The battery needs to be changed periodically as you would guess. I have been trying to find one in Thailand with no luck to date. The following web sites have similar products much more expensive than the original one in the add - but still may be worth it. http://www.eyespysupply.com/outdoor-self-contained-hidden-cameras--spy-cameras.html , http://www.spyville.com/nivivicabuin.html, http://www.starweb.com.au/rural_surveillance.html, http://www.hiddencamera.com.au/catalogsearch/result/index/?limit=25&mode=list&q=battery+operated+solar+powered+LED+light

I agree with many of the[postings about the reality of farming in Thailand. We have about 50 rai split up over 4 blocks with the largest at 24 rai. Just about all is used for rice and the family uses the land and pays us in rice. My efforts have been put into persuing small scale cash flow opportunities to supplement the families rice income so that my family members can earn some money and be self sufficient in between the one or two episodes of income when the rice is sold. I am trying (gradually) to follow the King's model of sustainable small land holding model. We have tried crickets, meat frogs, cat fish and nin, chicken eggs (100 fowl), fattening pigs, brown and white mushrooms and seasonal vegetables. We have the equipment to manufacture fertilizer pellets from the pig and chicken manure and of course use this to reduce commercial fertilizer use theoretically saving some rice production costs. These have had varying levels of success but always seem to earn enough for the family members involved to get by on a day by day basis. We have experimented with value adding to the produce - smoking the catfish and with some cricket recipies. Middle men seem to find our place and buy all the crickets, pigs and mushrooms. This is convenient but takes a resonably large slice out of potential returns. I aim to focus on the marketing and merchandising to see if it is worth the effort to retain a higher portion of the returns. My main problem is that I am away much of the time on foreign assignments and this creates a weal point in the plan. I really need to be there to continuously inject the support (not financial) and ideas. Book keeping is also a problem - record keeping and financial management are the next factors to look at. It brings great pleasure and a degree of frustration - but the overall situation is posiive and worth it - especially as it gives my family improved financial autonomy and the dignity that goes with it.

I travel from Suvarnabhumi to Korat (Phi Mai) about 15 times a year or more. The direct bus has very limited service and leaves at times that do not fit with arrival or departure times. Next option is to taxi to MoChit 2 for the bus to Korat - taxi with airport surcharge around THB250 then THB200 for the fare to main Korat bus station - about 3.5 hours. Then I have to get an old rattler bus to Phi Mai for THB80 - generally standing room only for the 45-50 minute journey. If I couldn't be bothered with the combio of taxi and 2 buses I catch a taxi from the rank. there has always been someone there willing to go to Korat. Standard quoted fare is THB2,700 plus some more for Phi Mai. THB 3,000 worked 3 weeks ago - all up including tolls etc. I checked Nakhon Ratchasima airport 6 weeks ago. It was alomst deserted except for some bored security and cleaning staff. The airport did advertise a 6 seater plane thjat made flights to Bangkok - but when I checked on the web site it was not working - probably like the small plane?! The rail is a possibility but again taxis and local transport make it more challenging. Getting back to Suvarnabhumi is not so bad. I generally get a lift to Korat bus station and ask for them to let me out at Rangsit where any number of ready and willing taxis whisk me to the airport for international travel. I can be checked in at BKK from Korat in 3 hours.

Cheers

in Phi Mai we pay THB250 plus transport too and from work and food and drink - people happy for this - but then again they all seem to be related in some way.

Cheers

Linno2