Bicko

Instead of generating electricity, I am planning to install a solar hot water system for showers. The first one will be an experimental unit on an outdoor shower - if it works I will use it indoors too. My intention is to build it myself from parts available at the local hardware store.

If you are interested, and when I get around to it, I would be happy to post details.

Cheers,

Mike

Mike a very cheap and effcient method of heating water is simply to lay 25mm or 32mm black poly pipe zigzagged across your roof on the slope that faces the afternoon sun. It is connected at the intake end to your water supply and the other end into an insulated tank holding the capacity that you require for say 3 or 4 showers or whatever your need. Water flow is controlled with a simple and cheap ball valve which opens as you draw water off from the tank. Obviously in the coming cooler months in Thailand you need to shower within an hour or so of the sun going down. I am sure you would find some technical data on this on the internet. It is a cheap system that is commonly used in Australia and NZ

Thanks Bicko, that is basically the idea I had in mind, except that I was going to try to avoid the ball valve by making it a closed system under pressure. The top of the hose will be connected to the top of the tank, the bottom of the hose to the bottom of the tank, the water feed to the bottom of the tank, hot water out from the top of the tank, the water cycling under convection. If you catch my drift.... (too lazy to post a diagram, but can later on).

Yep that'll work mate. I may do the same as the water is pretty chilly for the next 3 months and the flow through an instant heater is not real flash.

Instead of generating electricity, I am planning to install a solar hot water system for showers. The first one will be an experimental unit on an outdoor shower - if it works I will use it indoors too. My intention is to build it myself from parts available at the local hardware store.

If you are interested, and when I get around to it, I would be happy to post details.

Cheers,

Mike

Mike a very cheap and effcient method of heating water is simply to lay 25mm or 32mm black poly pipe zigzagged across your roof on the slope that faces the afternoon sun. It is connected at the intake end to your water supply and the other end into an insulated tank holding the capacity that you require for say 3 or 4 showers or whatever your need. Water flow is controlled with a simple and cheap ball valve which opens as you draw water off from the tank. Obviously in the coming cooler months in Thailand you need to shower within an hour or so of the sun going down. I am sure you would find some technical data on this on the internet. It is a cheap system that is commonly used in Australia and NZ

why oh why aren't all worldwide goverments throwing money at this,....seems such a simple proceedure but probably no BIG money for companys if we were all self sufficient?

The Australian government have recently put forward a proposal to subsidise householders to install solar panels and connect into the power grid. The Government will then purchase surplus power from individual householders and feed it into the national grid. Sounds like a pretty good scheme if it ever happens.

The Australian government are already subsidising householders for the installation of solar hot water systems and rain water tanks.

Hi TWBG, sorry for the lack of posts back to your initial one but think many people may be lurkers like me, enjoying all the posts but not bothered to get all wound up in them since they do so often get nasty. Still checking up continuosly on the good ones of course! Your story (prior pics) is great & thanks for posting part II!

Cheers!

H

PS, still waiting for an updated pic of McB's little one!

Ah Jeesh, mean TBWG!!! This is another reason why I don't post........

Hi Halydys

Yup ....Tall With Bloke Glasses does not quite flow!

Glad you liked report

TBWG

Great read TBWG. Thanks a million and looking forward to some pics. Maybe you have created enough interest for some more of us oldies to participate or spectate next year.

By the way you have given me the opportunity to comment on your avatar. i have often thought about commenting on your wobbly aeroplane. it seems that your boat ride could be compared with your plane ride.

Cheers mate and all the best.

By the way Halydys my wife and I stayed overnight with Mac and his wife recently. His little girl is an absolute beauty although as Mac would agree she probably doesn't get it from her old man!!!!

Hey Ron i see you are on line. How are you mate?

How is the water project going?

Cheers

I am going to have a look in the hives and put sugar syrup in the feeders this afternoon, so will try to get some photos.

In the meantime there is this one that I have pinched from a book. The book is a kiddies Learning English book: "What is a bee?". The beefarmer in Khon Kaen had a copy and was using it to explain things to me, as the information in it is in both Thai and English. But when I went to the bookshop in Khon Kaen they had sold all their copies and weren't getting any more.

So I took the details and e-mailed them to Danny Speight at http://www.dcothai.com/.

I have never met Danny, but over the years I have bought quite a few books from his website and he has also got me books that weren't in his listings. I just pay at my bank into his account and then he sends the books by EMS. Very handy.

Anyway, he got "What is a bee", even though it is only 55 baht, and is going to stock it from now on.

In the photo, the numbered parts are:

1. An eye, of which the bee has five.

2. An antenna, of which it has two.

3.Its jaws.

4. Its tongue

5. A wing, of which it has two pairs.

6. Its honey stomach, in which it brings nectar from flowers.

7. Its hairy body, that gets the pollen.

8. One of its twopollen sacs,

9. Its stinger.

Very interesting. Thanks. So in fact a bee can collect pollen and nectar. What an efficient little beastie they are.

It would be nice to think that there is a chiropractor in or around the area but I do not think that there is. A quick Google indicates that there are chiropractors in Bangkok and the subject has also been discussed on this forum. A good Thai massage goes a long way in alleviating many of my back problems, although I am sure regular treatment by a chiropractor would be much better.

Thanks for your reply- personally when my back "goes" I need a chiropractor/Osteopath, maybe when it happens again I will have to travel to BKK

Mike my wife tells me that there are chiropractors in Buri Ram but she does not know where. The local name for a Chiropractor is Jarp sen.

Unfortunately we are working overseas just now but we will be home soon and she will see what she can find out. In the meantime talk to the local doctors. They should know where they are.

I always find the best way to get info in Isaan is to talk to the local Chinese vendors - Pharmacists, gold shops, building supplies etc. Most of them speak English, they have lived in the place all their lives and they know everything about their town. i have always found them to be very obliging and helpful and have made some good friends in the Thai Chinese community.

i have had had no success with Thai massage as a therapy for my back - in fact the opposite and i avoid that form of massage like the plague. Last time i had thai massage, a couple of years ago I was on my back and couldn't move for a week.

Off to Bkk Sunday back Tuesday:

Registering the Daughter for Dual Nationality (Then she can have a split personality like her dad lol )

See you all next week so to speak

Cheers Mac. Have a good trip to Bangkok and hope all goes well for the rego. I guess you do that at the British embassy.

Sawai heading home in 2 weeks to supervise the rice harvest and make sure it all goes into our baan khao and not somebody else's.

I arrive home on 18th December and my 22 year old grandson Nathan from Oz will visit with us for a month. looking forward to showing him around our little patch. he is very interested to see the temples at Phimai and Phanom Rung and Muang tam and go over to the Mekong. We have booked in for Christmas lunch at Martins and will stay at one of the hotels Xmas eve and Xmas night. Look forward to catching up when we get home. Say Hi to Bea and cousin Ron.

Non stop rain bucketing down in Sumatra for the past week. Have had to stand the construction teams down.

Hi folks,

I have found myself going to Thailand at short notice. I intend to travel to Nong Khai and then into Vientiane and to Luang Prabang. I leave in 3 days so I have to make decisions really fast. I know Laos isn't covered by this forum but I figure that thpse here are likely to visit on holidays/ for visa runs etc.

I am looking for hotel recommendations in these cities in the 900-1,200 baht range. I have looked at a few booking sites and there seem to be few options for budget travelers (especially in Luang Prabang). Where options are available it is hard to find recommendations.

I need to be able to book online (and preferably pay online) and get confirmation asap. Of course it needs to be safe and clean.

I'd really appreciate any advice folks can offer.

I'll continue to search but if anyone can throw some suggestions it would be fabulous.

As an aside, does anyone know how quickly i can get a Lao visa in KK or NK?

Have a look at Frommer or www.sawadee.com When you open the sawadee site you will get Bangkok hotels. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on "Other destinations" and you may pick up these cities. ASIAROOMS may also cover these cities.

Here's a bit better picture of one we killed in our garden last year.

There's a ruler at the side for comparison.

Nasty little buggers. My wife killed it without it bothering

her Buddhist sensabilities.

Here is an interesting bit of info that may help someone. I am currently working in Aceh on tsunami reconstruction and often see big centipedes in the villages. I showed this photo to my senior Engineer and he said "yes very dangerous but if you put the centipede in a bottle of green coconut oil and leave it for a month the oil is then very very effective to neutralise the pain and effects of a centipede bite." Local superstition, old woman's story or maybe true but it might work!!!

I was home in my village in Buri Ram a couple of weeks ago and we found these huge scorpions in the garden. They were black, about 8cms (3 Inches) long and we found 3 of them over a period of a week. Nasty looking brutes. Wouldn't like to get a hit from one of them.

"Mut Mee Guest house" recomended 400b night exelent food in Restaurant and right alongside the river web site <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g3...-Nong_Khai.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g3...-Nong_Khai.html</a> phone 042460717

It wasn't Nong Khai where I was looking for accommodation, but Nongki -Buriram province. But thanks anyway David.

There is a Cabbages and Condoms resort on the main road just out of town. If my memory serves me correctly it is on the Nang Rong side of town. Don't be put off by the name. This is one of a chain of very good restaurants and resorts all over Thailand and there are 3 that i am aware of in Buri Ram province. Alternatively you could go down the road a few K's to Nang Rong where there are a few reasonably good places to stay. See the other posting on this forum today about Nang Rong.

There are plenty of buses between the two towns if you don't have a car.

Oh my God! What have I done? Well, I am supposed to be writing a book in the guesthouse I stay, and I guess that is all what I will be doing. At least I can go to Surin and Khorat when I want some change.

Don't be too concerned mate. Nang Rong is a nice town but as everyone has said it is definitely upcountry Thailand and NOTHING even remotely like Bangkok or the P place. If you are writing a book then this is the perfect place to do it - you certainly won't be distracted by the social life. There is a very beautiful temple on the main road and others around the town plus you have the ancient Khmer temples at Phanom Rung and Muang Tam just a few K's away.

The weather will be nice and cool in December and the rice harvest will probably be still going as the season is late this year.

Relax and enjoy the beauty and serenity of rural Thailand and as you say you can always whip up to Surin and see Martin for a good night out.

I live about 25 k's north of Nang Rong and go there often.

By the way there is also a good lake for fishing just out of town on the road to Lam Plai Mat

Weather update 02/11/07 1048 hrs

Today started at around 18 c temps rise during the day to around 26 c: There is the strong prevailing wind from the NNE : Wednesday we had a lot of rain which stopped the harvesting, but today they are starting again:

http://www.tmd.go.th/en/province.php?id=33

EXCHANGE RATES :

GBP- THB 70.703

USD-THB 34008

http://www.moneycorp.com/

Good to see you posting the weather again Mac.

Hope all is well on the ranch. Rice harvest finished and wet has begun with a vengeance here in Northern Sumatra. How did the water pipeline project go with cousin Ron? regards from us both.

Hi Guys

I just realised I forgot to post this "day in the life" that I did for family following our house blessing earlier this year. I apologise for the quality of some of the photo's but I have no excuses, I am just not a good photographer! Sorry if some of the language is simplistic, it was meant to be read by people who havn't experienced Thai life too much.

1st of March 2007, a good Buddah day!!! The house blessing day started at 03:30 when I, my wife, children and a friend went into the city (about 20km from our village) to buy all the food we needed for the ceremony. In the Buddhist tradition all food bought to give to the Buddhist monks is only for them, there is no such thing as sharing the food as that does not “make merit”, the backbone of Buddhist karma. Fully loaded we returned to my wife’s mothers house (about 80m from our new house) to prepare the food. This is a big community thing where a lot of helpers “make merit” by helping to prepare the food even though they didn’t purchase it themselves. This is quite common in the poorer parts of Thailand.

With food preparation well under way, supervised by my wife’s watchful eye, our youngest son Dan and I went off to the local temple at about 06:30 to collect the necessary elements required for the ceremony. Some friends and family were already waiting and we loaded up quickly and only 5 minutes later (a short drive through the village) unloaded at the new house.

This done, it was time to collect the balance of the 9 monks (the best number of monks for any ceremony). 5 had arrived under their own steam and I collected a 6th from our village temple and then drove 10 minutes to the next village to pick up the balance (3 monks).

Whilst I had been doing the ferrying around, food was being transported by hand cart from “mama’s” house to our house and by 08:00 we were ready to go.

Unfortunately I had to stay in the house with the men whilst the ladies went around the house 3 times singing and dancing and scattering the main symbol of Thai country wealth, rice.

That done it was everyone inside, the monks did a good 15-20 minutes of chanting and their was plenty of Wai’ing (a Wai is when you hold the 2 hands together as if you are praying, there of a number of different positions and additional gestures to go with this but that is for another tale). My wife Tae, myself and our children (Ked & Dan) were then blessed by the monks who were then served the prepared food and were gone by 09:00! (with me doing the dropping off again in reverse order).

Back at the house the family and friends then took it in turns to tie a small piece of the white string you often see on Thai wrists (the string is actually blessed by the monks during the chanting process, cut into short lengths and then carried over the ear of the giver as the head is the most sacred part of the Thai body). They give a small amount of money in the hope that it will return to them many times over (preferably via the lottery….haha) and then tie a piece of the string to each persons wrist which is then kept for 3 or more days.

With the formalities over we then had to move furniture into the house and stay overnight. The a/c hadn’t been installed yet so this was a big ask but necessary all the same. The happiest were our 4 dogs that now have 2400m2 to patrol day and night. With Max & Sola around I wouldn’t like to be caught in the “killing ground” too far from the fence. Right now we are only worried about Olympic athletes that have turned to a life of crime and moved to our neighborhood…..haha,

Max

Sola

All in all a very worthwhile visit and my wife and family were thrilled that I could make it home. With a bit of final finishing to do by the builder the family plan to move in full time by the end of the month, just ahead of moving to Bahrain at the end of April! It’s all go in the ThailandTony house!

Thanks for reading.

TT.

Good one TT. Thanks for sharing with us

We called in to the Big C in Buri Ram this morning and did some shopping. Excellent facility with every conceivable service but where on earth do all those people come from and where did they shop previously? Tweekit was always busy but never like this. Considering it is a weekday and kids at school what will it be like at the weekend. It was certainly a good experience and you can buy pretty much anything you want in Big C or the shopping complex. One thing missing is good cheese.

This morning Makro was just the opposite. Probably about 100 cars parked there and their store is spacious and easy to use AND they have a better range of cheese. You can buy New Zealand and Aussie cheese in a 2kg pack.

Whilst it makes life a little easier being able to shop like this I wonder what the impact will be on the small traditional businesses in town. Because we are farmers my wifes comment was a very valid one I thought. "Who will work on the farms in the future?"

Obviously these two complexes are employing hundreds of young people and of course they prefer to be in the air conditioned centre, dress nicely and be seen to be pretty "cool" instead of working out in the hot sun planting or cutting rice. I think we will see a marked escalation in mechanisation of farming in this area over the next few years.

By the way good to meet you Ron T and thanks for your hospitality Macb

Looking for a lawyer in order to set up a small retail business in partnership, as close as possible from Nakhon Phanom and speaking english

Thank you

AF contact Sebastian at Isaan lawyers. See his advertisement on the top of this page. Highly recommended.

I've been using CS Loxinfo ipstar satellite for about 3 years. We live in a pretty remote area and have no other choice but i do recommend it. The cost for unlimited access and download is Bt2675 per month and servicing is free. I have had to get the setup serviced three times in those three years and the service engineer is excellent. He lives in Korat and travels all over the Isaan region.

The service is reliable and pretty fast if you have a decent computer. I have a core 2 duo with 2 gigs of RAM and huge capacity on each hard drive.

The services have been needed because the neighbours kids swing on the dish and it needs to be realigned. Apart from that no problems. A mate of mine in the region is using TOT satellite and his service is not as reliable as Loxinfo.

Heavy cloud cover does affect the signal but only if it is a very severe storm situation.

Hope this helps.

The above struck me as a very good list: those places on it that I have visited were all very worthwhile. Some others a little further afield.

(1) Monkey sanctuary at Kosum Phisai

(2) Isan museum of rural life and Buddha Relics Pagoda at Amphur Nadoon, Mahasarakham Province

(3) Roi Et's central Phalanchai lake area

(4) Lam Pao Dam and Suan Sa-on wildlife park a bit to the east in Kalasin.

The wildlife park and monkey sanctuary sound very interesting.

Yes I agree - great suggestions. Just a word of warning - be careful with the monkeys. My wifes sister was recently bitten by a big old male. She forgot that she had a few peanuts in her bag but the old fella must have been able to smell them. He tried to take her bag and when she resisted he bit her on the leg. We spent a large part of the rest of the day at the hospital for her to get rabies shots.

Enjoy your trip. Isaan is a wonderful part of the world.

Yes thanks Ray. We will be driving past there next Monday or Tuesday and will call in and check it out.

Thanks for the info. Will call you next week and make a time to meet up Mac.

Well in case someone has a quick answer :

I have not located it as yet, but does anyone know of a boarding type school for Girls only in Buriram Province area , I am told there is one ?

Hi Mac,

As you know, our son attended private school in Pattaya and when we moved to Buriram in 2006 I was investigating similar opportunities for him in the area. As it was we found a private school in Prakhon Chai which we are very pleased with, however this is mixed.

However one of the UK tutors in his old Pattaya school gave me a website, where you can research International schools in Thailand and I did look at one in Khao Yai. You may find the site of some use, have a browse.

Hope all remains well, have to catch up with each other again soon.........all the best........

International Schools in Thailand

THanks for that Ray.......we been busy here as well, will catch up soon mate hope you all okay

Thanks ray and Mac. Have followed up on this website and emailed the office. Khao Yai school would cost more then 1/2 million baht p.a. ouch!!!

Does anyone have any contacts that sell legal teak wood in Buriram to build a Thai style house ? Does anyone have any photos of Teak - wood Thai style houses and know of any good buliders or companys that build these houses ?

Thankyou

JB

One of the best ways to get the wood is to buy an abandoned home for the wood.It is normal practice to do this in Issan.That is what we have done twice and it has worked out great.To build with wood will cost you the same and more then to use block.When you buy the old home for wood the price you agree on should inclued the take down and the delivery of same.

Here are a few photos...........As you can see in the floor there are old holes from the old nails.Not a big problem for me as it was not finished in this photo.

Nice job Blue eyes. There is no doubt that Thai tradesmen are very good at working with timber. Congratulations. Are you in or near Buri Ram

Well in case someone has a quick answer :

I have not located it as yet, but does anyone know of a boarding type school for Girls only in Buriram Province area , I am told there is one ?

Hi Mac

I am south of Buriram and am not aware of one near here. I do know there is a (weekly?) boarding school in Nang Rong but I know that takes boys as a friend dropped some pupils there as a favour for his neighbour.

My wife states that there is one but does not know where it it - so it does exist !- and has been open for a long time (20 -30 years) she will ask a few people.

The only one I have found at the moment is at Petchaburi, thanks for helping

Thanks Mac. Sorry i haven't been in touch but extremly busy at work. Will send a PM this weekend.

Cheers mate. may have some news on the girls school.

I live in a very remote village in Buri Ram. The night sky is incredible and no other lights to diminish what we can see. I spend a lot of time attempting to identify what is up there.

I am very excited about the fact that my 22 year old Grandson will be visiting with us over Christmas and New Year. He is a 3rd year University student in Astronomy at the University of Queensland. Hoping to learn a bit more about what i am looking at.

He tells me that it is a fascinating and very interesting science.

.

hey what did you say Jay?

A very good tip---

Use Inverter technology split level wall or ceiling mounted air conditioning. This technology is relatively new and most effective, it will reduce your electricity running costs by as much as 50%

Mitsubishi and Samsung both offer a good model.

Selection of the correct unit to effectively cool your room is most important. Work out the cubic volume of the room (Length x breadth x height = m3) and select the unit that the manufacturer says will suit that volume. DO NOT go under size in an attempt to save money. It does not work and you will regret it forever. If anything go up one size. You can always reduce the operation of cooling but you can not increase beyond the upper limit.

Air conditioners MUST be cleaned and serviced regularly. They need regassing and the screens in the distribution unit in the room need to be taken out and washed and brushed clean. The frequency will depend on where you live. If it is a polluted or dusty area obviously cleaning will be needed every 6 months or so.