thaibites0

Any large supermarket will carry yeast for bread making which is just as good for wine making.

For your carbouys you can use the large plastic water containers used for the drinks dispensers at most offices and shops - the plastic lid needs some adapting but it's easily done. I was lucky with these as my brother in law's business was supplying them so I got them free.

Your fermentation barrel is easily obtained from the local market.

Never did find a corker but I used 1ltr screw top coke bottles for the finished product and even if I do say so myself - the orange and tea wine turned out a treat!

Hi pedro,

He does have $75k and as I said before that would not be the problem - the B60m letter of credit is the problem because his company has a registered capital of B1.5m and the mainstream banks are not interested.

Not looking for you guys (or me) to put your hands in your pockets and come up with B60m but more for an idea of how the big players would get this - Ital-Thai is another potential contractor for this and I'm sure they would have no problem but where do you start looking for this?

The guy is not trying to rip me off because I've offered nothing accept help to see if it's possible and I've known his family for over 20 years so my brain did leave the airport with me when I landed!

All the slush fund will come out of the B225m advance and the B3m cash and B60m are purely to prove capability but as I said it's outside my experience and was just looking for pointers.

I've got 10 novels I'll send by ems for a swop - PM me for titles and I'll add the others so you can pick.

He would probably get 1m in credit fron his suppliers but this really is the next level up - a joint venture with a falang company?

The paperwoks there and the government siggie is on hand - what's the next step?

My step-son has brought a guy to see me asking for some help to secure a government contract to build housing for the better off Thai's and here's the proposal-

My Thai is pretty good and I could follow everything he said and I know he has built roads and buildings for the government before so his plan has a lot going for it but - there is a contract going out to build 5000 upper class housing units in BKK that will lead to 50,000 nationwide when done but he needs the venture capital to do it.

What he wants is 3m to get the siggie from the government and once that's in place he needs 60m in a letter of credit that the government will accept to get an advance on the building costs that will put 225m back in the bank to start the work. Looking at 5000 units at 300,000 a time with about 40,000 profit on each even after the bite from the powers that be.

The guy has a registered company and he knows the government official that will sign (and pocket the extra) the contract and the payments afterwards.

I've known the guy since he was a kid and seen his company grow but this is a huge step for him and he's asking me for help to do it - 3m is not a problem but 60m?

He says it's all letters of credit except the first 3m but where would you get the 60m?

Before the pooh poohers get in (and I value that input anyway!) this guy really does have a company doing government contracts throughout the region and really does know the senior government official that will sign the contract.

Any ideas?

Pretty sure this is it but as you see - not a lot happened!

Would still say it's a pretty silly place for anybody with business acumen to build anything for a mass market - the buying power of the people over the road is very limited and anybody travelling there from anywhere other than Amnat choeron would have to pass all the big malls already open in Ubon but only time will tell.

Pretty sure this is it but as you see - not a lot happened!

Would still say it's a pretty silly place for anybody with business acumen to build anything for a mass market - the buying power of the people over the road is very limited and anybody travelling there from anywhere other than Amnat choeron would have to pass all the big malls already open in Ubon but only time will tell.

The cheap housing project and the new 'development' as of today!

Bluescouse,

It's just rumours mate but one reason Index would move is if they were offered enough money for the very expensive plot in the town to be able to buy a bigger area and build a larger, better store and money left over to put in the bank! The price of land along Chiangkul road in the town has rocketed (good news for us as we are on the road and our plot is on a soi corner) and it has happened before.

Sorry Jay but I really do think your too far out of town to be looking at a major shopping complex and my bet would be more housing but I will try to get out there and take a couple of pics to show you the current state of the land - you must be out by 'kilo 5' and we too have some land out there so any form of building is good for the land prices.

My lads driving over to pick me up for lunch so I might be able to pop over this afternoon and have a look, maybe there'll be some obvious signs as to what it's going to be and it's just my opinion that it's unlikely to be a new superstore area - we're all wrong sometimes!

Your wife might recognise this car dealers from yesterdays drive - a guy here told me Index too.

This is just outside ban don klang on the right heading out of town.

Jay,

Just compared your pic with some I took today and don't think they are the same place - this area is said to be the new index shopping area according to the wifes fellow teachers and if your place is any further out of town I'd be very surprised if it was going to be a major shopping complex.

If I get the chance tomorrow I'll go with the wife after school and have another look for your area.

dininusa,

If you have an American license you can drive here with no problems - the police very rarely stop motorists unless they are speeding (especially towards the end of the month when the paycheques are running out!) never had a problem even when caught speeding - just pay a small fine and your on your way!

Thai3 - there's another 'see saw' not far from the post office that caters to the elder market with Thai golden oldies and has hostess's for when those feet can't stop tapping - got a good Korean beef cook your own at the table near to it too!

Very rare to get the type of mossie that carries Malaria here in Ubon town - more prevelent out in the wilds.

Never taken the drugs whilst here but did when I took a contract in Nigeria and came down with Malaria after 3 months!

Mossies are a big problem but more because of the irritation than anything else - there are lots of different types and some still give me problems if one gets into the bedroom but most of them you build up a resistance to.

Had some people visit some years ago and one of their children had severe problems with mossie bites - came up in huge blisters at every bite and still carries the scars after 12 years.

My answer to mossie? Coils and spray around the house and screens on the bedroom windows and door. If a bad biting mossie manages to get in - cover the wife and spray!

Another big problem and maybe worse than Malaria, which is easily diagnosed and treated if you have the money, is Dengue fever.

Will go and have a look tomorrow and see if I can find out.

About 2 clicks outside the town centre on the way to Muang samsip but the next major place is Amnat charoen.

Hi jay,

Been told that the area your asking about is to be a new index furniture and building materials depot/shop but rumours are just that - I remenber the ones that came out when bigC was being built and then all work stopped for about a year and the romour machine went into overdrive!

Ubon nightlife -

Everything from the disco for the younger people at the Pattumlat hotel and lots of other places to the ballroom dancing (Thai style) at Sabai jai and all the types inbetween. Most big hotels have live music or dancers in the restaurants and karaoke bars abound.

Eating out -

From falang food at specialist restaurants (lovely French one next to the main police station) and big hotels right down to the local noodle and 'moo satay' vendors in the main market by the river - lots of Laos food around and small Thai restaurants selling good quality cheap food that would take 5 pages to write the menu to! Hadd kha dhur is the nearest thing to a beach Ubon has and is sited on the bend in the river where the sand forms a beach, buy a full chicken slow cooked in foil and the greenery to go with it and sit on a raft on the river to eat it - tinging the bell to order another beer. Lots of fishing parks dotted around that will cook your catch for you.

Sights -

Lots of them from temples to mountains - Sirindhorn dam is about 30 mins away and has similar places to Hadd kha dhur serving fresh caught fish. The 3 coloured river is well worth a visit but the list really is endless!

Another good point?

We are 45 mins drive from the Laos border crossing and although it will cost you B1550 to get into Laos you'll save that in the duty free shop and by buying DVD's at B60 a time! No more long visa runs or paying somebody to do it for you (this practice has now been stopped!)

Sombat VDO has 2 shops where you can rent DVD's for B30 a week - one in the centre of town and one on Chiangkul road near the ranger base (and my house!)

Most falang needs are taken care of at Tesco or bigC and if there's something you can't find you can try to get it posted from Korat.

This is slightly out Marco -

''Also next year(long term plans) next year we will have 1st ever normal bowling alley here as well, SO alteast something to do, other thatn that, i have trying to get some other farang together, but seems to be trnd that who ever come here, leave they smiling face somewhere else,,,,but fell free to mail me when you are here and i will have time to welcome New Bro to Ubon.''

The Yamaha dealership near the Pattumlat used to be a bowling alley!

How can you 'no accents' when each language you specify will have regional accents?

It's like the Thai's from the north east visiting Phuket and not being able to ask the locals where the market is!

Sorry about that!

Not sure how you'll react to pulling this thread up from the depths but-

My son and my daughter inherited parcels of land upon the death of my wife and mother in law was on the title deeds as guardian until they attained 20 years, when changing the title deeds to the childrens names the only ones we could change were the ones my wife had before we married and her name changed to a falang name.

As so many couples do after marriage we bought land in other family member names and the local land office refused to change them into the childrens names because the children had falang surnames.

My son has had the title deeds changed to purely his name now (22 years old now) and has recently inherited more land after the death of father in law and as the 100 day process is now over he's being allowed to change the title deeds to his falang name.

Seems a drastic step but in my experience even your wife would not be allowed to buy land once you've married. This might have changed recently but certainly used to be the case.

not