kickstart

They got this one right, we had 48 mm of rain today, Loburi  Province, after the past 10 days of humid weather, very welcome, someone said today, end of the hot season, do not hold your breath

Wife's daughter and son-in-law will be out tomorrow planting cassava, they will be getting 550 baht/rie, earning some money before they do their day job of rice farmers, that will not be for another couple of months, still waiting for lots more rain

On 5/3/2025 at 8:32 AM, newbee2022 said:

Maybe Trump doesn't know that most of the minerals are in Russia's occupied areas?

So the agreement is just paper (for the toilet).

Ridiculous leadership 😂

And Trump has not done his homework, minerals, rare earth's  ect , yes Ukraine has lots  , like lots of  other countries. but it is the processes of these minerals, and rare earth's so they can be used in manufacturing is the difficult part, and it is China that processes 90% of the worlds rare earths exports them .

I would say Zelensky knows that ,and someone must have told Trump ,or is Trump saying no problem we can do the processing  our self's , just go and build all the

plants.  

10 hours ago, johnnybangkok said:

Labour came to power with one of the largest parliamentary majorites ever (411 seat out of 650) but have struggled to 'balance the books' and are seen as punishing the very people it was supposed to help. Things need to change and change quickly otherwise these local elections will just be a precursor for a big win in the next general election. 

Before the last election Labour they cut taxes, they will do this and do that, pump millions into the NHS.

But the batteries in the calculator must have been flat, anyone could see they proposals would not just add up, and they claim that the Tories left a 22 billion black hole, they somehow have to fill

Now they are finding out their proposals will not work just no money in the coffers, hence cutting winter fuel payments, increasing NI payments, still not going to work.

Basically the UK does not pay enough tax ,it was Magie T that cut taxes, hoping that all the revenue from North sea oil will make up for the short fall ,but now no North sea oil taxes ,plus other taxes ,the tax rate will have to up  just not enough money coming in ,but that would be political suicide ,at the following general election ,and it would slow UK growth ,so no government will do that just Bodge along putting up other taxes like NI and cutting fuel payments.

It would help if scroungers on the SS system were stopped, that is costing a lot of money it could be done, but the do- gooders would move in saying they need that money ect ,ect.

Looking ahead income taxes will go up, no choice, but would we want the new Tory leader in Number 10 next time, maybe it is better, the devil you know ....,as I said before cannot see it being Farage, well I hope not.

A flash in the pan, it is like a lot of BI- Elections the Liberals do well, then come the general election and they still end up with their 10-20 seats.

What was it David Steel said after one convicting bi election win, not so far from a general election "Go home and prepare for government ", the following election, same result,10-20 seats.

The UK press is loving it, listen to today's Radio 4's Today program. they said above, it is the Red Top's having a field day.

23 hours ago, thesetat said:

Unfortunately, the farmer would have the meat cut up and eaten and sold. I seriously doubt they would be taking the carcass to a doctor and paying for testing. They simply would not want the loss of income nor the expense to learn what caused the death. 

If a farmer finds a dead animal the Knacker man come along picks the carcass up and pays the farmer, not a lot, if re if, the farmer decides to have the carcass examined he will contact his locale DLD office ,Department of livestock Development, all provinces have one, they should come and take tissue/blood  samples from the animal and it will be sent to a lab in Saraburi, for examining ,they will be no cost to the farmer .

Very rarely they are a rabies case, that case the DLD office will send the head to Saraburi for examination, they look at the brain, again no cost to the farmer.

You first have to find out how the Anthrax spores were spread to kill the farmer, a grazing cattle beef animal? cattle and goats would be most suspect here in Thailand, but other wild animals can spread it, contact with an infected animal can spread the spoors vie a cut or scrape can cause Anthrax.

About 30 years ago now in my area farmer found a dead dairy cow in his field one morning, so a lot of the locales had some of the meat, a few became sick, went to the local hospital, tests found out it was Anthrax no one died, but that is one-way spoors are spread.

I live in a big dairy cattle area, to my knowledge we have had no cases of Anthrax just recently, but we would not be likely to know ,a farmer finds ,say a dead cow etc. one day ,he will just ring up the local knacker man who will just take it away ,no tests will be done on the animal.

As you know Anthrax spoors can last a lot of years in the ground, one reason it can be so deadly 

On 4/29/2025 at 5:27 PM, IronByron said:

Potatoes do not like the tropical conditions that we have in Thailand. However you could still grow them in the period December to February when temperatures are at its lowest, but even then you will see that they are very susceptible diseases, mainly fungus. The potatoes that you can buy at the supermarkets are not really suitable for using as seed but they will grow. Their yield potential is just lower because of virus infections (not harmful for humans though). Planting them at the end of April is a waste of your time.

Potatoes need about 5 month growing ,I know early verities have a shorter growing time, but they is no why they will grow in Thailand, Thai verities are main crop verities.

Plant them in December main growing time will be the hot season, best time would be August, in the rainy season, and a bit cooler,spuds like water, and harvest them around February time.

As you said virus, and fungus infections, are a big problem over here, of which potatoes are very susceptible, you would be better off just buying them from were ever .as I said wife buys them from our local market, this evening she made a Southern style curry, with potatoes very nice it was too.

6 hours ago, Will B Good said:

Interesting.

 

A neighbour of ours has just invested heavily in a large fertiliser drone for the sugarcane fields......hope he hasn't been shafted by any of this.

In my area they are popular used for spraying rice and maize crops, and spreading fertilizer, been using them for 4-5 years now, and the price charged per rie has come down over the past 2 years, about the only thing that has come down in Thailand.

In the wife's family the scouts, and guilds uniform are nearly all second hand, passed down through the family, most are in good nick as they are only used for one day a week, more than once I have heard about the high costs of the uniform.

More than one girl in the family has used a secondhand school skirt at some time in their education. 

One thing I can just remember as a scout, back in the sixties the old Baden Powell hats, still used here.

Most pork is produced on big factory farms by big companies. like CP and Betagro  they have they own feed mills, buy in ingredients in bulk and by the ship load, a lot of food stuffs for pigs and poultry is imported, they are going to be OK, they will what the price to be high, some of the smaller family-owned farms will be hit the hardest.

The hot weather is a problem, the rainy season is not, pigs are in the shed the whole time, farm gate price is right Thai friend of mine has a few pigs, and he says the farm gate price is good, he said 85 baht/kg, he would be happy at that. 

Some potato's the wife brought two weeks ago from our local weekly market; we have just kept them on a shelf.

Now the time factor, how the woman selling them has had them, and how long the wholesaler selling has had them I could not say.

When I had the garden in the Uk, I would have planted these, and they would have grown, but here in Thailand I would have my doubts, most certainly not now just too hot, wait another 6 weeks for some rain and to cool down a bit.

13 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

Exactly!

What? The 30 baht health scheme is not her idea. It was already there before she took office. Digital wallet was scrapped, and payments where made to bank accounts.

It was her dad that introduced that scheme.

As for the digital wallet, as far as I can see, that has not helped the Thai economy at all.

The shop where you buy the bike should be able to arrange the Por-Ror -Bor,the bike insurance and tax,

As for speaking English, your best idea would be taking someone with you who can do the translation bit.

13 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

 

Argentina and New Zealand.

 

USA has like 3% market share.

Never seen beef from Argentina or NZ in Thailand .milk powder from NZ yes.

Thailand dose produce beef of its own ,look at Thai Angus beef from Macro not bad ,they is the Thai/ French beef company in Issan , they use a Charolais X Brahman breed plus a couple more outlets ,using the same breed.

On 4/2/2025 at 6:51 PM, dinsdale said:

Saraburi station. One has to wonder.

I know Saraburi well, the new station must be way out of town, they are no big lakes in the middle of Saraburi, just the Chow Phraya river, would you build a new railway station mile from the main town center?, is this a photo shop job?.

I have had 3-4 new bikes over the years, ok small bikes, none have red plates, cannot say I have seen a big bike with red plates.

All my new bikes I ride around for up to 3 months waiting for the plates to arrive, never been stopped by the police, as a bike with no plates.

If you go in to AN past posts potatoes and growing them has come up often ,here in Thailand they are not easy , as for finding seed potatoes here in Thailand ,easier to find hens teeth just not available, just to hot ,and potatoes are susceptible to a lot of dieses ,I have tried twice to grow them put them in the ground with lots of compost ,that was the last I saw of them .

Only two weeks ago someone wrote about bringing in seeds from our own countries, to grow here, just will not work, I have tried it along with others no joy.

Even the potatoes you get from Macro Big C etc. or your local market as we do, they are not the same as our ones in our home countries what verity they are I do not know, I think ?? they are imported from China.

I use to work of a large arable farm in the UK and they put a sprout inhibiter on the crop before going into store, if it is still done, I do not know.

4 hours ago, roo860 said:

Do they also stock Tartan paint and glass hammers.

2019 – A new Senate, composed of 250 military-appointed members, was sworn in in the aftermath of the general elections held on that year. 2024 – After the Senate military-appointed terms expire, there will be an indirectly voted by the candidates from 20 professional and social groups to 200 members.

If you remember back in 2019 the senate had 250 military -appointed members, you could say who ever got in would have been out voted by the 250 military appointed members.

With Pita it was these votes that probably kept him out.

But now after 2924 the military appointed members terms expire, now they will be an indirectly voted by candidates from 20 professional and social groups too 200.

Why can't they just use a debit card ,show it to the card reader  job done ,when I am back in the UK that is about all I use now, takes a bit of getting use to paying for a pint of beer using a card, I use to always have UK cash here for trips back ,now it is about 40 GBP ,for that just in case time.

Last time I was in the UK, someone in front was using they mobile phone to pay for some shopping, but it would not work, I thought I was back in LOS for a few seconds.

7 hours ago, redwood1 said:

 

Will there be a line for people who dont give a rats azz...And cant be bothered with any of it?

No, when I go back to the UK my Thai phone sim stays here in Thailand cannot use it in the UK, stays with the wife, when in the UK a I buy a UK sim, so I could use my UK sim at the airport, but when I get back here in Thailand I am  basically  phoneless ,unless you can down load the immigration QR code before I leave, or get a paper copy , for the return trip.

7 hours ago, BoganInParasite said:

Nan city. There are a couple of large local supermarkets in the central area that are very walkable but transport needed if Big C, Lotus's, Makro, Global House and Thai Watsadu are your thing.

Lopburi is the same, central area is walkable (ignore the monkeys), Your Big C, Lotus, Makro etc. are a bit out of town, but they are a very good Bart-bus service, serves all the above shops, cost now I think is flat fair of 10 baht.

Has anyone not noticed that they are a restaurant of some kind, on just about every street corner? known as supply and demand.

If they include all the coffee shops, the rate of going south, would be even higher.

100 baht for Mango and sticky rice expensive.

53 minutes ago, Harrisfan said:

Never been. Sounds like a dump. Try Nakon Sawan first then Ayuthaya. NS looks to have a nice lake to walka around.

Lived near Lopburi now for 25 years, it is OK you have the old palace and grounds and museum old building, I like it, not many farangs around, it is the home of a missionary society language training or was? plus a few teachers.

Must be 25 years ago now I had the misfortune to go to Pattaya for a day, not my cup of tea by far, everyone to they own

PS, Our immigration office in and out, extension done, plus 90 day 35 minuets, nice staff, never a problem, no que.