JungleBiker

FYI, this year I took leaf samples from 2 lots of "Hass" trees here in Laos. One lot had been imported from Vietnam. The other had been imported from Thailand by a Thai agricultural company. The latter company told me the trees came from the Royal Project in Chiang Mai (but I cannot verify if that claim is true or not). 

I sent the leaf samples to a scientific institute in Spain for DNA testing. The institute was recommended to me by a leading global avocado company. 

The Hass from Vietnam were genuine Hass. 

The "Hass" from Thailand were not Hass. 

I am not saying that the Hass trees that Dumb Falang is offering are not Hass because I have not taken samples from those trees for DNA testing. 

I am only saying that there seem to be some trees going around Thailand that are being sold as Hass but are not Hass. 

2 minutes ago, dcnx said:

But then the police can't extort them.

Is that what they call an oxymoron? 

Regarding conscription, I doubt the Thai forces would want you if you can't understand the orders being shouted at you. 

Being fluent in English (native speaker) and not needing a work permit, I think there would be quite a few interesting job openings for you here working for companies that need your language ability (tourism, export, etc).

(You don't need to know Thai to teach English. You just need to know how to teach English.)

3 hours ago, peterpop said:

I would rather listen to what Aung San Suu Kyi says.  She has proved her dedication to the Burmese people over a very long time.

Burmese? How about Rohingya? 

5 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

I would like to sign , but cannot read thai ...

Sorry, perhaps this will work better: https://www.change.org/p/take-back-aung-san-suu-kyi-s-nobel-peace-prize? 

Read this https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/sep/05/rohingya-aung-san-suu-kyi-nobel-peace-prize-rohingya-myanmar and then sign the petition to take back the peace prize from Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi...  https://www.change.org/p/take-back-aung-san-suu-kyi-s-nobel-peace-prize?

7 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Thats why it's important to drive here with 1st Class insurance with a 200,000 baht bail bond.

1

It's even worse in Laos because the police won't accept a bail bond. They will impound the vehicle and driver until "compensation" has been paid to the grieving family regardless of whether the victim was at fault or not. No doubt they take their cut for services rendered. It's all about making money, not enforcing laws and serving justice.  And note that if the victim was at fault, the insurance company of the surviving party will NOT reimburse the money that is paid as "compensation". If their client was not at fault then why should they pay??   

The name of the business is not mentioned!? 

2 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

Depending on the reasoned stop.

My guess would be that the local police [read: legal Mafia] guy was randomly stopping anyone to secure his daily extorted tea money.

 

 

Now I found it. My memory was not so good. This is the product that I read about a few years ago: Tencate Megadrain http://www.buildsite.com/pdf/tcmirafi/TenCate-Polyfelt-Megadrain-Product-Data-B23090.pdf 

Hi Cooked, 

I think you're right and I was wrong to suggest that geotextile could be used as a replacement for gravel. I think what I read a few years ago was that geotextile could reduce (not replace) the amount of gravel needed. 

I just tried to re-find the info that I read about the above but could not find it. Instead what I found was this: http://anewhouse.com.au/2012/06/geotextile-around-drainage-pipes/ 

The guy is basically saying that the way I did it (which is similar to your picture above but with the textile wrapped over the top and then a layer of gravel on the top to keep the textile in place and hide it out of harms way), is not a good idea because the textile can become clogged with fine particles. I did wonder at the time if that could happen and this guy is saying yes it does.

JB 

Red ones start off green but there are different coloured varieties. See for example red, yellow and orange varieties here: 

http://www.enzazaden.co.uk/products-and-services/our-products/Pepper

http://www.enzazaden.co.uk/products-and-services/brochures-and-leaflets 

Yellow, green, orange and red here:

http://www.deruiterseedstemp.com/global/uk/products/Pages/Nordics-Pepper-Overview.aspx

And so on.

Sandemara's correct. Big trees/palms are worth a lot of money! 

I see the catalogue/price list at the link lannarebirth provided  (here's the direct link: http://www.uhm.co.th/upload/PL ราคาท่อ Neodrain และข้อต่อ Neodrain –UHM Group 2558_1439205640.pdf) shows 2 pieces of geotextile on the front cover but they don't seem to sell that part of the drainage system.

I bought a big roll of geotextile some years ago for this purpose (to drain a garden and perimeter of a house rather than a farm) and I remember the promotional blurb said geotextile is cheaper than using the gravel that is normally used when making French drains; in other words the geotextile is a modern substitute for gravel.

Actually, what I did was a combination - like a sausage - with drilled/slotted PVC piping in the middle, surrounded by some gravel, wrapped with the geotextile and then soil placed back on top of the "sausage". 

The geotextile product I bought was "POLYFELT  TS30". That was in 2013. The sales person I spoke to at that time was Khun Isara 0898141166.

On 26/07/2017 at 2:57 PM, Gary A said:

Trying to use a four disc plow makes all four wheels spin and it goes no where. 

 Perhaps try filling the tyres with water and also reduce the tyre pressure for more traction?  

56 minutes ago, Thechook said:

Just what Thailand needs, more convenience stores.  You have 7/11 ' s every 50 metres or so, can always squeeze another such store in.

Good to have competition. 

I've just sent you a PM.

No guarantees, but I reckon you'd have to:

(a) Grow the plants on raised mounds of soil or berms (say about 60cm high and 2.5 - 3 metres wide) to prevent the roots from being waterlogged during the rainy season. Durian is very susceptible to Phytophthora root root which thrives when the soil is saturated with water. I suspect that is why Gary A's wife's tree died. I have seen this technique used with durian in Rayong, where they grow a lot of durian, but also in Isaan for growing papaya and mandarins. The plants enjoy the rain but the roots need to breathe. Phytophthora used to be deadly for trees but these days it can be treated by injecting potassium phosphonate into the trunk: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/radio/onairhighlights/durian-disease There are several companies that supply specialist injection tools, e.g. http://www.chemjet.com.au  and www.treeinjectors.com   

(b) Have a micro-sprinkler irrigation system to keep the soil moist during the dry season. The irrigation system would also help maintain a minimum level of humidity during the hottest time of the year when the air may otherwise be too dry for the durian.

(c) Run the micro-sprinklers during the hottest part of the day during the hottest months of the year to provide some cooling effect (created by the evaporation of the water droplets in the air and from the soil surface). A more effective way to cool the air around the trees would be to use misters or foggers, but this would increase the investment and operating costs. 

The OP mentioned growing at the foot of a mountain - such a site may have a deeper soil, better surface drainage (if the land has a gentle slope), and provide shelter from hot drying winds in the summer and cold winds in the summer,  which should increase the chances of growing durian successfully. A south facing-slope would probably be preferable. 

1 hour ago, little mary sunshine said:

Crazy Brit making an enemy of this Nut Case,

he'll probably kill the Brit next week!

So you would have let the bully sell you a fake watch? And another watch the next week? And every week thereafter? 

2 hours ago, superal said:

Out of interest what is your resting heart beat ?

Measured after waking up and before getting out of bed, currently about 42bpm. 

6 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

In January I tried Muay Thai and boxing for the first time, having never done anything like that before in my life. Six months later i'm still really enjoying my new hobby! 

Are you not concerned about damaging your brain? 

Chronic traumatic brain injury associated with boxing  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10946737 

What boxing tells us about repetitive head trauma and the brain https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3706825/ 

1 hour ago, petedk said:

 there have been one or two cases of teachers being persecuted for one reason or another.
 

Sorry to question an English teacher's English but do you mean persecuted or prosecuted?

A more common event is a motorcyclist dropping a crash helmet on the road. 

You could read this...  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_in_Laos