timber

HeHeHe

Lots of time... I think I read someplace that the biggest thing is cutting the lumber from the outer third of the log. Just cruising on the topic. There isn't that much Coconut in Thailand compared to the Philipines and they are doing a lot of work on it. Thanks for the comment. Still haven't found a satisfactory treatment yet. Hate to waste good Thai Whiskey.

"Coconut wood must also undergo seasoning process to minimize if not completely avoid problems in its utilization: the appropriate moisture content levels of coconut wood for various uses are as follows: furniture - 10 to 12%; flooring - 11 to 17%; framing timber -15 to 18%; joinery - 12 to 16%; and weatherboards - 15 to 18%. The common drying methods include air drying wood under shed, forced-air, and kiln drying. Depending on existing conditions, 25mm and 50mm coconut boards take 4 to 11 weeks and 16 to 21 weeks to air dry, respectively to attain equilibrium moisture content of 17% to 19%. Drying schedules have been worked out (Tables 8 and 9) for kiln drying coconut wood to avoid drying defects such as collapse, twist, wrap and check. "

http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?...1E/w7731e08.htm

How not to do it: Find a contractor and let him start building while you show up once in awhile to check to see how things are going (or worse, live a long ways away and only rarely check on things.). If you do it this way, there is a 99% chance you will be cheated and a 99% chance the materials and workmanship will be well below standard. There is a 75% chance you will have something(s) done totally differently than you expected. This isn't pessimism or cyncism, it is a fact.

http://www.ajarnmichael.com/BuildingHouse.html

Interesting site on building a house in Thailand.

Their is some good information on prices per square meter under realestate in the Pattaya forum.

They were talking 10k to 15K for a reasonable house in the 2nd an 3rd pages.

I thought the Beaches just south of Rayond were quite good, especially good for children. The beaches in Rayond itself weren't any good.

Do you have a rough square meter cost for the construction of the house? Nice job!!

I have a daughter coming from Canada, in her twenties, the end of March. The wife and I will be working for a few days when she first gets here so would like to set up some one/two day tours for her around the Bangkok area. Suggestions? First time in Asia.

3) Typically in Thailand...What are some unexpected costs during construction?

Main one is the constructor disapearing with your deposit and leaving an unfinished job...

More of a problem is not following the time schedual. Not always the constructor's fault, the labourers have an annoying habit to dissapear for a few weeks when the weather decides it's time to go harvest rice or whatever[/quote

Some comments from one of the other forums. Agree?

I think one left out is using shortcuts or sub-standard materials and having to do job over.

Barbara--

We will be headed down that way in April. Anything you want us to look for???

Of interest to people who follow the Biodiesel thread

ASA and NBB Applaud Legislation to Extend Biodiesel Tax Incentive

Senators Grassley and Baucus introduce bill to offer tax incentive through 2010

SAINT LOUIS, Mo. – The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) and American Soybean Association (ASA) praised today Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Ranking Member Max Baucus (D-MT) for introducing legislation to extend the biodiesel tax incentive. The Grassley/Baucus bill, S. 2401, extends popular alternative energy tax incentives, such as the biodiesel excise and income tax incentive for biodiesel and biodiesel blends. It also gives a one-year extension until 2010 to a tax credit for the cost of installing pumps that offer a 20 percent blend of biodiesel (B20).

Last year, NBB and ASA achieved their Number 1 legislative goal when the landmark Energy Bill extended the biodiesel tax incentive to 2008. “We are pleased to again see bipartisan Congressional support for biodiesel,” said ASA President Bob Metz, a soybean producer from West Browns Valley, S.D. “Senator Grassley and Baucus are building on the success of the biodiesel tax incentives to help soybean farmers and rural economies as well as America’s energy security and environment.”

Darryl Brinkmann, chairman of NBB and a soybean producer from Carlyle, Ill., said that biodiesel and soybean leaders have already seen the results of the biodiesel tax incentive. Last year, U.S. biodiesel production tripled to 75 million gallons. “Passage of the tax incentive gave the biodiesel industry the confidence to grow as we work to keep up with the skyrocketing demand for biodiesel,” Brinkmann said. “Consumers across the nation have benefited because the biodiesel tax incentive has helped make biodiesel more cost competitive.”

By amending the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, the Grassley/Baucus bill would:

Biodiesel and Alternative Fuel Excise Tax Credit: Extend the biodiesel excise and income tax credit for biodiesel and biodiesel blends until December 31, 2010. The credit was originally established as part of the American JOBS Creation Act of 2004 (H.R. 4520), which President Bush signed into law in October 2004. The credit was extended from 2006 until 2008 when President Bush signed the Energy Bill on August 8, 2005. The excise tax credit amounts to a penny per percentage point of biodiesel blended with petroleum diesel for “agri-biodiesel,” such as that made from soybean oil, and a half-penny per percentage for biodiesel made from other sources, like recycled cooking oil. It lowers the cost of biodiesel to consumers in taxable and tax exempt markets.

Credit for Refueling Property: Extend for one-year a 30 percent tax credit, enacted in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, for the cost of installing clean-fuel vehicle refueling property. Clean fuels include biodiesel blends of 20 percent or more as well as ethanol and hydrogen.

Biodiesel has become America’s fastest growing alternative fuel according to the Department of Energy. More than 600 filling stations make biodiesel available to the public, and 1,500 petroleum distributors carry it nationwide. More than 600 fleets use biodiesel, including government and military, commercial and school bus fleets.

Based in Jefferson City, Mo., NBB is a nonprofit trade association coordinating the industry and educating the public about biodiesel. ASA serves as the collective policy voice of 25,000 U.S. soybean producers on national issues important to all U.S. soybean farmers.

I found a site by Dr. Robert Blanchette that tells you almost every thing that you want to know about agarwood production. Don't have it with me right now. Will post it here in the next day or so

Hi Barbara I'm from B.C. Glad to meet you!!

Remember can PM me if there is something you don't want everyone to know. Some questions. When do you expect to come or move here? Do you understand how rural Sawi is? Chumphon isn't bad. Land prices are pretty much an opportunity thing. A general rule if you want something on the water is 1,000,000 baht per rai. That may change depending on how much the person needs the money. Once you get away from the beach the prices drop pretty fast. Know of a lovely lot 1/4 km from the beach at Sawi for about 250,000 baht and we thought that was too much. I will be going down there is April. My wife is from Sawi. She is related to about 1/2 of Sawi. Any questions ask.

Take care,

Wayne

Hi there,

My name is Barbara and I live in Alberta, Canada. I am interested in buying some land in Thailand, with or without a house. I would like info on land for sale in Chumpon.....or anywhere in Thailand. Does anyone know of land for sale on or near the beach of Kgo Phithak Amphure Sawi?

Thanks

B

http://www.enfleurage.com/ac-agarwood-2.html

A good site to read to keep Agarwood production in perspective

The National Rubber Day to be held in Rayong from April 5-10.

Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Agriculture Ministry Chakarn Sangraksawong (ฉกรรจ์ แสงรักษาวงศ์) expressed belief that the use of eastern provinces to show potential in rubber plantation in the National Rubber Exhibition will boost strength in the industry and invite investors to invest more in the country.

Mr. Chakarn said that the National Rubber Exhibition will be held on April 5-10 in Rayong, corresponding to the cabinet resolution which set April 10 as the National Rubber Day. He said that this year, the ministry decided to hold the event in Rayong, the eastern province with the highest rubber output.

He said that investors from more than 30 countries, farmer, state agencies, and entrepreneurs will visit the event to exchange ideas, adding that rubber will be sold for cheap prices. He said that the event is likely to bring in more foreign investors to Thailand.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 15 March 2006

Should be going down that way in April. Will do a bit of a photo shoot if I can remember.

. The trees frequently become infected with a parasite fungus or mold, Phialophora parasitica, and begin to produce an aromatic resin, in response to this attack.

Used chiefly for Incense for the Mind - during meditation, Agarwood is highly psychoactive. It is used for spiritual journey, enlightenment, clarity and grounding. Buddhists use it for transmutation of ignorance. Tibetan monks use it to bring energy to the centre and calm the mind and spirit. The Sufis use Agarwood oil in their esoteric ceremonies and Japanese Shamans use it for its psychoactive properties. It enchances mental clarity and opens the third eye as well as all of the upper charkas. It is recommended by experienced practitioners for providing motivation and devotion to meditation. It brings communication with the transcendent, refreshes the mind and body, drives away evil spirits, takes away exhaustion, removes impurities, expels negative energies, brings alertness, relieves anxiety, invokes a sense of strength and peace, creating natural order in your sacred living areas, enhances cerebral functioning, calms the nervous system, remedies nervous disorders such as neurosis, obsessive behaviour, etc., and it is a companion in solitude. It is said that prayers arise with the fragrant smoke of Agarwood incense carrying the prayer to the Creator.

Agarwood comes in solid or liquid form. Solids are only solid at room temperature, and if warmed slightly, it turns to mobile liquid. It is an anti-asthmatic and can be applied directly to the skin as it is non-irritating. The oil is very tenacious and only the tiniest of drops is needed to fill the air with its soul evoking aroma. It is a complex aroma with many nuances, deep and ethereal. The aroma takes about 12 hours to unfold and it will last on the skin for more than a day, and if placed on any material, the scent can last for months. It can be used as a perfume, an aroma therapy and an essential oil or as an aid for the deepest meditation. This frgarance will unlock the subconscious and allow you to go deep into your memories. The resin is also used in perfumery, Yves Saint Laurent and Amouage use Agarwood in their top perfumes as a base.

I would think that if you are looking at making some money investing in a rubber tree plantation paying the right price in the right area is as good as any.

Be careful with the check transfers it might take a while. The trick with the atm card sounds good. If you need quick money transferred I have been saved by using a visa credit card.

Pictures south of Chumphon

Another short article for information. AWhat is the treatment? I think they put a fungus onto the wound.

http://www.scents-of-earth.com/alag.html

Aloeswood is the resinous wood from the Aquilaria tree, an evergreen tree native to northern India, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. It's scientific name is Aquilara Malaccensis Lam. or Aquilaria agallocha.

It is a very popular ingredient in Japanese incense and is often used in Traditional Chinese, Unanai, Ayurvedic, and Tibetan medicine.

The Aquilaria tree grows up to 40 meters high and 60 centimeters in diameter. It bears sweetly-scented, snow-white flowers. The trees frequently become infected with a parasite fungus or mold, Phialophora parasitica, and begin to produce an aromatic resin, in response to this attack. It is this precious resinous wood that is treasured around the world. Today the resin is commonly called Jinko, Aloeswood, Agarwood, and Oud.

The resin of a tree from a natural fungal attack and immune response is commonly known as agar #1. An inferior resin is created by the deliberate wounding of an aquilaria tree; leaving it more susceptible to a fungal attack by using a forced method. This is commonly called agar #2.

The fungus and decomposition process continue to generate a very rich and dark resin forming within the heartwood. The resin created as a natural immune response makes the most sacred oil on the planet. The wood is extremely rare and often very difficult to obtain, as well as being quite expensive. The best quality is Kyara, which comes in four types: Green, Iron, Purple, and Black.

There are many stories about aloeswood being buried under the ground for hundreds of years. This legend comes from an old Chinese book on incense, but today most aloeswood comes from infected trees that, although in the process of decaying and dying, are indeed still standing. However, sometimes the roots become infected with the fungus and these can be found underground.

That was a fun and educational thread. How to find a piece of wood in the gutter and build a house out of it.

For the experts. Good information for the future. Never know

http://www.american.edu/TED/sandalwd.htm

Santalum album

n : parasitic tree of Indonesia and Malaysia having fragrant

close-grained yellowish heartwood with insect-repelling

properties and used, e.g., for making chests [syn: sandalwood

tree, true sandalwood, Santalum album]

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Sandalwood \San"dal*wood\, n. [F. sandal, santal, fr. Ar.

[,c]andal, or Gr. sa`ntalon; both ultimately fr. Skr.

candana. Cf. Sanders.] (Bot.)

(a) The highly perfumed yellowish heartwood of an East Indian

and Polynesian tree (Santalum album), and of several

other trees of the same genus, as the Hawaiian Santalum

Freycinetianum and S. pyrularium, the Australian S.

latifolium, etc. The name is extended to several other

kinds of fragrant wood.

( Any tree of the genus Santalum, or a tree which yields

sandalwood.

© The red wood of a kind of buckthorn, used in Russia for

dyeing leather (Rhamnus Dahuricus).

False sandalwood, the fragrant wood of several trees not of

the genus Santalum, as Ximenia Americana, Myoporum

tenuifolium of Tahiti.

Red sandalwood, a heavy, dark red dyewood, being the

heartwood of two leguminous trees of India (Pterocarpus

santalinus, and Adenanthera pavonina); -- called also

red sanderswood, sanders or saunders, and

rubywood.

Depends on the people but my three picks are

1. Grand Palace and area

2. Ancient City (Muang Balon)

3. Weekend market

Some information

This tall (60') tropical tree hails from the East Indies, although it is grown in many tropical countries all over the world. It is the source of ylang-ylang extract, which is a very penetrating smell. Used in soap, perfumery, aromatherapy. The 6-petalled flowers are difficult to see since they are a pale lime-green and tend to get overlooked. The green fruit is the shape of an acorn and, once ripe and purple, the seeds can be extracted. They look similar to passion-fruit seeds. The tree shape is interesting, the branches droop down and then swoop up at the ends.

If you want to become an expert

http://agroforestry.net/tti/Cananga-ylang-ylang.pdf

That sounds odd. I thought brown rice and white rice was like brown bread and white bread. Its a lot healthier to eat the brown.