David006

Another vote for Queen's Garden from me. Good service, very reliable transfers, nice little bar/restaurant out front with draught beer Sing.

well thanks guys ..that IS nice to know.will be there Monday night for a few days and again on my way to Canada at Xmas.,,,,ain't TV great??!!! lol... have a good one

cheers

david

not ignorant just maybe lost the original post , i find it hard to locate topics ive recently submitted

lol..always my problem too..always have to go back to profile and posts..email notification don't seem to work no matter how often it's ticked..ADMIN IS this a problem????..better pm me with response lol

Check this out http://www.thaivisa...._1#entry3881139

Just booked Queens Garden Resort at River View..has shuttle ....US$30.00 a night, single..looks pretty nice..

Yep, that would be Kuranda ChouDoufu. Nice place. No leeches to my knowledge, but the midges are a problem nipping from about January to March.

I'm looking at buying a couple of teak houses from Thai Lanna and shiping them to Kuranda and setting up there for a few months each year. That rainforest is quite a place to live.

I forgot the monitors (goannas), big ones, IanForbes. Just another critter in the forest.

Atherton Table Lands nice!Love the sky ride..

Used to live on Clifton beach behind the foreshore "jungle"..we sometimes had crabs crawl in the kitchen at high tides ..always afraid I might see a saltwater crock in the pool one morning...lol

That teak house idea sounds nice! Me,I always wanted to build a sprawling "Queenslander" in Thailand...maybe one day.

Is life any different in the US....with people living in debt, off of their credit cards? I often wonder.

nice one mate...probably a lot of westerners have mortgages and car payments,CCs etc which may exceed, percentage wise, the debts of some rural people ...lots of relatively wealthy rural Thais around and lots live within their means....unlike the western world of "I want it and I want it NOW!".."so what if I get laid off next week"..

.....the entrepreneurial spirit alone of many rural people is underestimated by many of us somewhat ignorant and naive foreigners

..asking "why don't they" about rural or any people in this country is ...is, is....certainly common on TV

OUR , sorry her property is in my married name.

someone HAD to say it...lol TIT... Ah!... what the hel_l can't take it with ya...!!!and my kids already have more money than ..

My wife changed her family name to mine in 2002 and she bought land

in 2007. No problems.

Also owned land and she still has it.

Wow a quick response..good news guys ..thanks muchly

Okay ,.... heard that a a Thai married to a Farang with his surname loses her "right" to own land in Thailand..true or false? What if she retains her Thai surname??

- Does the service use the same actual cable that brings Sophon Cable TV into the house?

- What if it's a condo or village where there is central point to bring in the signal, then It's distributed from that central hub, by cable, to individual houses / condo units? In this scenario would individual internet service be possible?

1) No, the broadband cable is separate to the TV.

2) Each connection receives its own co-axial cable from the nearest master/secondary modem which are all over the area and then these transmit via fiber to sophon in Pattaya Thai.

This is a HFC (Hybrid fibre coaxial) system which is the standard for broadband worldwide.

These facts are certainly 100% accurate for the existing system (I briefly worked with Sophon interent) but I am not sure on the infrastructure in place for the fiber to the home they are starting to advertise.

interesting..I thought most HFC in the western world used the same coax drop and a cable modem at the premise (since TV/Internet/POTS are on different bandwidths).who's network equipment does Sophon use?? I would be interested to know if the Sophon service is true FTH or just FTC as you seem to be aware, it is economically prohibitive (fibre drop..optical to electrical ..expensive!)to provide infrastructure for single family dwellings..

as you state...sounds like its just fibre to the building/curb/subdivision as in multi dwellings/moo bahns??

cheers..

LO.yeh the old "not my job" thingy...I was on a Melbourne Aus beach once and saw a very large family of Greeks get up and leave...looked like the morning after the parade..food bottles a general garbage tip..disgusting behavior...my kids cleaned it all up..people like that everyplace I guess..SIL sweeps all her garbage to a perimeter of 3 meters around her house...very pretty..go figure..

Many good local places in Kata, where you get a good meal of rice with add ons for 35 Baht, sometimes 40. There are also some restaurants with fixed prices: all meals 80 Baht, 90 if seafood included. So excellent value IMO.

Plus there are of course the normally even cheaper road stalls.

Rawai has the same, and I'm sure even Patong does.

Try Tawan bar/restaurant Kata central ( soi opposite 711)...the best burgers and Thai AND western food good prices and great quality..And inexpensive beers!!!...Okay so he's a mate...but you won't be disappointed...lol I would say the breakfasts are the best anyplace but they tend to be served after 11am lol..

I made the mistake in Sept of staying at Banana' guest house which is a rat hole.

I wanted a multi O, same reason as yourself and same money in the bank. They said you need 400k in the bank so I went with my Thai wife to KL on the 'NICE' bus (aptly named actually) and there was no problem.

Go straight to KL, avoid Penang apart from the scenery, it's good 'old time' architecture and good people (apart from Banana's).

question mate who said you needed 400k in the Thai bank? Consulate in Penang or Bananas?

cheers

david

I don't think Parsnips would not do well here on the islands, I have never seen any being grown here, but perhaps in the northern reaches of Thailand... (cooler at night!!!) or definitely in London!

Carrots won't do it here either.

There is a tree here, that the Thai's dig up roots and call it "Thai Potato". They just cut stems & lay them in the soil & within months a 12 foot high tree! Then they dig up the roots... which look like a huge elongated potato... must admit it I have never tried it, so not sure what they taste like.

There we go my mission today will be to take pictures of the "Thai Potato" tree! & add it to my picasa link.

think you are talking about Cassava?..good screen tree and grows like crazy..

i miss affordable and tasty wine and cheese.. i'm from australia.

i used to miss being able to converse with random people, but slowly my thai is getting to the point i can almost do that.

i also miss my car, even tho it is really crap, driving it is one of my fave things to do when i'm at home.

Funny I always buy Aussie wine and it seems those brands available here are almost on par with Aussie prices...sure not much of a selection though...do miss the Aussie delis with pies, feta cheeses and and and and...lol AND VB!

Harold Schlumberg is such a person:

QUOTE FROM HAROLD

I've often been asked, 'What do you old folks do now that you're retired?' Well...I'm fortunate to have a chemical engineering background and one of the things I enjoy most is converting beer, wine and vodka into urine.

................... I do it every day and I really enjoy it...........

Harold should be an inspiration to us all.

Buy them from Amazon and get them shipped.

I've recently bought:

A Street Car Named Desire

On the Water Front

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

The Apartment

An Inspector Calls

There's a thread on ordering from Amazon here Amazon Thread

Great watching. also African Queen, Casablanca, no modern special effects but wow, what an impact. Must admit, Lauren Bacal ( think thats how you spell it ) in her early rolls was awesome.

AAAh Lauren..lovely...

I want to find "The Back of Beyond" fifties Shell movie about the "Mailman of the Birdsville track"..can get it from Aussie film archives at a horrendous price ...so will try Amazon

edit..not there sigh..

Lots of people in this old world that have bought "qualifications"...always used to be standard procedure in the Military to "buy" a commission...then get people killed through totally inept leadership....

..... probably a lot of "cap and gowns" involved in recommending allowing banks to offer sub prime loans in the US and Europe???

Thanks guys..good ideas..all!

Maybe make a dryer..methinks that's a good one!

Frozen fruit pulp ...like that too..great on roast pork I would think ..more interesting than apple sauce..LOl

Could use it on ice cream if the bloody box wasn't always empty??

thanks again...

just a note that right now I/we are too busy with the rubber to consider commercial use..good ideas though ....maybe later...

Posted Yesterday, 17:57

next week 8-16 oct the chinese vegetarian festival hits krabi town amazing sights not for the faint hearted,definately worth a look if your in the area........

What are you babbling about! Not for the faint hearted? Eating vegetables is a problem? What are the amazing sights, a "300" pound carrot. I don't get it.

k9in krabi dont want to spoil it for you go have a look next week ,stand by my statement not for the fainted hearted ,definately one of the strangest and most surreal things i have seen in thailand..............................

p.s dont forget to bring your camera as i did last year........................oh and ear defenders for young children...................

hmmm better get our <deleted> over there.better than Phuket??? skewered necks and the like???

http://www.shadesasia.com/

Phuket Aussies good work..have Sunbrella

Chuck and Dave sailors..also

DMAX,

I take your request for ideas very seriously as I have walked down this road for several years and as others suggest it is not easy.

Firstly understand yourself and your needs. How much money do you need to enjoy a meaningful lifestyle each month? Whats important to you, the person you have always been and the person you may wish to become? What are you looking for in your future life? Can you find that in rural Isaan?

That may well seem pretty airey-fairy but I have met people such as us who are attracted to Isaan but dont understand themselves or the environment they have placed themselves in. There is a huge gulf between the consumer based societies we come from and the basic need to have rice to eat which is all many locals here strive for.

I suggest that your question should be, How much money can I make in Isaan? Or indeed, Can I make enough money here in Isaan? The important word is "I", you will have to make it happen.

Those that surround me, have always been content to work very hard at planting and harvesting times, or about two months, but do little else throughout the year to improve their circumstances. With a tame farang around their lives become easier, fertiliser can be paid for with someone elses cash, friends can be employed to help do their work and they can relax with a monthly income for doing little and enjoy enormous face. Why wouldn't they smile at you? Beware of the crocodiles.

Whatever you decide to do, understand the nature of incomes here. They are small, nothing here makes a fortune easily or quickly. People here are risk takers and will jump into anything new, yet those same people resist change and will walk away from the smallest of obstacles. What may have the enthusiastic support of everyone to start with may well just simply run out of steam when the hard work starts. Stay clear of anything that relies on others that cannot be replaced easily. You do not want any uneducated "keymen" becoming critical to your business.

Equipment and improvements should be considered balanced against doing things the traditional manual way. Yes good tools make life easier and improve results, but reality is that many of those using them don't own them so will not treat your things with any care.

So base your decision on where to look to generate an income solely on what level of effort you are personally prepared to put in. Treat any assistance you get, for as long as it lasts, as a plus and be prepared to have an alternative to fill the gaps as they occur.

For those that read this and think I'm a hard nosed SOB, your not thinking Thai style. I have been personally disappointed many times by others and have learnt that if I fail, its my own fault, not the fault of people I try to impose my standards and work ethic onto. Nothing is for nothing here, why should we think differently.

DMAX, I hope you can find the answer to you next question, "What can I do ..... For me the answer is to earn as much as possible from as many things as possible. I grow rice and raise pigs, and I work hard producing compost from their manure and the rice straw both for sale and to reduce fertiliser costs. There are fish in our pond and a worm farm in the pig sty. We eat our own mushrooms and vegetables. We have made bacon and sausages. I am attempting to establish a fully integrated farm with a minimum external expenditure and sufficient income to enjoy a happy and contented lifestyle.

Whatever your choice is, be sure of one thing, to be successful you will have to work hard.

Isaan Aussie

Good advice from a fellow aussie. Very sensible approach. My only addition is - do something that you already have some knowledge of, or passion for doing. Coming to a foreign business world is hard enough, but without all the free encouragement advice and mentoring you may get in a western country, you are really going to struggle.

yup..always someone everyplace who will say with 'intake of breath'.."won't work, can't be done" etc..great incentive to prove 'em wrong....application and hard work... Had many Farangs tell me.."<deleted> do you know about rubber farming?"..."why don't you buy a bar" etc..."build a house on a mountain" .."good luck" !! Truth is never knew sod all about farming..still learning thanks to wifey and her family. Oh and building?....Not sure I would have done it if I knew how bloody hard and frustrating it would be, glad I did though.

Just a note on rubber farming ROI..after three years averaging gross 15%pa ROI.hence the producing parcel of land has almost paid for itself. The mature trees we(her indoors actually) are cutting (about 600)are not the greatest and probably better trees would have a higher yield. We will have some additional 3000 trees coming on line in a couple of years. The hardest work is the brush cutting and chucking fertilizer and of course collecting and carrying the buckets of latex...wife and sometimes family members cut the rubber trees.I am just the "donkey" man...tried cutting..wife shook her head and banned me after three attempts..lol

.costs for fertilizer cups/wires anti fungal, tools etc would only amount to about 30k a year for the mature trees...

nice to hear that there are guys like you working hard and earning a living here in isaan, fair play to you. my wife has also asked me to consider rubber farming, i may as well invest in something like this and wait a few years untill the trees mature, the money is sitting idle anyway. first i will be doing a lot of research into it and wont dive into anything quickly.

thx mate..not in Isaan BTW. (south of Krabi)..had no intention of rubber farming or any farming come to that.just wanted a sea change I guess....yup keep your (better you're wife's lol)ear to the ground re land or farms "for sale" preparing land and planting trees is best left to someone else...better to look at purchasing a pre planted property with young trees that way you could get someone to check 'em out as to type and condition..etc just my "so experienced" view..lol good luck..

lol what a joke of an article. Gotta pay for that vacation to Thailand somehow though. You could make a bot to write up these clueless farang articles about Thailand

As a former magazine writer I could say that about any article about any subject in any magazine or newspaper today.

Take a trip somewhere, write 1500 words in a fairly articulate fashion and you are done.

Yeah...Makes you wonder that NY Times would bother printing something so generic , think there's better "stories" on TV What a yawn!!!.....maybe it was a TN or PG disguard?

..Not Relevant to you "northerners" but...there is a Dukes Sports Bar in Kata Central run by California guy and two wives ..lol ...no food but counter type bar and about ten flat screens..s'okay..food comes from Tawan bar/restaurant opposite..best burgers I have eaten..french guy and Thai spouse ,,yes they are our good friends ..plug plug... cheapest beer in Phuket too methinks....

Perfeclt leagl to bring seeds as long as they come in a packet from a supplier and not picked yourself and of a small quantity.

Yes brought loads of packet seeds from Canada...not declared so no idea if legal. Also brought in bulbs ..daffodils/tulips etc

BUT ...not a one grew to flower...think the bugs here like foreign fare..maybe if started in pots with good "clean" soil may have had more success...

There are so many delightful flowers and shrubs in Thailand and starting plants from "borrowed" cuttings is so easy...so given up on temperate climate plants..orchids,hibiscus,heliconia, morning glory,bougainvillia and palms etc for me..

...there are lots of tropical versions of temperate flowers like Cosmos,Forget me Nots ,Daisies etc

In my experience the "cubes" are better than the liquids. You can buy these at Rimping supermarket as indicated above however they are 240 baht per pack i think.

You can also use the cheap wood provided in the markets but they aren't as good as the "cubes".

,,,wife starts the charcoal with a few lumps on a grill (we use a fold over griller thingy )over the gas ring in the kitchen ( yes it's lit!) Takes about three minutes...then she dumps the the red hot coals in with the rest in the bbq...voila..

...oh yes don't trip over the dog on the way outside ( assuming your hob is inside!)

tip: best to use hardwood charcoal..(its heavier) ..last longer and hotter....so SWMBO'd says...

Question: anyone else lost their "manhood" bbq wise having a Thai wife/GF??.... SWMBO'd has the absolute cheek to tell me "I do..you burn all the time!!..go drink beer"