Reginald Prewster

Uh, don't dogs usually sleep in beds? ???? After returning from work abroad, it was hard to get this habit eliminated. But since I showed my wife what dogs are capable to learn (I was as youngster dog trainer in Germany) she claims that our dogs are not the same, they are "people". I wanted attending guard dogs, no chance to get poisoned or allowing somebody to carry something out of the gate without one of us opening it.. (the DHL boy was laying for 6 hrs in the glowing sun, because of the tiny insignificant difference between carrying "in" and carrying "out") But the worst was to learn them "talk" - by meaning sitting in front of me and pretending to have a conversation. (all for a treat, but my wife now still believes that they really talk) Still when thunderstorms passing through or fireworks get set off, one of them sneaks under the bedsheets.

I started with 2 of them in Pattaya. Just little Puppies that got kicked away all time at lake Maprachan 7eleven... Put them in the side car of my scooter and that was it. After 2 years of stubbornness they changed like somebody turned their switch on. From one day to the other their 15 minutes training was not enough anymore and they wanted to learn and show more. Now on my farm they are already 12 years old and 3 puppies from the Garbage Dumping area in Khon Kaen joined us... I guess also, if you not accidently step on them a 7eleven dog will never bite but they are capable (with a little more patience) to become brilliant guard dogs due to their experiences in front of the door of 7/11. They have met more different human characters and can read their faces better I have the feeling. All 5 on my farm work very well with our goose who are the alarm system and the dogs do the checking then.. But as @soalbundy posted, I am always careful with our geese, they are just unpredictable. If they think you are standing on a spot that they not appreciate, its time for self defense and for the attacker is Christmas a few month ealier..

I have 3 Rai in Ban Phe now up for sale... LOL It was a bargain and we thought, lets live of the land. Plans and Drawings were made, turned, made new, some trees planted to find out how fast they grow and how much they shade out.... This winter we bought a 17 Rai farm..... ....in April we rented 7 more rai.... Lesson learned: THINK BIG - tropical farming is making addictive.. The People above mentioned all important stuff from the right chanot over is it allowed to build a house on it and has it fresh and no saltwater... Enjoy..

Lucky you are so smart and understand sarcasm.. It was more meant to be like, No Goose and Buffaloes in Pattaya but other things could happen. Got it now?? 22 years here and follow the rules which keeps me out of troubles as well.

Well, mine is 876 Kilograms precise 4 month ago at the vererinary and his shoulders reach my chin makes him above 160cm shoulder height considering I am 186 cm tall. Aggressive, OK he will block the way towards me as soon you approach and by accident he hit me once with his horns as some bug has bitten him on his back and he turned his head. Beside this he is very gentle and if he needs a break from work he even can start crying...

There is just another thread ongoing where somebody left Isaan after 3 month and could not understand why I left Pattaya and moved to countryside. In Pattaya you would have been bitten by a 7eleven dog as you stumbled over it on the way to the fridge for another beer, got mugged by a local on your way home, drained by a cop for drunk driving, finally a motorbike driver would have brought you (overcharging for the ride) to the Hospital where the doctor would put you with highest recommendations into the CT Scanner (another 34000 baht only) to see the depth of the dog bite and after drugged with a bag of medications (not included in the above) you would be back home where the Bank would calling you that they have cut your bank card... Better live in countryside and enjoy the wilderness and rural community, isn't it? ????

Great, more Greenhouse gasses due to composting.. I'll take my share if the Government wants me to build a BSF Farm. Since Fish meal skyrocketed from 240 to 2200 USD per MT, because of the overfishing around South America the BSF is becoming a new interest. BSF (Hermetia Illuciens or Black Soldier Fly) has gained the first approvals for lifestock food, which can be the substitute for fish meal. An they don't create Greenhouse gasses like huge compost factories do... Well, it takes a lot more than above stated with these picky little flies but a trial of 5 years in my backyard was more than promising.. They went easy through 15-20 Kilo Bio waste per day and outstarved themselves 8 times in these 5 years where I could not gather enough waste... The BSF composter was made of 3 blue barrels at the end.. Unfortunately they produced beside frass (their poop) also liquid that needed to be dilluted by 1000:1 to be good as (a top) fertilizer. My Backyard was not big enough for this and at the end even my neighbors could not fertilize more as their Gardens turned into thick jungles LOL. But the outcome of this trial was the concept of a 10.000 sqm Hall and other 5.000 sqm Fly cages and breeding habitat which could get rid of 1.500.000 Kilo bio waste per day, without farting just the smallest amount of greenhouse gasses into the air.. Lovely little critters they are...

As I fully moved to Isaan Pattaya became for me like a shock of my past. All these warm hearted and helpful people asking for nothing but a meal, standing in the kitchen together and after sitting all together and yek yek with lots of laughing... In the background a crowing rooster, some hens, a few birds singing and a barking frog in the lake.. Countryside: I asked at the immigration for a work permit helping my wife on the farm. The answer was, no Sir, you can help your wife but not outside your farm. Look, you are married and need to help your wife like all husband do, she cannot do alone.. But not outside the Farm, then you need work permit... Pattaya: ...after got trouble for no work permit, helping my wife in the garden... It was Friday, 20.000 Baht or Prison till Monday.. I felt locked in a golden cage... (Just one example why I changed to the better - in my oppinion)

We have 2 soi dogs from Pattaya, who are now 12 years old and as we relocated to Isaan on our Farm, another 2 Soi Dog Puppies with their mother decided to make make up a gang. I believe in the saying, the dog choses his owner, so we decided to keep them and they really get along with our two old bones. They all like Pedrigee and Smart Heart canned food occassionally, but mainly they all prefer dry food from Smart Heart.

At the begin it was for a contryside boy like me, sure something new and exciting, but it became very quick boring. Anywhere you go, its like repeating itself on an endless tape. I must say we established ourselfs very well and built up a great relation and respect from all kind of people and are well known in the villages around.. The absolute breakthrough came, as we met our (now) security guard and his wife (70 years of age), who lost in an inheritage case his land and home. I didn't hassle and built him a small house on our farm and employed him.. Since then the locals are open approaching and I am part of the village life, may it be a son becomes Buddha, the Major has birthday or the lads want to go for a fishing trip.. Real countrystyle life.. How many "Pattayan's" I have seen at the stone table or in bars day in and day out and call this their retirement. Is that all they like, then OK, but for me it is not, what I call a life.

21 Years I was living in Pattaya and never could get a hang to it. Yes Pattaya was convenient: Due to my worldwide travelling while working abroad, it needs not more than one and a half hour and you are at the airport. Lots of Farang food for sure.. But that's all for me... About 9 years ago, I was full of it and started hating this city so much, that we rented a house in isaan for a test living. (Also near Khon Kaen.) Born and raised up countryside I felt immediately what I did miss in Pattaya. Now surrounded by Isaan People, having a Housemaid who can almost all Farang Dishes I wish to eat I changed even more. But after getting used to isaan food I prefer her food she makes.. What I do not miss at all are the many foreigners, who just come over the rounds and "talking big one" There are really too many of them in Pattaya. I moved now completely to Isaan and somehow Pattaya is forgotten for me. I miss the laughing people around me, our farm and animals, our trees and our lake, my river, my BBQ island... It was a delightening step back to silence and country life. I understand that others might think just the opposite but lucky we are all different...

Interesting Post @drtreelove especially your mulch piles making me jealours. Within a couple of years the prices for mulch did explode in Khon Kaen area, pity. But as above stated, my family is happy with a little extra income and I get the cut straw. I crossbred some chickens Brahma, opposite what people say, was not heat tolerant in my opinion so I got my ladies one of my dad in law's best and biggest fighting rooster. Without knowing if they are compartible the hen got broody and gave us some nice chicks.. They are looking like tall Brahmas and are very tough, playing around in the midday sun and develop great. They shall be the workers and fertilizing machines, as soon my 12 paddocks are fenced so I can move them around under a holistic management system (Allan Savoy, Geoff Lawton, Sepp Holzer, David Holmgren but also Joel Salatin give good inputs (just to Name a few) I will ask my wife to make a few more clear pictures of all our trees to post here. Many she takes are in front of other trees, hence have you ever seen a Bakerman in a snow storm? I told her she should move her nice a** a bit to catch the trees with a blue sky background LOL. Maybe some other people join in here...

Cheers @drtreelove to giude me to this post. Unfortunately many people found out about the quality of a good mulch and with 17 rai bare soil after I designed my food forest, this high demand of soil building mulch and raising prices I do not accept. I shifted a few gears down and rented rice fields (10 rai) On these I let my family do what they did since ever. Growing Rice, peanuts, Beans ..... They can have the main income, but the straw is all for my land. I guess fair deal isn't it? I have seen on your turf some "huge" piles of Coco husks and rice bran. I am still looking around, but all I can find is people selling it by the bag.. (too expensive) For so long I stick to plan B.. Has also a good side. The Vetiver Grass barrier should be tight enough no to float the built up soil away and the first cut of Vetiver Grass gives another few centimeters on top of the mulch mix... (Vetiver Grass I planted about 70.000 stalks all along the river, lake and island..)

This were rice fields until end of November. The lake and river has been dug and the resulting soil was great, about 2-3 meters loam and another 3-4 meters clay. The latter I used only for certain parts (Road. where the houses are placed and a few spots where trees demanding clay) the rest was given away. Cover crops are just starting through, I spent a fortune in Arachis Pintoi (Pinto peanuts, as ground cover with nitrogen fixing abilities) and started now with the rain season banging Asparagus & all kind of other perennials in. They start nicely... 5th month and first life is returning Rice straw bales "suddenly" increased to 80 baht per bale (1400 needed), so I denied to pay the price and rented about 10 rai of the surroundings for 10000 Baht per year. Beside rice we planted lots of climbing beans and other legumes (also a few Cucumbers) which is for the family but all cut straw will eventually this winter build up the first mulch layer ???? in the food forest. Lucky me, some students of the University in Khon Kaen found out about my Idea and checked my dirt and well water. They recommended about 8-15 inch of rice straw because it has lots of silica and the water has drinking water quality, which I expected because there are wells about 6 Kilometer away where some ice factories settled down.

Followed Hip bone replacement is due. Taiwan = 220.000 NTD and dectuctible from my tax here.. Thailand = covered by my health insurance (who might kick me out after this, LOL)

Hi all, there is a guy from Dubai posting on Facebook, selling Brasil Nut Trees for 1500 baht a go (Bertholletia excelsa) and is telling the blue from the sky about many nuts, good value.. Partial true: Rare Tree, royal size and a show for everyone who has the space to grow one... But I assume that's the end of the story. I have been due to my (42 years) work in 57 countries of the world and when the lads went out for a proper p*ss up I often kept it by one day, hired a local and went on jungle trips because one day I wanted a food jungle as retirement project and the time has come. I have meanwhile a good collection of trees which can stand the Thai climate, which aren't invasive and so on... Under these I also have the Brasil Nut, even knowing it most likely will not getting fruits (it can take up to 20 years even in South America) I have this tree because of the impressive and beautiful canopy. Pollination: We have not the kind of bees here which must be on steroids to lift the lid of the flower and pollinate them. My last hope are the local Thai carpenter bees but I doubt they can do the job... Till now all Brasil Nuts are even in South America in the wild harvested in undisturbed jungles for another reason. The male Bee needs to find a special orchid to pollinate and as side effect, it parfumes itself for the ladies. No smell no Bum Bum, no Bum Bum no next generation of solitary bees.. Simple isn't it? If anyone has interest I would start and extend herewith this tread and maintain it for all who like to chat about food trees from all around the world, food jungles and Permaculture, or has trees to swap or searching desperately for a tree... Feel free but please use the botanical and local names to make it for everyone easy what tree we are talking about.. By the way, last week a brasil chick wrote to me, she was welder in the ship yard and she sends me a pack with 40 nuts again in swap for a set of welding gloves . I guess I'll give it a try again, stubborn huh? That's me a notorious plant collector.. Below a picture: Our 17 rai, started this winter with a lake, an island, an artificial river, a desert hill, wetlands, savannah... and it seems it is done right, the trees grew right after planting despite the dry season... There is more room for more trees...

I had to change once my Passport as I was working in Penglai (China) and the other time was last year here in Taipei (Taiwan) as i lost my previous one. The Procedure was: I arrived in both cases with my new Passport in Survanabhum airport and the Immigration Officer called the supervisor. I got told the Number had changed and I said that this was the case. The first Time I could show my expired and made invalid Passport (cut off edges) The 2nd Time I told them the old Number (I travel a lot hence I knew my Passport Numbers) and also told that the old one was lost. In both cases I got only reminded that I still had a valid visa and have to sign it over. For the 2nd time they even reminded me to have a lost certificate on hand. At the Immigration in Pattaya I gave the expired passport or the lost certificate (issued in Taiwan) and also the temporary passport which was 4 weeks valid and after receiving the new one invalidated by cut off corners, but the officer didn't bother that one at all, in that case the lost certificate was counting. In total I have now a 22 years history record in Thailand, if needed, they could have pulled me apart providing more than one expired or invalid passport.

Takes about 2-3 Weeks to get a new Passport in urgent cases 10 days (extra fee) Then you need to go to the Thai Immigration and present both Passports and they will sign the Visa over into the new one.

I assume you love complaining about just everything, do you? Wait the road is ready and adjust your driveway to it. A good road in front of the house should increases the value as well and if the house is old and over its Time the Land value will justify the correction works... Btw, I am 60 years old and bought 17 rai land, dug a 5500sqm lake, a 400m artificial river and raised my land between 0.8 and 1.5 meter (all 17 rai) all in just 3 month... Now I can happily looking forward to get my hip bone replacement due to osteroporisis, after that I will start up my farm and retire without complaining. (the other way of living or am I just adjusted to the Thai style of live?)

Former President of a well known MC...

Mae Hong Son 270 Km/ 1864 Curves Been there, done that (with Certificate.) Bikers know where I am talking about...

Walking Street, The bill adds easy up to 9 K there just have a few boobs in your hands and pay some ladies a drink. Best till now was 3 years ago meeting my mates from work. 5 of us came from the same project and we use to go the first day at home to sort our "PWTS" (Post Work Tension Syndrome) 43.200 THB in just about 2 hrs ... Good thing was that all customers left, because the girls were taking care of us and as the bar was empty we paid and left too, moved to the opposite side. The night was over for the bar and their chicks, because who want to enter an empty bar at 22:30 on a Saturday night when on the oppsite side 5 "bell ringing" Offshore workers were shooting with bra's at each other LOL. Strange, that in that bar the bill was after 3 1/2 hrs 24.000 baht...

Police you need only if you have lost your credit card or bank book but I never heard that you need this for a record. I recently askes for 2 years because I needed to create an expense list from my farm. I think it was 200 baht each.

There are always people who reading words and not understand the story. Beside there are always smacktalkers hiding behind their screens and try to hurt and put shame on. These people never die and lovce what they do online, the only way they can show power without getting beaten up. Just read what smart and helpful people post for you, they are the ones caring to give a constructive answer.

For me they are much more valued and I never will consider them a pest. There might be a misunderstanding. They are highly sophisticated workers in my farm and always welcome. A good thing is when they "own" a tree and you have a pest problem on another plant beside, they work even more efficient if you know their habits. They will sort some pests in the neighboring plant, but as long they have to walk over soil they do not consider this plant as "their" tree. As soon you connect a string between the two trees they want yo own also the other plant and marching along the string in hundreds. Great little critters they are.. The way we are farming now is completely degrading and destroying. It's all about money. Monoculture uses only one level and keeps us off the abundance of 6 more levels which support each other. The great herds of wild animals are gone as also Allan Savory states, but there is a chance to imitate the big herds, when all farmers join together and start a holistic management system, by letting the herds return. This can also be imitated by domesticated lifestock. I just start my project and after planting my upper canopy I take it easy filling slowly the gaps and let the succession do the job it is supposed to do. I might loose some plants and others might take over these gaps created, which is absolute clear for me. The end of succession ends almost always with a jungle, where also pests have their right of existence. I only can do my farming and more than hope to find some people copy my idea. I am at the age where I might have some trees unter which shadow I will never sit, but if all goes right my kids and grandkids might sit there and having a fruit. Means mission completed...