bunnydrops

Gees, I can't really help you as I am in the states for a month but I see a taxi around Khong often and have been told that he lives around there and makes the trip to Korat everyday. I have seen him once or twice on the main Hywy with riders to Korat.

I put a 22 gal black plastic bucket with lid out on some metal roofing (there seems to be always some around) for evening hot water. The citronella repellant sold everywhere in Thailand works for me. Deets is better but I think more toxic. Fan at night seems to confuse the mozzies, When the sun begins to go down, long sleeves and pants. The bum gun works great IF they have a fair bit of pressure. You may have much time on your hands, if no internet and only Thai TV, bring books, learn a new trade: When I moved into my wife's sisters house, they still prepared food on the ground. I build tables and bought a sink stand to wash the dishes. If they still eat sitting on the ground, one of those low beach chairs can be a life safer if you are a stiff old guy like me.

Bunny rabbits - not the playboy type either -. Are there any in Thailand? I have yet to see one.

I saw them on the market of the city Khorat.

Saw them also in Korat at Makro, in the frozen meat section

I wish you wouldn't breed them though. They always escape and destroy the natural habitat (they just breed too fast and eat too much). The romans brought them to Britain for food 2000 years ago - and they escaped (like the black rat from Spain - brought the 17th C plague). The Brits took them throughout the empire and - yep - they escaped. now there are rabbits f$@#ing up the eccology of every country worldwide. Can't you breed Pangolin - now they are good eating (so I've heard) and are indiginous - and rare.

Mmmmm crunchy on the outside, soft in the middle!

I've heard the same about humans. Someone dropped a pair off in some garden (So I have been told). They breed like rats and eat everything in site. Now they are everywhere. Very destructive to the environment I am told.

I have to agree with the above post,

I built our house 6 years ago without any permisson from anyone, before or after the build. Added outbuildings a year or two latter and a shop last year.

Lots all around our house have been rice fields that are bit by bit getting filled in and houses built on them, no permits required.

As with everything in this country there's no hard and fast rules that apply everywhere

No the laws are there, but people take little notice of them in the out-lands. It just takes a vindictive neighbor or competitor to file a complaint with the big Government and you have a problem.

A friend of mine, who lives in a remote area has been given a demolition order for a building without permission. He upset the wrong guy.

When I built our little factory to process rubber. everyone said no problem. Yet when I did it legally I had to get permits from the EPA. Factories Department and if you can believe it a health and safety permit.

The laws are similar to any western country, just not enforce as vigorously [YET] times are a changing and Government wants their taxes and control. Jim

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I'd agree with that, the laws are there but enforced very differently around the country

When we built I did ask the wife about permits and finally got her to ask at the ampuher, they looked at her like she was from Mars and said up to you

All around us in the last year teachers building some very nice houses and same process.

Go to the kamnan, get entered in a village ledger and assigned a house address. That's it for legalities

Proves nothing anywhere else though, just the way it is at our little wide spot in the road

Ken

Pretty much the same here. Got a "building permit" 200bt and was told if I didn't get it finished in a year it would be another 200. Got "map" showing house on plot. Used it to get my residency for drivers license etc.

Rained all morning 100km north of Korat, Started about 5, Hard at times but has now slowed to a drizzle 10:30am

I just got mine last week--was easy. The woman behind the desk could not figure out what country my license is from (American). The big problem came from the endorsements on the card. One for motorcycle, she thought the license was for motorcycle only. Took about 5 minutes to convince her the license was for car AND also motorcycle. Then the second "organ donor". Ha--try to explain that one. Luckily she gave up. I got both the car and motorcycle Licence but not one to drive Organ donors.

What document did you use for proof of residence?

Had both form from Embassy (waste of money, as it says on the form, it is not proof that what you put on it is true). Got letter from Imm. I am married with a house.

I was told that there is a little leeway given at the airport. My second 90 day on my multi visa is up 3 days before the plane leaves. If no leeway--whats the overstay fee?

I just got mine last week--was easy. The woman behind the desk could not figure out what country my license is from (American). The big problem came from the endorsements on the card. One for motorcycle, she thought the license was for motorcycle only. Took about 5 minutes to convince her the license was for car AND also motorcycle. Then the second "organ donor". Ha--try to explain that one. Luckily she gave up. I got both the car and motorcycle Licence but not one to drive Organ donors.

we got 300 baht, there is another paying but I think they know my wife's brother is running also.

Don't know about there, but there is one Sunday all around here north of Korat.

Off the original topic--but who isn't

I guess I have to chime in here. But first let me put my self into one of your neat little boxes. I am a happily married 65 year "old" (but not fat). Married to a wonderful 44 year old Essan "RPG". She is "younger than my daugther". I feel that I am one of the "lucky ones". Her "brothers" helped me build our house with no pay ( I]m family) and got the steel for the roof framing at wholesale though a connection of theirs. Her oldest brother that walks around the house half dressed in his orange robes when he comes to visit is a wonderful human being. I drive the family truck that is being paid for by my wife's younger sister that works for 15,000 baht a month at a factory in Bangkok. She doesn't even drive. She felt the farm needed one. I pay to keep it running but they refused to let me buy the tires. Two of my wife's sister's husbands has borrowed money from me and paid me back in the time agreed on. Beyond that, no one has asked me for money.

My wife, all 40kg of her, is true "RPG". Not at all afraid of work. When building the house. she bent steel, mixed concrete, works everyday with me in the rice paddy plugging holes and cutting out the grass (this almost "kills" me, maybe thats the plan).

What we have "in common"-- I was born in rural "Old South". Outhouses,pot belly stoves. piss pots under the bed, my grandfather shotting rabbits for dinner. She had to wrap leaves around her feet to walk on the hot roads but I can relate somewhat to poor Thais. But beyond that--we repect each others differences.

My mother, God rest her soul (What the hell has she got to do with this!?!) at the age of 50 married a man of 27. I was shocked ( I was 27) "This will never last" I thought. Jim was right there when she died at 76 (side note--she lost a leg due to open heart surgery at 59). You think you understand LOVE?

OK, enough about me. You see where I am coming from.

You look out the window of the train and see these dirty wooden shacks and notice the satelite dish. What they are watching is some "soap" with actors and actresses, quite a number of which have farang fathers to give them that "white" look, stories about living in huge houses and driving BMWs and the like. Then they get to see an ad for some fast food that "only" costs a day and a halfs wages. For better or worse, Thai women are taught to take care of their parents and many go to the cities to work where they know they can make money. At first, they are poor Thai women giving up their soul, but soon become what that Farang is looking for-- a funny talking, fun loving half drunk exotic in sexy western clothes that puts out. I don't think most of you have the slightest idea what a true "RPG" is.

Anyway--the norm. I know a little over 2 dozen Thai/ Farang couples. All but two met in a bar. Of them only one do I fear for his life (Shes a thrower, knifes, bottles, kitchen uppers) 3 others, unheathly for different reasons. I know one ex school teacher that gets money sent from 5 farang boyfriends. A good healthy western serial monagomist but maybe the terms are a little shorter than the western average.

About western women-- brings up my favorite Doonsbery. One of the regular characters (sorry I can't remember his name--The one the dark hair that is always smoking) trys to put the make on this young woman at a bus stop. She looks him up and down and says " Gees, you must be over 50, why don't you look for someone more your age". He thinks about it a minute and then looks around and sees a woman his age. He walks over to her. She looks him up and down and says " Gees, you must make under 50"

What is odd is that is about what the US dollar was at around that time

A handy little site

http://bankexchangerates.daytodaydata.net/default.aspx

Hello All, just got back from The Mall Korat, on the package it

says: www.royalprojectthailand.com

I usually grow my own, I'm in between crops now and only have

a serranos and waiting for the jals sprout.

Just bought these jals.

rice555

I'm looking for some corn meal-- not the corn flour, And hey, where did you get the seeds, I brought some from the US last year but they didn't sprout at all. I would love to get some. I live just north of Korat.

My wife and I live on under 15,000 baht a month. I get more than that each month so my wife does not have to work---but she does-- makes less than 100 baht an hr doing piece work. She does not complain, she likes having something to do and this is what she did before I met her. Up the road is a small factory that makes coconut treats, 15 women work there making 200 baht a day. They are happy to have steady employment, In the US, where I am from they have minimum wage. I I see many doing 2 of these jobs a day because they don't make enough money to even pay the rent with just one job--- Who do you think is better off.

Head woman's husband puts the radio on the loud speakers.

Head Woman? That's a new one on me. Anybody else have a Head Woman?

2 years now. As I understand it, this is a fairly new but now there are quite a few. The only other person wanting the position is also a woman.

These guys carry 50kg sacks of fertiliser on their heads

Got any pix ?

No Pix, but I have seen them also--very hard work!

5am Head woman's husband puts the radio on the loud speakers. Sometime news, sometime these two monks that have a Buddhist comedy show (one can sing pretty good). He leaves for the farm and after a while the radio goes out of sync. Around 7 the head woman puts on her favorite Essan CD. The same one she has been playing for the last year on a different set of speakers. i like music but this is the harshest music I have ever hear. Sometimes I get to hear only one track--she must need to get to the farm herself. Oh, did I mention her husband's now static is still playing. Sometimes I get to hear the CD twice--she must have forgotten something at home. She comes on--Yes, very bodies name must be mentioned, and the price of everything has to be mentioned separately even though all 70 of them cost 50 baht--- then she does the whole thing over 3 more times. I ask my wife why-- why of course-- someone may not have heard the first 3 times. Its election time. My village is a loop off the main. Candidate 1 and 2 have trucks with load speakers, around and around they go, starting at 10am. The village is small, I can hear them both at all times---I don't get it, the same message over and over day after day, Thai's must have very short attention spans. Thai drivers and laud speakers--the only thing I dislike about living here.

What am I missing-- he comes home to find relatives stealing money and rescue workers at 11 pm, but finds the body at 3 am. If she had not been found, what were the rescue workers doing?

Why did Apple only go after the older models? One reason is that Ipads use SIMMs to connect to the internet. Who owns the patent for SIMMS? Moto, who owns Moto? Google. Apple DOES NOT have a license to use SIMMS. Anyway check this out http://leapmotion.com

I have a friend that goes out with the locals to fix the roads or clear the brush ( As he puts it, 1 hr work, 1 hr eat, 2 hr drink) and he is never bothered--- but the law says he can't even to volunteer work with out a work permit. I think they except him as part of the community. I don't think I would work in a large city without one though. I have heard of a guy who just went behind the bar of his business to change the music on the CD player and got busted. His bar was hurting someone else s business no doubt.

Oh as I understand it you can get a work permit on an marriage extension.

"Under the 1981 announcement, part of Wan Nam Khieo district is in the National Park, while the 2000 boundary survey considers all of Wang Nam Khieo is outside of the National Park." This part confuses me. It seems that a modern survey would set the boundaries. How did they set the boundaries in the first place? Draw a line in the sand?

McMagus I've had the same observation about their walking, and where they stop to talk, blocking all traffic. On the subject of safety. Last week they had a kid hit in front of the school. Now they have one man directing traffic at the crosswalk and a boy on each side with PVC pipes with red flags-- only trouble is I think they forgot to tell the kids to cross there. Its a mad house. They tell you to go because there is no one in the crosswalk, but there is 5 girls crossing just 2 meters passed.

70 km North of Korat. very dry. I've been back here for over 3 months now and I think it has only rained maybe 10 days, and many of those hardly enough to wet the first couple of inches of soil