Is my Thai girlfriend trying to sell me a pup?

[EVENKEEL]

I have tried Isaan, as many others before me, I hastily bought land 6 rai, my idea by the way. I thought the region was bad ass. Paid 460k bht for 7 rai near a main road, 20 minutes away from major stores. Being a part timer I never picked up the lingo 100% which can possibly account for my restlessness there. Long story short we moved to a small seaside village to better educate the young one. Much happier being away from the family. Land down here is off the charts expensive but we found a small house, walking distance to beach. Well, if the dogs along the way don't eat you.

 

I feel there's nothing wrong with Isaan, good hard working people for the most part. But, I felt like I had worked too hard all my life to settle for that. Here my little one will grow up with a higher standard of expectation.

 

If you do settle in the sticks, make sure learning the language becomes a top priority. I've met a few foreigners in the north who don't have the money to relocate and are horribly unhappy there.

[transam]

11 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

I have tried Isaan, as many others before me, I hastily bought land 6 rai, my idea by the way. I thought the region was bad ass. Paid 460k bht for 7 rai near a main road, 20 minutes away from major stores. Being a part timer I never picked up the lingo 100% which can possibly account for my restlessness there. Long story short we moved to a small seaside village to better educate the young one. Much happier being away from the family. Land down here is off the charts expensive but we found a small house, walking distance to beach. Well, if the dogs along the way don't eat you.

 

I feel there's nothing wrong with Isaan, good hard working people for the most part. But, I felt like I had worked too hard all my life to settle for that. Here my little one will grow up with a higher standard of expectation.

 

If you do settle in the sticks, make sure learning the language becomes a top priority. I've met a few foreigners in the north who don't have the money to relocate and are horribly unhappy there.

Ol' Trans is happy in Isaan and I don't speak Thai/Lao....But, I did not buy a big plot cos I knew it would be a constant drag taking care of it, l did not build a house anywhere near the outlaws and l didn't want to live in a crowded soi. I chose a place that had a road but nothing in front of the place except water. So for me it all worked out well, so far...

[EVENKEEL]

13 minutes ago, transam said:

Ol' Trans is happy in Isaan and I don't speak Thai/Lao....But, I did not buy a big plot cos I knew it would be a constant drag taking care of it, l did not build a house anywhere near the outlaws and l didn't want to live in a crowded soi. I chose a place that had a road but nothing in front of the place except water. So for me it all worked out well, so far...

Sounds good, plan well thought out. Some folks thrive there and others don't, same as anywhere.

[Durio]

40 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

I have tried Isaan, as many others before me, I hastily bought land 6 rai, my idea by the way. I thought the region was bad ass. Paid 460k bht for 7 rai near a main road, 20 minutes away from major stores. Being a part timer I never picked up the lingo 100% which can possibly account for my restlessness there. Long story short we moved to a small seaside village to better educate the young one. Much happier being away from the family. Land down here is off the charts expensive but we found a small house, walking distance to beach. Well, if the dogs along the way don't eat you.

 

I feel there's nothing wrong with Isaan, good hard working people for the most part. But, I felt like I had worked too hard all my life to settle for that. Here my little one will grow up with a higher standard of expectation.

 

If you do settle in the sticks, make sure learning the language becomes a top priority. I've met a few foreigners in the north who don't have the money to relocate and are horribly unhappy there.

My daughter has four more years of schooling in Australia so I do not need to consider the quality of education wherever I live.  My GFs youngest also does not have many years left at school in Australia.  So when we move to Thailand it will only be the two of us.  How long ago did you buy that land?  It seems SO cheap!  I am going to try to learn the language starting next year.  It seems really difficult to pic up....those tones are crazy!  Thanks for your information.

[Durio]

10 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Sounds good, plan well thought out. Some folks thrive there and others don't, same as anywhere.

I have grown most of my own food and protein for 20 years now and growing and collecting plants is a big passion of mine.  I think I would go insane in Thailand without a garden.  My gf is passionate about the King projects and so she really wants to live a more sustainable life.  So we need at least 5 rai of land and a LOT of water.  To buy that in the south of the country would be bloody expensive by the sound of things.

[Stevemercer]

18 hours ago, stropper said:

hi durio, my first thai wife was from korat, they are a bit of i ams, thais from that area find it hard to assimilate in issan , where i now live, have two friends married to korat thais , in aus, thais hate to be away from there family,very different people and slightly different thai speaking, i now live on our farm at si that, worked all over your area, charters , clermont and emerald, it is no hotter out here in fact i think cooler, we have 4 air cons and they are rarely on , maybe two days a year to me mackey  and rockie are far hotter, bloody humidity, tonight looks like windows shut and one blanket, no mossies or sand flies, here,, very few flies to as very little livestock around, not like aus , i am still working days when not golfing at 71, i am a carpenter, builder , plumber, brickie, sparkie, and much more, so its great on the farm, it is always hotter if you live in the cities, udon thani , i lived for two years was hot, i think it is the constant traffic, same in bangkok,  gets hot there, lived at kong out from korat for a while, same as emerald, i did not like it

 

Nicely written! Only a true blue Aussie could understand all the references!

[GreasyFingers]

On 12/14/2017 at 3:03 PM, Durio said:

2K for 600 trees is crazy for QLD!  Farming for profit a mug's game!

It is a mugs game here as well. The girl has been growing vegetables to have an independent income. In reality she is a real farm girl and loves the hard work but we are (I am) about 160K baht in the red over the last 12 months even with a 200k baht income from the sales. It is just subsistence farming due to the low prices.

Edited December 15, 2017 by GreasyFingers
wrong numbers

[Durio]

52 minutes ago, GreasyFingers said:

It is a mugs game here as well. The girl has been growing vegetables to have an independent income. In reality she is a real farm girl and loves the hard work but we are (I am) about 160K baht in the red over the last 12 months even with a 200k baht income from the sales. It is just subsistence farming due to the low prices.

Why are the prices so low?  What kind of crops are you growing?

[GreasyFingers]

7 minutes ago, Durio said:

Why are the prices so low?  What kind of crops are you growing?

We sell to a local wholesaler but do not know what his cut is. In typical Thai style you grow what was a good price last year and everyone does the same. We have sold:

Fak meow (choko tips) 1900kg average 18 baht/kg

chokos 5500kg ave 7/kg

makhuea pro (small green eggplant) 7200kg ave 8/kg (from 4/kg to 17/kg)

chilli 1200kg ave $26/kg

 

The cabbage, chinese cabbage and cucumber all failed due to pests/weather. Do not ask why we are not now growing chilli and choko tips, I am only the labourer, who being a farang knows nothing.

 

[Durio]

19 minutes ago, GreasyFingers said:

We sell to a local wholesaler but do not know what his cut is. In typical Thai style you grow what was a good price last year and everyone does the same. We have sold:

Fak meow (choko tips) 1900kg average 18 baht/kg

chokos 5500kg ave 7/kg

makhuea pro (small green eggplant) 7200kg ave 8/kg (from 4/kg to 17/kg)

chilli 1200kg ave $26/kg

 

The cabbage, chinese cabbage and cucumber all failed due to pests/weather. Do not ask why we are not now growing chilli and choko tips, I am only the labourer, who being a farang knows nothing.

 

I really did not expect Choko to grow where you live.  It is one of the food plants that does not grow well at all in the lowland humid tropics where i live.  I grow those small round Thai eggplant here.  I am currently growing 18 different cultivars but sweet Jesus the insects are all over them like a bad fitting suit!  There must be some crop that you can value add and get a good return.  

[GreasyFingers]

8 minutes ago, Durio said:

There must be some crop that you can value add and get a good return.

There is some good information on the Farming Forum but things here have to be done the Thai way, that may be the same way as 50 years ago. You need to ask your girl if you are going to be the farmer or her. If the latter you will need to be very calm or their way will do your head in.

[Minnehaha]

The mountains of Khao Yai would put you close to Korat but also Bangkok.  Temp is cooler and dryer due to elevations.  Lots of farming.  Many people doing creative things.  I know a family doing lots of fun things including decent figs.   And in fact  some farms doing some decent beef, as unbelievable as it sounds. Thai French is up there.   And it is the largest national park so have some to explore by bicycle or on foot or motorcycle.  

[Durio]

6 hours ago, Minnehaha said:

The mountains of Khao Yai would put you close to Korat but also Bangkok.  Temp is cooler and dryer due to elevations.  Lots of farming.  Many people doing creative things.  I know a family doing lots of fun things including decent figs.   And in fact  some farms doing some decent beef, as unbelievable as it sounds. Thai French is up there.   And it is the largest national park so have some to explore by bicycle or on foot or motorcycle.  

Actually this is on my list of places to visit thanks.  Some of the photos I have seen does make it look a little disneylandish!

[gintis0604]

It might be cold for her.

For my wife +20 is cold. For me it's still warm, used to -20 in Sweden. 

[Billy Bloggs]

Further to what I wrote earlier it was a brisk 17oC this morning with a brisk breeze near Lam Plai Mat and even to these old bones it was a tad cool, till I got warmed up sieving soil. We are only growing for eating at this time(and to feed the chooks corn and sunflowers for them) as they have never had water before so it is all a learning curve, so lots of experimenting going on and establishing fruit trees.

[varun]

Quote

 

I live in Australia and in a long term relationship with a Thai woman.  We plan to move to Thailand full time in around four years from now.

I'm all for planning ahead, but isn't this a tad pre-mature?

A lot can change in a few years (forget four years), so giving advice at this moment is pointless.