Wanting To Get 'back To Nature'

[Jim's_a_Thai_Fox]

Hi there fellow northerners,

I had the pleasure of living in Lampang for 2 years a few years ago, and currently reside in Sydney (I moved to the Central region for 18 months after Lampang - no where near as lovely). I regret leaving and plan to return very soon. I have a decent job here, but do not get any real pleasure out of it and do not see the point of doing something you do not enjoy - life is way too short.

I have just come into a nice amount of money (a bit more than 2 million baht) and ideally, I'd buy me a nice plot of land, build a house and 'work the land'. (I am a director of a "well set up" firm in Thailand that has 7 partners (5 Thai, 2 farang) through which I could purchase any land... although I do intend to marry the TGF one day, that day is not tomorrow)

I'm 32 and my TGF is from a farming family, who put herself through Kasetsart Uni and got a 1st. she is keen to become a type of 'farm manager' - she loves the King's notion of a 'self sufficient economy' and has read up a lot about 'permaculture' (permanent agriculture).

Given our love of the north, we will return there without a doubt. I envisage a nice bit of rolling hillside, near some fresh water...maybe Lampang, maybe Phayao, Nan...?

Is it a possibility to 'live off the land' (eating what you grow, selling/exchanging the rest)? For day to day cash, I could teach English (would be close to a provincial capital, not totally off in the sticks).

From your experience, what do reckon? Is it an unworkable 'pipe dream' or is my desire to become a modern day "Tom Good" possible?

Obviously, my plan has not been worked out in its totality, but I am excited about having the opportunity to 'live my dream'.. please feel free to give my any advice and play Devil's advocate - all remarks happily received.

Kind regards

James

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Hi there fellow northerners,

I had the pleasure of living in Lampang for 2 years a few years ago, and currently reside in Sydney (I moved to the Central region for 18 months after Lampang - no where near as lovely). I regret leaving and plan to return very soon. I have a decent job here, but do not get any real pleasure out of it and do not see the point of doing something you do not enjoy - life is way too short.

I have just come into a nice amount of money (a bit more than 2 million baht) and ideally, I'd buy me a nice plot of land, build a house and 'work the land'. (I am a director of a "well set up" firm in Thailand that has 7 partners (5 Thai, 2 farang) through which I could purchase any land... although I do intend to marry the TGF one day, that day is not tomorrow)

I'm 32 and my TGF is from a farming family, who put herself through Kasetsart Uni and got a 1st. she is keen to become a type of 'farm manager' - she loves the King's notion of a 'self sufficient economy' and has read up a lot about 'permaculture' (permanent agriculture).

Given our love of the north, we will return there without a doubt. I envisage a nice bit of rolling hillside, near some fresh water...maybe Lampang, maybe Phayao, Nan...?

Is it a possibility to 'live off the land' (eating what you grow, selling/exchanging the rest)? For day to day cash, I could teach English (would be close to a provincial capital, not totally off in the sticks).

From your experience, what do reckon? Is it an unworkable 'pipe dream' or is my desire to become a modern day "Tom Good" possible?

Obviously, my plan has not been worked out in its totality, but I am excited about having the opportunity to 'live my dream'.. please feel free to give my any advice and play Devil's advocate - all remarks happily received.

Kind regards

James

personally I would invest the money and live off the proceeds while leasing a property in Thailand. If you want to own it yourself then going to need to negotiate a minefield of dangers and costs to set up a legal corporation or negotiate a longterm lease. Even if you do arrange a longterm lease which would be nice because you could build a house etc and make improvements then your going to need a lawyer you can really trust because the lease can be overturned or encumbered by debt of the property owner...

The simplest thing is find good diversified liquid investment vehicles and manage the proceeds.

[MrSquigle]

Firstly, you may have trouble with the company ownership route these days as the rules have changed. That type of company cannot really own land anymore, it will be investigated and the thai shareholders investigated and as they are all nominees, it will not be allowed. That is what I have been lead to believe, not having actually done the company route myself.

Secondly, 2 million is not a lot.

You can do the subsistance thing, if that is what you want, other do and get by, especially if you can subsidise it with some teaching.

But starting from scratch and wanting land with water for 2 million might be pushing it.

But there is a guy who wrtoe a book about doing just this thing up Chiang Rai way, you can download it and read it. Name of the book is 'Farm Steading'

[PeaceBlondie]

I remember getting something like two million baht, while having good pension/salary earnings. You can go through it in a few years; it's not much.

Not meaning to discourage you, but as one who's almost always lived in cities and suburbs, as my great grandparents, etc., all did, I imagine that living off the land as a subsistence farmer is something more alien to you than life on Mars. It would be to me, anyway. Do you or the TGF have degrees in Asian horticulture? Have either of you tried this before? And if you're teaching English around Lampang, the going rate for a good teacher is 24 or 25K per month, 10 or 11 months per year, for really difficult full time work, for which most native speakers are neither trained nor well suited.

But do what you want, life seems very short when you're halfway to 65.

[Nienke]

If you have the money and the means to buy or leash long-term a piece of land and build your own dream shelter, a company that backs up your financial needs, and maybe do some teaching IF you have the appropriate certifications, why not give it a try?

It probably will not mean that you can live 100% of your land, but it certainly can give you the joy of eating your own grown fruits and veggies and maybe your own chickens, rabbits, fish etc.

You've got a life-time in front of you (Gawd, did I just say this???? I'm really getting old. )and you can certainly learn how to cultivate your own stuff.

Last year I ate papaya, jackfruit and linchee, planted the seeds and this year we (my staff and me) already could enjoy some huge papaya fruits. And we eat on a regular basis the many different herbs and veggies that we have planted. Just ate a pomelo from my own garden. Dogs get grated coconut on a daily basis and we all enjoy the coconut water.

Now, and if I can get some decent sleep again without a pup that need to poo-hoo-hoo-p in the middle of the night, than my life couldn't be better.

Nienke

[Ajarn]

First, you sound like a newbie when buying anything here. Just not enough time in the trenches maybe. Second, 2 million baht isn't much, even by Thai Standards. I'd suggest 5-10 million baht as a start.

Money leaves the pocket very fast and furious on projects such as yours.

[Pond Life]

I think subsistence farming is do-able for a farang, but as suggested I think the set up cost will eat a big hole in 2 Mil.

I'm doing something similar at the moment & I'm spending cash at an alarming rate with no end in sight.

Rule one, buy land with good water.

I suggest you visit the Farming Forum, theres some very informed & helpful people over there, particularly if you have more specific questions.