Farmers Sob Stories

[wandrinstar]

The Hong Kong Syndrome, they rented us a pig in a poke, laughing at us,then they want it back..

[wandrinstar]

Well Chaps,all the problems are Wife's Relations are they not, mainly.?. 20 years ago i was warned don't go near them.Its the best advice I've ever been given here. After we visit tefamily over new year,{ 3Hrs and I've had enough crap}my wife needs a month to find her Thinking Head again. Sad realy,ive never met a ferrang whoes ever meant harm to the Wifes Family.

[David006]

Good grief...very depressing thread indeed...Don't have any major sob stories which don't reflect those already posted..mostly the same same issues everybody seems inevitably to experience in the steep Thai learning curve.

Our (hers) farm has had the usual thefts by errant labour/ rubber cutters and ripoffs by persons unknown except for two "house builders" who absconded with nearly half a million baht between 'em...took one to court which nearly killed me with stress and got back 15%.

I seemed to have lucked out with the wifes family as they are all very supportive and after 5 years obviously honest to a fault. Do wish MIL would stop planting "can eat" wild veggies in my flower beds though! MIL has a few rai of fruit trees etc so the wife is always borrowing "can eat" things and fruit and veggies while I sit and drink beer during our visits.

The non drinking common law FIL semi-resident at our place,seems never to stop working ( a 150 pound wound spring of muscle ex fisherman who was jailed by the Burmese whilst on board a Thai vessel illegally fishing..he was jailed on an island and had to swim back to the mainland on release as the Burmese just let 'em out, he tells me others drowned in the process..!!)

I taught him how to use the brush cutter and he goes for hours on end like wind up toy ..he is even cutting rubber at night and then and at this moment is cutting again!lol....that said his mechanical abilities manage to break the cutter on a regular basis when he attempts to "fix"( think he afraid to ask for my help...face?) It has become a bit of a joke now and he even puts the tools back in the bag. Whenever we are absent I used to come back to broken flushing mechs on toilets held together with pink string,broken ceiling fans ( don't ask..lol)and miscellaneous other things that kun David had to eventually find and fix himself..things are better now as I have taught him a few basics beyond string and electrical cable fixes. Do wish he would stop eating all my favourite cookies and chocolate though!

There ya have it a bit of positive to brighten this thread....sorry to read all the "battler" stories...hope things are on the improve soon!

all the best guys

david

.....just got some f..g good news...my beautiful 17yo unmarried Step Daughter is up the spout..f...g marvelous, absolutely f..marvelous!!!

Time for a beer or three............

[IsaanAussie]

Well, not all sob stories have to end in tears. My ongoing saga seems to be resolved for now in my favour. Yes, the meeting of Big Faces was held but to the surprise of the jealous neighbours who caused the problems the answer came back that the farang should be helped where possible. What not closed down? No you small minded peasant, YOU LOOSE!

So of course some of the locally elected officials now have a little egg on their faces. Currently, a few of them are scared I will eat their children or something. For me, sweat it out guys, why should I let you off the hook?

Isaan Aussie

[transam]

Mrs employed the farmer opposite our farm to help out with various things like early morning salad & fruit picking, and weeding jobs ect, he would do a good job and we were always well pleased with his efforts, he came to the house every night, have a tin of Leo with me, collect his pay and go home, great bloke,

It came the time to buy the fert for our first try at cassava, so i bought the fert next day, delivered it to the farm, told him what to do, ect, then went home to do some other jobs, later in the afternoon, i took the Mrs Wave to the farm instead of my 1200Yamaha, i saw him spreading our fert on his plants, had i been on my big bike he would heard it and ducked down and hid, he didnt see me atall, so i phoned the mrs, she came along and he was caught red-handed, the poor sod nearly cried after the mrs onslaught, and he promised to pay for the 2 bags he nicked when he harvested his cassava,

We harvested the cassava at a great loss, mainly because of the wall street crash ect, and our man was trying to get back in favour with us, he sprayed the salad beds and overdone the mix, nothing would grow for 18months, so we went organic.

I really pity you fellas farming from afar, even with your mrs keeping an eye on things, she has got to know farming, whats needed,when, how much ect, and make sure its done,

Reading all the posts as they arrive, im a very glad i didnt do it from afar, and now im more or less out of it, im not unhappy, its closed a bottomless pit,

Unfortunately l have experienced/seen this stuff time and time again. If you are not on site virtually 24/7 then you will be ripped off, it's just the way it is. I feel sorry for you guys who try and help your family AND the locals but get shit on, afraid it happens in MANY ways.

[Livinginexile]

Good grief...very depressing thread indeed...Don't have any major sob stories which don't reflect those already posted..mostly the same same issues everybody seems inevitably to experience in the steep Thai learning curve.

Our (hers) farm has had the usual thefts by errant labour/ rubber cutters and ripoffs by persons unknown except for two "house builders" who absconded with nearly half a million baht between 'em...took one to court which nearly killed me with stress and got back 15%.

I seemed to have lucked out with the wifes family as they are all very supportive and after 5 years obviously honest to a fault. Do wish MIL would stop planting "can eat" wild veggies in my flower beds though! MIL has a few rai of fruit trees etc so the wife is always borrowing "can eat" things and fruit and veggies while I sit and drink beer during our visits.

The non drinking common law FIL semi-resident at our place,seems never to stop working ( a 150 pound wound spring of muscle ex fisherman who was jailed by the Burmese whilst on board a Thai vessel illegally fishing..he was jailed on an island and had to swim back to the mainland on release as the Burmese just let 'em out, he tells me others drowned in the process..!!)

I taught him how to use the brush cutter and he goes for hours on end like wind up toy ..he is even cutting rubber at night and then and at this moment is cutting again!lol....that said his mechanical abilities manage to break the cutter on a regular basis when he attempts to "fix"( think he afraid to ask for my help...face?) It has become a bit of a joke now and he even puts the tools back in the bag. Whenever we are absent I used to come back to broken flushing mechs on toilets held together with pink string,broken ceiling fans ( don't ask..lol)and miscellaneous other things that kun David had to eventually find and fix himself..things are better now as I have taught him a few basics beyond string and electrical cable fixes. Do wish he would stop eating all my favourite cookies and chocolate though!

There ya have it a bit of positive to brighten this thread....sorry to read all the "battler" stories...hope things are on the improve soon!

all the best guys

david

.....just got some f..g good news...my beautiful 17yo unmarried Step Daughter is up the spout..f...g marvelous, absolutely f..marvelous!!!

Time for a beer or three............

Sounds like you have things well managed down at the farm, well done!

But...

With the above statement re: "just got some f..g good news...my beautiful 17yo unmarried Step Daughter is up the spout"

Why would you be over the moon with your unmarried 17 yr old daughter being up the spout or are you being facetious?

[jamescollister]

Good grief...very depressing thread indeed...Don't have any major sob stories which don't reflect those already posted..mostly the same same issues everybody seems inevitably to experience in the steep Thai learning curve.

Our (hers) farm has had the usual thefts by errant labour/ rubber cutters and ripoffs by persons unknown except for two "house builders" who absconded with nearly half a million baht between 'em...took one to court which nearly killed me with stress and got back 15%.

I seemed to have lucked out with the wifes family as they are all very supportive and after 5 years obviously honest to a fault. Do wish MIL would stop planting "can eat" wild veggies in my flower beds though! MIL has a few rai of fruit trees etc so the wife is always borrowing "can eat" things and fruit and veggies while I sit and drink beer during our visits.

The non drinking common law FIL semi-resident at our place,seems never to stop working ( a 150 pound wound spring of muscle ex fisherman who was jailed by the Burmese whilst on board a Thai vessel illegally fishing..he was jailed on an island and had to swim back to the mainland on release as the Burmese just let 'em out, he tells me others drowned in the process..!!)

I taught him how to use the brush cutter and he goes for hours on end like wind up toy ..he is even cutting rubber at night and then and at this moment is cutting again!lol....that said his mechanical abilities manage to break the cutter on a regular basis when he attempts to "fix"( think he afraid to ask for my help...face?) It has become a bit of a joke now and he even puts the tools back in the bag. Whenever we are absent I used to come back to broken flushing mechs on toilets held together with pink string,broken ceiling fans ( don't ask..lol)and miscellaneous other things that kun David had to eventually find and fix himself..things are better now as I have taught him a few basics beyond string and electrical cable fixes. Do wish he would stop eating all my favourite cookies and chocolate though!

There ya have it a bit of positive to brighten this thread....sorry to read all the "battler" stories...hope things are on the improve soon!

all the best guys

david

.....just got some f..g good news...my beautiful 17yo unmarried Step Daughter is up the spout..f...g marvelous, absolutely f..marvelous!!!

Time for a beer or three............

Sounds like you have things well managed down at the farm, well done!

But...

With the above statement re: "just got some f..g good news...my beautiful 17yo unmarried Step Daughter is up the spout"

Why would you be over the moon with your unmarried 17 yr old daughter being up the spout or are you being facetious?

I will take it you are not a Brit or a Oz. JIm

[IsaanAussie]

How absolutely Australian,

f...g marvelous, absolutely f..marvelous!!! Time for a beer or three............

If it was raining feminine fundamental orifices I would cop a backside.

It seems we Aussies attract bad luck where ever we go, as we attract flies back home. Maybe it is just luck, Buddhas revenge or payback for not believing in ghosts. This thread is fascinating and has made me think a lot about all the things that seem to haunt most of us living the farmer's life here.

Take the constant theft of crops which urks us but seems part of the culture here. If you think about it, most of the stuff is seasonal and the village either has none or a surplus. Is it just a matter of the Thais helping each other to clear out the extra?

Perhaps my wife is right when she says, "You think to much!" Perhaps we should all declare it as time for the integrated adjective to laid aside in favour of Time for a beer or three .... Abso..bloody..lutely

[David006]

Good grief...very depressing thread indeed...Don't have any major sob stories which don't reflect those already posted..mostly the same same issues everybody seems inevitably to experience in the steep Thai learning curve.

Our (hers) farm has had the usual thefts by errant labour/ rubber cutters and ripoffs by persons unknown except for two "house builders" who absconded with nearly half a million baht between 'em...took one to court which nearly killed me with stress and got back 15%.

I seemed to have lucked out with the wifes family as they are all very supportive and after 5 years obviously honest to a fault. Do wish MIL would stop planting "can eat" wild veggies in my flower beds though! MIL has a few rai of fruit trees etc so the wife is always borrowing "can eat" things and fruit and veggies while I sit and drink beer during our visits.

The non drinking common law FIL semi-resident at our place,seems never to stop working ( a 150 pound wound spring of muscle ex fisherman who was jailed by the Burmese whilst on board a Thai vessel illegally fishing..he was jailed on an island and had to swim back to the mainland on release as the Burmese just let 'em out, he tells me others drowned in the process..!!)

I taught him how to use the brush cutter and he goes for hours on end like wind up toy ..he is even cutting rubber at night and then and at this moment is cutting again!lol....that said his mechanical abilities manage to break the cutter on a regular basis when he attempts to "fix"( think he afraid to ask for my help...face?) It has become a bit of a joke now and he even puts the tools back in the bag. Whenever we are absent I used to come back to broken flushing mechs on toilets held together with pink string,broken ceiling fans ( don't ask..lol)and miscellaneous other things that kun David had to eventually find and fix himself..things are better now as I have taught him a few basics beyond string and electrical cable fixes. Do wish he would stop eating all my favourite cookies and chocolate though!

There ya have it a bit of positive to brighten this thread....sorry to read all the "battler" stories...hope things are on the improve soon!

all the best guys

david

.....just got some f..g good news...my beautiful 17yo unmarried Step Daughter is up the spout..f...g marvelous, absolutely f..marvelous!!!

Time for a beer or three............

Sounds like you have things well managed down at the farm, well done!

But...

With the above statement re: "just got some f..g good news...my beautiful 17yo unmarried Step Daughter is up the spout"

Why would you be over the moon with your unmarried 17 yr old daughter being up the spout or are you being facetious?

I will take it you are not a Brit or a Oz. JIm

yes being silly I am afraid...it is from a very old joke where a teacher is asking the kids to use good news or something similar in a sentence ...and one kid quotes his father after his 16yo sister announces she is pregnant.....sorry for the confusion just a lightening up joke....lol

[grimleybob]

Good grief...very depressing thread indeed...Don't have any major sob stories which don't reflect those already posted..mostly the same same issues everybody seems inevitably to experience in the steep Thai learning curve.

Our (hers) farm has had the usual thefts by errant labour/ rubber cutters and ripoffs by persons unknown except for two "house builders" who absconded with nearly half a million baht between 'em...took one to court which nearly killed me with stress and got back 15%.

I seemed to have lucked out with the wifes family as they are all very supportive and after 5 years obviously honest to a fault. Do wish MIL would stop planting "can eat" wild veggies in my flower beds though! MIL has a few rai of fruit trees etc so the wife is always borrowing "can eat" things and fruit and veggies while I sit and drink beer during our visits.

The non drinking common law FIL semi-resident at our place,seems never to stop working ( a 150 pound wound spring of muscle ex fisherman who was jailed by the Burmese whilst on board a Thai vessel illegally fishing..he was jailed on an island and had to swim back to the mainland on release as the Burmese just let 'em out, he tells me others drowned in the process..!!)

I taught him how to use the brush cutter and he goes for hours on end like wind up toy ..he is even cutting rubber at night and then and at this moment is cutting again!lol....that said his mechanical abilities manage to break the cutter on a regular basis when he attempts to "fix"( think he afraid to ask for my help...face?) It has become a bit of a joke now and he even puts the tools back in the bag. Whenever we are absent I used to come back to broken flushing mechs on toilets held together with pink string,broken ceiling fans ( don't ask..lol)and miscellaneous other things that kun David had to eventually find and fix himself..things are better now as I have taught him a few basics beyond string and electrical cable fixes. Do wish he would stop eating all my favourite cookies and chocolate though!

There ya have it a bit of positive to brighten this thread....sorry to read all the "battler" stories...hope things are on the improve soon!

all the best guys

david

.....just got some f..g good news...my beautiful 17yo unmarried Step Daughter is up the spout..f...g marvelous, absolutely f..marvelous!!!

Time for a beer or three............

Sounds like you have things well managed down at the farm, well done!

But...

With the above statement re: "just got some f..g good news...my beautiful 17yo unmarried Step Daughter is up the spout"

Why would you be over the moon with your unmarried 17 yr old daughter being up the spout or are you being facetious?

I will take it you are not a Brit or a Oz. JIm

yes being silly I am afraid...it is from a very old joke where a teacher is asking the kids to use good news or something similar in a sentence ...and one kid quotes his father after his 16yo sister announces she is pregnant.....sorry for the confusion just a lightening up joke....lol

There is no need to explain anyone who can't understand your first post is so thick they wont understand your explanation

[jamescollister]

This kind of stuff goes on not only where a Farang is involved. Wifes Aunt has to stay in BKK for medical reasons, Son moves up to take care of her rubber. Son never lifts a finger, hires a guy to do the work then takes off with all the money and never even paid the worker.

End of last year I nearly lost it, we have 12 Rai [ charnot] that the MIL gave us as a wedding present. It now is covered in rubber, up rocks the MILs brother allegedly claiming the lands was ment for him or so the wife told me. and he wants some money. Well I was not in one of my better moods that day and told the wife to tell him to come round and I would give him a few hundred Bahts worth of 9 mil slugs in his head.

Now after a week or so and the fear of a mad farang going on a killing spree had deminised the real story comes out. Seems that the Uncle never made a claim on the land, he had had a barny with another sister who he worked for on her rubber. She had told him to sling his hook and get out. Now poor old Uncle with 4 young kids and motor bike TV etc payments found himself on the street so to speak. Like any good Thai he turns to family and comes to see my MIL. She then asks FIL to help. FIL offers him 500 Baht bus fare to BKK so he can get a job. FIL does not get on with MILs family. Next step MIL speaks to my wife to see if we can help. Now my wife controls all the money and does as she sees fit, but knowing that I may take her giving money to Uncle less than favourably she comes up with a story to justify giving him money. Often what you are told is not what is really going on.

End of story, Uncle makes up with his sister and is back tapping her rubber. Uncle has not shown his face here in fear that the crazy farang shoots him. Jim

Here is an update on my original post, how things can happen in an instant and everything can go to shit. Well seems that Mils Uncle really believes the land is his .along with the 1200 rubber trees on it. Another sister from Bkk rocks up and starts agitating and stirring everything up.

As I said the land is in the MILs name and I never bothered to get it changed as she is a lovely woman [if a bit dim] and lives with us.

Now last week MIL is away, which is not usual. She comes back that evening and I note some tension in the air. Next morning I find out that MILs brother has taken her to Ubon and got her to sign the land over to him. Now I flip out and am in a mood for murder. Tell the wife that we are selling up and her family can go to hell. Everyone is looking at me as if I have lost my mind and I say you just gave away 2 or 3 Mil Baht. No No No he have land , but our trees 20 30 year he have land back. I'm thinking you people are retards, but the realisation hits me. This place is so far out that village law is still in use. By that I mean that the police etc have only recently been seen and everything has previously been decided by the village, from beatings to being sent away or if neseccary a walk into the jungle never to be see again. Then I said he hasn't gone to the village headman, but to the National Governent land office and he owns the land and trees, he can sell them, tap them what every he wants. Evil Aunt from BKK knew this and tricked her sister in to signing. Then it dawns on them whats happened and I'm beyond any self control and have to get away so jump in the car and head for the peace of the Cambodia disputed border.

Come home 2 days later, just as the Thais and Cambodians start shooting again. Somewhat less set on spending my remaining days in a Thai prison. Find Fil living on plantation and loaded for bear, BILs out looking for said Uncle to speak up close and personal and evil Aunt told that her presents is no longer welcome in the village. MIL is talking about becoming a Nun.

Now don't think this is a Farang rip off,although I fronted the money to plant etc it was the Muns land and we FIL and MIL had made a sort of deal that when we[wife kids and I]were financial secure the landless son could have 1000 trees for himself.

Not one to give up so easy today {Monday] off to Ubon land office to see what if anything can be done. Well it seems this is not an isolated case . There is a grace period where people can come and counter claim land, which we have done, but in the usual Thai way a lot of local Officals have to try and sort it out before the National boys will hear the case. Knowing the distrust of the locals for the BKK Government and the Thai mentality about being seen to lose, money will have to change hands. As I write this wife FIL and MIL has gone to see Uncle to try and get a deal, only problem is FIL is carrying and he is mad as hell.

Just goes to show when you think you have a handle on how it all works Thailand can throw in a new twist. Jim

I will just give an update on this story, to show how crazy and insane things can be to our western minds.

Now the land office did not want to get involved. Their advice was go to court or get the village headman to sort it out. No further action on my part needed as the title transfer was stopped. That was the end of it, or so I thought, but no. MIL wants brother to have the land, but FIL wants the trees. Evil Aunt from BKK wants money. I want it settled and the trees and the money. Stalemate I win. No such luck, the thing keeps coming up. We are stealing the Uncles land, in the eyes of the village. Now the Uncle made no claim to the land in 17 years until evil Aunt came up and sees the rubber trees.

Evil Aunt rocks up again, a few days ago. Walks in like nothing has happened and starts on the MIL again. FIL and BIL grab some gear and head off to the jungle, not wanting to get involved. I just turn my back and walk away.

Much face has been lost, village thinks Uncle is trying to steal our trees and evil Aunt has been told she is not welcome here. As a farang I have no face to lose, but wife is unhappy as her mother really thinks her brother should have got the land 17 years ago, as he was the son.

Solution given to me is we give Uncle rent for the land until the trees are cut down and then the land can be divided between the 3 sisters and the Uncle. My response was I will cut the trees down before I give the Uncle the time of day. Most be hard for a Thai to understand our mentality, but that's my way, if I lose everyone loses.

All off to village headman, who already knows the story. too much for him to get involved with, as the whole thing could end up in court and he may make the wrong call. I am not paying the Uncle anything and I am not moving. Everyone has lost face, so sad too bad.

In this village I employ 10 workers, who's extended families rely on that income. I bought the kindergarten swings etc and take people to hospital.;. I am not a bad guy. My standing for a farang is not bad. Uncle and evil Aunt are losing face badly.

End result, a bunch of village elders will come tomorrow or the next day and hear that the trees are ours. The land will be divided up at the of the trees life [ I get the lumber ] and I will pay the Aunt, who raised my wife and lives with us 20,000 Baht a year. Aunt does not want the money, but face has been saved, Uncle can hold his head up and evil Aunt from BKK can come back when she wants.

Sometimes I know why I drink Jim

[kikoman]

I can not believe that I am among the few in Thailand, that gets along well with my in laws and not been taken advantage of financially by the Wife's family. The wife and I have been together for 7 of the ten years I have been in Thailand, I get along great with the family and all of my neighbors.

The in laws have 22 rai which they gave to my step-daughters(effective after their passing), all of the family in the village are rice farmers.

I during my 73 years have had a policy of not lending money to anyone, that policy has changed since I came to Thailand, now I do lend money to some members of my wifes' family, which has always been promptly repaid when the rice is harvested. Before I lend any money it is never more than the amount of money I am willing to lose. I lend it only to family member that have helped us during the time we came to the village to settle down for good.

I find the people of my village as hard working, honest ,friendly, rice farmers. That share a lot of their time helping each other in working their rice fields

My Mother in law has had mango's stolen off her trees on the land, which is quite a distance from the village and no one was protecting the land, now my father in law has left his job in Bangkok , to retire as a rice farmer and lives on the land. This year no missing mangos!

I have been blessed to have been accepted into our family, just wanted to give a positive story to show how not all of us falangs, are seen as ATM's by the wife's Thai family.

Cheers:

[jamescollister]

I can not believe that I am among the few in Thailand, that gets along well with my in laws and not been taken advantage of financially by the Wife's family. The wife and I have been together for 7 of the ten years I have been in Thailand, I get along great with the family and all of my neighbors.

The in laws have 22 rai which they gave to my step-daughters(effective after their passing), all of the family in the village are rice farmers.

I during my 73 years have had a policy of not lending money to anyone, that policy has changed since I came to Thailand, now I do lend money to some members of my wifes' family, which has always been promptly repaid when the rice is harvested. Before I lend any money it is never more than the amount of money I am willing to lose. I lend it only to family member that have helped us during the time we came to the village to settle down for good.

I find the people of my village as hard working, honest ,friendly, rice farmers. That share a lot of their time helping each other in working their rice fields

My Mother in law has had mango's stolen off her trees on the land, which is quite a distance from the village and no one was protecting the land, now my father in law has left his job in Bangkok , to retire as a rice farmer and lives on the land. This year no missing mangos!

I have been blessed to have been accepted into our family, just wanted to give a positive story to show how not all of us falangs, are seen as ATM's by the wife's Thai family.

Cheers:

I have really had no trouble with the family, it's just sometimes they are as thick as 2 short planks. It's hard to explain that that the world has caught up to us and village law is going. Jim

[Mosha]

I wonder how many others reading Jim's update were thinking "cut the buggers down", before they got to the bit where Jim mentioned it.

[Gary A]

Cut the trees down? A Brit and his Thai wife returned to Thailand after living in the UK for quite a few years.

The Thai wife is ambitious and she decided the small village needed a restaurant. She built the restaurant on a piece of family ground.

The business was doing pretty well and growing in popularity particularly with the local farangs. We all knew the family was squabbling about some things but the details were kept very quiet.

I used to stop in a couple times a week. One day I was going to stop and the restaurant was GONE. Torn down to the ground. We still don't know why but the farang's Thai wife is quite headstrong and NO one including her farang husband can tell her what to do.

Several months have passed by and no one yet knows what happened.

[kwonitoy]

This kind of stuff goes on not only where a Farang is involved. Wifes Aunt has to stay in BKK for medical reasons, Son moves up to take care of her rubber. Son never lifts a finger, hires a guy to do the work then takes off with all the money and never even paid the worker.

End of last year I nearly lost it, we have 12 Rai [ charnot] that the MIL gave us as a wedding present. It now is covered in rubber, up rocks the MILs brother allegedly claiming the lands was ment for him or so the wife told me. and he wants some money. Well I was not in one of my better moods that day and told the wife to tell him to come round and I would give him a few hundred Bahts worth of 9 mil slugs in his head.

Now after a week or so and the fear of a mad farang going on a killing spree had deminised the real story comes out. Seems that the Uncle never made a claim on the land, he had had a barny with another sister who he worked for on her rubber. She had told him to sling his hook and get out. Now poor old Uncle with 4 young kids and motor bike TV etc payments found himself on the street so to speak. Like any good Thai he turns to family and comes to see my MIL. She then asks FIL to help. FIL offers him 500 Baht bus fare to BKK so he can get a job. FIL does not get on with MILs family. Next step MIL speaks to my wife to see if we can help. Now my wife controls all the money and does as she sees fit, but knowing that I may take her giving money to Uncle less than favourably she comes up with a story to justify giving him money. Often what you are told is not what is really going on.

End of story, Uncle makes up with his sister and is back tapping her rubber. Uncle has not shown his face here in fear that the crazy farang shoots him. Jim

Here is an update on my original post, how things can happen in an instant and everything can go to shit. Well seems that Mils Uncle really believes the land is his .along with the 1200 rubber trees on it. Another sister from Bkk rocks up and starts agitating and stirring everything up.

As I said the land is in the MILs name and I never bothered to get it changed as she is a lovely woman [if a bit dim] and lives with us.

Now last week MIL is away, which is not usual. She comes back that evening and I note some tension in the air. Next morning I find out that MILs brother has taken her to Ubon and got her to sign the land over to him. Now I flip out and am in a mood for murder. Tell the wife that we are selling up and her family can go to hell. Everyone is looking at me as if I have lost my mind and I say you just gave away 2 or 3 Mil Baht. No No No he have land , but our trees 20 30 year he have land back. I'm thinking you people are retards, but the realisation hits me. This place is so far out that village law is still in use. By that I mean that the police etc have only recently been seen and everything has previously been decided by the village, from beatings to being sent away or if neseccary a walk into the jungle never to be see again. Then I said he hasn't gone to the village headman, but to the National Governent land office and he owns the land and trees, he can sell them, tap them what every he wants. Evil Aunt from BKK knew this and tricked her sister in to signing. Then it dawns on them whats happened and I'm beyond any self control and have to get away so jump in the car and head for the peace of the Cambodia disputed border.

Come home 2 days later, just as the Thais and Cambodians start shooting again. Somewhat less set on spending my remaining days in a Thai prison. Find Fil living on plantation and loaded for bear, BILs out looking for said Uncle to speak up close and personal and evil Aunt told that her presents is no longer welcome in the village. MIL is talking about becoming a Nun.

Now don't think this is a Farang rip off,although I fronted the money to plant etc it was the Muns land and we FIL and MIL had made a sort of deal that when we[wife kids and I]were financial secure the landless son could have 1000 trees for himself.

Not one to give up so easy today {Monday] off to Ubon land office to see what if anything can be done. Well it seems this is not an isolated case . There is a grace period where people can come and counter claim land, which we have done, but in the usual Thai way a lot of local Officals have to try and sort it out before the National boys will hear the case. Knowing the distrust of the locals for the BKK Government and the Thai mentality about being seen to lose, money will have to change hands. As I write this wife FIL and MIL has gone to see Uncle to try and get a deal, only problem is FIL is carrying and he is mad as hell.

Just goes to show when you think you have a handle on how it all works Thailand can throw in a new twist. Jim

I will just give an update on this story, to show how crazy and insane things can be to our western minds.

Now the land office did not want to get involved. Their advice was go to court or get the village headman to sort it out. No further action on my part needed as the title transfer was stopped. That was the end of it, or so I thought, but no. MIL wants brother to have the land, but FIL wants the trees. Evil Aunt from BKK wants money. I want it settled and the trees and the money. Stalemate I win. No such luck, the thing keeps coming up. We are stealing the Uncles land, in the eyes of the village. Now the Uncle made no claim to the land in 17 years until evil Aunt came up and sees the rubber trees.

Evil Aunt rocks up again, a few days ago. Walks in like nothing has happened and starts on the MIL again. FIL and BIL grab some gear and head off to the jungle, not wanting to get involved. I just turn my back and walk away.

Much face has been lost, village thinks Uncle is trying to steal our trees and evil Aunt has been told she is not welcome here. As a farang I have no face to lose, but wife is unhappy as her mother really thinks her brother should have got the land 17 years ago, as he was the son.

Solution given to me is we give Uncle rent for the land until the trees are cut down and then the land can be divided between the 3 sisters and the Uncle. My response was I will cut the trees down before I give the Uncle the time of day. Most be hard for a Thai to understand our mentality, but that's my way, if I lose everyone loses.

All off to village headman, who already knows the story. too much for him to get involved with, as the whole thing could end up in court and he may make the wrong call. I am not paying the Uncle anything and I am not moving. Everyone has lost face, so sad too bad.

In this village I employ 10 workers, who's extended families rely on that income. I bought the kindergarten swings etc and take people to hospital.;. I am not a bad guy. My standing for a farang is not bad. Uncle and evil Aunt are losing face badly.

End result, a bunch of village elders will come tomorrow or the next day and hear that the trees are ours. The land will be divided up at the of the trees life [ I get the lumber ] and I will pay the Aunt, who raised my wife and lives with us 20,000 Baht a year. Aunt does not want the money, but face has been saved, Uncle can hold his head up and evil Aunt from BKK can come back when she wants.

Sometimes I know why I drink Jim

Jim:

An unbelievable story, unless anyone has been in Thailand for several years.

It's probably too late for this but what if your MIL was to give the land to your daughters? This would be a face saver for all involved as no one could fault her for providing for her own granddaughter's future.

Ken

[jamescollister]

This kind of stuff goes on not only where a Farang is involved. Wifes Aunt has to stay in BKK for medical reasons, Son moves up to take care of her rubber. Son never lifts a finger, hires a guy to do the work then takes off with all the money and never even paid the worker.

End of last year I nearly lost it, we have 12 Rai [ charnot] that the MIL gave us as a wedding present. It now is covered in rubber, up rocks the MILs brother allegedly claiming the lands was ment for him or so the wife told me. and he wants some money. Well I was not in one of my better moods that day and told the wife to tell him to come round and I would give him a few hundred Bahts worth of 9 mil slugs in his head.

Now after a week or so and the fear of a mad farang going on a killing spree had deminised the real story comes out. Seems that the Uncle never made a claim on the land, he had had a barny with another sister who he worked for on her rubber. She had told him to sling his hook and get out. Now poor old Uncle with 4 young kids and motor bike TV etc payments found himself on the street so to speak. Like any good Thai he turns to family and comes to see my MIL. She then asks FIL to help. FIL offers him 500 Baht bus fare to BKK so he can get a job. FIL does not get on with MILs family. Next step MIL speaks to my wife to see if we can help. Now my wife controls all the money and does as she sees fit, but knowing that I may take her giving money to Uncle less than favourably she comes up with a story to justify giving him money. Often what you are told is not what is really going on.

End of story, Uncle makes up with his sister and is back tapping her rubber. Uncle has not shown his face here in fear that the crazy farang shoots him. Jim

Here is an update on my original post, how things can happen in an instant and everything can go to shit. Well seems that Mils Uncle really believes the land is his .along with the 1200 rubber trees on it. Another sister from Bkk rocks up and starts agitating and stirring everything up.

As I said the land is in the MILs name and I never bothered to get it changed as she is a lovely woman [if a bit dim] and lives with us.

Now last week MIL is away, which is not usual. She comes back that evening and I note some tension in the air. Next morning I find out that MILs brother has taken her to Ubon and got her to sign the land over to him. Now I flip out and am in a mood for murder. Tell the wife that we are selling up and her family can go to hell. Everyone is looking at me as if I have lost my mind and I say you just gave away 2 or 3 Mil Baht. No No No he have land , but our trees 20 30 year he have land back. I'm thinking you people are retards, but the realisation hits me. This place is so far out that village law is still in use. By that I mean that the police etc have only recently been seen and everything has previously been decided by the village, from beatings to being sent away or if neseccary a walk into the jungle never to be see again. Then I said he hasn't gone to the village headman, but to the National Governent land office and he owns the land and trees, he can sell them, tap them what every he wants. Evil Aunt from BKK knew this and tricked her sister in to signing. Then it dawns on them whats happened and I'm beyond any self control and have to get away so jump in the car and head for the peace of the Cambodia disputed border.

Come home 2 days later, just as the Thais and Cambodians start shooting again. Somewhat less set on spending my remaining days in a Thai prison. Find Fil living on plantation and loaded for bear, BILs out looking for said Uncle to speak up close and personal and evil Aunt told that her presents is no longer welcome in the village. MIL is talking about becoming a Nun.

Now don't think this is a Farang rip off,although I fronted the money to plant etc it was the Muns land and we FIL and MIL had made a sort of deal that when we[wife kids and I]were financial secure the landless son could have 1000 trees for himself.

Not one to give up so easy today {Monday] off to Ubon land office to see what if anything can be done. Well it seems this is not an isolated case . There is a grace period where people can come and counter claim land, which we have done, but in the usual Thai way a lot of local Officals have to try and sort it out before the National boys will hear the case. Knowing the distrust of the locals for the BKK Government and the Thai mentality about being seen to lose, money will have to change hands. As I write this wife FIL and MIL has gone to see Uncle to try and get a deal, only problem is FIL is carrying and he is mad as hell.

Just goes to show when you think you have a handle on how it all works Thailand can throw in a new twist. Jim

I will just give an update on this story, to show how crazy and insane things can be to our western minds.

Now the land office did not want to get involved. Their advice was go to court or get the village headman to sort it out. No further action on my part needed as the title transfer was stopped. That was the end of it, or so I thought, but no. MIL wants brother to have the land, but FIL wants the trees. Evil Aunt from BKK wants money. I want it settled and the trees and the money. Stalemate I win. No such luck, the thing keeps coming up. We are stealing the Uncles land, in the eyes of the village. Now the Uncle made no claim to the land in 17 years until evil Aunt came up and sees the rubber trees.

Evil Aunt rocks up again, a few days ago. Walks in like nothing has happened and starts on the MIL again. FIL and BIL grab some gear and head off to the jungle, not wanting to get involved. I just turn my back and walk away.

Much face has been lost, village thinks Uncle is trying to steal our trees and evil Aunt has been told she is not welcome here. As a farang I have no face to lose, but wife is unhappy as her mother really thinks her brother should have got the land 17 years ago, as he was the son.

Solution given to me is we give Uncle rent for the land until the trees are cut down and then the land can be divided between the 3 sisters and the Uncle. My response was I will cut the trees down before I give the Uncle the time of day. Most be hard for a Thai to understand our mentality, but that's my way, if I lose everyone loses.

All off to village headman, who already knows the story. too much for him to get involved with, as the whole thing could end up in court and he may make the wrong call. I am not paying the Uncle anything and I am not moving. Everyone has lost face, so sad too bad.

In this village I employ 10 workers, who's extended families rely on that income. I bought the kindergarten swings etc and take people to hospital.;. I am not a bad guy. My standing for a farang is not bad. Uncle and evil Aunt are losing face badly.

End result, a bunch of village elders will come tomorrow or the next day and hear that the trees are ours. The land will be divided up at the of the trees life [ I get the lumber ] and I will pay the Aunt, who raised my wife and lives with us 20,000 Baht a year. Aunt does not want the money, but face has been saved, Uncle can hold his head up and evil Aunt from BKK can come back when she wants.

Sometimes I know why I drink Jim

Jim:

An unbelievable story, unless anyone has been in Thailand for several years.

It's probably too late for this but what if your MIL was to give the land to your daughters? This would be a face saver for all involved as no one could fault her for providing for her own granddaughter's future.

Ken

The reality, after all this carry on, nothing has changed from day one. MIL still owns the land and we own the trees. The Uncle will have to get up in front of the village elders and relinquish any claim on the land for the life of the trees. As for the 20,000 Baht per year to the Aunt, who lives with us, we already support her, she really is a live in nanny. It's all about Uncle and evil Aunt saving face. As for long term ownership of the land, I've got 20 odd years to have the title changed to the wife or kids names. It all comes to just one greedy Aunt who thought she could make a fast buck from a stupid farang. Now she's the one who has lost respect in her home village. I win and she lost, so sad to bad. Jim

[Trembly]

Sorry for the thread-creep but this thread is full of reasons to apply for Thai citizenship.

[andycrosby]

Hi Jim, I have to say having met you and you telling me your life story over a beer, If you decide to write a book Id buy it. Your a true gent, god bless you.

[jamescollister]

Hi Jim, I have to say having met you and you telling me your life story over a beer, If you decide to write a book Id buy it. Your a true gent, god bless you.

Thanks for that Andy, will catch up soon, unfortunatly I am back in OZ till the end of May. Cataracts and have to say I should have had the ops in BKK, but too late now. See you all later. Jim

[andycrosby]

i think id have chose oz over bkk you only get one set of eyes mate....good luck with the op Jim see you when you get back

[IsaanAussie]

Hi Jim, I have to say having met you and you telling me your life story over a beer, If you decide to write a book Id buy it. Your a true gent, god bless you.

Thanks for that Andy, will catch up soon, unfortunatly I am back in OZ till the end of May. Cataracts and have to say I should have had the ops in BKK, but too late now. See you all later. Jim

All is revealed at last. Now we know why you never needed an excuse to get blind. Interested in the new reason once the mince pies are done. Good luck, oh and, take the contacts out first mate.

A friend once described his optical operation as circumcision of the eyeballs. Maybe if you ask to keep the growths afterwards, you could make a tobacco pouch out of them?