Rubber Trees

[jamescollister]

Storing the mats long term, I'd be crapping my keks. Theft is a big problem

You can say that again, just today been told the old Lao bandit run has started up again. Will be sleeping tooled up again at the factory. Have the sparky coming to replace all the sensor light bulbs and the hounds have been taken back to watch. Cops won;t go into the jungle and the border troops are spread too thin. Business can be murder. Jim

[cobbler]

Storing the mats long term, I'd be crapping my keks. Theft is a big problem

You can say that again, just today been told the old Lao bandit run has started up again. Will be sleeping tooled up again at the factory. Have the sparky coming to replace all the sensor light bulbs and the hounds have been taken back to watch. Cops won;t go into the jungle and the border troops are spread too thin. Business can be murder. Jim

No problem .Just conect the live wire to anything metal .EG door and handle ,roof if metal.Wire fence if you have 1.Have had a few people around here accidently barbequed while trying to get in to steel peoples yang.'HMMM must remember to fix that short curcuit.Somebody could get hurt''We wouldn't want that now would we.

1 guy told the cops after a try hard thief was barbequed while scaleing his wire fence around the yang shed."" It's to stop the cows from walking into my yard''Cops said''yep ,right,understand''

Um , errr, nearest cow is 5 KM away ,as it's a yang area.

By the way Jim um don't forget to turn the wire off before you walk into the shed in the morning,or touch the gate,or the dog's chain you tied to the shed door.

[glennb6]

question on tapping frequency in Buengkan... virtually no rain here since about a month ago, and even the ever present creek/gully nearby our trees has gone dry. was tapping 2 on 1 off and the last two cuttings have had decreasing output. Is it time to go 1 on 1 off or what ?

[Mosha]

I think that's what my other half would do. You may need to consider irrigation, if it's feasible

[Mosha]

Cobbler, have to say labor is a real problem here, these are jungle people, all they need is supplied with little effort. As long as the rice is there, they can swing in a hammock. Other work is to buy something, whether Lao Kow or a motorbike, when you have earned the money, why work anymore.

Can't bring in outsiders, if you are not local you are not welcome and not being welcome in a place where villagers openly walk or ride around with rifles, is really not welcoming.

The only real way to get any output is to hire people who have pickup truck payments, they love those cars. Jim

That lack of work ethic, is why down South we use Burma. Even my wife says Thais are lazy sods. Work until enough to buy the hooch and a few games of snooker. Probably why the pure breed Thais are not running the country.

[jamescollister]

Cobbler, have to say labor is a real problem here, these are jungle people, all they need is supplied with little effort. As long as the rice is there, they can swing in a hammock. Other work is to buy something, whether Lao Kow or a motorbike, when you have earned the money, why work anymore.

Can't bring in outsiders, if you are not local you are not welcome and not being welcome in a place where villagers openly walk or ride around with rifles, is really not welcoming.

The only real way to get any output is to hire people who have pickup truck payments, they love those cars. Jim

That lack of work ethic, is why down South we use Burma. Even my wife says Thais are lazy sods. Work until enough to buy the hooch and a few games of snooker. Probably why the pure breed Thais are not running the country.

Have to say if it were not for the problems with workers I would be the happiest man in Thailand.

Made a deal with the wife last year, that she would be in charge and I would take my spending money from one plantation, the rest was hers. Well here we are at the high point for production, my plantation is making sheet, hers are on cup.

Workers get money every few days and are happy, wife gets money every few days and spends. Family seem to think I will again make a deal for 50 or 60 bags of rice, but not this time. Have said we may well move to Ubon for the dormant season and you lot will have to fend for yourselves. If they don't make sheet they won't make the car payments on the new Mazda or the MU7 and I will not be supplying the rice.

The problem is I am a stupid farang and no one takes any notice of what I say until there is no rubber or money, then it's Jim will sort it out. Not going to happen, there is no money and if I get enough we will head to OZ for Xmas.

New motto, work or walk no cars and you can't borrow mine. Won't sink in, tell the wife if they won't do as told fire them, don't care if it is your brother or cousin, they work for us.

Nothing gets done unless I do it and I have retired to take up beer drinking, if the wife wants money for holidays in OZ and family want flash cars, it's up to them to bring in the cash, I have enough and it's mine not to be used to bail them out.

Bit of a rant, but as I will shortly be taking up guard duty at the factory, having said time after time get a caretaker to move in and no one listened. Not happy at the idea of sleeping alone on a board, but it's my rubber share. Jim

[thaiguzzi]

Glenn,

no rain here in Udon since end of sept too. Managed to fertilise the older trees where we cut, but the 4.5 year old trees had to miss out - too dry, soil not moist enough. We are still doing 2 on 1 off, and it's pouring out. Every fortnight production is getting better and better. Already very cold at night. Some areas of canopy, leaves are already starting to go brown. Cold season has come early.

Mike.

[Mosha]

The wife's cousin wanted to tap 400 trees, she showed him the door.

[glennb6]

Mike,

getting cold here too, will watch what comes out of the next cutting or two to decide whether to go 1&1 or stay with 2&1. Wish I could do irrigation but the nearby creek/ditch is dry too and trees are about 50 meters vertically up a slope from the creek bed, not cost effective.

James,

i think there is something in the general air as I too am about at the end of my responsibility rope up here. Our few trees are not (and never were planned) enough to be the sole moneymaker for the family, the other attempted ventures need support too, and at least not obstruction. A rant may also follow.

be well,

[cobbler]

The wife's cousin wanted to tap 400 trees, she showed him the door.

Cobbler, have to say labor is a real problem here, these are jungle people, all they need is supplied with little effort. As long as the rice is there, they can swing in a hammock. Other work is to buy something, whether Lao Kow or a motorbike, when you have earned the money, why work anymore.

Can't bring in outsiders, if you are not local you are not welcome and not being welcome in a place where villagers openly walk or ride around with rifles, is really not welcoming.

The only real way to get any output is to hire people who have pickup truck payments, they love those cars. Jim

That lack of work ethic, is why down South we use Burma. Even my wife says Thais are lazy sods. Work until enough to buy the hooch and a few games of snooker. Probably why the pure breed Thais are not running the country.

Have to say if it were not for the problems with workers I would be the happiest man in Thailand.

Made a deal with the wife last year, that she would be in charge and I would take my spending money from one plantation, the rest was hers. Well here we are at the high point for production, my plantation is making sheet, hers are on cup.

Workers get money every few days and are happy, wife gets money every few days and spends. Family seem to think I will again make a deal for 50 or 60 bags of rice, but not this time. Have said we may well move to Ubon for the dormant season and you lot will have to fend for yourselves. If they don't make sheet they won't make the car payments on the new Mazda or the MU7 and I will not be supplying the rice.

The problem is I am a stupid farang and no one takes any notice of what I say until there is no rubber or money, then it's Jim will sort it out. Not going to happen, there is no money and if I get enough we will head to OZ for Xmas.

New motto, work or walk no cars and you can't borrow mine. Won't sink in, tell the wife if they won't do as told fire them, don't care if it is your brother or cousin, they work for us.

Nothing gets done unless I do it and I have retired to take up beer drinking, if the wife wants money for holidays in OZ and family want flash cars, it's up to them to bring in the cash, I have enough and it's mine not to be used to bail them out.

Bit of a rant, but as I will shortly be taking up guard duty at the factory, having said time after time get a caretaker to move in and no one listened. Not happy at the idea of sleeping alone on a board, but it's my rubber share. Jim

Jim I'd be happy to help you find good land down here and can help you get good workers too.Mon Or Myanmar.Don't touch anything else.

Jim ,If I was you I'd sell everything and move down here.You'll be laughing.Leave th all the parasites up thewre

[cobbler]

J

Jim ,why don't you tell them all you want to sell the land to buy a sugarcane farm.Tell them it's much better money than Yang.There all dumbshits ,they'll take the bate easey.Then when you have money in hand move down here and buy yang.Just buiold a small house big enough for you and your familyEven go to local council and split the land up so they still have a small house to live in there.Your problems will never end while ever you stay up there.Down here we also only have a 2 month closed season.Not 3 .You'll be miles in front especially in you pocket and in your mind.When we go away we don't even close our windows.I guess I'm too lazey.555Just ask mate and I'd be happy to help you get started .If you want..Ive met many farang in your shoes.All end up moving away and live in another place in Thai.Away from family.Just wife and kids.All these horror stories make me realize how lucky I am.

j

[thaiguzzi]

Glenn,

how'd you get on with the tel. no's of the teachers? Any luck?

Cobbler,

the nicest Thai people i have ever met in 9 years living here ALL come from Isan. Without exception. I speak Thai and i speak Lao better, and sure there are nicer landscapes to look at, but i woud'nt want to live anywhere else. Except maybe the west coast of Italy...

Mike.

[glennb6]

Mike, wasn't me asking about teachers ph numbers.

glennb6

[jamescollister]

Back from a boys weekend in Ubon to find a load of sheet in the house, why I ask. Seems that in 48 hours a crime wave has happened. Shops have been robbed, rubber farmers held at gun point while their rubber is taken, smoker sheds broken into and rubber stolen. No police out here and suddenly all these gun totting Thai hillbilly's are shit scared of the bandits. Same story years ago, they are afraid of nothing, they will fight to the death etc etc. Yet when I got some on CCTV years ago and we went to the Governor with the evidence, he told the police to arrest the guys. Strangely they all started crying and informed on everyone else.

I would be more than happy to shoot a few, but don't like the idea of going to a Thai prison.

Cobbler the village is safe, you leave your windows open, we don't have a front door, open house, only the bedrooms have doors.

These thieving shit heads are junkie yabba users, who hide in the border jungle and the police are not trained or equipped for jungle hunting, the border soldiers are more of a dads army, not real soldiers. When they bring in real troops the shit heads just cross the border to Lao until things settle down.

Last time 3 or 4 years ago, the locals got together raised some money and put a bounty on there heads, ring leaders were never seen again, it's the way in the bad border lands.Jim

[cobbler]

Glenn,

how'd you get on with the tel. no's of the teachers? Any luck?

Cobbler,

the nicest Thai people i have ever met in 9 years living here ALL come from Isan. Without exception. I speak Thai and i speak Lao better, and sure there are nicer landscapes to look at, but i woud'nt want to live anywhere else. Except maybe the west coast of Italy...

Mike.

I Love that country up there.Although I don't live there,it reminds me of the hay plains in western N.S.W. Australia.Beautiful

[Mosha]

Back from a boys weekend in Ubon to find a load of sheet in the house, why I ask. Seems that in 48 hours a crime wave has happened. Shops have been robbed, rubber farmers held at gun point while their rubber is taken, smoker sheds broken into and rubber stolen. No police out here and suddenly all these gun totting Thai hillbilly's are shit scared of the bandits. Same story years ago, they are afraid of nothing, they will fight to the death etc etc. Yet when I got some on CCTV years ago and we went to the Governor with the evidence, he told the police to arrest the guys. Strangely they all started crying and informed on everyone else.

I would be more than happy to shoot a few, but don't like the idea of going to a Thai prison.

Cobbler the village is safe, you leave your windows open, we don't have a front door, open house, only the bedrooms have doors.

These thieving shit heads are junkie yabba users, who hide in the border jungle and the police are not trained or equipped for jungle hunting, the border soldiers are more of a dads army, not real soldiers. When they bring in real troops the shit heads just cross the border to Lao until things settle down.

Last time 3 or 4 years ago, the locals got together raised some money and put a bounty on there heads, ring leaders were never seen again, it's the way in the bad border lands.Jim

One of our friends had thieves knock on his door, and had to hand over the money he'd got that day. We sell at 200kg max

Looks like it's time to wake up the bounty hunters Jim.

Edited November 4, 2012 by Mosha

[cobbler]

.

Mike.Sorry if I offended you.I was simply refering to the 1day millionare attitude of the people James was refering to.For sure not all Issan people are like that.Good and bad everywhere

[thaiguzzi]

Cobbler,

no problem, fully understood.

Glenn,

Glenns/Greigs... getting my G's mixed up

Mike.

[jamescollister]

Well looks like our hot air dried trial is a failure, just had a buyer round offering 65 Baht a kilo. These tappers are going to drive me round the twist. When we build the hot air shed, they said same price as RSS, yep same price alright, same price as RSS grade 5. Wet cup 30% water now down to 30 Baht a kilo.

Bandits in the hills, bandit rubber buyers, stupid lazy workers, time to buy a bottle of whiskey and hope it all looks better in the morning. Jim

[IsaanAussie]

Well looks like our hot air dried trial is a failure, just had a buyer round offering 65 Baht a kilo. These tappers are going to drive me round the twist. When we build the hot air shed, they said same price as RSS, yep same price alright, same price as RSS grade 5. Wet cup 30% water now down to 30 Baht a kilo.

Bandits in the hills, bandit rubber buyers, stupid lazy workers, time to buy a bottle of whiskey and hope it all looks better in the morning. Jim

What sink into the bottle? No time mate. Get out there and rip out all those bloody coconuts first!

[jamescollister]

Well looks like our hot air dried trial is a failure, just had a buyer round offering 65 Baht a kilo. These tappers are going to drive me round the twist. When we build the hot air shed, they said same price as RSS, yep same price alright, same price as RSS grade 5. Wet cup 30% water now down to 30 Baht a kilo.

Bandits in the hills, bandit rubber buyers, stupid lazy workers, time to buy a bottle of whiskey and hope it all looks better in the morning. Jim

What sink into the bottle? No time mate. Get out there and rip out all those bloody coconuts first!

The coconuts are the only saving grace, no rain, have to hand water. 3 or 4 hours a day in the hot sun talking to coconuts. Must be going or have gone mad. Jim

[Mosha]

Well looks like our hot air dried trial is a failure, just had a buyer round offering 65 Baht a kilo. These tappers are going to drive me round the twist. When we build the hot air shed, they said same price as RSS, yep same price alright, same price as RSS grade 5. Wet cup 30% water now down to 30 Baht a kilo.

Bandits in the hills, bandit rubber buyers, stupid lazy workers, time to buy a bottle of whiskey and hope it all looks better in the morning. Jim

What sink into the bottle? No time mate. Get out there and rip out all those bloody coconuts first!

The coconuts are the only saving grace, no rain, have to hand water. 3 or 4 hours a day in the hot sun talking to coconuts. Must be going or have gone mad. Jim

For you Jim

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fb-3seZSQ_Q

[cobbler]

Well looks like our hot air dried trial is a failure, just had a buyer round offering 65 Baht a kilo. These tappers are going to drive me round the twist. When we build the hot air shed, they said same price as RSS, yep same price alright, same price as RSS grade 5. Wet cup 30% water now down to 30 Baht a kilo.

Bandits in the hills, bandit rubber buyers, stupid lazy workers, time to buy a bottle of whiskey and hope it all looks better in the morning. Jim

Jim .For sure you know all this ,but I'll tell you anyway.As it may help.(or not)Our mats dry within 3 days of making them.Be sure the person making them is getting the acid mix right.Small differences in the mix rate ,make big difference to the quality of mat.Also,if you make the mat nice and thin it will dry within 3 days without any hot air drier.

Also Jim I went to a bigass mountain last week.They were pumping water up more than 50 meters.For yang.4 horse power diesel engine,driving a 2 inch pump.At the top of the mountain he had a holding tank.Impossible the pump can pump up this high.So he put in 2 check valves.1 about 10 meters from the pump.Another 1 about 10 meters from the top of mountain.Then the water is gravity fed back down the mountain to a sprinkler system.He started it for me just to show me how it works.They said it took a bit of trail and error before it worked.I was very impressed.I walked to the top of the mountain(cliff)These people always impress me with there engineering skills.

You would be maybe best to have a holding tank with a second pump going to sprays in the yang.Don't know if this is worth the expense for you or not,but I worry if you're already getting dry now.Your trees may die before next season .Only need enough water to wet the top of the ground as the roots are surface roots.This will save you a lot of water=money.

Don't know if this sis of any help to you or not.

Cheers cobbler

[cobbler]

Don't worry JIm .

If it makes you feel any better .We pplanted 100 avocado trees here behind our house farm.This is after knowing nobody in the area was planting anything this year ,as not enough of a wet season.Felt sure they would die if not planted.So now they will surely die.We have another 15 down the front with sprinklers I put on them so I'm not sweating it.These are mixed with bananas long beans,wing beans,pumpkins,eggplants and tankwa.These are all going wellWill put chill in here tooooooo.

m

[captaindoc]

Hi guys,

sorry in advance if im off topic a bit,

but i have been sifting through as many posts as i can but have yet to stumble across what im looking for,

i have about 900 rubber trees that are just over 2 years old and there doing well ranging from 3 to 4 meters high,

im from the Nong Khai area and was just after some of your valued experience/advice with cropping the tops of my trees,

ive been told about 3.5 to 4.0 meters is about the best range but was wondering if someone could give me a little advice regarding,

is it best to cut on an angle just above top internode and how far above and do i just cut main stem at top or trim lower aswell,

and is it preferrable to cut just before wet season for the trees health,

thanks in advance guys, i know i could of found the info in this forum somewhere with out botherring you guys,

but im due to return to Australia in about a week so time is not on my side if you think it is ok to do this time of the year i would like to get cracking

Thanks again

Captain Doc

[jamescollister]

Hi guys,

sorry in advance if im off topic a bit,

but i have been sifting through as many posts as i can but have yet to stumble across what im looking for,

i have about 900 rubber trees that are just over 2 years old and there doing well ranging from 3 to 4 meters high,

im from the Nong Khai area and was just after some of your valued experience/advice with cropping the tops of my trees,

ive been told about 3.5 to 4.0 meters is about the best range but was wondering if someone could give me a little advice regarding,

is it best to cut on an angle just above top internode and how far above and do i just cut main stem at top or trim lower aswell,

and is it preferrable to cut just before wet season for the trees health,

thanks in advance guys, i know i could of found the info in this forum somewhere with out botherring you guys,

but im due to return to Australia in about a week so time is not on my side if you think it is ok to do this time of the year i would like to get cracking

Thanks again

Captain Doc

DC no idea what you are talking about, never heard of cropping the tops off. Sure you are not getting confused with removing lower branches.

Page one half way down, beginners guide to rubber. Jim

Cobbler Thanks for the reply, as for rain not really a problem, takes along time for the high country water to work it's way down.

Last night while staring into my beer contemplating bandits, stupid family and tappers, poor rubber prices. The latest one is the 10 roller machine is no good makes bad sheet, tappers want to go back to little machines. Of course the machine has worked fine for years, but the guy who used to set it has gone, tappers won't admit they don't know how to space the rollers. I was approaching a head on tree banging session, when it dawned on me. We have just renewed our factory license, that's every five years, been tapping for 3 years. 10 years ago everyone said I was mad to want to live in the jungle and you will never make a living from rubber.

Well here I sit in my stilt porch in a big house with 4 cars parked outside, every year we were going to go broke and every year we got through.

I expect the sun will rise tomorrow, the bandits will disappear again, rubber will stabilize sometime and I will phone the roller manufacturer to get the roller spacing settings. Can't do everything at once, one problem at a time, expect to be sitting here next year with the same problems.

Wife just came home, she has fired 2 tappers, one problem gone, another cup of coffee and I am off to water the coconuts. Sweat out last nights beer to make room for more tonight. Jim

[glennb6]

Jim has gone coconuts, or (coco) NUTS, or is that COO-COO Nuts

[cobbler]

Jim.I was refering to your comment about you having to pump your water 50 meters up the bank to get to your trees.That's why Y thought the advice may have been of help for your yang.....Or you could just go and have another beer,,,,,, and Fork de forkin pump and check valves.

Captain Doc.Hmmm Sounds like a smart man.(unlike myself)Cut all branches off .Leaving only the top 3 branches.I will find out when is the best time to do it.Welcome to the yang farmers gossip

By the way be prepared to water your trees this year as it'll be a lonnngggg dryyyyy summer.

[jamescollister]

Jim.I was refering to your comment about you having to pump your water 50 meters up the bank to get to your trees.That's why Y thought the advice may have been of help for your yang.....Or you could just go and have another beer,,,,,, and Fork de forkin pump and check valves.

Captain Doc.Hmmm Sounds like a smart man.(unlike myself)Cut all branches off .Leaving only the top 3 branches.I will find out when is the best time to do it.Welcome to the yang farmers gossip

By the way be prepared to water your trees this year as it'll be a lonnngggg dryyyyy summer.

Cobbler, I may be losing the plot, but don't remember ever saying about pumping water. Did think some years ago about putting in concrete rings in one place, but that was flat land. Jim

[cobbler]

Hey Jim I look on Google earth in your area.I can see the ground.I'm surprised you can hide in it.A helecopter could find them.

Very different to jungle ove here.Look on google earth at the jungle west of Bang Saphan.Still have tigers over here and elephants.Come over here and we'll go hiking in the jungle here.I went with the locals from here and we slept out in the bush,carried out food and water,and tools for hunting.Mate you want to have an experience ,come ove here and go hinking in this jungle.Mate you can't hide from the ATO in that jungle.You better come over here and I can assure you nobody will evder find you.

You turn 3 times and don't know which way is up or down,.Only reason you know where the ground is ,is because that's the direction the leaches and tick like insects that take a week to get off you are coming from.Now that's jungleLOL

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