The Right Place At The Right Time

[Gary A]

One of the local villager's father is on his death bed. To add to that misery the government sent around a bill collector who told the old man's son that the old man had borrowed money on the property and if it wasn't paid back early this coming week the house would be taken. An emergency family meeting was held and it was decided that the only hope of getting the money quickly would be from the farang (ME). We went and looked at the 25 rai plot and the son decided that he would sell 10 rai from the plot. The wife and I accepted his asking price of 18,000 baht per rai or 180,000 baht. We went directly to the bank yesterday afternoon and exchanged the money for the red seal chanote. The government will have to survey the 10 rai off and a new chanote will be made for both pieces. I really don't know what the land looks like because the weeds are about 6 feet high. At one time it had rice planted and some of the dikes are still there. The next question is what to do with the land. LOL! The wife figures it will cost about 15,000 baht to have the brush and weeds plowed under. Of course there is no paved road or electricity. The good thing is it is only a few kilometers from our house. I alway wanted a fish pond.

[fxm88]

Be careful: Might be a lot of sick Buffalo buried out there.

[chownah]

1,500 baht to cut weeds and plow one rai seems really high. Around here you can hire a guy with a tractor to plow one rai for 200 baht or maybe a bit more now since the price of diesel has gone up.

[sezzo]

18,000 baht per rai seems a bit high to me. Around our way land just on the outskirts of a village with easy access to electricity is no more that 10,000 per rai and about 8000 per rai with no electricity nearby.

[johnh101]

I know but good place to ask.

How many square meters are in 1 rai ?

[Sir Burr]

1600 Sq.mtrs = 1 Rai.

[Gary A]

The 1,500 baht per rai is for making it into rice paddies. Just plowing down the brush and weeds is a lot cheaper. I cleaned up my wife's jungle (two rai) a year ago and it cost 2,000 baht total including taking out tree stumps, bamboo stands and two huge termite mounds.

As far as the price we looked at 14 rai about a kilometer away from where we bought and he was asking 40,000 baht per rai. That property had old somoh trees that were too old to produce much. Another parcel was 30,000 baht a for for 11 rai total. We did find 40 rai for 20,000 baht per rai but I didn't want or need that much. There is a lumyai and lime orchard close to us that they are asking a whopping 500,000 baht per rai. I'm satisfied that I got a good deal.

Edited November 12, 2005 by Gary A

[Thaipwriter]

I'm satisfied that I got a good deal.

Good for you, The cries of "too much" are irrellevant, you have gained much "face" for the wife and you have helped the villagers in a sad situation.

A good peice of business for you. A fish pond sounds lovely, maybe plant some rubber tree's build a small Sala, just someplace to go on a Sunday afternoon with the missus. Sounds superb.

I want to do the exact same thing someday

[astral]

A fish pond with banana trees round it.

Plant a variety of crops and a few fruit trees and you will have a nice little

source of income.

I expect you can negotiate some access to the land.

Check with the original owners.

[Gary A]

The land is nearly square and that means that there is at least 120 meters of road frontage. It is a narrow dirt road but it is a road. I have decided on a pond of about one rai or a little larger. Now I have to research ponds. I made one in Ohio and it was not a simple thing. There had to be enough clay to line the pond or it would not hold water. I know nothing about what it takes here. I do know of one pond (?) here that stays dry nearly all the time. Obviously they did something wrong or maybe they just wanted the dirt. It is a BIG hole. The wife is interested in rubber trees so I may plant six rai or so of them with banana trees around the pond and between the rubber trees. After I am gone the rubber trees would provide some income for the wife. I don't intend on going anywhere until the trees are fully grown and maybe even old. There are quite a few fruit trees on the two rai where her house is. Mostly mango and macahm.

A fish pond with banana trees round it.

Plant a variety of crops and a few fruit trees and you will have a nice little

source of income.

I expect you can negotiate some access to the land.

Check with the original owners.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Jeff1]

I'm satisfied that I got a good deal.

Good for you, The cries of "too much" are irrellevant, you have gained much "face" for the wife and you have helped the villagers in a sad situation.

A good peice of business for you. A fish pond sounds lovely, maybe plant some rubber tree's build a small Sala, just someplace to go on a Sunday afternoon with the missus. Sounds superb.

I want to do the exact same thing someday

This I have to agree with . It all depends on the quality of the land and the desire to sell . I have paid more than that for my ( our ) 15 rai . The land is at a higher elavation than the surrounding land , it is flat and there is actually some good soil on it and not all clay under sand . Also the land has been used for growing sugar cane so it has already been cleared of trees and stumps . Except for the front by the dirt road , where there is a small mango grove of about 20 trees .

Im still undecided about what I want to do with this land but all the people in the village are very happy we bought it and not someone from outside the clan .

Edited November 12, 2005 by Jeff1

[Gary A]

I refrained from saying anything about the 8,000 baht per rai figure but after thinking about it I may be interested in buying some of that. I have been here a long time and I have never seen any land especially around the Korat area anywhere near that price. I have a very good friend who lives in Korat who is also interested.