Whats Your Plans Or Dreams?

[biplanebluey]

We only have 12 rai so its not a venture into big time money making.We are both looking at diversifying to give us a measure of self sufficiency.At the moment the rice is looking a bit sick,the ponds are getting lower with the amount of pumping out,and everything is struggling for water to survive at the moment.Have got a bore working so that is a big help to water the trees .We planted coconuts,Papaya,mangoes,and a few others i dont know[!!!!!!].and pumpkins,so are just pumping water at them till it rains.I am designing a irrigation system for them attatched to the bore so I am not walking about with a watering can all the time and can stand at the pump and just keep pumping that handle up and down.Good fun really---and good exercise.Got a Honda pump for the rice which works well but as I say the level is going down,so am trying to eke it out. In the distant future I would like to see a couple of pigs and some chucksrunning around for our own use and thinking of fish in the holding ponds,again for our personal consumption.------Love Par Ning---hope I spelt it right. It all sounds a bit idillic I know but hey,you wanted to know my dreams well this is mine and I have a great wife at my side to help and encourage me.In fact it is her dream that we are working on and I am the one giving the help and encouragement. All our ideas are normally worked out over a morning coffee as we sit there listening to------- THE SILENCE. No cars no motorbikes,nothing but the occasional bird in the trees,the chickens up the track and the crackle of wood on a newly lit fire. Man I wish I could have done this years ago,but I am 76,in good health and can still knock a nail in and weild a shovel,so i am making hay while the sun shines.Thats the only way I know how to put it------------ Dougal

[jamescollister]

just get on with it mate,

were are you anyway for that matter,

We are living in a falang village in Udon Thani----all mod cons ---at the moment but am building a modest place to sleep on farm about 10k outside of Udon on the Nong han road and travelling the 10k on a daily basis. As a matter of interest how does the Labour Dept get involved. I can understand the police as i have been told to be good terms with the neighbours as if they get upset it is easy for them to call lut the police and then the trouble starts,but does the labour dept have ways to investigate or what. Sorry if this is sounding all a bit negative but it is something that I really want to do and I want to do it right first time----if there is such a thing-----thanks for sticking with me -----Dougal

Fairly simple work permits are issued by the Department of Labor, normal cops don't care. Royal Thai Immigration Police are there for border control of people. If you are legally in the country they are happy. Labor department get involved when you work illegally. In saying that they probably can all do you, but outside of bars etc they seem to take little interest in farangs digging gardens, especially in the back blocks of Issan.

Out my way I would petty the poor cop that tried, District Governor would have him transferred to the deep south. Jim

[TommoPhysicist]

my dream is here in thailand with my wife baby and working on our farm together,

whats your boys???

My dream is ..... living in Thailand with the wife, kids and baby and working on the farm ...... SNAP!

I'm living the dream, but couldn't cope with pigs, too much hard work, corn is a lot easier.

No need to get up at a set time and feed it, no daily chores.

Not making a fortune, it's a hobby farm really, pays for about half of everything.

As for the police, my brother in law is the police, nobody cares or even knows about work permits where I live.

(And I usually sell our crop to the village head man, so who they gonna call?)

Edited October 2, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[IsaanAussie]

Biplane Buey,

You have it down pat, good luck for ever. There used to be a TV show in Oz many,many years ago that attempted to describe the traditional culture and lifestyle of the aborigines. Cannot remember the name but it meant Dreamtime.

Edited October 2, 2012 by IsaanAussie

[jamescollister]

Reality of work permits, been here a fair while and have read of people done for running bars, girls etc. As of yet never heard of a farang being arrested for planting rice. I may have missed it. Jim

[pigeonjake]

were all in the same boat, just here to make a small living. because at the end of the day we want to be here, i wouldnt want to sit round a bar every day, i like a bear just like the rest of us, but i wouldnt want to just sit all day with bear,

it taists better when ive been working hard and i need one,,lol, and a fag,

we are all trying different things. i dont have enough land to grow crops, so pigs, chickens, ducks,fish, mushrooms,, suit us,lol,

i love my life at home when im here, im up at 6 work till her indoors shouts, DARLING TO HOT NOW COME ON IN,

its great, she,ll have me a bear ready, new shorts laid out, i couldnt be happier, and im not bull shiting i couldnt,

yes i might be if i didnt have to keep going to work now and again, but ive got to do that at the moment, mainly for the future, ive got the kids to think about not just me and the wife, so ill work away while im fit to earn, another 5, 7 years ill call it a day, get in my hamock with a bear,, ring a bell jim,,lol

jake

[IsaanAussie]

I wish you well Jake. Just make sure that those caring for the animals and mushrooms stay interested while you are away. Pigs at any scale have to be cared for constantly as you well know. I started with two BIL's keen to be involved and that gave me some room to do other things for the first year and a half. But for the past 2 and a half years I have struggled on alone most of the time.

Like you, I enjoy the life and the pigs but it is not what all those years of pre-planning where about. My integrated farm is more a disintegrated farm at times as there simply are not enough hours in the day. Slowly I am changing things to create more free time but there is not much low hanging fruit left on the tree.

I can't claim to have not been warned, nor can I say anyone else is at fault. All I can pass on is the advice, enjoy the family relationships, be thankful for any and all help they offer, but dont expect that any opportunity to advance the family's lot in life will be taken up or really even wanted.

For me the dream goes on, but the plans have been changed and need further amendment to allow the dream to continue.

[pigeonjake]

i get you mate,

i think at this moment in time im very lucky, yes like you say it could change, but to be honest when i see my wife and her mama working together i cant really see it changing, there so happy together,

yes we have mama helping up, not her papa, mama loves taking care of the pigs, and ive said it before and got told to stop harping on about it, but we give her 10%of what we take at the end of the month and she is more then happy with that,

mama is a very nice lady, and i can see it in her face that she really does like being round all the animals, i think i said somewere before my wife is 37/38kilo wet through, and she tells me i do injection like you darling, i look you do many times, lol, they work well together,

i said to mac my wife do you want me to build a mushroom house and you and mama can run that too, yes was the answer strait away, i said find out about the bags and all that, she and mama have found some one who sells the bags im sure she said 7bht and will come and buy mushrooms,

she bought the ducks but dosnt have to pay till december and they say they are all females, her and her mama have there head screwed on they really do, and if they dont know something they go out there way to go and find out,,lol,

all in all at this moment in time it looks good for the future, but like you say it is a hard road, but life isnt easy were ever you live, ive allways worked hard for whatever ive had in my life, so that isnt going to kill me, ive got goals to go for, and hopefully things can only get better,

i get on with my family, even papa is coming round and my wife says mama has got papa working hard now, she said to him jake go to work very hard, you can start to do more for your family, and to be honest he his, hes been away picking fruit, hes been planting cucumber inbetween his lamyai, and he even helps mama pick chillie and that he would never of done before,

but its like ive said to my wife many many times you dont get nothing in this world for nothing, and i really think it is sinking in,

the wife is running the pig farm well, when i spoke to her this morning she said that she had rang the pig lady to order 20 piglets, and the pig lady is even going to bring them as she knows we have just had the baby, and she cant wait to see the baby,

her and her mama do well while im away, and it makes me feel good to see them so happy,

all in all when i look at my life, its great, yes we havnt finnished the house yet, lots of things to do, that was down to me, i wanted the pigs up and running before the house was finnished,

weve got proper toilet and shower and true vision, just got the extention to finnish, ill get the builders back in when i get back,,

allways lots to do,

have a good day,

i no your like me, they can knock us down but they wont beat us,

jake

[IsaanAussie]

Dream on Jake life is for living. One day I will win the lottery and pay out huge amounts to get everything finished immediately. One day I will ... But today, think I might muck out the sty, mill up the compost (hammer mill has arrived at last) and get tired enough to enjoy a few beers this evening. Good God! Is it Wednesday already?

[pigeonjake]

Ia,

if you dont have dreams and goals, youve got nothing

jake

[IsaanAussie]

Of course you are correct Jake. But I think JC summed things up well, Thais deal with the present not the future. To me is often seems they spend more time on past people and issues then those around them today. The exception to this is if the issue involved a debt or responsibility, thoughts of which arent dismissed, they just never occur.

For most westerns, we tend to keep at least one eye on the future and have at least some ambitions. Before we moved to the village I could spend about 3 weeks here before I just had to get out. Now after 4 years here in the village I still have hopes and desires but they tend to be a little more short term and not as determined. My dreams now depend on no-one but myself.

[jonnyscot]

Reading this topic with interest,, another good one jake,, I'm along the same lines too,,, working away in west Africa now, returning home to thailand every 5 weeks,, looking forward to finishing this in another 8 years or so and spending more time on the land,,, I'm an active sorta guy and the wife isn't one for sitting on her bum either so were just looking to be doing something to keep us reasonably busy together when I do stop work,, planted a couple hundred bamboo plants a couple months back, prior to that the wife grew lotus flowers which kept her busy,, between that and raising/selling ducks, she could make herself a few baht,, stopped the lotus for now but we will probably continue with the lotus in the future, once we have our other ideas in progress but picking around 600+ flowers every second day uses more time than we can give right now,, funny thing is that my background was in the fishing industry in the north sea off Scotland, although some may think otherwise fishing and farming were too opposites from where I was brought up,, but I suppose the common denominator between them is they' both involve hard graft,, which is what I'm happiest doing,,

[pigeonjake]

hi jonney,,

welcome mate,

you sound like me, i like to be working and while im fit and healthy thats what ill do,

you must be in angola, i was out there too,

now in sunny scotland for another month, then home to my pigs,, bloody hell and wife and new baby,,lol,

i miss it so much when im away, its like we all say, if you can just live of you farm and not be spending your saving your doing well over here,

as you know we have the pigs that do make a prifit and i think thats mainly due to us getting piglets at a very good price,

the wife bought 25 ducks and she has 23 left they have just started to lay she says so she,ll make a little of there eggs,

and ive got plans for the pigs to have some butcherd at home to sell, im going to have a go at the sausage selling,

so the way i look at it, if you can make a little bit at them all, you,ll end up with more then a little, never going to be rich,

but saying that i would never of been rich in england,

but i can say one thing living here im far far richer in life living here,

jake

[IsaanAussie]

Barking dogs, why doesnt the owner wake up and shut them up? Early start today, an hour into scanning the TV forums and find myself back here. I was about to congratulate you both for your resolve when the BIL (the 40 year old family baby) rolls out here into the shop 4:30am and he is looking for his first shot of whiskey for the day. Another day of the family working together? I think not!

The biggest fault in my plans was to assume that the family actually wanted to improve their lot in life by working for it. As I said the other day, I count on no-one but myself to get the must do's done these days. The initial gloss faded faster than the crappy house paint here.

Now its just on 5am and two of the BIL's mates have joined in what will be just another day on the booze and begging for money to let the good times roll.

My plans remain to integrate many elements on the farm with two key elements. Limiting external expenditure and maximising value add to our produce. Sound familiar Jake and Jonny? Getting it all started is easy, money, keeping it rolling after it reduces to a list of daily chores is a real challenge. Start with four male members of the family keen to be part and then watch as they all fall by the wayside and it is just you and the wife.

The boys have got to the giggly stage in their quest for the bottle bottom. Another day in paradise...

IMHO, keep the plans real guys.

[pigeonjake]

IA,

i know what you mean mate i really do, i see them sat at the corner shop near me,

again im lucky, both my BILs work in bkk, and to be honest ive only met them about a dozen times in all the years ive been part of the family, they both send money home to mama, not a lot but they do send it home,

i used to have the same problem with my wifes papa, and they all new i didnt like him, i didnt mind telling them,

so we have mama, shes great, shes only47 and she really does like being around helping with the animals,

i love to see her and my wife working together when im there, they work on the chillies, papaya and other veg they grow and sell, i never ask what money they make out of the veg thats theres,,lol,

i think papa is coming round a bit though, hes been away picking fruit this year and is now helping mama with the chillies ect,

mama new my feeling right from the start, i told my wife, ill help do there house, it cost me 1,200 pounds, i did most of the bricklaying,

and i said after that darling there on there own, i said its my job to take care of my family, and that is you and our kids, its your papa,s job to take care of his family, i said its simple thats how it is, the man takes care of his family,

im not saying i havnt sliped mama a 1000bht for her fertilizer ect, but she helps out a lot, she s good un,

i told my wife again at the start, i dont mind living near the family, i think will be good idea for when im away working or we go on holiday mama can take care of farm,

but i said im not here to just hand out money, and to be honest its been fine,

ive got a freind pung, who has helped me with pigs no end, hes a pig farmer, he once wanted to borrow 5k to do with something about his son, i didnt ask to much,, he wanted it for 3 weeks till some pigs were ready to go, gave me it strait back,

he did ask for 30,000 last month, i cant remember what the wife said it was for, but i said what do you think, i said i wasnt to keen on it, and she said that she wasnr eaither so we said no,

but hes ok with us,

i just didnt want to start going down that road, family or not family, i think at the start you have to state what your willing to do and not do and stick to it,

when her uncle was in hospital dying i took family to the hospital every night 100k round trip, didnt ask for money for diesel, that was just something i did to help out,

ill give when i want to give not when they say,

might sound hard but i work hard for my money, not to give it away for someone to sit there pissing it up the wall,

sorry for the rantt,,lol, jake

[IsaanAussie]

Well whatever your plans, they will be on hold for a few days as we get to, through and over the hungry ghost celebrations. So today's plan will include stocking the shop and the feed bins. BIL is looking forward to it, in fact he has made an early and fumy start helping returning friends to spend their money before their relatives touch them up for it. The normal pilgrimages to wherever relatives died or were born, sticky rice and bananas, pork, pigs heads and of course the "white death" will be flowing.

Sometimes I ask myself, "Where do they get the money for all that?" It sure as hell isn't through hard work Jake.

[pigeonjake]

im not being funny when i say this, but they dont work hard,

im here on a power station, im on 12hour nightshift, i get here half hour before start and after for the hand over, so that 13 hours, i drive to and from my caravan half hour,,

so i dont have a lot of time to myself,

i just dont think they could or would do it, do you know what i mean,

ive had the builders in and im sure you have sen similar,, they get a few bht in there pocket and you dont see them for a few days, its a nightmare,

i know aht you said before about the thais not planing for the future but living for today, but you cant just go through life like that,

or is it me and still to westernised,?

im working hard so that when i do say thats it, i can have some money behind us just in case things go tits up,

i like to have plans and goals, thats my motivation, some people are differant,

i dont know its all a big game and we just try to stay on the winning side,

im happy with how things are going at the moment, ill get home get the builders in to finnish the house,build a mushroom shed, a new chicken shed, and you know what its like there is allways things to do, if i dont get them done one day there not going to go away ill get them dont the next day,

i must admit living in thailand has made me more laid back,

jake

[TommoPhysicist]

i know aht you said before about the thais not planing for the future but living for today, but you cant just go through life like that,

or is it me and still to westernised,?

im working hard so that when i do say thats it, i can have some money behind us just in case things go tits up,

Divorce, illness and death are everyones most likely 'tits up' scenarios ........

Are you really planning sensibly for the future?

Edited October 12, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[IsaanAussie]

I doubt you can generalise about the work ethic, much as I would like to. Thais in Isaan are different to Thais in Bangkok? Rural poor are different from educated Thais? All generally true but not universally.

I think we notice it more because we expect more of ourselves than they do themselves or others. The BIL is like a pig, easily distracted and hard to move when something takes his fancy. If you can keep him off the sauce he is a good worker, but one sniff and that's it for weeks.

In truth I suppose what angers me more about him is what he could be and achieve, such a waste.

I agree that a man needs a purpose in life, something to work for. Thai culture appears to have a purpose, living life to its fullest. To many, that is enough.

Edited October 12, 2012 by IsaanAussie

[IsaanAussie]

i know aht you said before about the thais not planing for the future but living for today, but you cant just go through life like that,

or is it me and still to westernised,?

im working hard so that when i do say thats it, i can have some money behind us just in case things go tits up,

Divorce, illness and death are everyones most likely 'tits up' scenarios ........

Are you really planning sensibly for the future?

I believe I am constantly changing the plan to accomodate life here. The three scenarios you point to are interesting to me, illness and death are things that are covered here by family. Divorce, well for me the first time was relatively painless but expensive. Here, possibly the other way around. Is there sense in it all? Currently yes I believe so. Had you asked me as an outsider looking at it from home, obviously the answer would be a no! Perceptions, amazing things!

[pigeonjake]

death comes to us all, so im not to worried about that, illness to can come, but if ive got money in the bank hopefully i can take care of that,

and divorce if that was to come, there isnt a lot i can do about that,

all 3 things you mention i dont think about or worry about, so i really cant see were your coming from, or even what your trying to say,

i said i was working for our future, just in case the farm dosnt work, then we will be just fine, i could just live of saving and my pentions,

my plans are all in order, ill keep working for another 5 years and that will do,

then ill just consentrate on the farm, hopefully, and see were we go,

i cant look into the future, im just trying to make ym families life as bright as i can,

ive allways been a worker, i worked hard for what i had in the uk, and lost loads,

if it did go so wrong over here i wouldnt loose a 10th of what i lost in the uk,

jake

[jonnyscot]

Hey jake, you're close, worked angola for 2 years, now a bit further north,, H---hole of africa,, yep,, you've guessed it working out of PHC,,

I don't think I'm in the same area as some of you guys (not too far from Ayuthaya but always flood free, thankfully) I always read this forum with interest,, both my wife and I are relative novices in the farming, she also worked in the engineering, sector, although her family farm and have cattle and worked hard to get her to Uni, but like myself she enjoys a bit of graft, although the kids in school sometimes limit us for now on how much time in a day we can give to farming, but for now it's a bit of researching coupled with a bit of trial and error to find something that's both suitable to the land and our needs, in a nutshell basically looking to find something to build on that can keep us busy for years to come and can provide a small family income if only to make the efforts worthwhile

[pigeonjake]

yes i kinow what you mean i was offshore out of PHC doing a hot tap a few years ago, very scary place,,lol,

i dint know anything about pigs when we started, but this internet and listening to others is how we learned, help from a local pig farmer too,

youll get there and im sure you will both enjoy it, i know we do,

the farming section on TV is a wealth of knolage,(pitty it cany help me with my spelling,,lol)

theres threds on all sorts of subjects, i like to read through them and sometimes think we could have a go at that,

like ive allways said if you dont try you wont know, and god loves a tryer,,

jake