A Depressing Day

[Gary A]

The thieving bastards have manged to pretty much clean the fish out of our nearest pond. The other pond was cleaned out a couple years ago and not re-stocked. Many of the catfish in this pond were huge, fun to catch and great to eat. I like living here upcountry but it is quite depressing knowing that you can't keep anything without standing guard over it.

I went around back of our little house and found the padlock on my generator house all beat up and the hasp badly damaged. Fortunately I made the door very heavy and strong and besides the padlock I have a keyed dead bolt. They didn't manage to get in but they tried their best. I suppose it is a good thing that I haven't managed to catch anyone because I would do my best to badly hurt them. I would likely have a heart attack trying. Sickening to say the least.

ADDED - My wife threw a lot of brush in the water all around the pond to keep them from netting the fish but that doesn't stop electricity. Her nephew found the wires leading into the pond.

Edited August 5, 2012 by Gary A

[jubby]

We have a small pond and it was cleaned out by one of our neighbours years ago. never bothered to stock it again. they suspected they new who did it but because they didn't catch him in the act and because TIT and its not good to think bad thoughts about people it was all smiles the next day except from me of course

I think the successful Fish & pig farmers on here sleep with the stock

[Thaiwine]

I would have thought it would be possible to have some small device that would detect a large power surge in a pond, that would then in turn power up lights / siren / alarm ? maybe a business idea for someone with the knowhow?

me I like the idea of it setting off a similar charge back into the pond after a delay of say 10 minutes

[slapout]

Gary, you could contact some of "the good old boys", who were very adapt at discourgeing trespass onto their land, where they had crops growing. I have heard that flash/smoke gernades on trip wire were usually adequate, but next came, bear traps, pits, drop logs, which are not so forgiving. Not sure what they used on those who made it thru the outer defense, as never heard about them.

[Gary A]

I have thought about all sorts of deterrents but likely they would catch innocent people. My wife has one nephew who knows most of the low life scumbags in the area. I am planning to offer a bounty on the thieves. The police are totally useless. Sometimes I am quite tempted to move back to my Jomtien condo where the security is very good and forget about having anything here up country. Forget about proximity sensors or cameras because they would steal or destroy them too. I wanted to put a solar electric system in but due to the thieves, that is also out of the question.

[transam]

Sorry to hear that mate. I hope if they try it again that you catch them.

Probably folk very near by.

[jamescollister]

Gary, as you may have read earlier this year, when they stole all or most of my fish, I have not bothered to replace them yet. We now have a full time live in groundsman, but the fish pond is a fair distance from the rubber sheds, so I am stuck with do I run power to the pond and put in movement sensor lights or just let the fish take care of themselves.

It's always a choice between cost and security, or village reality. Last year we had about 20 ducks stolen from the back of the house. There is a river there and persons unknown could wade across to the duck sheds and help themselves.

Jokingly said to the wife, I can sit on the back veranda with one of the rifles and when I see a light crossing the river I can shoot them. Horror, you can't shoot the neighbors. You can't win, some fish a few ducks, I look at it as a local tax now, you can minimize, but you have to pay something. Jim

[tim armstrong]

Gary very sorry to hear about your loss. But like you and others, I haven't given up on a deterrent as we have lost fish and some of FILS boxing chickens too. I don't know the answer but it seems to me that some less technical early warning system might be worth a try. We are now seeing what geese can do. So far so good. Guinea fowl are great as well as they roost in trees and are not so easily caught. They make a hell of a noise if disturbed, but I'm not sure if they are in Thailand. Good luck.

[ozzydom]

Gary very sorry to hear about your loss. But like you and others, I haven't given up on a deterrent as we have lost fish and some of FILS boxing chickens too. I don't know the answer but it seems to me that some less technical early warning system might be worth a try. We are now seeing what geese can do. So far so good. Guinea fowl are great as well as they roost in trees and are not so easily caught. They make a hell of a noise if disturbed, but I'm not sure if they are in Thailand. Good luck.

A resident 10 foot crocodile might do the trick

[jamescollister]

Gary very sorry to hear about your loss. But like you and others, I haven't given up on a deterrent as we have lost fish and some of FILS boxing chickens too. I don't know the answer but it seems to me that some less technical early warning system might be worth a try. We are now seeing what geese can do. So far so good. Guinea fowl are great as well as they roost in trees and are not so easily caught. They make a hell of a noise if disturbed, but I'm not sure if they are in Thailand. Good luck.

A resident 10 foot crocodile might do the trick

It would be in the pot before the night was out. Jim

[pigeonjake]

hi boys,

what i did when i noticed that someone had been coming through our hedge towords our fish pond,

i got some fishing hooks tied them to line, hung them from branches head hight,

then this is the best bit, my wifes freind is a very big gossip in our village, so i took her to show her the hooks and told her that there was other traps that people couldnt see all over our land, told her there was peices of wood with nails knocked through so if they stood on these the nails would go into there feet,

it got all around,, i havnt got it all, but they dont jnow that,,lol

jake

[Gary A]

The police could eliminate a lot of the problems if they would do their jobs. In the fish stealing situation, they could go around to all the local fresh markets and find out if anyone was selling fish and if so, where they got the fish. With the incredibly corrupt politicians, I guess it should be no surprise that the police are useless.

Some time back we had a vacant field across from our house. They were working at a road paving project and they used it to park road construction equipment there at night. Along with the construction equipment, they also had a small tanker truck for a diesel fuel supply. At night they were selling diesel fuel from that tanker for a highly discounted price. It was very obvious to everyone but nothing was ever done about it.

[linno2]

I once read in an Australian farming magazine an add for a small self contained surveillance unit. It was comprised of a small camera less than the size of a matchbox with the equivalent of a data stick or flash drive and a 9volt battery. Total size about 2/3rds the size of a pack of Krung Thip. The unit takes a shot periodically - you can set the interval from 1 second upwards. When it gets full (depending on the size of the memory) it overwrites from the earliest shot. More expensive models had a movement sensor that turned the camera on and off after a period of no movement. It could work in the dark as well. It was dark coloured and would go unnoticed mounted up on a tree. If something goes missing you can take it down and connect to your computer to vew the pictures. The battery needs to be changed periodically as you would guess. I have been trying to find one in Thailand with no luck to date. The following web sites have similar products much more expensive than the original one in the add - but still may be worth it. http://www.eyespysupply.com/outdoor-self-contained-hidden-cameras--spy-cameras.html , http://www.spyville.com/nivivicabuin.html, http://www.starweb.com.au/rural_surveillance.html, http://www.hiddencamera.com.au/catalogsearch/result/index/?limit=25&mode=list&q=battery+operated+solar+powered+LED+light

[jubby]

Gary very sorry to hear about your loss. But like you and others, I haven't given up on a deterrent as we have lost fish and some of FILS boxing chickens too. I don't know the answer but it seems to me that some less technical early warning system might be worth a try. We are now seeing what geese can do. So far so good. Guinea fowl are great as well as they roost in trees and are not so easily caught. They make a hell of a noise if disturbed, but I'm not sure if they are in Thailand. Good luck.

Forget the Guinea Fowl, they are easily found here. I've got some, They make one Hell of a noise most of the time , like a shreeking Banshee !

and they will be all over the Village most of the time upsetting the neighbours ;-)

[Gary A]

A guard is probably the most reliable method, that is if you could even find a reliable guard, but is it worth paying nearly 10,000 baht per month? At this point there are not enough fish worth protecting and since the fish were not sold anyways it is much cheaper for me to buy fish from the market. I think the last bag of fish pellets cost about 420 baht. I can buy the fish cheaper than feeding my own.

It's mainly the depressing idea that you are unable to keep or enjoy anything without having to guard it. From now on my poor remaining fish will have to fend for themselves. I'm not wasting any more money feeding them for the thieves.

[jamescollister]

Where are the chicken thieves when you want them. The back of the house has reverted to jungle and the few chickens we had there have been breading and roosting in the trees, The numbers have grown to 30 or so. Now when you turn your back they swoop into the open air kitchen, eating everything and crapping everywhere. Can't catch them, totally feral and as soon as they see the rifle they melt back into the scrub.

To much work for the thieves I guess. Jim

[jubby]

Where are the chicken thieves when you want them. The back of the house has reverted to jungle and the few chickens we had there have been breading and roosting in the trees, The numbers have grown to 30 or so. Now when you turn your back they swoop into the open air kitchen, eating everything and crapping everywhere. Can't catch them, totally feral and as soon as they see the rifle they melt back into the scrub.

To much work for the thieves I guess. Jim

Easy to catch them Jim, we get 100 baht per Kilo for any scrawny little chicken without exception.

start feeding them under one of those bamboo chicken cages held up with a couple of bricks so they can get in easily, after a few days when they get over confident drag the cage off the bricks whilst there fighting over the food and the Jobs done. must be 5000 baht in those trees

[bannork]

Where are the chicken thieves when you want them. The back of the house has reverted to jungle and the few chickens we had there have been breading and roosting in the trees, The numbers have grown to 30 or so. Now when you turn your back they swoop into the open air kitchen, eating everything and crapping everywhere. Can't catch them, totally feral and as soon as they see the rifle they melt back into the scrub.

To much work for the thieves I guess. Jim

Easy to catch them Jim, we get 100 baht per Kilo for any scrawny little chicken without exception.

start feeding them under one of those bamboo chicken cages held up with a couple of bricks so they can get in easily, after a few days when they get over confident drag the cage off the bricks whilst there fighting over the food and the Jobs done. must be 5000 baht in those trees

I often raise the cage a few inches above the ground on a piece of rope attached to the middle, throw the rope over a branch and tie it to the branch. Once the chicken(s) are underneath, I undo the knot and down drops the cage, trapping them.

[jamescollister]

Will give the cage idea a go, as my shade clothe trap failed dismally. If I can catch them will take them to the factory, where they can co habitat with the other feral chooks there. Difference being the workers can catch and eat one when they want. Jim

[chantsurfer]

We have many prawn farms in our area in Chanthaburi, some have tried geese but they are to agro and attack Honda Waves and have caused accidents. I think they went back to big black dogs !!! Some of these prawn farms are hundreads of rais, they have little huts that are manned at night, people say they are armed, but I have never heard any shots. They are line of sight and all have little radios. Some prawn farms have motion sensors and cameras. Some of the motion lights are on a little UPS as well. They don't have many problems with thief's, but are very suspicious of 'out of towners' new to the area. I would hate to get caught stealing Goong. I think you wold end up at the bottom of the sea wearing concrete boots.

Some of the big ones were interesting watching them build them, prawn farming is very high risk but has some serous coin to be made... IF.... you are successful. Many fail. The guy building some big ones we were friends with, he would want to be after we bought 3540 truck loads of rock and fill off him for the cricket pitch in the back yard. The staff used the place we were renting at the time as a kind of place to have lunch and drink beer after work. Nice guys all round.

The good thing is, the air is very clear, great beach around the corner and when I see them sorting prawns & draining a pond, 4 cold Leos = about 5kg of still live big prawns spilling out of the plastic bag the beers arrived in. I wonder what a bottle of whiskey will get me?

[JurgenG]

What about dogs ?

We too were raising fishes, for maintenance purpose. We had somme green grass invading our ponds and we found the best way to keep the grass under control was to throw a few fishes inside. The grass was under control and the fishes were growing up nicely until they start disappearing. We rounded up the usual suspects, they all accused each other and we couldn't catch anyone in the act so at the end we just gave up. But the day we move in for good, I know I will right away adopt a couple of big dogs. I believe just to know that big dogs live in our land will be enough to deter any wannnabe thief.

Edited August 16, 2012 by JurgenG

[chantsurfer]

Electric fences I have been told work wonders in Thailand. In Oz they are very high voltage and low currant I believe, will give a zap kind of thing but you can pull away. Sometimes Thais, just connect 220v mains electricity to the fence or gate at night time. A home made Thai one will kill you. I knew a chap who just connected a 12V tot eh fence somehow, and warning signs, that was enough, gave a tiny zap and the fear of 220V as that was a Thai electric fence is right !!!

[pigeonjake]

jurgan,

im sorry to burst your bubble but they will just poisen your dogs,, it happens mate,

im sticking to the fear fact if you read my other post, the things arnt there like the nails through wood but they dont know that, and they keep away

jake

[loong]

Maybe start a rumour about ghosts or evil spirits coming out at night - that'd keep some of them away!

[jamescollister]

Well after a few shit days of having to fire an extended family who lived at our factory, 5 adults and 2 little kids out on the road for stealing rubber.

Bad rubber prices and now being 3 tappers and 2 part time workers down, the day has turned out OK. My new stilt patio was finished, here I sit at the back of the house near the river, far enough away from the neighbors to play Celtic music load and not keep the village awake. Bottle of Johnny with beer chasers. Told the wife, don't expect me in bed tonight, have slung my hammock and may just sit drink then swing listening to ballads.

This is why I came here in the first place, a man of leisure, until tomorrow rubber sales. Jim

[jcw]

I think Jims comment above are the realities of biz in Thailand

Oh Donney Boy - Pissing The Night away.....

[somo]

Well after a few shit days of having to fire an extended family who lived at our factory, 5 adults and 2 little kids out on the road for stealing rubber.

Bad rubber prices and now being 3 tappers and 2 part time workers down, the day has turned out OK. My new stilt patio was finished, here I sit at the back of the house near the river, far enough away from the neighbors to play Celtic music load and not keep the village awake. Bottle of Johnny with beer chasers. Told the wife, don't expect me in bed tonight, have slung my hammock and may just sit drink then swing listening to ballads.

This is why I came here in the first place, a man of leisure, until tomorrow rubber sales. Jim

I'll drink to that

[jcw]

Jim, if you are feeling lonely after firing some 0f your in-laws, I have plenty I will gladly give you to replace them

[jamescollister]

Jim, if you are feeling lonely after firing some 0f your in-laws, I have plenty I will gladly give you to replace them

Everyone is family out here, no shortage, but finding anyone who wants to work is a different story. Jim

[pigeonjake]

here here to that jim,,,