How Do I Survive Living At The Farm ... Tips And Tricks Please!

[endure]

endure ... I don't own a kindle, but have a computer ... so enough.

.

A kindle is the size of a small book. A computer is the size of a computer...

[endure]

I want to earn their respect buy toughing it out with them ... with some home comforts that I enjoy ...

.

You never 'earn the respect' of people who are poor by pretending to be as poor as they are. You think you're a hero by suffering - they think you're foolish by suffering stuff that you don't have to suffer.

[DILLIGAD]

This year my gf chucked in her 9-5 office job. Where we used to stay was on route for one of her fellow workers to pick her up and drop her off.

This time we are together 24/7 and we both will have SFA to do if we just do like we did the previous times ... hence the plan to live at the Farm.

I hope for your sake she hasn't caught the 'I gotta farang so I don't need to work anymore' bug! or the Gambling bug because either way, you will be the last to know.

Jealousy can be rife between Isaan women especially those who have found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

D

Edited November 3, 2012 by DILLIGAD

[cooked]

Fix the place up, they'll break everything soon enough

[krisb]

This year my gf chucked in her 9-5 office job. Where we used to stay was on route for one of her fellow workers to pick her up and drop her off.

This time we are together 24/7 and we both will have SFA to do if we just do like we did the previous times ... hence the plan to live at the Farm.

I hope for your sake she hasn't caught the 'I gotta farang so I don't need to work anymore' bug! or the Gambling bug because either way, you will be the last to know.

Jealousy can be rife between Isaan women especially those who have found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

D

Just cause you married a bad choice, doesnt mean David did....Unreal.

[krisb]

David these douche bags that tell you to high tail it is typical of TV.

Next will be 'oh, you must have married a bar girl' BS.

Mate as 1 Aussie to another and I grew up in the city, go to Tesco or whatever first, buy some falang food like I suggested.

Enjoy the farm, its great when you get used to it.(which doesnt take long)

If you feel you need more fans or air con then go to town and buy em.

If you need a motorbike, then go buy 1 cheap or buy a sam lor like I did. Its like a ute really.

End of day the farm is really good. Welcome to the realThailand mate, its how your wife grew up!.

If its to much then go check into a hotel, sit in that room and realise the farm is way better like watching the village daily life go by.

Im a city slicker by a long way. Id be the first to complain about no westen comforts.

living at the farm is better 10 fold. Enjoy the real Thailand, people pay big bucks for an authentic experience and for you its free almost.

Make sure you keep us updated on how your travelling at the farm. I really wanna hear.

Edited November 3, 2012 by krisb

[nanapong]

Just read through the comments. Good God , why would anybody want to live like that. It beggers belief but i guess much younger fluff as a partner has lots to do with it. My advise , go take a look for a few weeks. It'll be an experience you'll never forget. Then high tail it to somewhere resembling normality..

Typical wank comment David.

Dont listen to this douche. If your mrs is from the village then get used to it, or be prepared to spend on making the farm house falang or build your own as I did. I built a big 300sq metre place for under 30grand then when my daughters born put it in her name.

What a douche bag this guy telling you to high tail it after a bit. Crap.

A fool and his money are soon parted especially in Issan..

[transam]

No electricity in the house you stay? No running water to? 4.500 Baht and you have a nice warm water heater

Yeh, it has elec, so no problems there ...

As for the water heater ... couple of things.

I read the Housing Forum quite a bit and the Farm only has the low pressure town water and it appears not strong enough to make the electric hot water system to work.

Sure ... I could install a boosting pump ...BUT.

BUT ... I don't want to be the foreigner, coming to their home and implying that how they have lived over the past few decades is sh*it (even if it is).

I want to earn their respect buy toughing it out with them ... with some home comforts that I enjoy ...

endure ... I don't own a kindle, but have a computer ... so enough.

.

When l first came and rented a place there was no hot shower. Just shower off the mains. I installed an electric shower within two days . She loved it.

[krisb]

Just read through the comments. Good God , why would anybody want to live like that. It beggers belief but i guess much younger fluff as a partner has lots to do with it. My advise , go take a look for a few weeks. It'll be an experience you'll never forget. Then high tail it to somewhere resembling normality..

Typical wank comment David.

Dont listen to this douche. If your mrs is from the village then get used to it, or be prepared to spend on making the farm house falang or build your own as I did. I built a big 300sq metre place for under 30grand then when my daughters born put it in her name.

What a douche bag this guy telling you to high tail it after a bit. Crap.

A fool and his money are soon parted especially in Issan..

Are you speaking from experience also mate?

Tell us more.....

[krisb]

No electricity in the house you stay? No running water to? 4.500 Baht and you have a nice warm water heater

Yeh, it has elec, so no problems there ...

As for the water heater ... couple of things.

I read the Housing Forum quite a bit and the Farm only has the low pressure town water and it appears not strong enough to make the electric hot water system to work.

Sure ... I could install a boosting pump ...BUT.

BUT ... I don't want to be the foreigner, coming to their home and implying that how they have lived over the past few decades is sh*it (even if it is).

I want to earn their respect buy toughing it out with them ... with some home comforts that I enjoy ...

endure ... I don't own a kindle, but have a computer ... so enough.

.

When l first came and rented a place there was no hot shower. Just shower off the mains. I installed an electric shower within two days . She loved it.

Hey Transam, a fool and his money are soon parted!...dont you listen to others on here?

[David48]

Guys please ...

Neither my gf, nor the Farm is located in the Issan area.

The reason I asked you guys is that the Farm's location is quite isolated, similar to conditions that I assume you encounter in Issan. If anyone here has the smarts about themselves ... I figured it would the fine folk in Issan ...

There won't be any sort of building as it's my gf's parents Farm and not hers.

The family and I all get on very well.

Her Father is still a little gun shy as he is ex-Navy, but slowly we are winning him over.

Once won over, I am sure he will be my strongest supporter.

These are hard working Farming Folk ... the 'salt of the Earth' style that you can rely and depend upon.

So, when you are thinking about your experience to share ... think more isolated Farm and not isolated village, and that is closer to my situation ...

[transam]

Just read through the comments. Good God , why would anybody want to live like that. It beggers belief but i guess much younger fluff as a partner has lots to do with it. My advise , go take a look for a few weeks. It'll be an experience you'll never forget. Then high tail it to somewhere resembling normality..

Typical wank comment David.

Dont listen to this douche. If your mrs is from the village then get used to it, or be prepared to spend on making the farm house falang or build your own as I did. I built a big 300sq metre place for under 30grand then when my daughters born put it in her name.

What a douche bag this guy telling you to high tail it after a bit. Crap.

A fool and his money are soon parted especially in Issan..

And NOT in farang land ?

[krisb]

Guys please ...

Neither my gf, nor the Farm is located in the Issan area.

The reason I asked you guys is that the Farm's location is quite isolated, similar to conditions that I assume you encounter in Issan. If anyone here has the smarts about themselves ... I figured it would the fine folk in Issan ...

There won't be any sort of building as it's my gf's parents Farm and not hers.

The family and I all get on very well.

Her Father is still a little gun shy as he is ex-Navy, but slowly we are winning him over.

Once won over, I am sure he will be my strongest supporter.

These are hard working Farming Folk ... the 'salt of the Earth' style that you can rely and depend upon.

So, when you are thinking about your experience to share ... think more isolated Farm and not isolated village, and that is closer to my situation ...

Just like Issan

[nanapong]

Just read through the comments. Good God , why would anybody want to live like that. It beggers belief but i guess much younger fluff as a partner has lots to do with it. My advise , go take a look for a few weeks. It'll be an experience you'll never forget. Then high tail it to somewhere resembling normality..

Nice friendly comment.

On second thoughts, it is a thoroughly unpleasant and unnecessary remark.

Maybe he plans on improving things like I did when i moved here, the house has doubled in size, now has a ceiling and a usable bathroom. I enjoyed getting this done / doing it myself and supervising. More improvement on the way. I hope the Op will do this too.

By the way my 'fluff' is 9 years younger than me, I am 64.

Why would you want to go live somewhere and have to start improving things. There's no toilet , just a dirty squat hole with a thousand mosquitos biting his ass. There'll be no A/C , nothing resembling a normal kitchen , absolutely zero hygiene , nobody there who he can talk too including his bit of fluff , crap internet connection , some idiot on a loudspeaker system every morning at an ungodly hour , bordom that will eventually drive him crazy and the list goes on. Lets not forget he'll probably be seen as an ATM but if he starts by saying bog off he might be ok. Most farangs live in Issan because that's where the fluff wants to be They all want to go to their home village to live ,even to hotties whoring it in Walking St. Once you go she's got you exactly where she wants you. Funny how virtually all the villagers want their daughters to go get a farang boyfriend. I guess money has nothing to do with it. If you add up the pros n cons the cons win hands down. You've got to have some constitution to want to live in such shit hole villages in the middle of nowhere. If you like the countryside great , so do i but why don't you go live in your own country if that's what you want instead of something so basic and defunct of anything you'd class as normal. Yes , you're an exception if your fluff is 55yrs old. Personally if i'd been hoodwinked into living there she'd have to be a thai Kelly Brook as horny as a polecat on heat. Even then i'd struggle to last more than a few months.

Well hang out in Pattaya then and tell us how <deleted> fantastic it is then mate.

Are you speaking from experience in your story or not?

I can feel your anger and that's where you lose straight away " mate ". , Is steam coming out your ears. You've just been pussy whipped to live there like many others. Probelm is you won't admit it like many others. Mate ....

[nanapong]

Just read through the comments. Good God , why would anybody want to live like that. It beggers belief but i guess much younger fluff as a partner has lots to do with it. My advise , go take a look for a few weeks. It'll be an experience you'll never forget. Then high tail it to somewhere resembling normality..

Typical wank comment David.

Dont listen to this douche. If your mrs is from the village then get used to it, or be prepared to spend on making the farm house falang or build your own as I did. I built a big 300sq metre place for under 30grand then when my daughters born put it in her name.

What a douche bag this guy telling you to high tail it after a bit. Crap.

A fool and his money are soon parted especially in Issan..

And NOT in farang land ?

Well yes that's true but at least a guy in Farangland has a chance of redeeming something back should things not work out. In Thailand you have zilch chance of getting one satang back. And of course as soon as you've been bled dry your little darling will be off to Pattaya for the next mug who'll fall into the honey trap. Oh yes , to all those who jump on the usual bandwagon of thinking i'm some bitter farang where this has happend to me. I assure you it hasn't and never would. I'm a bit smarter than shoveling money into a property i'll never own.

[Totster]

A fool and his money are soon parted especially in Issan..

And NOT in farang land ?

Well yes that's true but at least a guy in Farangland has a chance of redeeming something back should things not work out. In Thailand you have zilch chance of getting one satang back. And of course as soon as you've been bled dry your little darling will be off to Pattaya for the next mug who'll fall into the honey trap. Oh yes , to all those who jump on the usual bandwagon of thinking i'm some bitter farang where this has happend to me. I assure you it hasn't and never would. I'm a bit smarter than shoveling money into a property i'll never own.

Good for you ! You sound very sensible.

Totster

[metisdead]

Inflammatory and overly derotagory posts and replies have been removed.

[cooked]

Inflammatory and overly derotagory posts and replies have been removed.

I read it and was about to risk being banned with my answer.

[David48]

Inflammatory and overly derotagory posts and replies have been removed.

I read it and was about to risk being banned with my answer.

Mate, nothing is worth getting banned over ...

.

[Monkeypants]

David, having only skipped through this thread mate,

And followed your posts in the farming forum, I kinda get a feel for ya.Ignore the BS that has been posted here.

The good points, as people have already comment on is.

Buy a fridge, and a shower and a sit down flush toilet, total cost around 10-15 thousand baht, depending on the size of the fridge.

If your wallet won't allow it, boil the kettle and add some cold water to a bowl and use a scoop to shower, and Forget the fridge, and toilet,

You will be fine mate,

[KaronSteve]

Two months on the farm gives you a good opportunity to start learning to speak Thai, to appreciate the true country Thai culture and helps you to integrate with them a little.

Your GF's parents may be a little shy to teach you to speak but the younger ones will think it funny especially when you cock it up!

One of my ex's kids, a boy not a bar girl in training, thought it would be funny to teach me some bad and some very bad sayings all was well for him until I spoke a very bad saying to his mum and grand mum.

Patience and powers of observation are very useful as your GF will quickly tire of hearing you ask "What did they say" "What are they doing" etc.

[Totster]

One of my ex's kids, a boy not a bar girl in training

Why even say shit like that ??

totster

Edited November 3, 2012 by metisdead
: Flame removed.

[SlyAnimal]

Utilities:

Hot water shower you can buy for around 4000 Baht, someone can then install it for around 200-300 Baht (or less)

Sit down toilet you have already, try and make sure they have a bum gun (costs around 200-300 Baht to buy in Tesco Lotus & can be easily installed (assuming you have running water).

A bum gun is vastly superior to toilet paper (Then if you want, just use toilet paper to dry yourself afterwards).

Fans minimise the effect of mosquitoes & keep you cool. Although you'll be there during the cool season anyway, so you don't need to worry about the heat so much.

Entertainment wise:

You could install True visions at their house for around 2000 Baht a month, minimum 6 months with install around 1000 Baht or there abouts I think. That'd get you quite a few English TV/movie channels etc.

True move also has 3G coverage to most parts of Isaan now, so you could setup an internet connection via your phone (And share it to a laptop etc) and probably get a decent connection (depending on how far out in the sticks you are of course). Although in some areas (mine apparently being one of them), you need a Samsung Galaxy 3 or an Iphone 4 (or better), in order to connect to it, as it uses a different frequency to normal.

Alternatively, learn Thai/Isaan, you'll find that to be a hugely useful skill while living here. The more you know, the more comfortable and indepent you'll feel, and the more you'll be able to communicate with your family and random locals.

Or try and teach the family some English. It'll be fun, and have lasting benefits. Teaching English in a local school (Prattom would be more fun for you than mattayom) would be an even better idea, particularly as it'd earn you a lot of respect from the local community and help you to meet new people. If you offered to maybe teach just for free while you're here for a month or so, just a couple of hours each day, I think that you'd be well received and really enjoy the experience.

In general, think about what you would like to do when you retire. And that's what you can do while on the farm, some people enjoy walking or cycling or bird watching or working on the farm or setting up chickens/fish farms or starting a business/restaurant at the house. For me, I think I'd struggle if I wasn't also teaching English while I'm here, a retirement lifestyle would just be too boring for me (but then I'm only 30, so am probably in a different situation lol).

Edited November 3, 2012 by SlyAnimal

[sirchai]

David, I don't think you have told us where you will be. I am thinking that after a week or so, you are going to need some English speaking companionship to rescue you for a beer and a good western meal

Good advice to a newbie.

Agreeing with you about the English conversation ... funny but you actually crave it after a while.

My lady speaks conversational English ... but you have to dumb down the grammar (while she's learning) remove all the swear/street words, the puns and innuendos.

Think of it as a camping trip. Only commit to staying two days. If there is a 'resort' with a/c in the area, explain your need to stay there for health reasons. Tell your gal how much you want to take her shopping in the city. Start drinking Lao Kao, urinating in the bushes and talking to others at the same time.

Good advice to a newbie.

I've always likened relatives staying to dead fish ... after 3 days they begin to smell ...

2 days ... surely I'm made of tougher stuff then that ... I think ...

As for Lao Kao ... I've never had it.

Is it a whisky?

How bad is it?

What does it taste like?

... or is it just basically gut rot?

Lao Kao is whiskey, but the worst I ever had.It's so bad that thousands of people die every year because of the deadly stuff.Some provinces have 40 degree whiskey.

People, usually men, drink "Nit Noi" in a little glass almost every 5 minutes. Your Thai speaking skills will improve after many glasses, the hangover together with a strange headache will suggest you to drink some more of that stuff.

Life span of a heavy Lao Kao user is very limited, it produces babies with a brain damage, kills many in road accidents, men rape little girls and don't remember it the next day.

A woman in my wife's village was found dead a few months ago, still holding a bottle of it in her hands, already stiff.

The only good thing about is the tax on it, enabling the strange governmental institutions to buy silly things like tablets.

I'd suggest to help them doing their rice harvest. You'll wake up around 5 am, have some nobody knows what it is breakfast, have a very cold shower, and stay out on the rice fields until 6 pm.

You can walk the buffaloes, watch the superficial soap operas until you fall asleep. After two months doing all that shit, you'll deeply appreciate a hot shower, clean toilet and proper food.

Drinking that stuff for two months on daily basis will make you look 6 years older.Hicks.----

Edited November 3, 2012 by sirchai

[Dancealot]

Snakes I'm used to but we don't have Cobras where I live. Are they different?

Any other cautionary tales with respect to the wildlife?

I made the mistake while handfishing in the village not to take warnings seriously. Maybe it was because of the way they warned me. The villagers spoke with laughter and big smiles:" Be careful of the sting fish! Hahahahaha" So stupid village newbie as i was took that warning a little too light. Always listen to what villagers tell you!

Among st the usual harmless fish there are a few that can sting you and leave poison in you which hurts a lot and for 15 minutes! Ouch, i still remember the pain now!

Same goes for scorpions, dont underestimate that small critter! If you see one close to you move away very very slowly.

[Dancealot]

Snakes I'm used to but we don't have Cobras where I live. Are they different?

The taste the same. Ka preaw snake is very good. The meat is sturdy and more consistent then chicken.

[Dancealot]

Guys please ...

Neither my gf, nor the Farm is located in the Issan area.

The reason I asked you guys is that the Farm's location is quite isolated, similar to conditions that I assume you encounter in Issan. If anyone here has the smarts about themselves ... I figured it would the fine folk in Issan ...

There won't be any sort of building as it's my gf's parents Farm and not hers.

The family and I all get on very well.

Her Father is still a little gun shy as he is ex-Navy, but slowly we are winning him over.

Once won over, I am sure he will be my strongest supporter.

These are hard working Farming Folk ... the 'salt of the Earth' style that you can rely and depend upon.

So, when you are thinking about your experience to share ... think more isolated Farm and not isolated village, and that is closer to my situation ...

A thing to do is if you are willing to do so is helping out at the fields or do odd jobs at the farm. Depending on what they farm you can help out a lot. I planted baby rice plants, ploughed land on the tractor, picked cucumbers, ad fertiliser to the rice fields, planted corn seeds. I did it all by hand in the simiring sun with a longsleave shirt. As a farang you can carry heavy things also for them.

I loved it so much i am getting into farming myself now and plan to go early 2013 2-3 months again to help out the family. I ask no money for my duties of course.

[theblether]

David is going to have an extended holiday on the farm with his lady, he is not going to buy the farm / build a house / invest in some hare brained business scheme......he's going on holiday.

Go open another thread to whine about " My Isaan lady scammed me". It will be a cold day in hell when David get's scammed, he's too tight.

ps. That tip about cutting a hole in a plastic chair was a good one

Edited November 3, 2012 by theblether

[cooked]

David is going to have an extended holiday on the farm with his lady, he is not going to buy the farm / build a house / invest in some hare brained business scheme......he's going on holiday.

Go open another thread to whine about " My Isaan lady scammed me". It will be a cold day in hell when David get's scammed, he's too tight.

ps. That tip about cutting a hole in a plastic chair was a good one

You can buy adapted chairs, ask a hospital. Not comfortable, apparently.

[Dancealot]

What's the problem with squatting. Just repeat practise to flex up those unused muscles.