Becoming a farmer in Thailand...

[djayz]

Considering that " farming and agriculture" are on the list of restricted occupations here in Thailand I don't think that career is viable for a farang

Even if you could get away with "hobby" farming I am sure that if you were even the least bit successful your farmer neighbors would rat you out in a heart beat

The OP also forgot to mention his visa status !

my wifes got a pig farm and im seen there many many times, we make good money and no one has rated on us,,

ours must be a nice village eh

jake

I've done a few odd jobs around my gf's village and people don't even look at me... so I really can't imagine anybody ratting on me for watering the plants or throwing the chickens a handful of feed.

[djayz]

4 rai of land.

Many Thai Farmers have 4 rai of land or less. They belong to the second poorest people in Thailand. Now, Farang comes along and wants to do better !

And (quote) "but she isn't living up to my expectations." Before something get's off the ground, OP is already crying out for a good lawyer!

No further comment needed.

Cheers.

1. I never said I wanted to do "better". Please go back and read my original text.

2. I'm not "crying out" for a lawyer, I simply want to be sure of the legal situation and have all documents in place before I pay.There's nothing wrong with looking for "advice", legal or otherwise.

Go back to your beer bar and finish your beer.

[djayz]

You...my man...are setting yourself up...for some potential big disappointments...good luck!

Thanks for the advice... but I'd rather fail trying than never try at all.

[djayz]

You...my man...are setting yourself up...for some potential big disappointments...good luck!

We bought rice land for 500k a rai....whats your problem ?

Land available at 500 baht or 1,000 baht per year for lease, why would anyone even consider lashing out at least 500k for land they cant own?

Paddy land producing 2000 baht per rai per year profit and mugs are buying it for upwards of a million baht per rai in some areas.

4 rai at 1,000 per rai per year = equals 4000 baht per year, get it on a 30 year lease thats 120,000 baht, and you intend shelling out 500k, un effin believable.

Sorry the numbers just dont add up.

We bought rice land for 500k a rai...whats your problem ?

Was that for farming purpose?

Should you even make 10k/rai/yr profit, that is considered quite high from farming....that would be a mere 50 yrs to return your investment.

But wait!

OP wants to expand from the proceeds!

Do you like to suggest even 500k a rai farmland is great investment for him to do that?

Opposite from us, mid of nowhere in Chaiyaphum province, dirt road access, no water, but electricity in front, the neighbor decided to sell his land, 100k a rai, thai price.

2 yrs ago ppl talk about 50k here.

Would i be interested to buy for such to grow once a year rice crop or sugar, and expect to make enough to expand before i die? ( mind you i am 38!) No, I wouldnt!

I wish to add to our 12 rai, but I just cant justify it for that price, and seeing how much we can make on our land. Numbers dont add up, not to buy for 100k a rai.

Once again, I am sure your 500k a rai isnt bought to use as rice land and make high return on it as such!

Not everything in life is about "return on investment".

Do you know/understand the meaning of the word "home"?

I'm just happy I found a place where I feel "at home"... and I haven't once thought about my "return on investment". Instead, I just think of being outside in the fresh air all day, being my own boss, working for myself, enjoying the fresh fruit/vegetables, eggs, etc. and my cold bottle of beer at the end of a long and rewarding (emotionally speaking that is, not necessarily financially) day. It's something I can pass on to my children, if I ever have any that is.

[djayz]

Where can I take the soil in Korat/Buriram to have it tested? What is this called in Thai?

[deepcell]

Not everything in life is about "return on investment".

Do you know/understand the meaning of the word "home"?

I'm just happy I found a place where I feel "at home"... and I haven't once thought about my "return on investment". Instead, I just think of being outside in the fresh air all day, being my own boss, working for myself, enjoying the fresh fruit/vegetables, eggs, etc. and my cold bottle of beer at the end of a long and rewarding (emotionally speaking that is, not necessarily financially) day. It's something I can pass on to my children, if I ever have any that is.

Yeah! that's the spirit, I'm with you. It is all about "home". Who give a shit about the ROI when the subject is happiness?

Go for it! I'll be doing the same in a few years.

[deepcell]

Where can I take the soil in Korat/Buriram to have it tested? What is this called in Thai?

You can ask this question at the department of agriculture, go to see the office in your province and ask questions there, I supposed they are there to help people with questions. If you do not speak/undestand thai language, ask to your wife/gfd a hand. For sure they will have a farm's bochure to give you, there must contain soil type, etecetera.... another option is asking your neighbors, looking around what they plant and what is common in your region.. just do not try to plant kiwi in a desert land, cause it will not successed..

http://www.doa.go.th/en/?page_id=64

[pigeonjake]

^^^^^, yes best of luck to them, they usually smell of success.

These days I prefer to keep my property speculation limited to London and the Land Of Oz.

Nothing against the land of the Thai, I prefer to actually keep things in my name, somehow I sleep easier in my bed at night, dont need to worry if Little Lek is going to rip me off or not.

Best of luck to you, go for it.

our 2 rai farm is also our home,

you can go to london and oz, im pleased for you,

our farm makes 30,000 profit a month,(you can see our farm on the farm photos thread) and me the wife and out daughter,

its our home, makes good money,

but the plus is i still work,

and if i wanted to go throwing money about and come on here saying ive got investments here and there i could

but do you what,,,,,, im happiest on our farm,,,

and i really dont know were some of you think that the thai next door will rat on you,

its not quite like that in the village,,,

jake,,

very happy pig farmer, ducks and chickens,, sorry forgot the fruit trees and veg,,,lol bloody hell pigeons and budgies too,,

[rice555]

Hello All, there was a couple of threads at one time here

about soil testing, I've always done my own basic NPK

and pH.

Kaset<sp> Uni in BKK sells kits and does soil and water

testing also.

rice555

[tingtong]

Not everything in life is about "return on investment".

Do you know/understand the meaning of the word "home"?

I'm just happy I found a place where I feel "at home"... and I haven't once thought about my "return on investment". Instead, I just think of being outside in the fresh air all day, being my own boss, working for myself, enjoying the fresh fruit/vegetables, eggs, etc. and my cold bottle of beer at the end of a long and rewarding (emotionally speaking that is, not necessarily financially) day. It's something I can pass on to my children, if I ever have any that is.

Yeah! that's the spirit, I'm with you. It is all about "home". Who give a shit about the ROI when the subject is happiness?

Go for it! I'll be doing the same in a few years.

The OP?

Accourding to his original post, but surely circumstances changed since?

"The main idea behind this is 1) start off small, 2) a full-time hobby/job for me which will pay for itself and 3) eventually generate enough work/income to purchase more land. "

There is some difference between a home with hobby garden vs. a farm generating income to purchase more land.

No one is against happiness here!

[NeverSure]

I grew up on a large (10,000 rai, 4,000 acre) wheat and cattle ranch in the Western US. I have been very curious as to whether it might really pay to run a beef finishing operation in Thailand. I can't find good beef that's grown in Thailand, and the imported good beef is very expensive. I realize that some of the problem is the breed, but it still couldn't hurt to finish them properly, could it?

The land could be leased, but the big issue would be the refrigerated cooling room which would have to be so well built and regulated that it would stay right at 2 degrees C, give or take only 1 degree. Any warmer and the meat would spoil, and any colder and the meat would freeze and the curing action would stop.

You could run a pretty good operation on 4 rai. The cattle are bought at 1 year old, penned in so they won't exercise and burn fuel but rather get soft and fat muscles. Then they are fed corn, wheat and molasses for 3 months and they are ready to kill, clean, skin and hang.

Immediately upon hanging, they are put it the cold room for 3 weeks. The first week is imperative to get rigor mortis to pass. The next 2 weeks enzymes in the meat will work on it and further tenderize it. Then the carcass is butchered into the cuts you want, wrapped and frozen to be delivered to high end hotels and restaurants. Even the hamburger is good for gourmet burgers.

I believe you could sell all you could produce in Korat.

I just lack too much knowledge of Thailand to do an accurate business plan. I don't know what costs would be so I just think about it once in a while.

Isn't the "Chockchai Farm in Korat a very good example for a decent steak?

I don't know. I haven't been there. The Thai beef I've bought in stores gave me the impression that it wasn't allowed to pass rigor mortis at the correct temperature. If it is killed one day, and eaten any of the next few days, it simply isn't going to be good regardless of breed. It's going to be tough and stringy.

If it's killed and immediately frozen, it will still be tough when thawed and cooked.

I think if you had customers like hotels and high end restaurants that could depend on your product, you soon wouldn't have to market your product any longer.

I just don't know what it would cost to set up and run.

[thaiguzzi]

Considering that " farming and agriculture" are on the list of restricted occupations here in Thailand I don't think that career is viable for a farang

Even if you could get away with "hobby" farming I am sure that if you were even the least bit successful your farmer neighbors would rat you out in a heart beat

The OP also forgot to mention his visa status !

Disagree.

Immigration and the local Plod are not the remotest bit interested in a Felang working on his house or his farm. 10 years of doing ALL the tractor driving on my 64 rai plantation confirm this. Allegedly NK immigration even have photos of me driving my old Ford tractor - they think it's hilarious. Plod give me a big wave on the tractor, even bigger waves driving the E Ten into town. Neighbours even ask for the odd bit of advice, as my trees are superior to all the locals.

Don't worry - chill, enjoy and get on with your life.

[slapout]

The free range feed avaliable to fatten cattle to butchering size in Thailand is similar to what you find in Mexico, Florida, La, in the central americas, etc,(and they ship their stockers north to the good grass country) its high water content, little food value, and the farm area avaliable for grain/forage for finishing good beef, is hard to find. Throw in growing season, water avaliability, storage, etc and its going to be a difficult row to hoe.

Then add the facilities to butcher, age, cut package and market, and the outlay vs the size of herd needed, land required, has put off several who have entertained the idea.

[thaiguzzi]

# soil kits available from your local good agri-fertilizer store.

# just read some of the typical TV negative posters on here - sheesh, what a sad bunch.

# carry on with your endeavours, sure beats the hell out of condo living in BKK/Pattaya/Hua Hin etc.

[Showbags]

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I grew up on a large (10,000 rai, 4,000 acre) wheat and cattle ranch in the Western US. I have been very curious as to whether it might really pay to run a beef finishing operation in Thailand. I can't find good beef that's grown in Thailand, and the imported good beef is very expensive. I realize that some of the problem is the breed, but it still couldn't hurt to finish them properly, could it?

The land could be leased, but the big issue would be the refrigerated cooling room which would have to be so well built and regulated that it would stay right at 2 degrees C, give or take only 1 degree. Any warmer and the meat would spoil, and any colder and the meat would freeze and the curing action would stop.

You could run a pretty good operation on 4 rai. The cattle are bought at 1 year old, penned in so they won't exercise and burn fuel but rather get soft and fat muscles. Then they are fed corn, wheat and molasses for 3 months and they are ready to kill, clean, skin and hang.

Immediately upon hanging, they are put it the cold room for 3 weeks. The first week is imperative to get rigor mortis to pass. The next 2 weeks enzymes in the meat will work on it and further tenderize it. Then the carcass is butchered into the cuts you want, wrapped and frozen to be delivered to high end hotels and restaurants. Even the hamburger is good for gourmet burgers.

I believe you could sell all you could produce in Korat.

I just lack too much knowledge of Thailand to do an accurate business plan. I don't know what costs would be so I just think about it once in a while.

Isn't the "Chockchai Farm in Korat a very good example for a decent steak?

Absolutely not.....

[pigeonjake]

# soil kits available from your local good agri-fertilizer store.

# just read some of the typical TV negative posters on here - sheesh, what a sad bunch.

# carry on with your endeavours, sure beats the hell out of condo living in BKK/Pattaya/Hua Hin etc.

half the negative posters on here havnt sean thailand,

walk from the condo to bar,

maybe sit on beach,

back to condo, for egg and chip,,

maybe to some girls perents for the day,,

ill stick to farm living thank you,

jake

[JohnDodd]

Dear OP, ignore most of the knowitall advice on this site, they are full of it. The place to take your soil sample is the สถานีพัฒานาที่ดิน am sure there is one near you. Most of what you mention in your post is viable. The price of the land is expensive you are paying, over the odds you are paying.Also the land would be better to manage as one parcel. You could also rent land, much cheaper, but I understand the meaning of Home as you mention I grow veg all the year round here in Mahasarakarm I have 4 ry with my own water suply, also raise fish, chickens and ducks. Wont get rich but very satisfying and fun. Give it a try, dont listen to the Tossers on here. all the best. JD

[swissie]

4 rai of land.

Many Thai Farmers have 4 rai of land or less. They belong to the second poorest people in Thailand. Now, Farang comes along and wants to do better !

And (quote) "but she isn't living up to my expectations." Before something get's off the ground, OP is already crying out for a good lawyer!

No further comment needed.

Cheers.

1. I never said I wanted to do "better". Please go back and read my original text.

2. I'm not "crying out" for a lawyer, I simply want to be sure of the legal situation and have all documents in place before I pay.There's nothing wrong with looking for "advice", legal or otherwise.

Go back to your beer bar and finish your beer.

Your decision to engage in such an endeavor must have it's roots in a beer bar. Nobody in a sober state of mind would even consider it.

Don't forget to click off the lights by leaving for home.

Cheers.

[rgs2001uk]

Dear OP, ignore most of the knowitall advice on this site, they are full of it. The place to take your soil sample is the สถานีพัฒานาที่ดิน am sure there is one near you. Most of what you mention in your post is viable. The price of the land is expensive you are paying, over the odds you are paying.Also the land would be better to manage as one parcel. You could also rent land, much cheaper, but I understand the meaning of Home as you mention I grow veg all the year round here in Mahasarakarm I have 4 ry with my own water suply, also raise fish, chickens and ducks. Wont get rich but very satisfying and fun. Give it a try, dont listen to the Tossers on here. all the best. JD

The price of the land is expensive you are paying, over the odds you are paying

Thank you, obviously written by someone who lives here rather than a 2 week millionaire playing at being a gentleman farmer.

You could also rent land, much cheaper,

Has already been pointed out to the OP, but for some strange reason known only to him he seems to know better.

In fact in his own words,

Not everything in life is about "return on investment".

Great stuff, sooner or later the OP will question how much he is prepared to pour into his investment, sooner or later there will come a cut off point, when it will dawn on him, this isnt sustainable.

A simple excell spreadsheet and what if scenarios are all thats required.

Best of luck to the OP, go for it, nothing ventured nothing gained, please keep us updated.

[Canada]

Just a few words.

Check around at prices of a lot of different pieces of land. Thais will stick it to you if they can. Beware. Get knowledgable about the price of land before you buy anything.

Consider anything that you do buy "not yours" because there is a high probability of it being that way if things go south with you and your gal.

Give up the idea of 4 rai producing enough to live on and enough to purchase more land with the prices that you are quoting. You'll be lucky to survive on 4 rai IMO.

You can do a lot (I do) without interference from authorities. Always keep informed about law and what you can and cannot legally do here. It COULD" come down to that.

I farm here. It is nothing like I thought it would be. Growing shit and selling shit are different animals. If you don't have a market for your product and a way to sell it without getting hosed by someone in the middle, you are just another poor Thai farmer.

If you truly love the land like you say, then do it for love. I'd keep money out of it without a good well thought out plan of how you are going to profit.

I've got a hundred and three rai of planted sugarcane, a tractor, a house, all the irrigation equipment that you would need, in Isaan that I would sell tomorrow if I could. Interested?

[pigeonjake]

Just a few words.

Check around at prices of a lot of different pieces of land. Thais will stick it to you if they can. Beware. Get knowledgable about the price of land before you buy anything.

Consider anything that you do buy "not yours" because there is a high probability of it being that way if things go south with you and your gal.

Give up the idea of 4 rai producing enough to live on and enough to purchase more land with the prices that you are quoting. You'll be lucky to survive on 4 rai IMO.

You can do a lot (I do) without interference from authorities. Always keep informed about law and what you can and cannot legally do here. It COULD" come down to that.

I farm here. It is nothing like I thought it would be. Growing shit and selling shit are different animals. If you don't have a market for your product and a way to sell it without getting hosed by someone in the middle, you are just another poor Thai farmer.

If you truly love the land like you say, then do it for love. I'd keep money out of it without a good well thought out plan of how you are going to profit.

I've got a hundred and three rai of planted sugarcane, a tractor, a house, all the irrigation equipment that you would need, in Isaan that I would sell tomorrow if I could. Intere,,,

4 rai would be plenty for pigs,

we do it on 2, with our house there also,

jake

[tingtong]

Jake,

your house is there...ie. the place guarded in a sense.

your water supply is there.

not to mention that you invested to building, and invested to pigs and feed...not that little bit.

a wife who support you, and whom you trust.

vs. OP

money for 2+2 rai, and about it, hoping to maybe buy some from the profits later.

a girlfriend whom he has little to no trust, see proposed land arrangement.

do you see some difference?

[Canada]

From the op's opening post, I gather (my mistake) that he is not focused on money. He is more focused on the "farming experience". He does come from a farming background, but it seems like the field end of it, and not the office end of it. "a little of this and a little of that" and maybe some of this...and some of ????" doesn't sound like a person focused on earning money or like a good plan on how to make money out of it. If he'd said I am going to farm pigs. And I know how to do that. I'll use 2 rai for pigs and 2 rai for a hobby farm.....hmmm, that sound a little more focused.

I'm not saying that Pigeon Jake cannot earn off his land. I'm just saying that in my estimation, this person is a long ways from that at this point.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a guy with no farming background, 100 rai, a house on a farm now, drive my own tractor, do every job on my farm....because I decided that I wanted to do that. First time i drove a tractor in my life was at the dealer when I bought it. I ploughed and planted 50 rai in my first year. So I am pretty clear about learning curves.

I love my wife and trust her 100 percent. In the beginning we bought land and attached usufructs. Now we don't and we've removed some of the usufructs. This is more than half the battle. If you cannot trust your wife, don't invest in her name. Period. It'll add up to a headache and then some.

Just my opinion, which is what it seemed like the OP was asking for. In answer to his main question....soil testing...hmmm....it's on my list of projects for this year, to figure that one out. But it's been answered already, so thanks.

Good luck to the OP in pursuing the dream.

[somo]

^^^^^, yes best of luck to them, they usually smell of success.

These days I prefer to keep my property speculation limited to London and the Land Of Oz.

Nothing against the land of the Thai, I prefer to actually keep things in my name, somehow I sleep easier in my bed at night, dont need to worry if Little Lek is going to rip me off or not.

Best of luck to you, go for it.

our 2 rai farm is also our home,

you can go to london and oz, im pleased for you,

our farm makes 30,000 profit a month,(you can see our farm on the farm photos thread) and me the wife and out daughter,

its our home, makes good money,

but the plus is i still work,

and if i wanted to go throwing money about and come on here saying ive got investments here and there i could

but do you what,,,,,, im happiest on our farm,,,

and i really dont know were some of you think that the thai next door will rat on you,

its not quite like that in the village,,,

jake,,

very happy pig farmer, ducks and chickens,, sorry forgot the fruit trees and veg,,,lol bloody hell pigeons and budgies too,,

This seems the perfect answer for the OP. Same sort of size, same ideas of what to farm and a proven return.

30k/month from 2 rai is amazing.

From what I have seen from his posts PJ is a friendly sort so hope he doesn't mind if I suggest the OP pm's him with a view to meeting up and learning how it is done. A fantastic opportunity me thinks.

Whatever you decide don't let any neg posters here put you off. I wish you all the best in your endeavours.

[thaiguzzi]

4 rai of land.

Many Thai Farmers have 4 rai of land or less. They belong to the second poorest people in Thailand. Now, Farang comes along and wants to do better !

And (quote) "but she isn't living up to my expectations." Before something get's off the ground, OP is already crying out for a good lawyer!

No further comment needed.

Cheers.

1. I never said I wanted to do "better". Please go back and read my original text.

2. I'm not "crying out" for a lawyer, I simply want to be sure of the legal situation and have all documents in place before I pay.There's nothing wrong with looking for "advice", legal or otherwise.

Go back to your beer bar and finish your beer.

Your decision to engage in such an endeavor must have it's roots in a beer bar. Nobody in a sober state of mind would even consider it.

Don't forget to click off the lights by leaving for home.

Cheers.

Wa#nker.

[RedBullHorn]

If you have water year round, try fish farming. I farm Clarias catfish... 2 rai = ฿500'000+/year.

[Canada]

If you have water year round, try fish farming. I farm Clarias catfish... 2 rai = ฿500'000+/year.

Is that "plah duk" in Thai?

I've seen a lot of your posts over the years about your fish farming. I'm interested. We need to start to diversify. I have one small 5 rai piece with a house that we have a well on, 31/2 rai of cane, a large dog kennel (15x20 metres), which we may convert to a pig sty and about a rai of treed area.

Question. Are you close to a heavily populated area? i.e.. Where do you sell your fish?

Your figure of + 500,000 per year. Is that gross or net? If it is gross, how much is net profit on that figure?

Thank you.

[RedBullHorn]

If you have water year round, try fish farming. I farm Clarias catfish... 2 rai = ฿500'000+/year.

Is that "plah duk" in Thai?

I've seen a lot of your posts over the years about your fish farming. I'm interested. We need to start to diversify. I have one small 5 rai piece with a house that we have a well on, 31/2 rai of cane, a large dog kennel (15x20 metres), which we may convert to a pig sty and about a rai of treed area.

Question. Are you close to a heavily populated area? i.e.. Where do you sell your fish?

Your figure of + 500,000 per year. Is that gross or net? If it is gross, how much is net profit on that figure?

Thank you.

Yes Pla Duk, I'm farming the hybrid species, Pla Duk Big Oui (Chiang Rai) Another species is the Pla Duk Lard Sia.

I sell them to my team of wholesalers network. Like other people, my fishes are distribute to the whole province and nearby provinces.

With the right technique among other things like water year round...minimum 1 thb/fish. I am doing 1.8 - 2.2 thb/fish.

What i quoted are nett not gross.

Sent from my GT-I9190 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited April 24, 2014 by RedBullHorn

[David48]

all of us wish you luck in your adventure.

Yes, there are potholes in that road ... some of us are trying to point them out to you.

I'm heavily involved in the Farm in Thailand ... though I don't own one, I live (currently) at my gf's Parents Farm.

the Farming folk here are a great bunch, happy to pass on their experiences ... especially to newbies.

sometimes these tips are bought together.

Here is one thread you might like to read ...

I’ll kick it off with this …

On a positive note there are the health benefits of a small Farm holding.

The Farm style where you have some space around you, a large vege patch and maybe a pond for some fish and more then one fruit tree.

Surely the heath benefit of living on a ‘Hobby Farm’ outweighs any argument that is put that the ‘Farm’ is profitable.

Hopefully you are exercising more working the small Farm holding, eating your own produce … a general sense of well-being.

Maybe you think … Farm profit …

But you will live to a ripe old age to enjoy the fruits of your labour.


Your story to tell …

.

you can read it from this clickable link ... http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/571599-a-farming-myth/

[David48]

Here is another ...

Over the many years that you have been Farming here, I'm sure there are many

lessons that you could pass on to someone new to Thailand,

or even in more need of guidance ... someone new to Farming and new to Thailand.

For me, if it's not going to be a Hobby Farm on 1/2 a Rai, but a genuine attempt to

create an income producing Farm, not an income consuming Farm, I would suggest

to him to have a Business Plan.

What Tips for Surviving the Early Years would you give them?

Clickable link ... http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/648385-farming-greenhorns-tips-for-surviving-the-early-years/