Country Living

[hiro]

Here is another attempt at giving some input to the Krabi Forum after all I live 80ks away from Krabi which is the closest to civilization I can get.

Two days ago my wife brought 8 chickens and the mother hen from her parents home as the white dog there had a desire to eat small chickens when hungry. Not surprising really as I am sure he was not fed too well most of the time. The chickens were only a day old and put with the others for the night. Sitting out on the terrace sipping my drink I hear a comotion and alerted the wife to go and look in the fowl pen. Sure as hel_l the ants had taken to the little chickens and killed two of them already. We took the mother hen and the other 6 for a good clean up and freed them of all the ants. Then they where put into the bathroom for the night. Glad to say now everything is well and they raom around in the pen again.

But that is not the actuall story I want to tell. Thai rubber farmers employ Burmese migrants to tap and process the rubber. They work on a commission basis, many of them are illigally employed.

But that is a whole subject on its own. Anyway the MIL has Burmese workers as well for the job. She had told them that the white dog is naughty and she does not like him anymore.

Guess what ? The next day he was gone ...... first cooked and then grilled by the Burmese and some of his pals.

By the way Burmese make good money tapping rubber by Thai standards.

[nakhonsi sean]

Hi Hiro

I live in Nakhon but the wife comes from Lam Tap, Krabi. Not sure if thats far from you?

Went last week for a ceramony for our new born, lived out in the wilds for 4 days, brilliant! Even got to slaughter a pig for the feast!

I'm looking at some land for sale next to her families plantation, thinking of rubber and palm. Any suggestions from experience? Would like to move there in a few years, far more peacefull and calm than Nakhon.

[hiro]

Hi Hiro

I live in Nakhon but the wife comes from Lam Tap, Krabi. Not sure if thats far from you?

Went last week for a ceramony for our new born, lived out in the wilds for 4 days, brilliant! Even got to slaughter a pig for the feast!

I'm looking at some land for sale next to her families plantation, thinking of rubber and palm. Any suggestions from experience? Would like to move there in a few years, far more peacefull and calm than Nakhon.

We pass Lam Tap on our way to Krabi but it is about 80 ks from here.

What I can offer is to tell you about our piece of land to give you some idea.

The land belonged to the neighbour who could not afford to repay the bank after the rubber trees were cut down and the wood sold, i.e. lack of income from the land for a period of about 7 years.

The offer came through word of mouth as the wifes parents and other family live in the area. I never got involved in any negotiations for the obvious reason - price goes up.

The land is next to a secondary road, i.e. dirt road to the main road for about 1km, has no municipal water connection as yet (could get from the neighbour by laying pipes myself) which determines the price as well. We have plenty of water on the land though and had a pond dug for the geese and ducks plus as a well for the shower and kitchen water etc.

The land has full title deed (chanot) which has an influence on the price too. Cost was 50.000 Baht per rai. To dig a well, a pond, to clear the land and plant rubber trees yourself and see it all grow within a year is great fun and not expensive. We have 9 rai only small enough to work the plot ourselves, most recent addition was a brush cutter which the wife took into action this morning for an hour. I do not like poison tho be put on the land as most do to keep the weeds under control as the stuff will run into the pond and kill the fish which I have put in.

I hope this will help you a bit and if you have any specific questions you can PM me too.

[timber]

There is lot of information on growing rubber and oil palm on different forums or just do a search. I agree with not using pesticides. If you have young children or babies never too sure where it will go on the food chain. My wife's father used pesticides on her planation and then her and her sister picked some chilli off it a few months later and I told her that there can be unforseen problems with the chilli. For 9 rai that is not a lot of money and then when it closes in not a problem.