Water Storage Butts

[Cashboy]

I am in the process of constructing a farm building on the farm.

With roof over hangs it has about 8 metres x 10 metres roof.

It would make sense to me to collect the water from this roof as there is no mains water supply on the farm.

I was intending to install guttering and down pipes into water butts.

I see these concrete water butts for collecting water from roofs every where in Thailand.

I asked the Thai girl where to get these and she tells me that they are more than 20 years old and not available anymore.

Questions:

1) Any one know where to get these concrete water butts and how much they are approximately?

2) What is the alternative solution to collect the roof water?

[redandyellow]

As a Carpenter - I've done lots of construction work in Thailand for my relatives - for free of course.

All the Best in your quest for those water containers.

They are everywhere outside of towns - and I would suspect many of them are as "dry as a popcorn fart."

Heng mak loy khrap

Best Regards

[pigeonjake]

your thai girl isnt telling you the truth,,lol

you can get them in most towns just ask around, not your girl,

at the moment they are 850bht deliverd here in wangnamyen i bought 2 two weeks ago,

if you look on my youtube video i did the other day youll see them,

look on youtube under thaifarmlife dot com and my name is ronald jackson

youll see them there on our farm also just tin to make the water run into them the same as the thais do,

[farmerjo]

To be honest,save your money and put a bore down unless you want to control the run off from your roof.

With that size roof and just one gutter you fill a concrete jar with a inch and a half of rain.

Ok if you want the water for say a pressure cleaner.

As for drinking water you will have to jump inside and clean the algae out couple of times a year,disconnect and reconnect the downpipe at start of rainy season and during the year when ash ends up on your roof from burning.

[billd766]

To be honest,save your money and put a bore down unless you want to control the run off from your roof.

With that size roof and just one gutter you fill a concrete jar with a inch and a half of rain.

Ok if you want the water for say a pressure cleaner.

As for drinking water you will have to jump inside and clean the algae out couple of times a year,disconnect and reconnect the downpipe at start of rainy season and during the year when ash ends up on your roof from burning.

It depends if you live in an area where a borehole is a feasible proposition.

We live on the lower slopes of the hills near Mae Wong national park and around 2 metres down is granite. The drillers came out and told my wife it WAS possible but the cost would be horrendous. Nobody around here has one.

The government water was shut down in January and apart from the odd day or two it still hasn't come back. If we are lucky we can get about 6 cu/mt from the fire engine/water tanker about once a month for free or pay 50 baht per cu/mt from the tessaban more or less when we want.

I have 20 ongs interconnected and 7 more as a back up but they don't last for ever.

There was a thread running about them here.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/807616-does-anyone-know-how-much-water-those-clay-water-jars-hold/

[billd766]

I thought it was my birthday today as the local fire truck turned up and filled 6 of my ongs. Last month my wife went to the big village and asked for water from the Tessaban and signed her name which was added to the great stack waiting for water.

It was free and only cost me 2 cold Leo beers for the driver and his mate.

Cheap at the price and only another month to wait for the next delivery as there are so many villages up here with no water. Up here we have only had government water for a couple of days since late January. Funnily enough the village down the road has no water problems as that is where the Pu Yai Ban lives.

[Cashboy]

your thai girl isnt telling you the truth,,lol

you can get them in most towns just ask around, not your girl,

at the moment they are 850bht deliverd here in wangnamyen i bought 2 two weeks ago,

if you look on my youtube video i did the other day youll see them,

look on youtube under thaifarmlife dot com and my name is ronald jackson

youll see them there on our farm also just tin to make the water run into them the same as the thais do,

Thank you for that information.

I watched the video.

Regarding the "Thai girl not telling the truth"; I think it is more of a case that they don't give a dam. I have never met people like Thai people that actually state they are "too lazy".

It is not surprising that all the big companies (non government monopolies) are foreign owned / managed in Thailand.

Now I am trying to work out the quantity needed to catch rain from a roof area of 8m x 11m.

Do you think 4 ongs x 2,000 ltrs will suffice?

[farmerjo]

Hi Cashboy,

Maybe you could give us some vision of what you plan to do with the farm.

Could have an impact on what you purchase today may not be good for tomorrow.

[Cashboy]

Hi Cashboy,

Maybe you could give us some vision of what you plan to do with the farm.

Could have an impact on what you purchase today may not be good for tomorrow.

To be honest; not really sure as yet.

The reasons:

1) Thai girl has a reasonably good office job in Bangkok by Thai standards (salary 20,000 bt per month).

2) The farm is only 20 rai.

3) Thai girl's parents are old (68, 70 years) and her father seems to just like playing with his chickens and cockerels that don't seem to provide anything.

4) I live in north London, UK and have a one man band small accountancy practice (pretty flexible) and have rental income from renting rooms in the house. This lot gives me at least 200,000 bt per month net so no worries financially.

5) I am making 6 week trips to Thailand two or three times a year currently for holiday and able to continue doing the accounts of clients.

I was looking at buying farm land in Thailand and farming commercially. After reading all the posts in this farming forum (especially CANADA) concluded that I am better off spending time in the UK and earning money there as currently am.

The 20 rai was rented out due to the family having a lack of cash flow.

I tested this by firstly investing in the growing of sugar cane on 7 rai that made a good return (by Thai standards) to pay for the rice growing and harvest plus some cash.

I used the cash to buy a cow and its calf.

As I wanted to do something, I decided to construct a building on the farm to keep my cows and increase the herd over time. The building can always be converted to a house in the long term. The family have a house in the village with enough ground for another large house though.

So I have no need to rush to do anything.

But my objective is to make the farm provide quality food for self sufficiency and pleasure for me.:

1) Keep a few cows for beef (maximum 12); hence the cow shed.

2) Build a hen house and keep maybe 50 chickens for eggs and meat.

3) Grow various vegetables for food for the family (hence looking at a tractor and equipment).

4) Buy more farm land when the prices are realistic (I have farmers wanting to sell but they all want 100,000 bt per rai which is in my opinion fantasy figures).

5) Retirement for me when the west is totally skint.

6) The Thai girl has two children and a child of her brother (abandoned) so hoping that this is all going to be an education and security for them. I have no dependents in life.

[farmerjo]

Have you got someone other than the inlaws to look after this.

Not sure nowdays but years ago you could get someone to look after your cows and they get x amount of calves.

[billd766]

your thai girl isnt telling you the truth,,lol

you can get them in most towns just ask around, not your girl,

at the moment they are 850bht deliverd here in wangnamyen i bought 2 two weeks ago,

if you look on my youtube video i did the other day youll see them,

look on youtube under thaifarmlife dot com and my name is ronald jackson

youll see them there on our farm also just tin to make the water run into them the same as the thais do,

Thank you for that information.

I watched the video.

Regarding the "Thai girl not telling the truth"; I think it is more of a case that they don't give a dam. I have never met people like Thai people that actually state they are "too lazy".

It is not surprising that all the big companies (non government monopolies) are foreign owned / managed in Thailand.

Now I am trying to work out the quantity needed to catch rain from a roof area of 8m x 11m.

Do you think 4 ongs x 2,000 ltrs will suffice?

1 Is there a supply of government water at all to your farm?

2 How many people live there at present and how much water do they use?

Reading down further,

3 Do you have any idea how much water a cow and calf will consume on a daily basis, especially in the hot season.

4 If the Thai girl, her 2 plus another child and her parents are going to live there plus yourself for part of the year depending on the availability of water you would be better off building 2 underground tanks of 10 x 4 by 2 metres giving you around 160,000 litres of water. You may think that is far too much but if your place is anything like here where we have had no government water supply for basically 4 months, just think how much water 7 people use per day for washing, flushing toilets, showering, cooking, washing up etc. 1 toilet flush can use 5 litres of water, a shower perhaps up to 20 litres or more. All this is without any animals at all.

IMHO you can NEVER have too much water, only not enough.

[farmerjo]

Hi Cashboy,

Maybe you could give us some vision of what you plan to do with the farm.

Could have an impact on what you purchase today may not be good for tomorrow.

To be honest; not really sure as yet.

The reasons:

1) Thai girl has a reasonably good office job in Bangkok by Thai standards (salary 20,000 bt per month).

2) The farm is only 20 rai.

3) Thai girl's parents are old (68, 70 years) and her father seems to just like playing with his chickens and cockerels that don't seem to provide anything.

4) I live in north London, UK and have a one man band small accountancy practice (pretty flexible) and have rental income from renting rooms in the house. This lot gives me at least 200,000 bt per month net so no worries financially.

5) I am making 6 week trips to Thailand two or three times a year currently for holiday and able to continue doing the accounts of clients.

I was looking at buying farm land in Thailand and farming commercially. After reading all the posts in this farming forum (especially CANADA) concluded that I am better off spending time in the UK and earning money there as currently am.

The 20 rai was rented out due to the family having a lack of cash flow.

I tested this by firstly investing in the growing of sugar cane on 7 rai that made a good return (by Thai standards) to pay for the rice growing and harvest plus some cash.

I used the cash to buy a cow and its calf.

As I wanted to do something, I decided to construct a building on the farm to keep my cows and increase the herd over time. The building can always be converted to a house in the long term. The family have a house in the village with enough ground for another large house though.

So I have no need to rush to do anything.

But my objective is to make the farm provide quality food for self sufficiency and pleasure for me.:

1) Keep a few cows for beef (maximum 12); hence the cow shed.

2) Build a hen house and keep maybe 50 chickens for eggs and meat.

3) Grow various vegetables for food for the family (hence looking at a tractor and equipment).

4) Buy more farm land when the prices are realistic (I have farmers wanting to sell but they all want 100,000 bt per rai which is in my opinion fantasy figures).

5) Retirement for me when the west is totally skint.

6) The Thai girl has two children and a child of her brother (abandoned) so hoping that this is all going to be an education and security for them. I have no dependents in life.

I think your heart is in the right place encouraging them to look after themselves till you eventually get here full time.

One thing i will say from experience is not to try to change the older members of the family,if the old fella likes his chickens let him be.

If you burden them with a workload it wont turn out right,help them with the basics but leave the rest till your here to manage it.

I only have to go away to work for one week and come home spending the next two fixing it to what is was before i left.

If you could manage it to employee a local for say 9000 baht a month,things will turn but you wont see much profit,but you will move closer to your goal.

[Cashboy]

your thai girl isnt telling you the truth,,lol

you can get them in most towns just ask around, not your girl,

at the moment they are 850bht deliverd here in wangnamyen i bought 2 two weeks ago,

if you look on my youtube video i did the other day youll see them,

look on youtube under thaifarmlife dot com and my name is ronald jackson

youll see them there on our farm also just tin to make the water run into them the same as the thais do,

Thank you for that information.

I watched the video.

Regarding the "Thai girl not telling the truth"; I think it is more of a case that they don't give a dam. I have never met people like Thai people that actually state they are "too lazy".

It is not surprising that all the big companies (non government monopolies) are foreign owned / managed in Thailand.

Now I am trying to work out the quantity needed to catch rain from a roof area of 8m x 11m.

Do you think 4 ongs x 2,000 ltrs will suffice?

1 Is there a supply of government water at all to your farm?

2 How many people live there at present and how much water do they use?

Reading down further,

3 Do you have any idea how much water a cow and calf will consume on a daily basis, especially in the hot season.

4 If the Thai girl, her 2 plus another child and her parents are going to live there plus yourself for part of the year depending on the availability of water you would be better off building 2 underground tanks of 10 x 4 by 2 metres giving you around 160,000 litres of water. You may think that is far too much but if your place is anything like here where we have had no government water supply for basically 4 months, just think how much water 7 people use per day for washing, flushing toilets, showering, cooking, washing up etc. 1 toilet flush can use 5 litres of water, a shower perhaps up to 20 litres or more. All this is without any animals at all.

IMHO you can NEVER have too much water, only not enough.

1. There is no mains water supply to the farm. There are two ponds on the 20 rai and both still have water now in the dry season.

2. No body lives there now. The family have a house in the village (2 kms away). The father stays there at night to make sure the cows are not stolen.

3. I am not a farmer but what I see is: The cows when they are in the shed have a big bowl of water that never goes dry. During the day the cows are in the fields and are taken to the ponds of the farm and other farms to drink. I am surprised how little water they bother to drink when they are left at the ponds.

4. Read No. 2. The Thai girl still lives and works in Bangkok and sends money for family to live also.

A government road was recently made (last month) and runs past the farm. The farm is only 1km from the main A2 Udon Thani to Bangkok main road.

Electric and Water mains is only 750 metres away.

I built the farm building because of the new calf and proposed expansion of the "herd" in the future and also to store farm equipment that I propose to buy in the future including a tractor if I go to live in the village. The longer term project would be to increase the farm from 20 rai to 50 rai to operate it as a self sufficient / sustainable farm for her family.

[farmerjo]

This is my old cow water trough,buried it half way in the ground with a valve and pipe to clean it and worked a treat.

Now its the kids swimming pool,change the water every 3 days with bore water.Holds 1600 litres and avalible at all those plastic tank yards.

[Cashboy]

This is my old cow water trough,buried it half way in the ground with a valve and pipe to clean it and worked a treat.

Now its the kids swimming pool,change the water every 3 days with bore water.Holds 1600 litres and avalible at all those plastic tank yards.C360_2015-05-09-11-18-16-541.jpg

The bowl that we use is much smaller (25% of that) but change every day.

How many cows do you have with a bowl that size?

It is my intention to try and put water bore holes in the farm later. But I don't see any other farms with them that in the west would mean they are not viable/physically possible. But looking at the Thai mentality, as soon as one would put a borehole in, everyone would copy. I say that from seeing businesses in Thailand. Some Thai family starts a car lot and within a few months other starts a car lot next to it with no basic perception that they are likely to sell less than 50% of the cars of the first and the profit lower due to competiton. Thais seem nice natured people but surely they are not that ignorant?

[farmerjo]

This is my old cow water trough,buried it half way in the ground with a valve and pipe to clean it and worked a treat.

Now its the kids swimming pool,change the water every 3 days with bore water.Holds 1600 litres and avalible at all those plastic tank yards.C360_2015-05-09-11-18-16-541.jpg

The bowl that we use is much smaller (25% of that) but change every day.

How many cows do you have with a bowl that size?

Back then we had 35.

[Cashboy]

This is my old cow water trough,buried it half way in the ground with a valve and pipe to clean it and worked a treat.

Now its the kids swimming pool,change the water every 3 days with bore water.Holds 1600 litres and avalible at all those plastic tank yards.C360_2015-05-09-11-18-16-541.jpg

The bowl that we use is much smaller (25% of that) but change every day.

How many cows do you have with a bowl that size?

Back then we had 35.

Can I ask you the reason that you have reduced your herd?

I ask because I have read that the price of beef is high.

[farmerjo]

This is my old cow water trough,buried it half way in the ground with a valve and pipe to clean it and worked a treat.

Now its the kids swimming pool,change the water every 3 days with bore water.Holds 1600 litres and avalible at all those plastic tank yards.C360_2015-05-09-11-18-16-541.jpg

The bowl that we use is much smaller (25% of that) but change every day.

How many cows do you have with a bowl that size?

Back then we had 35.

Can I ask you the reason that you have reduced your herd?

I ask because I have read that the price of beef is high.

Animals here are a seven days a week proposition.

I couldn't get the management of cash flow right with cows,when i went to market to sell a cow,most of the buyers were onward sellers,buy at one market then take to another one a couple of days later so they only paid what they thought they could make abit on them if that makes sense.

No scales at market so there was no getting paid per kilo.

I never had problems selling what i took but it was always a buyers market not a sellers market.

I do miss them.

[Cashboy]

I think your heart is in the right place encouraging them to look after themselves till you eventually get here full time.

One thing i will say from experience is not to try to change the older members of the family,if the old fella likes his chickens let him be.

If you burden them with a workload it wont turn out right,help them with the basics but leave the rest till your here to manage it.

I only have to go away to work for one week and come home spending the next two fixing it to what is was before i left.

If you could manage it to employee a local for say 9000 baht a month,things will turn but you wont see much profit,but you will move closer to your goal.

Farmerjo:

I came from a very modest family.

I had nothing and everything I have, I worked hard for.

I am prepared to help people get on in life ( nobody helped me) but I don't throw my money around (often called "skimpy" in jest by Thai girl).

Everything I have done so far (not much) on the farm has been for the longer term, just like I did for myself personally whether it was education or buying something, I always did and do the research.

The old fella can keep his pointless chickens for sure. Yes, there seems no point in trying to change the attitude of these people because they just don't grasp that you are trying to help them on in life and they can only gain from it. I just find it frustrating that one does the research and you tell them exactly how to do something or what to buy with my money and they please themselves.

It is not viable to pay anybody to manage the farm. I concluded that it is better to leave things as it is until I am there. i.e. throw a few thousand bart (about 12,000 bt per annum) into paying for contract tractors plowing and chemicals for growing the rice and sugar cane. That provides that family with jasmin and sticky rice to feed the family and the excess can be sold. The sugar cane is sold in the ground and brings them an income.

I will leave it at that and get the farm gradually ready if I decide to take it on and do things my way.

[Robert24]

This is my old cow water trough,buried it half way in the ground with a valve and pipe to clean it and worked a treat.

Now its the kids swimming pool,change the water every 3 days with bore water.Holds 1600 litres and avalible at all those plastic tank yards.C360_2015-05-09-11-18-16-541.jpg

The bowl that we use is much smaller (25% of that) but change every day.

How many cows do you have with a bowl that size?

It is my intention to try and put water bore holes in the farm later. But I don't see any other farms with them that in the west would mean they are not viable/physically possible. But looking at the Thai mentality, as soon as one would put a borehole in, everyone would copy. I say that from seeing businesses in Thailand. Some Thai family starts a car lot and within a few months other starts a car lot next to it with no basic perception that they are likely to sell less than 50% of the cars of the first and the profit lower due to competiton. Thais seem nice natured people but surely they are not that ignorant?

Agree with you about copying behaviour. But if you can pump ground water, that is by far the easiest option. For the tanks, you can either buy the plastic or cement tanks. Both are being sold. For my farm, I have 3 1500 ltr plastic tanks and I pump ground water to fill them up. Very easy.

[Cashboy]

Agree with you about copying behaviour. But if you can pump ground water, that is by far the easiest option. For the tanks, you can either buy the plastic or cement tanks. Both are being sold. For my farm, I have 3 1500 ltr plastic tanks and I pump ground water to fill them up. Very easy.

Actually, just experienced the "copying behaviour" 20 minutes ago.

Her family said they needed a water pump.

See my post http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/823647-water-pumps/

I did all the research and concluded the best long term investment (quality and spares availablity) was the Honda WB30. You can get for about 8,500 bt.

Now her father has seen ("next door farm neighbour") a combined pump and generator for 7,500 bt. He has no idea of the make or its capability but wants that. You see what I mean?

I have seen how he treats my Honda Wave 110cc motorbike ( I bought second hand, one year old last year).

He will never check the oil or chain tension or anything. Thai people just appear to use anything until it comes to a total grinding halt.

Every time I arrive (two times a year), the tyres need inflating. Even that is too much for them.

I automatically change the oil every year (it is doing 2500 kms per year) and have it serviced at Honda with genuine Honda parts because I have learned that I do not need problems.

The reason that the family suddenly needs a generator/water-pump is because I gave the mother 110,000 bt in total to build the farm building.

The building has come to under 90,000 bt and I calculate there is 26,000 bt left. I was hoping that they would keep this money for me for my next project.

However, like most people, they assume this money is available for them to spend. Also as they have not had to earn this money they don't research before blowing it.

This has now basically cheesed me off and no more expenditure until I am there.

To us farang , it might not seem a lot of money, but to me it is the principles and respect for other people's money.

People (western, not just Thai) just don't seem to look at the long term; just crap for today.

That is my rant for today!

[pigeonjake]

Agree with you about copying behaviour. But if you can pump ground water, that is by far the easiest option. For the tanks, you can either buy the plastic or cement tanks. Both are being sold. For my farm, I have 3 1500 ltr plastic tanks and I pump ground water to fill them up. Very easy.

Actually, just experienced the "copying behaviour" 20 minutes ago.

Her family said they needed a water pump.

See my post http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/823647-water-pumps/

I did all the research and concluded the best long term investment (quality and spares availablity) was the Honda WB30. You can get for about 8,500 bt.

Now her father has seen ("next door farm neighbour") a combined pump and generator for 7,500 bt. He has no idea of the make or its capability but wants that. You see what I mean?

I have seen how he treats my Honda Wave 110cc motorbike ( I bought second hand, one year old last year).

He will never check the oil or chain tension or anything. Thai people just appear to use anything until it comes to a total grinding halt.

Every time I arrive (two times a year), the tyres need inflating. Even that is too much for them.

I automatically change the oil every year (it is doing 2500 kms per year) and have it serviced at Honda with genuine Honda parts because I have learned that I do not need problems.

The reason that the family suddenly needs a generator/water-pump is because I gave the mother 110,000 bt in total to build the farm building.

The building has come to under 90,000 bt and I calculate there is 26,000 bt left. I was hoping that they would keep this money for me for my next project.

However, like most people, they assume this money is available for them to spend. Also as they have not had to earn this money they don't research before blowing it.

This has now basically cheesed me off and no more expenditure until I am there.

To us farang , it might not seem a lot of money, but to me it is the principles and respect for other people's money.

People (western, not just Thai) just don't seem to look at the long term; just crap for today.

That is my rant for today!

keep YOUR money in YOUR pocket till you get there,, and please be carefull,

i once bought a brand new chain saw,, one of the family saw it, wasnt long before he came to borowit, i lent it to him 3 days later he brought it back f£cked,

i said to my wife well that wasnt a very expencive lesson to learn, now you can tell all the family that nother ever gets borrowed from here again, so it turned out ok in the end,

ive got a new chain saw, and the old one still sit in my barn as a reminder to never lend tools or equipment to family, or anyone else for that matter,,lol

i work hard for my money and so does my wife, she is thinking more like a westener now, she has seen me go offshore when she knows i dont want to leave her and my children and have had tears in my eyes,

so she now thinks if family want something go to work for it like jake does and she has told her father more then once,

you have seen our web site and you tube videos and what we are trying to do here, we have done it all on our own, no help from her family, thats how i like it,

if i want something done i cant do i pay some one to come and do it,

take care, and good luck with what YOU decide to do with your farm

jake

[Cashboy]

keep YOUR money in YOUR pocket till you get there,, and please be carefull,

i once bought a brand new chain saw,, one of the family saw it, wasnt long before he came to borowit, i lent it to him 3 days later he brought it back f£cked,

i said to my wife well that wasnt a very expencive lesson to learn, now you can tell all the family that nother ever gets borrowed from here again, so it turned out ok in the end,

ive got a new chain saw, and the old one still sit in my barn as a reminder to never lend tools or equipment to family, or anyone else for that matter,,lol

i work hard for my money and so does my wife, she is thinking more like a westener now, she has seen me go offshore when she knows i dont want to leave her and my children and have had tears in my eyes,

so she now thinks if family want something go to work for it like jake does and she has told her father more then once,

you have seen our web site and you tube videos and what we are trying to do here, we have done it all on our own, no help from her family, thats how i like it,

if i want something done i cant do i pay some one to come and do it,

take care, and good luck with what YOU decide to do with your farm

jake

Thank you for the advice.

At least your Thai wife seems to take what you say as gospel. My Thai girl friend used to believe what I say but recently seems to think my objections are trivial.

The thing is I actually don't need anyone in my life. I was put off marriage as a child. My parents always had huge rows (physical violence etc) and that put me off any idea of a serious committed relationship. This was verified later as an accountant having seen so many clients go skint and get totally depressed from their marriages.

I have no dependents and thought helping someone and their family would be satisfying. With the attitude, I am having second thoughts.

It doesn't seem to be any different than western women in the UK except there aren't the state benefit handouts but their attitude and appreciation and respect is just as bad.

Oops: A bit off the farming topic.

[pigeonjake]

i was adopted at 13 months old,,

but believe me you can find love here, i didnt think i would be,,, i did, and i dont mind admiting it,

just be carefull, i know your not daft and im not saying your not street wise,

but some of these girls tell a very good story,

well off the farming track, but we are all here to help each other,

jake

[billd766]

I have been married for 16 years this time around to my Thai wife.

In my early days I earned money and spent it and I used to give her 20k a month to do what she wanted with and I know she helped her family. Over the years we have still helped her family out as equally they have helped us out too and both sides still do even tough now I am retired my income is less.

We built the house up here 11 years ago and a small house for the time her parents coudn't cope in BKK any more. Now her Mum lives with us and her Dad is still in BKK.

Sometimes in a marriage you get lucky and sometimes you don't and it doesn't matter overmuch which country it is.

My parents were married for 36 years when my Dad died. My first marriage lasted 21 years and broke up because of me and not my wife.

This one seems to be going reasonably well after 16 years and hopefully it will carry on until one of us dies.

Life is simply a lottery and if you get a winning ticket you are happy, if you lose you can always try again.

[Cashboy]

your thai girl isnt telling you the truth,,lol

you can get them in most towns just ask around, not your girl,

at the moment they are 850bht deliverd here in wangnamyen i bought 2 two weeks ago,

if you look on my youtube video i did the other day youll see them,

look on youtube under thaifarmlife dot com and my name is ronald jackson

youll see them there on our farm also just tin to make the water run into them the same as the thais do,

As I had trouble finding the link tI thought I would put the YouTube link on here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t49vwsI4SYs#t=55

By the way, the Thai girl is claiming they are not available in Udon province and that someone will sell a couple at 2,000 bt each.

I said it might be a good little business buying twenty at a time from a manufacturer and selling them in Udon Thani ...................lol

[chenposeb]

I just asked the missus, and she reckons they are for sale around here(we are based in Nong Khai) just not that popular any more.

Is there a reason why you want the clay ones over the plastic ones? MegaHome does the plastic ones and they are clay coloured so not that horrible bright blue or green. Also apparently the newer ones are made from cement rather than clay now.

As far as the farm situation goes, just have patience. Thai people have their own way of doing things, and from time to time I feel like I am banging my head against a brick wall sometimes, even when I show them the proof of why something will work. I have learnt to take a more 'mai ben rai' attitude to the whole thing now. Just better not to expect anything other than the occasional misunderstanding that will make your life more difficult.

Keep your sense of humour at all times. Life in Udon is a lot more different than London mate. It normally takes me about 4 weeks of being there to appreciate it. Then I come back to London and have to get used to it all over again next time. My advice would be to move out there as soon as possible and supervise/do it all yourself.

Good luck.

[BSJ]

There's a truck that comes passed the house in the village every month with ongs. The wife thinks they are 900baht for the 1500L size.

But for better or worse I got a local guy to build some tanks with concrete rings. Their been finished for a while so I have been thinking it's time for some pipes!

You never know, it may rain soon!

I had a verandah added to the West side as the sun was unbearalbe in the shed in the arvo...with the door up or down!

[farmerjo]

There's a truck that comes passed the house in the village every month with ongs. The wife thinks they are 900baht for the 1500L size.

But for better or worse I got a local guy to build some tanks with concrete rings. Their been finished for a while so I have been thinking it's time for some pipes!

You never know, it may rain soon!

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I had a verandah added to the West side as the sun was unbearalbe in the shed in the arvo...with the door up or down!

Looking good BSJ,

Have you lined the inside with a bituminus sealer or just left them cement.

[BSJ]

Hi Farmerjo, Left em cement. There's a special waterproofing you can buy that's not bitumen...but the Thai guys didn't think it was needed. They said they would stop leaking after a month or 2....but they haven't received any rainwater as yet.

I said "You never know, it may rain soon!"