Isaan Farmers Meeting No 12, Saturday 31st October 2015

[sbf]

The 12th Isaan Farmers Meeting will be hosted in a combined effort by Santisuk and SBF and their respective partners Ann and Pat. The meeting will be held on the border of Amphurs Sirattana and Kantharalak, in Sisaket Province on Saturday 31st October. We are situated on or just off Highway 221, at Ban Santisuk approximately 18km north of Kantharalak and 45km south of Sisaket City.

Lunch will be at SBF's farm from 1pm, followed by a farm tour of our small home block where we have a large flower garden, and some mixed vegetables and fruit tree's. In addition we have a small block of Plukenetia, a fairly new crop to Thailand which produces a valuable oil seed acclaimed for its health giving properties. We also raise some butterflies for sale as a cash crop. Away from the home block we farm around 75 rai in the area, with rice, seed crops and vegetables being our main crops.

If anyone is interested we can do a short tour of one or two of these properties mid- afternoon. We have had two main focus over the last year or so, firstly obtaining and maintaining adequate water supplies to allow us to crop year round on most of our land. To enable this we have built ponds to harvest and store water in the wet season in addition to drilling wells. We are using solar pumps to irrigate a couple of the properties where electricity is not available. Our second main focus has been on improving the soils which we farm, most especially in terms of their mineral content. Soil testing (we use US labs)has shown the soils district-wide to be highly deficient in a range of minerals, so we are trying to correct these deficiencies.

Mid afternoon we will decamp a couple of km to Santisuks house for a pool party (swimming is optional!)* where an evening buffet meal will be available together with beer/refreshments. For the avoidance of doubt, no charge will be made for food during the day but otherwise there will be a charge for any other refreshments beers/usual softies/coffee and tea, price at cost, so no need to bring your own unless you have specific tastes.

Accommodation is available in Phu Noeng on Highway 221, about 2km towards Kantharalak at a local resort Ban Rai Phu Ping which has 10 rooms available. It is newly built and rooms are 400B per night on a first come first served basis. Telephone 0824871894 / 0933711754 / 9819999935 to book direct with the resort (no English language website, the owner speaks a bit of English but perhaps best to get a Thai speaker to phone in the booking). Once full we will post the details of other available resort type accommodation in the area.

There is hotel accommodation available in Khantharalak, pm either of us for details.

We look forward to seeing old friends and new in sunny (unfortunately for this time of year!) Sisaket province. Please let us know if you are definitely coming so we can keep a handle on likely numbers.

Steve and John

*If you are bringing the family with children you are welcome to relax for the whole day at Santis place pool/games TV available.

[SantiSuk]

I have attached a broad locational map showing the location of our 12th Farmers Meeting. I will also post a more detailed map of the locale within the next few days so that you can easily find sbf's farm, my house, Kantharalak (for optional later evening entertainment) and the selected resorts/hotels.

I'm just waiting to get better details for you of 'overflow hotels' should Ban Rai Phu Ping become sold out or in case some would prefer to stay in Kantharalak town. There is another resort that is mostly complete (!) and soft-opened 300m from my front door, but I'm sceptical about recommending it until I can do an internal recce, which was abortive yesterday.

The mini-sala in the centre of Ban Santisuk (the village from which my avatar was borrowed) is the mid point of the day's activities and is marked by a star on the attached map. It is:

• 14.747914, 104.522030 coordinates (google maps)
• On Highway 221 - which runs between Meuangs Sisaket and Kantharalak
• In between village signs on Highway 24 that clearly announce Ban Santisuk
• 9.1 km NW of the junction of Highway 24 and Highway 221. Highway 24 is the main drag through Lower Isaan connecting Ubon eventually to Bangkok
• 19km NNW from Meuang Kantharalak along Highway 221 and 45.5 km SSE from the centre of Meuang Sisaket along Highway 221
• About 85km from Meuang Ubon
• About 200km form Roi Et and 310km from Khon Kaen
• About 150km from Surin (via Highway 24)
  

John & Pat's traditional teak-style two-storey house and farm is 2.6km NNE up the soi that leads away from said sala and Ann's & my place is 1.6km NE along highway 221 towards Meuang Sisaket and is next door to an "OK" convenience store. The more detailed map to follow will give a better idea

PS paragraphing of OP has been requested of a mod. We posted direct from a Word posting by mistake!

Isaan Farmers Meeting Broad Locational Map.docx

[bergen]

Count me in! I'm ready for some catching up........

[nutterz64]

Sounds like a great idea. I will be there with my partner. Looking forward to meeting with other farmers in the region and exchanging ideas.

Cheers

Peter

[WormFarmer]

Count me and my wife in.

[sbf]

It will be good to see you again Bergen and Wormfarmer, and looking forward to meeting you nutterz64.

[cooked]

Is that during the school holidays?

[sbf]

Hi Cooked,

Apparently not but I stand to be corrected on this.

[WormFarmer]

Is that during the school holidays?

If you can get any school to tell you more than about 2 days in advance when term starts or ends then you are doing better than me, in my experience the (government) schools are so disorganised they don't know what they are doing from one day to the next. It also seems that different schools have different start and end dates. However, the odds are that by 31 October schools will be back, or they will be going back very soon thereafter, so anyone taking a holiday whilst school was out should be back by then.

[cooked]

Is that during the school holidays?

If you can get any school to tell you more than about 2 days in advance when term starts or ends then you are doing better than me, in my experience the (government) schools are so disorganised they don't know what they are doing from one day to the next. It also seems that different schools have different start and end dates. However, the odds are that by 31 October schools will be back, or they will be going back very soon thereafter, so anyone taking a holiday whilst school was out should be back by then.

Same here, I thought someone might know. The holidays will most likely start just after the exams, we are considering doing our annual scoot to the islands around then. I will have to reserve my decision until October I'm afraid.

[BSJ]

Would be interested in coming but it depends on the repair shop if I have transport by then! It's been 2 months and their nowhere near finished!

[AA1]

Well done SBF and Santisuk. Thrilled that you are kindly holding Meeting No. 12. Please add Wife and I to your list of acceptances and much looking forward to seeing old (maybe I should say "long standing" rather than "old" !!) friends again. AA1.

[WormFarmer]

Well done SBF and Santisuk. Thrilled that you are kindly holding Meeting No. 12. Please add Wife and I to your list of acceptances and much looking forward to seeing old (maybe I should say "long standing" rather than "old" !!) friends again. AA1.

"Old" is correct!!

[aussieruss]

Hello to you all glade to see its still alive have fun

[Goldie09]

I would like to join too. In the process of starting up in Laos soon if all goes well.

Thanks

[sbf]

Hi a few replies.

Cooked - can confirm for our local schools the two week holiday ends 25th October.

BSJ good luck with that one, there is a bus service that runs regularly from SIsaket to Kantharalak, goes past the front gate so to speak.

AA1 - that's great, it will be good to see you again

Goldie09 yes of course you will be most welcome, will be interested to hear your plans for Laos

[sbf]

Hi All,

Just to say with regards to booking the Guest House Ban Rai Phu Ping, the best number to call is to Ni on 0819999935. If you have any difficulties please call my wife Pat on either 0989583286 or 0982156649 and she will make and confirm the booking for you.

[bergen]

After having been abroad for too long, I am really looking forward to this meeting. I'll try to bring a few others along as well!

[nutterz64]

Me too. Arranged this trip just so I could attend. Really looking forward to it.

[cooked]

I.m afraid I am still 'uncertain'

[SantiSuk]

Directions to Farmer's Meeting and Resort (Plus alternative hotel in Kantharalak)

Here are further and better particulars about the location for the Isaan Farmer's meeting on 31 October.

John ("SBF") and Pacha’s house (morning/lunch) is a traditional teak (Lanna style) double- gabled house 2.6km along a side soi (leading to Ban Tayu) east of highway 221. If you come to an obvious village you have gone about half a km too far!

The junction of that side soi with highway 221 is:

• 45.5km SE down highway 221 from Meuang Sisaket
• 9.1 km NW up highway 221 from the junction of highways 24 and 221
• 17.4 km NW up highway 221 from the main crossroads and City Pillar/Shrine of Meuang Kantharalak

Steve ("Santisuk") and Ann’s house (afternoon/early evening) is a newish bungalow on highway 221 behind banana and mango trees, 1.6km NW of that side soi junction. It is next door to a convenience store that is clearly signed (travelling either way along 221) on a pole as an “OK” Mart. The village sign for Ban Pukham sits in front of our house (visible if travelling SE).

The resort hotel is 1.6km SE of that side soi junction along highway 221. It’s on the east side of 221

Should be clearer if you copy the attached diagram!

If anyone wants to stay in a slightly cheaper hotel in Meuang Kantharalak - a few may want to visit the rather grandly named "entertainment zone"* (bars and a typical Isaan town disco) later in the evening then - this functional/clean/newish mini mansion hotel is 350 to 400 baht a night and is staggering distance from said hostelries:

Sang Villa Hotel

Air-con/TV/Fridge all rooms; 350 (doubles or twin) for cheaper aspect are v good value for an overnighter

Tel: 045 663320

Best to get a Thai speaker to book (or PM me) but they do speak a bit of Thaiglish face to face

Directions - from the main crossroads in Kantharalak (marked by a shining white City Pillar shrine) head due west on the road to Khun Han. The hotel is in the second or third row of new three storey shop-houses on the left hand side - about 200 metres from the junction and opposite some rubber traders' warehouses - outside can be a bit smelly on ocassions!). If you see the back gate of Tesco Lotus you have gone too far. The hotel sign is Thai only (see picture)

Look forward to seeing everybody. Still plenty of room if others want to join in.

*Pattaya this is not!

diagram of location for Isaan Farmers Meeting 31oct15.pdf

And don't forget a swimming costume if you are that way inclined!

[cooked]

GPS coordinates don't seem to have caught up in Thailand yet.

[SantiSuk]

I don't use GPS in my motor (not generally a Luddite, but I am when it comes to maps and geography - like to know everything that's going on around me, not just how to drive from A to .

Sorry about that. Never sure about the reliability of GPS on Google Earth so have not used. Maybe John is better at it.

[WormFarmer]

The junction to sbf house, by the big sala, is 14°45'85"N & 104°31'90"E (approximately) according to my Google Earth

[cooked]

I don't use GPS in my motor (not generally a Luddite, but I am when it comes to maps and geography - like to know everything that's going on around me, not just how to drive from A to .

Sorry about that. Never sure about the reliability of GPS on Google Earth so have not used. Maybe John is better at it.

If you have a smart phone, download GPS fix or whatever it is called for your Android or iPhone, for your current position and send it to yourself per email. Using a GPS guidance relieves a lot of stress and gives you more time to look around you. 'In 2 Kilometres, take the exit' is a lot better than 'where's the bloody map, why is it upside down?'

[bergen]

I don't use GPS in my motor (not generally a Luddite, but I am when it comes to maps and geography - like to know everything that's going on around me, not just how to drive from A to .

Sorry about that. Never sure about the reliability of GPS on Google Earth so have not used. Maybe John is better at it.

If you have a smart phone, download GPS fix or whatever it is called for your Android or iPhone, for your current position and send it to yourself per email. Using a GPS guidance relieves a lot of stress and gives you more time to look around you. 'In 2 Kilometres, take the exit' is a lot better than 'where's the bloody map, why is it upside down?'

And those who have a private chauffeur, can sit in the back seat and sip wine, whisky or whatever..........

Wonder how we've managed so far?

[sbf]

Hi All,

Will post our co-ordinates later this coming weekend, we are away on a short break at the moment.

Looking forward to seeing you all on 31st.

[sbf]

Hi all,

Co-ordinates are N 14 46.203 E 104 31.736 hope that helps.

[cooked]

Yes I can see where you are, easy peasy now. I will be a last minute attendee if I can mangae it, I hope so.

[SantiSuk]

One more atendee John FYI

Franz Baudinger, a Kantharalak local who farms. Austrian, but has been in Thailand for 25 years. I suggested he show up at your place around noon, but in any event before 1pm if he wants some lunch. If that's not best advice let me know.