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^ Hi Joe ,its quite simple really ,if you can live reasonably comfortable with risking your hard earned money in a venture that is "chance orientated" why do it in the first place?and not wishing to pour cold water on your good ladys idea's, but sadly many Issan Thai's are hardly famous for their business acumen ,thats why many are head over heels in debt ,and most Thai ladys in the "entertainment" business in Pattaya etc etc come from this neck of the woods:) .
Why are Thai women so anxious to get their teelaks to go into farming/business? This is my opinion and based on my 9 years of seeing what I see. Firstly farang doesn't want all his finances to be in Thailand. He needs a back up in case things go tits up. Thai wife wants all farangs money in Thailand. In the event of his death there's little chance of her getting her hands on it. Or if she did it would involve a lengthy, costly, procedure to get it. She probably wouldn't have the brains know how to go abut it anyway.
So from dot one she conspires to get those assets here. Farang dies and all goes to her. Basically these rural ladies know fcuk all about farming or what's a good business or not. That doesn't matter because the sole intention is to get the farang to bring his money here and buy land in her name. Example being my wife said to a friend that she thought she'd bought land some land which was way over priced. The friend didn't care as the the land was intended for her 2 Thai children to build their houses on. She farmed it for a few months to make it look as if she was into farming but now rents the land out. Poor stupid farang still thinks his wife farms it and the people on the land are his workers. He regularly, when he's home from his job, drives passed my house to see how things are doing.
My opinion Joesixpack, don't go into business and definitely don't go in to farming.
PS . I'm sorry if I'm off topic.
Good post above Piwanoi. How's things with you these days?
Yeah doing OK Mick ,and thanks for inquiring , your post is of course spot on ,I just cannot understand why a farang who has saved and worked hard all his life to get his nest egg should listen to the advice of an Issan Thai women ,were many have not got a pot to piss in until they met their "White Knight " and then proceed to lecture him on how to hit the Jackpot:rofl: ,could be many are thinking with whats between their legs and not their ears eh ?:)
Would totally agree with the above posts, farming is hard anywhere in the world and harder in a strange land that you don't understand.
Trouble with most newbies is they see it all through rose colored glasses, small investment, no work involved and money rolling in.
My only farang neighbor, 7 km away, makes his living farming here, as I do. Today he is in the fields digging out cassava by hand, it's hard work with little returns.
His choice to take up a different life style and he makes a living, wife, 3 kids, been farming about 12 years, no outside income. Not a life for most westerners, but there are people all over the world who set up in alternative life styles, be it in the rocky mountains, outback Australia or some other forgotten place.
It's not a hobby, you either go for it or stay out and save your money, good years or bad you just need to get on with it.
My advice, if you have a pension, off shore worker etc don't waste your time or money farming or any business, just enjoy the place.
On a different subject for people on the Lao border, has anyone heard of people looking to buy 80 rai of land to build a rubber processing factory.
Bit of a story, but was contacted about someone looking around here, wife was taking to a rubber buyer [big time] from 3 or 400 km north, subject came up. Guy said Muslims were looking up in his area, I take that to mean Malaysians.
Can't find out much more as of yet, rubber buyer was interested in buying our factory, so sounds like there is a big buyer out there looking to set up shop, 80 rai factory is no small enterprise. Jim
You seem to paint an unwarranted brush of standards as it applies to all Farang and Thai alike.....Quote:
Originally Posted by Pragmatic
Best check yourself when applying to generalities.
An easy hole to fall into, especially from those whom lack the variety of experience and exposure - that's how firm stereotypes are born.
Hmm, I take it that you and your Thai partner are in a highly successful and lucrative Rubber farming business venture then?:) and with 16 rice farmers committing suicide here as a result of the rice pledging scheme that appears an even worse choice than rubber .
Correction , should have read 9 Thai rice farmers commit suicide :)The Nation Newspaper: Thailand News,Thai Coup,Thai News Online,Thai Newspaper,Nation News,News in Thailand,aec ,aseanQuote:
Originally Posted by piwanoi
Quote:
Originally Posted by jamescollister
Honest and true, Jim.
Those whom might criticize and judge agriculture/horticulture harshly, usually are from a distant character - with little or no personal and hands on experience.
Unless there is a corporate like disposition and grotesque profit to be made, instead of the everyday connection, it's difficult to comprehend the whys and wherefores.
How are rubber prices holding up in Oregon Jeff?Quote:
Originally Posted by thaimeme
It's the way you tell 'em Jeff.Quote:
Originally Posted by thaimeme
Not quite sure what you are on about, every one must make a profit for their labours /investments to survive, at just what point do you call profit as some how grotesque? ,your lack of an answer which holds more water than a car park puddle is noted :smileylaughing:Quote:
Originally Posted by thaimemeQuote:
Originally Posted by jamescollister
Honest and true, Jim.
Those whom might criticize and judge agriculture/horticulture harshly, usually are from a distant character - with little or no personal and hands on experience.
Unless there is a corporate like disposition and grotesque profit to be made, instead of the everyday connection, it's difficult to comprehend the whys and wherefores.
Fellow from Bangkok just bought up a big piece of land approximately 80 rai near by. I have pictures of it in my "Going Up country Thread." It sits adjacent to a Brokers land and facility for rice, Cassava and corn now. I also spoke to a fellow who is renting 15 rai of this land from the new owner. Pays 1,000 baht per rai for 1 years lease. rumor was that this land will be used for pineapple growing not rubber.Quote:
Originally Posted by jamescollister
Rubber trees are not being cut down here, but they're not being planted either. I suspect the rumor of a Rubber Factory if any truth would be found in Chiang Kong where the Chinese are buying up everything.
As far as I can see Jim there's no value in whats been reported in the news as to the great expansion of import activity in this area...Chiang Rai generally extends north to the Mae Sai border with Mayamar and follows the Mekong down to what is your location in Issan I presume. As well border with Chiang Mai.
No noticeable boom factor here whatsoever and most certainly no foreign investors visible from my perspective. Same as always, now planting rice again...crazy?
I suspect the best way to make money on a business in Thailand would be to build a Wat and become the head Monk...:)
Crazy? with a world wide glut of rice and a falling market ,?hmm:) As stated previously Issan/Northern Thai's are hardly noted for their business acumen ,maybe that's why the Chinese Thai's run the Country lock stock and barrel ,and the promise of a few short term non sustainable baubles ensures that they rule for another 4 years , and as the old adage goes ,"the working man is his own worst enemy" maybe this Country after more coups than any other, is best ruled by a non elected dictator .Quote:
Originally Posted by ltnt
Some points;
#Muslims buying up land in Isaan -may not be Malays, but Deep South Thais with money who are fed up with the violence down there. Happened up here in Udon 3 years ago when prices were still good.
# You cannot generalise. I know some very rich Isaan people who have zero Chinese ancestors. They have plenty of business acumen, worked hard for what they have and still do.
# Plenty of Isaan women i know work hard in their business ventures, be it farming or whatever.
# Rural women "brought up on the farm" know plenty about farming, a shit load more than some posters on here. Some even read the internet FFS for new ideas and procedures.
# Just because you've witnessed some lazy money grabbers, and for sure they do exist, don't judge all the books by the same covers.
# The mistakes are made when newbies invest in things without prior checking the wife and family's working habits out, ie, are they workers, and interested in bettering themselves for themselves through hard work and devotion, or are they lazy, expect everything on a plate and can't be arsed. Big difference.
# You can often tell the ones who show off the new "Felang Wealth" with the big new house, new SUV, shit loads of gold worn in public, and still wear bar girl type clothes. Even become snobs! As my missus says, they have forgotten their roots and where they came from. "New person, not same person".
Thing that made me think Malaysian, was the inquiry was from a Thai/farang agency.Quote:
Originally Posted by thaiguzzi
Don't matter really if the price is right I'll take anyone's money, of course the agent won't tell who he's working for. Only that he/they wanted 80 rai of charnote land to build a factory.
My wife says, when the Thai girls first words are how rich their farang husband is, shes not interested in talking to them.
Oh what a surprise :rofl:B84m of cassava missing | Bangkok Post: multimedia
How's that first hand experience working for ya??Quote:
Originally Posted by piwanoi
:)
Cassava is sold on the free market, farmers get paid by the buyers on the spot.Quote:
Originally Posted by piwanoi
Nothing really to do with the cassava farmers, someone stole it, works out to about 200 truck loads.
...applies to many aggie products [cash paid].Quote:
Originally Posted by jamescollisterCassava is sold on the free market, farmers get paid by the buyers on the spot.Quote:
Originally Posted by piwanoi
'Tis the reason why numerous farmers are going this route.
Very volatile markets today, how can anyone make contracts in cassava, rubber, oil etc no one knows what will happen tomorrow.Quote:
Originally Posted by thaimeme...applies to many aggie products [cash paid].Quote:
Originally Posted by jamescollisterCassava is sold on the free market, farmers get paid by the buyers on the spot.Quote:
Originally Posted by piwanoi
'Tis the reason why numerous farmers are going this route.
Talking to the wife's aunt earlier today, she was saying Cambodians, during the killing time, used to come over and swap gold for rice.
You can eat rice, not gold and rice was valuable to the hungry over the border.
It's a big world market, but the small things can make a big difference.
Jim ,I never said it was anything to do with the farmers ,my sarcasm was directed at the crooked warehouse owners who did the same with hundreds of thousands of tonnes of rice :)Quote:
Originally Posted by jamescollisterCassava is sold on the free market, farmers get paid by the buyers on the spot.Quote:
Originally Posted by piwanoi
Nothing really to do with the cassava farmers, someone stole it, works out to about 200 truck loads.
Yeah waiting 6 months for your dough under Thaksin's pledgeing scheme is not much good when your're flat broke and up to the nuts in debt .Quote:
Originally Posted by thaimeme...applies to many aggie products [cash paid].Quote:
Originally Posted by jamescollisterCassava is sold on the free market, farmers get paid by the buyers on the spot.Quote:
Originally Posted by piwanoi
'Tis the reason why numerous farmers are going this route.
Ain't fucking clue what you are alluding to ,mind you not many members have .Quote:
Originally Posted by thaimemeHow's that first hand experience working for ya??Quote:
Originally Posted by piwanoi
:)
Jim, are you actually thinking of selling out?
Would the Thais have taken anything else? Gold will always have a value. Cambodian banknotes, who knows how many barrow loads for a sack of rice as opposed to a few gramms of gold .:)Quote:
Originally Posted by jamescollister
A couple of round trips, gold for rice, leads to a happier life for many.
Not the plantations, but the factory, on paper the place is worth a lot.Quote:
Originally Posted by ltnt
Trouble is I just don't have the cash a to get back into buying and processing latex and not likely to be getting any.
Put it up for sale on the Thai rubber association talking rubber, few inquiries so far, no hurry, but if someones got the cash, we all have our price. Jim