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The government seems to believe that tourists, which is what we really are will pay through the nose for anything, then they complain that external and internal tourism is falling through the floor.Quote:
Originally Posted by terry57
Nephew, wife, 4 kids got a package tour to Hawaii for less than 2 weeks on the gold coast, so it's cheap wine and chop chop [illegal] cigarettes for me.
Weather has been crap as well.
Allegedly 30baht/kg in Trat province as well.
^^
I'm lucky as i do not pay for accommodation but i still burn through a ton of cash on every trip back.
I'm not worried though as I worked for it so no probs.
I do not want to be in your boat where you have flounced back after many years away.
The shock would be way to harsh on the heart and death by heart attack could be expected.
At least our brilliant public health care will sort you out unlike this shithole where it will not unless ya have a heap of cash.
Unfortunately not true, have some eye problems, first thing we did, was registered for medicare.Quote:
Originally Posted by terry57
They refused at start, non resident, but was allowed the next day, long story, so off to the optician for my free medicare eye test, my eye condition is not cover by medicare, $60 for an OCT scan.
Retinal specialist, medicare cover plus make up payment, which is not covered, $200 to $ 300 and should have checks monthly.
Thailand, scans $20, treatment including injection, $300 at the BKK Ram eye hospital, no waiting, good service.
Nothing to do with rubber, but I'm lucky, I pulled the pin from the prison service, they are firing officers over 55 for the smallest infraction, 2 of my friends, 25 plus years service, caught smoking in the car park. Old men don't do well in max security.
Not the country I grow up in and it will get worse, Terry they may take your pension away tomorrow, government just doesn't care about people anymore.
Gotta love governments..
Did you try applying to Centrelink...a tea towel and walnut dye may answer?
Dunno mate but if Centrelink gives you hard yakka you may want to send a letter to Pauline Hanson MP. Governments typically just hate awkward questions in the house?
Just a few problems with that advice. Pauline is not an MP she is a Senator. Pauline hates non residents trying to take advantage of the largesse of the Aussie welfare/benefit system, thirdly she cannot read!Quote:
Originally Posted by crepitas
:chitown:
Rubber prices going up daily since I came back to OZ, at a 3 year high yesterday.
If it holds at the higher price then good times ahead, can live on lower prices, but no money no honey.
Will sit back until Song Kran, see if the price is stable, then think of opening the factory again, but who knows in today's world, up to Buddha
Frick post disappeared...!!!!!
Anyways things are on the up 34+ at gate few days ago.
On another note my dear wife spent an hour lining up at Thai Farmers Bank..she received the princely sum of 1500bt as annual poor farmer subsidy. Others in line got SFA..our tappers got 2500bt...TIT! Never have receive fertiliser or any other happiness gifts.
34.60 Baht per kg for cup @ auction today.
Every fortnight recently, we have broken our own production and profit records.
Seen pictures of the last local auction. Incredible amount of production ie tonnage from sellers. Queue numbers in the high 400's! Winning bidder's cash needed must be insane, easily £1 mil or in excess of 50 mil TB.
42 in trat province allegedly. FIL only got 32 as his rubber was wet - thats what he said anyway.
Very difficult to get "wet" cup at this time of year. If he's selling fortnightly, the cup lumps will be virtually dry, and shaped like a football...
He went around as we waited to empty the cups. They are also the first tapping since they were planted, which makes a difference, yes?
That's the degree of my rubber growing knowledge. I'm told it's very profitable, from what I see with my eyes, the baht/hour rate is pretty low.
You are correct. New trees tapped for the first couple of years, the DRC level is relatively low, ie far higher water content.
You are incorrect, once the trees get to 10-12 years old, and a tapper can tap only night time, the baht/hour rate can get pretty damn good, if prices stay above 30 baht per kg...
Thanks.
So a long term view must be taken and hope the FIL doesn't cut another big toe off. There is a brother in law, but he seems more interested in day time TV.:)
Sold cup at auction yesterday, 36.02 baht per kg. Sheet was bought at 73.36 baht per kg the previous week's sheet auction.
What investment is required for the sheet making machines?
I'm really amazed that the farmers aren't kicking up shit. Just come past 2 cassava merchants and the price is 1.5 Baht per kilo. Less deductions. :confused:
From very little to millions of dollars, simplest process, small farmer, a few mixing pans, 20 to 30 Baht each.
Congeal the latex in the pan, throw it on the floor and walk on the rubber flattening it, then a wooden rolling pin to get it thin as possible.
Hand run ribbing roller, not sure of price, but it's just 2 ribbed roller and a fly wheel, 10 to 20,000 Baht I guess.
Long slow process, but doubles, or more your income, from there you just get bigger, but work is involved, most small farmers aren't interested in doing more than they need to live, cup is easy.
Prag, again, you can hand chop, or machine chop cassava, machine choppers are about 15,000 Baht each, that again increases return, but involves extra work.
In the west we work on an hourly rate, when you look at from an hourly rate for work done, things change.
My best husband and wife team earn about $10 US an hour each for tapping and collecting, it's not a 9 to 5 job, so say 10 hours a week during the season, they have their own farm on the side, rice and cassava.
When people compare returns, an income you really need to look at hours of work put in, not overall return.
It's not work watching rice or cassava grow from your hammock, why I like rural Thailand, have a hut and food to eat, what more do you want.
I know that. The only ones I see doing hand chopping are the ladies who search for odd tubers the labour gangs have missed. That then, once dried, is sold to a merchant who comes around in a pick-up.Quote:
Originally Posted by jamescollister
I've (nor two of my tappers who've tapped and made sheet in the South) ever thought sheet was worth doing until the price was over 100 baht per kg. Remember it is not just one litre/one kilo to compare. I forget the equation to get a 1.3 kg average mat, but you need considerably more than 1 litre of latex. Possible a 2/3 litre mix with water. Work it out, and unless storing (another problem) and playing the markets, 2 kgs of cup is a very similar price to a a kg of mat currently. Hence no point.
A view, a brew, somebody lewd.Quote:
Originally Posted by jamescollister
Don't forget your brace of deerhounds.
Rumours of 43 baht per kg locally on the gate and 46 baht per kg at auction in Bung Khan last week for cup. We sell next Wed so we'll see...
How long does rubber keep for before you have to sell.?
You can only keep / store sheet, pref smoked.
Sold cup at auction yesterday, 42.55 baht per kg.
Interesting, this time around, the winning bid was direct from one of the local factories, about 50 odd kms away, rather than the usual middlemen.
So whats its shelf life before its of no use to anyone.?
Quote:
Originally Posted by thaiguzzi
How long is a piece of string? Depends on the sheet if smoked or un smoked, storage conditions, etc etc. Out of temperature controlled factory conditions i would guestimate up to 6 months. Best let JC answer the question, as he is far more genned up on sheet/mat than me.
Misinformation on yesterday's buyer. He's a middleman from the deep South. First time buyer up here. Sold locally to one of the factories around here. Not enough trucks (3 instead of 10), not enough staff, slow, pissed off punters. Apparently, as i type this, some sellers are still waiting to be weighed and paid... Process started 8.00am YESTERDAY!
As TG says it's variable depending on how it is processed, stored, but after a year all non volcanised rubber stars to go brittle.Quote:
Originally Posted by ChicoSo whats its shelf life before its of no use to anyone.?
Quote:
Originally Posted by thaiguzzi
So useful life for tyres etc is about 12 months, after that it's uses start to narrow.
Does the price of the sheets fluctuate,like the rice when the Thai farmers have to pay back the banks.?
Rice and rubber is set by the stock markets, gate prices are set by middle men buyers.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chico
Thais generally don't get the best price as they don't work together to sell in groups.
Auction prices GRM have broken the 90 Baht a kilo for ribbed smoked sheet, this is good news for small planters.
Extra expendable income, means house building, new cars, white goods etc if it stays up.
Family with 20 rai of reasonable rubber, working their own land, $500 US a week in the good times.
For me, it's beer and weekends away with the boys, fingers crossed it's not just a blip in the markets.
Got to feel sorry for the rubber planters down south and the other countries being hit by floods, poor prices for years, now floods.
What few are saying, or taking into account is the long term effects of the floods, rubber trees die after 20 days of being water logged, palm oil about a month.
Not read any estimates on the total loss of plantations, guess it's a wait and see thing.
Hopefully, the price will increase further for you, if the floods have devastated many plantations in the south.
Over 100 Baht national auction price RSS today, makes you wonder about these commodity experts.
6 months ago, rubber was dead until 2020, over supply, lack of demand, but everyone knew about the weather, El Nino and the reverse little brother was coming.
Plus farmers leaving rubber for other crops, now we are are talking a real under supply.
For me, I may be able to buy an in ground pool in 2017, either way, won't run out of beer.
All of this speculation is moot, Jim - as long as important commodities, and their respective markets, are highly controlled by government/corporate mafias.Quote:
Originally Posted by jamescollister
How 'bout the basic ideals of a free and open market.....allowed to fluctuate in a real and natural manner?
Trat province, last month 31TB/Kg, this month 40tb/Kg. same young trees!