Thread: Rubber trees 101

Originally Posted by OckerRocker

I introduced the Thai Rubber Authority to several Malaysians clones . . . you know the leaders in the hevea brsiliensis market - worked with and for the Malaysian Rubber Board on plantations and methodology in Sri Lanka, Philippines and India and the Rubber Research institute here with Vietnamese co-operation.

Originally Posted by OckerRocker

Same place, the young man's family, in the front, owns large tracts of plantations . . . and the son studies aeronautical engineering and wants nothing to do with agriculture. We set up our systems there with excellent results. Indian tappers are second only to Sri Lankan tappers, in terms of skill . . . but there are very few younger tappers.

Originally Posted by OckerRocker

Let's hop over to the Philippines, Mindanao to be precise . . . and Cagayan de Oro to be more precise. We were working with the Agriculture Ministry to assist in increasing yield for the small plantation owners to stop the wholesale leasing of plantations to MNC banana plantation owners.

Originally Posted by OckerRocker

Ok, Chanthaburi. The plantation is not a large one and is used mainly for testing - though the workers keep the yield and when the trees are felled eventually we split the proceeds of the timber sale. That's the theory anyway. Part of the plantation is rubber forest . . . trees immensely thick which can be double, triple, quadruple tapped . . . some will give you lots of latex, others next to nothing.

Originally Posted by OckerRocker

Let's shift to Malaysia, Tanjung Malim in the state of Perak, to be precise . . . and a plantation that belonged to the state and needed slaughter tapping . . .

Originally Posted by OckerRocker

So, in Sri Lanka and system installed . . . we replaced the aluminium pouches with plastic ones later - less condensation and therefore less leakage as the seal at the back consist of . . . latex.

It appears through my reads and associated quotes thar OkrRkr and wife are some kind of USAID consultants who go about various countries offing advise to Rubber Growers. Evidently highly qualified and unabashed non-profit advisors. Hats off to you both.

Ownership seems to be more of a state run operation in all the cases you listed.

Interesting that the FIL does own plantations and it seems his daughter is heir to the family farms. Nice job there OkerRkr. Just for fun, when was the photo take of you sharing the coconut juice? 20 years ago heh!

Originally Posted by Fluke

This ? Quote: Originally Posted by OckerRocker View Post We both quit our jobs and moved to Thailand and built a factory for rubber enhancement and research in Chanthaburi and two sites in Isaan - near Loei - for bio-diesel on a small scale. Community-based, 5k litre max a day transestrification method that involved the whole community. Neither of us are Thai,

Doesn't rule out some other nationality of Asian decent? I guess the wife is Malaysian...OkrRkr pure Aussie Heinz 57. What's it matter fluker?

Shades of the great Dalton/tsicar fish farming debate here.

https://teakdoor.com/farming-and-gard...d-ideas-3.html

Originally Posted by ltnt

Originally Posted by Fluke

This ? Quote: Originally Posted by OckerRocker View Post We both quit our jobs and moved to Thailand and built a factory for rubber enhancement and research in Chanthaburi and two sites in Isaan - near Loei - for bio-diesel on a small scale. Community-based, 5k litre max a day transestrification method that involved the whole community. Neither of us are Thai,

Doesn't rule out some other nationality of Asian decent? I guess the wife is Malaysian...OkrRkr pure Aussie Heinz 57. What's it matter fluker?

What Nationality his Wife is is bedside the point .
The point was that She isnt from Thailand .

The point is what's you're point? Buying land or ownership? You've no doubt not re-read any of the quotes eh?

BTW, for those few who are "well healed," in Thailand land may be purchased and placed in your name regardless of your country of origin. Money talks fluker.

Originally Posted by ltnt

The point is what's you're point? Buying land or ownership? You've no doubt not re-read any of the quotes eh?

BTW, for those few who are "well healed," in Thailand land may be purchased and placed in your name regardless of your country of origin. Money talks fluker.

Really ? So much money do you have to have to be considered "well-heeled" to be able to purchase land in Thailand and have it fully in your own name, if you are a foreigner ?
Thats the first time that I ve heard about this law

Its real fluker, look it up...Especially attractive to new business interests...Japanese, Chinese and others. I believe the starting minimum was quoted as 40 million baht in accounts or close to $1 million US. It may be less now.

I also recall a limit on the amount that could be owned...I recall a number at around 125 Rai, not positive.

Originally Posted by ltnt

Its real fluker, look it up...Especially attractive to new business interests...Japanese, Chinese and others. I believe the starting minimum was quoted as 40 million baht in accounts or close to $1 million US. It may be less now.

I also recall a limit on the amount that could be owned...I recall a number at around 125 Rai, not positive.

1 rai, for residential purposes.
And then only in certain areas, bkk, patts.....
For 40 mill invested in approved businesses.

Originally Posted by ltnt

Its real fluker, look it up...Especially attractive to new business interests...Japanese, Chinese and others. I believe the starting minimum was quoted as 40 million baht in accounts or close to $1 million US. It may be less now.

I also recall a limit on the amount that could be owned...I recall a number at around 125 Rai, not positive.

You may be referring to the law which allows foreigners who invest at least 40 Million baht per year for five consecutive years to be able to purchase land that can only be used for residential purposes ?

"2.3 Investment: Thai real estate law allows foreigners to buy and own a limited amount of land based on an investment of 40 million baht for five consecutive years, provided that the land is used for residential purposes."

^-^^^ You both are correct I think, however there's another loop hole for foreigner land ownership with no limit on years or #rai other than a top off point at which they may do the Thai thing and post another straw-man with suitable qualifications. Easy peasey for the millionaires.

Reading through the Royal land bureau reports one finds lots of data as regards lands held and partnerships. Numerous hotels and businesses are joint ownership with this side of the coin.

Originally Posted by ltnt

Originally Posted by OckerRocker

Bastard! About five or six years ago

You've aged quite well considering your occupation...not easy those self help projects.

Not sure if that's a compliment or not . . .

Not easy is an understatement . . . it was tough as . . . country (farmers and the like) people in any country are difficult to turn onto new technologies and ideas . . . and Thailand is no different, perhaps even worse in some ways

We self-funded the projects as a kind of CSR and now regret doing it because we did lose quite a bit of money, in the bio-diesel projects.

We were given King's land to use foc with buildings etc... already there and I brought a specialist over from Singapore to start the process, install and make the machines required.
Initially it worked well, the whole community was involved and people were using our 'bio-diesel' wthout a worry at half the cost, this included the local council as well.

Then came the problems - the local PTT told us that we had to sell to them and then the manager of one location took the dosh out of the bank and went to Cambo on a binge . . . nothing we could do.
Second location simply sold the fuel and didn't declare the amount to us - we were still living in Singapore at the time and couldn't be there.

Still glad we did it . . .

OckerRocker. So now you don't own a rubber plantation, your wife's sisters husband does.

Nor do you own some type of rubber research place.

Originally Posted by OckerRocker

Then came the problems - the local PTT told us that we had to sell to them and then the manager of one location took the dosh out of the bank and went to Cambo on a binge . . . nothing we could do. Second location simply sold the fuel and didn't declare the amount to us - we were still living in Singapore at the time and couldn't be there.

Difficult to control your destiny from long distance as anyone will tell you. Good experience however that may or may not have a positive effect somewhere down the line.

These kinds of projects are gut eaters. I think you work twice as hard as you do on a regular corporate job. You are on the job 24/7. Non-profits are great learning grounds for people and certainly the pay back is incalculable.

Originally Posted by ltnt

^-^^^ You both are correct I think, however there's another loop hole for foreigner land ownership with no limit on years or #rai other than a top off point at which they may do the Thai thing and post another straw-man with suitable qualifications. Easy peasey for the millionaires.

Reading through the Royal land bureau reports one finds lots of data as regards lands held and partnerships. Numerous hotels and businesses are joint ownership with this side of the coin.

Yep...
There are more legal loop holes available for foreigner ownership of land without business attachments [everyday average family property]. There are those of us that know the whys and wherefores and this reasonably sensitive subject matter has been discussed ad nauseam.

Those whom understand the proper procedures and sound "Thai" legal assistance know that land of any situation and measure can be secured in a Farang's name.

It looks like they've started felling rubber trees where I live. These are not old trees. May be about 2 year old. It looks like the farmer has gone back to Cassava. The flock should now soon follow.

Great thread

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

It looks like they've started felling rubber trees where I live. These are not old trees. May be about 2 year old. It looks like the farmer has gone back to Cassava. The flock should now soon follow.

Yeah...to be expected in some growing circles.
I believe I might consider something else other than cassava - which currently doesn't have a decent return either.

I don't think anything here gives a good return to the farmer any more, just the middle men and the fertilizer sellers.

Originally Posted by mykthemin

I don't think anything here gives a good return to the farmer any more, just the middle men and the fertilizer sellers.

The long-standing irritant and block towards being independent - the control and suppression on agriculture/horticulture.

Originally Posted by mykthemin

I don't think anything here gives a good return to the farmer any more

I don't think it has done full stop. Okay there may be peaks where they get a good price but the merchants etc soon manipulate those peaks to bring it back down and keep the poor in place.

^Red beans two years running good returns...

May be it's the soil where I live but don't see anything new in the way of diversity. It's the same same year in, year out. Yes I've seen them try other crops, such as kidney beans, but they always seem to return to 'old reliable' cassava.

It's probably also a matter of doing what one has done since time immemorial . . . and isn't casava purchased more and more for ethanol?