Thread: Farming Good or Bad Idea?

Have you ever thought about making cheese?

Here's a link for you.

(Cheese Making Workshop)https://teakdoor.com/the-kitchen/126746-cheese-making-workshop.html

Well I'll bet getting that off the chest makes you feel better PF. I'm smiling. I tend to lose interest when the guy telling me he is being ripped off by the family is eating his daily steak and chips at the local farang eatery.
Even worse are the guys that operate by remote control. Always complaining that budgets are being blown while he is away, hard at work. They have sought advice from someone also remote and now know everything is being stuffed up.
But the ones that take the cake are the financiers who say "They (nice and personal) have everything they need. I fail to understand why they don't JUST.... WOW I hate that word!

I just had a look at that cheese making course poll and I wondered how much interest there would be for similar courses in farming topics? Interesting.

Originally Posted by poorfalang

Bullshit my friend rigger
what happen is most likely to be the falang make pig house( brother build it for double of what it should be, then falang buy piglet(s) too expensive because he knows nothing about pigs and does not want to educate him self on that, and is following the signs of extended family, then comes the feed, wrong feed, wrong quantities and brand, then comes disease, injection + isolation(minimum) but falang never fought about that before and the extended family never mentioned that, because they are thai and all they do to sick pigs is knife in throat and a few bottles of lao khao.
then falang looses and goes to TeakDoor to say pigs don't work,

Pretty sure there is a thread on here that bigman started about his pig farm. Other than for your own consumption i don't know why any farang would get involved with farming. if you cant afford to live here with out trying to make money from farming, DONT

farms are good for walking with the dogs

Originally Posted by Rigger

if you cant afford to live here with out trying to make money from farming, DONT

Not just farming, in my opinion.

Originally Posted by Rigger

Quote:
Originally Posted by poorfalang
Bullshit my friend rigger
what happen is most likely to be the falang make pig house( brother build it for double of what it should be, then falang buy piglet(s) too expensive because he knows nothing about pigs and does not want to educate him self on that, and is following the signs of extended family, then comes the feed, wrong feed, wrong quantities and brand, then comes disease, injection + isolation(minimum) but falang never fought about that before and the extended family never mentioned that, because they are thai and all they do to sick pigs is knife in throat and a few bottles of lao khao.
then falang looses and goes to TeakDoor to say pigs don't work,
Pretty sure there is a thread on here that bigman started about his pig farm. Other than for your own consumption i don't know why any farang would get involved with farming. if you cant afford to live here with out trying to make money from farming, DONT

I call that BS
of course you can make a living from farming.
what you think my idea of farming is?
one man and his wife working tha land 7 days a week
you bastard
red on ya way

Rigger, bit of a generalization there, may as well say if you have to work in the west to live, why say there.
People have different reasons to be here farming, or trying to farm, leaving behind dead end jobs or high stress jobs. Wanting to be their own man, not working for the man.
Better life style in a rural environment, not a big city, escaping a life that has no meaning.

Most will fail because they came with just a dream, dreams are not real, but some come with a plan and an understanding of what is needed to make that plan work. Same goes for all ventures here, farangs buy bars, restaurants, resorts, but have no idea of what they are buying or doing.

If you have a good business plan, the time and money to make it work and when I say time, may be years before you turn the corner into profit. You can succeed, most just have a pocket full of money and believe the get rich quick story.

Things that make money are worth money, same as in the west, farming of any type is a business and a long term investment, 10 pigs won't keep you in the west nor here. Same goes for ducks, chickens, fish or 10 rai of rice.

Anyone thinking of trying needs to do the numbers, it won't be cheap. There are lots of opportunities in Issan in farm related businesses, but they cost to buy or set up, the way of the world. Jim

Originally Posted by jamescollister

Rigger, bit of a generalization there, may as well say if you have to work in the west to live, why say there.
People have different reasons to be here farming, or trying to farm, leaving behind dead end jobs or high stress jobs. Wanting to be their own man, not working for the man.
Better life style in a rural environment, not a big city, escaping a life that has no meaning.

Most will fail because they came with just a dream, dreams are not real, but some come with a plan and an understanding of what is needed to make that plan work. Same goes for all ventures here, farangs buy bars, restaurants, resorts, but have no idea of what they are buying or doing.

If you have a good business plan, the time and money to make it work and when I say time, may be years before you turn the corner into profit. You can succeed, most just have a pocket full of money and believe the get rich quick story.

Things that make money are worth money, same as in the west, farming of any type is a business and a long term investment, 10 pigs won't keep you in the west nor here. Same goes for ducks, chickens, fish or 10 rai of rice.

Anyone thinking of trying needs to do the numbers, it won't be cheap. There are lots of opportunities in Issan in farm related businesses, but they cost to buy or set up, the way of the world. Jim

know having that said it leaves me with nothing to add
spot on in every way,
over and out

Originally Posted by jamescollister

Rigger, bit of a generalization

yes it was

Originally Posted by poorfalang

I call that BS
of course you can make a living from farming.
what you think my idea of farming is

Most Thais cant with out help and support and neither can most farangs but carry on

^ it is working for some, its easy and relaxing. once you know the trade.

others they cannot do nothing other than work somewhere remote for 9 months then come to Thailand and splash for 3 months,

Originally Posted by poorfalang

^ it is working for some, its easy and relaxing. once you know the trade.

others they cannot do nothing other than work somewhere remote for 9 months then come to Thailand and splash for 3 months,

Yes farming in Thailand is easy everyone should do it.
Who works remote for 9 months ?

Cropping is actually pretty easy if you have sufficient available labour; livestock is much more demanding. I’ve had a lot of experience here in both. As for Thais: their chance of succeeding in farming increases with scale…just like we farangs!

Rigger, several people here have posed the same view on this thread, that is, it ain't easy but it can be done. This view has been gained from direct personal experience. Can I ask you to share the reason for your apparent negativity?
By the way, my area seems to have become very popular with Norwegian guys. Who works away for 9 months of the year? Almost all of them are on the oil rigs at the moment and will be there for months to come. Party time when they get back!

Originally Posted by Khonwan

Cropping is actually pretty easy if you have sufficient available labour; livestock is much more demanding. I’ve had a lot of experience here in both. As for Thais: their chance of succeeding in farming increases with scale…just like we farangs!

Very true and rubber is even easier once you are up and running [if you have the labor] too easy in fact, it's just an inspecting and keeping an eye on things.
All I do is set the rolling machines once a week, 30 minutes.

The only real work I do, is side line stuff, planting coconuts earlier this year and will be planting cashew nut trees, if it ever stops raining.
More about exercise than money, but they will all add to the kitty in years to come.

When that's done I may have a go at AIs mushrooms or try something new.
We were all brought up to work, just here I work and do things when I want to, not when the boss tells me.

Have 2 young kids and am a 24/7 dad, if they want to go for a splash in the local cascades for a swim, that's up to me, not a time card.
Wouldn't change it for the best job in the world, as that would be a job, this is a life.
Sometimes it can be hard and make you want to bang your head against a tree, but it's ours and when I stand and look at our little factory or rows of rubber, newly planted coconut grove, I know I did that. My kids will have that after I'm gone, not just a house to divide. They will have a village, that they will call home, no matter where they end up.

The best thing I ever did was take the chance to change, if it had failed, the only difference would have been, I would be in rented accommodation, not owned a house in the west. Jim

Jim: My nieces planted cashew seed a few years back.. I transplanted the twigs about 6 months later....now have 5 trees.....wonder if I should have pruned lower branches as they are like huge bushes now...yes we have had a crop of cashews but most fed the birds or something...read it is quite a performance to bring 'em to the edible state.
Wife said she knew how and was going to harvest just for adding to her cooking...too late unfortunately.

Just about to get some Betel nuts from one tree methinks...about 50 seeds planted about 6 year ago....most came up but don't think they like being transplanted as have only about 10 maturing 2-6 metre trees now..... make for nice palms beside our road though.

Originally Posted by IsaanAussie

Rigger, several people here have posed the same view on this thread, that is, it ain't easy but it can be done. This view has been gained from direct personal experience. Can I ask you to share the reason for your apparent negativity?
By the way, my area seems to have become very popular with Norwegian guys. Who works away for 9 months of the year? Almost all of them are on the oil rigs at the moment and will be there for months to come. Party time when they get back!

I have never said it was impossible, but going into it with out much land and money as the original post suggested his chance of successes is slim. Why like this because over many years living in isaan I have seen nearly all fail.
Most rig workers work 6 months a year.

Originally Posted by IsaanAussie

Rigger, several people here have posed the same view on this thread, that is, it ain't easy but it can be done. This view has been gained from direct personal experience. Can I ask you to share the reason for your apparent negativity?
By the way, my area seems to have become very popular with Norwegian guys. Who works away for 9 months of the year? Almost all of them are on the oil rigs at the moment and will be there for months to come. Party time when they get back!

i wonder what the missus do while they are away?
farming(with the brother)

Originally Posted by Rigger

I have never said it was impossible, but going into it with out much land and money as the original post suggested his chance of successes is slim. Why like this because over many years living in isaan I have seen nearly all fail.
Most rig workers work 6 months a year.

What would be to you, fail at farming?
never be able to have a hilux?
never seem to have money?
live a wooden old house?
ride a shit old motorbike?
i mean i don't get it when you say FAIL
how can you fail, nearly all things you can plant will give you a fruit even without caring for it (just)
some other plants such as cane sugar for example,
you can plant one rai of it for about 1.500,
leave it alone for 11 months and you can still get 8-9tons out of it, equaling about 8-9000 baht
take rice for example, two years ago one of my neighbors left the rice alone after throwing the seed, why? i don't know, it was full of weeds, had no fertilizer but when the harvest time came he got the machine in harvested it and sold it, ok shit looking rice, probably no nutrients in it, small harvest, but that is not the point, he still got more than he spent.
Regarding the OP of course i agree with you, its looking slim, but even 5 rai you will make some money, even if is just rice, will it pay for his living? surely not,
unless you do ganja or something like that,
So Rigger (is that what you do for a living) out in the oil rig for 6- 9 months?
have you tried farming ?

Originally Posted by poorfalang

i wonder what the missus do while they are away?
farming(with the brother)

An interesting question indeed. The answer depends on the individuals but you can tell by the relationship between farang and mai farang when they are together which way it is liable to go. Given enough money to continue the perceived farang lifestyle in hubbys absence most are content to play Lady around town. Without money or face some drift back to their old stomping grounds.
"Brothers In fArms", hang on that was an album! The music was great but you would have to be blind not to see that your wife was getting more than a helpful hand on the farm. It happens, one here is keep safe while she is alone by a local policeman who has made it his mission in life to protect several women while the cat is away.

Hey Jim that duckhouse of yours would be a good shroomery.
Also been meaning to ask you if that organic fertiliser your FIL bought worked out OK?

Originally Posted by IsaanAussie

Hey Jim that duckhouse of yours would be a good shroomery.
Also been meaning to ask you if that organic fertiliser your FIL bought worked out OK?

The duck house was what I was thinking for the mushrooms and no the alleged fertilizer is crap. Not going to hurt, but am buying real fertilizer to make up the lack of content in the other stuff. Cost me more in the long run than buying the real stuff in the first place, told the FIL never buy anything for the plantations without asking me first. He thinks he is doing right and getting a good deal, because the salesman says it magic stuff, we will be getting aluminum cladding on the house next. Jim

Originally Posted by jamescollister

Originally Posted by Khonwan

Cropping is actually pretty easy if you have sufficient available labour; livestock is much more demanding. I’ve had a lot of experience here in both. As for Thais: their chance of succeeding in farming increases with scale…just like we farangs!

Very true and rubber is even easier once you are up and running [if you have the labor] too easy in fact, it's just an inspecting and keeping an eye on things.
All I do is set the rolling machines once a week, 30 minutes.

The only real work I do, is side line stuff, planting coconuts earlier this year and will be planting cashew nut trees, if it ever stops raining.
More about exercise than money, but they will all add to the kitty in years to come.

When that's done I may have a go at AIs mushrooms or try something new.
We were all brought up to work, just here I work and do things when I want to, not when the boss tells me.

Have 2 young kids and am a 24/7 dad, if they want to go for a splash in the local cascades for a swim, that's up to me, not a time card.
Wouldn't change it for the best job in the world, as that would be a job, this is a life.
Sometimes it can be hard and make you want to bang your head against a tree, but it's ours and when I stand and look at our little factory or rows of rubber, newly planted coconut grove, I know I did that. My kids will have that after I'm gone, not just a house to divide. They will have a village, that they will call home, no matter where they end up.

The best thing I ever did was take the chance to change, if it had failed, the only difference would have been, I would be in rented accommodation, not owned a house in the west. Jim

Hi Jim


My wife didn’t really have much farming experience (and I had none) so she reluctantly followed me and my dream. She had been used to me providing for her so I changed the game rules. I refused to buy life assurance on myself and explained that her future security lay in learning to make farming work alongside me so that she could carry on in the event of my demise. She did…she got used to it…she now enjoys it. There would be zero financial consequences to my family were I to die. They now have a solid asset base to prosper from.



Having achieved my dream, I’m now working to help her achieve her dream. We will settle in Scotland from 2015 for at least five years where we will establish a catering business and settle our youngest into high school. Our eldest will continue with her Thai “open university” course (that she’s already started as a M5 high school student), along with helping Mum in the business. We’ll return here for three months every year to harvest and replant, and attend to other business. Once she gets her UK passport (or even Scottish passport, hopefully!) after 5 years, we’ll probably split our time between the two countries.


Rgds
Khonwan