Thailand:- Life on the Farm is kind of relaxed

[OhOh]

Excellent keep it coming. How about the odd "disagreement" how are they handled? How many other foreigners in the vicinity?

[David48atTD]

Excellent keep it coming.
How about the odd "disagreement" how are they handled?
How many other foreigners in the vicinity?

Last one first. Well, there are no other foreigners in the vicinity.
I live, entirely immersed, in 'Thainess'.

If I didn't leave the Farm, because of it's isolation, I see no-one (Westerner).
My local TESCO isn't 'On Nut' where there is a strong mix of Nationalities.
Sometimes, off in the distance, I might see a white face ... but I don't gravitate
towards it.

Within the immediate and extended Thai Family I am universally accepted (well, tolerated at least),
even though I'm not married, but the arrival of our children has cemented the bonds.


The Boys are adored by the extended Family.

Also I know that I seem to accepted by most, liked by many and probably even loved by a few.
Within my Thai Partners Family, specifically her Father and his siblings there is one Leader, we call him the Boss Uncle.
So some reason, him and I get on great. We don't talk at all, but through gestures and body language we have a laugh,
and more then a few beers.
That acceptance maybe does have a trickle down effect ... don't know.

Plus, I've worked hard on tolerating their 'Thainess' and they have come closer to understand
my Western thinking.
As in they listen politely to my opinion, then happy carry on doing what they were doing


How to handle disagreements? Another time. I wish to maintain my happy mood

[David48atTD]

Pond to Plate ...

For some reason, we don't eat many of the fish, maybe because they are only caught every 9 months.
There are a number of the ponds at the Farm and they are harvested for Prawns every 3 months so, every
week or two there is a catch going on somewhere.

Prawns ... I get to enjoy every week or two.

Below was a good catch ...


Prawns dancing in the net.

We were up before the sun and this is about the 20th net we've hauled in, the second last one on the Pond.




This was the last haul of the morning. We always start and finish @ the Salsa (right of photo).


From there they are washed and iced and onto the back of the truck in big blue Barrels
and, by 7am at the wholesale Prawn Market, about 25 mins away.

There a video of them sorting and grading overleaf.


But, not all of them make it into those blue Barrels. Some are given to those who helped
in the Harvest as part payment. Some are whisked away to be consumed at the Farm.




^ This is how I love them.

^ For variety, sometimes with a Salad and a little Mayo ... or just with a sauce of some sort and Rice.


Below.
We also sometimes grow the larger Blue Claw Prawn, and they are below ...






BBQ'ed in a tradition method.






Anyone Hungry?

[tomcat]

...thanks for the thread, David: however, a supermarket is as close as I want to get to a Thai farm...

[armstrong]

*sala

[Chittychangchang]

Making me hungry now, bbq prawns..will have to try one day.

[Dillinger]

^

[tomcat]

...^a vision of hell...

[jabir]

[David48atTD]

.
Time to do a few more ...

Being a Thai Farm, there's no latest sat-nav guided Massey Ferguson, but there is machinery around which
you may not see on other Farms.

One thing we have heaps of are the big, single cylinder diesel motors with massive flywheels which drive the aerators.

^ The Farm Father is a dab hand at fixing most things, being it a wheel bearing
on my car or rebuilding one of those big, single cylinder diesel motors.

^ These antiquated beasts are usually in sheds

^ They power the aerators, which are vital to both providing oxygen to
the pond and stirring the water so that the layers don't stratify.

Then you have the water transfer machine. It both feeds/fills/top ups the pond and drains it when it's harvest time.
It works on the ancient Archimedean Screw principle ...





^ So, it usually uses a small car engine, mostly 4 cylinder, diesel. It powers the screw water pump through a series of
universal joints.

Because we are pumping from an outside source, there are bags on both ends of the pump, so that we don't import an
unwanted fish species. One of the worst is the 'Doctor Fish' ... don't ask me where it's name came from!



^ We are just pumping from one of our ponds into another, so no bags to filter and catch and unwanted aquatic creatures.
The white in the pond is not 'a chemical' but bi-carb of soda to balance the PH of the Pond. Cheap and effective.

Note also the green LPG cylinder. The gas is added (I don't know how) to the fuel mix and apparently it makes it cheaper and more efficient.
some cars used to run a diesel/LPG mix. Read about it here




^ An extended photo showing the process.




^ They are also self propelled through a series of drive belts and steered by the jockey wheel you see above.


Every couple of years the ponds need reshaping but we aren't big enough to own a D3, which is about the size
of the Dozer the Farm hires.


Undoubtedly, the machine which gets used the most, almost on an hourly basis is the humble Farm Bike.



^ In the morning during a prawn harvest.




^ Transport for the Farm worker to get instruction from the Farm Father

^ Yeh, Yeh ... I'm coming!

But the Farm Bike is more then just a work beast. When it's not being used,
it's parked outside the Farmhouse ... and something the boys just love to
clamber over. But, most of all, they like to ride it, everywhere and anywhere!

Yeh, I know you would never do this in the West but
Life on the Farm is kind of relaxed.
the pure joy the boys have in taking turns to ride on
the tank while the other one sits on the seat ... magic.
(I'll take this one down after a little while)

[tomcat]

...this thread is a learning experience: many thanks, David!...

[naptownmike]

Yeah very cool. I love those old single cylinder engines.

[Norton]

Brilliant thread David. Thanks.

[terry57]

Really brilliant thread mate.

Not my cup of tea but top respect to you eh.

[Little Chuchok]

There has been a project for collecting it up to a boat, then used for a composting. I saw once such boat on Payao Lake, with a special rake for that.

They also use it to make furniture.Some of it is very cool.

Great thread David!

[David48atTD]

.
So, speaking of dogs, every Farm had their pack of dogs.

Should you stray onto what they considered 'their territory', they would quickly let you know.

But, akin to the Lord of the Rings, we had the Lord of the Dogs ... one Dog to rule them all.

Moo Moo (yes Dillinger, must be a common Thai name for a dog)

Now, I'll start by saying I've never owned a Dog in my life.

But this dog ... wow man, what a dog ... this is how he looked at me ...





He was special.
When ever we went for a walk, he knew somehow and was there leading us ... like a security guard.

He walked with confidence and swagger and the others just shyed away from him because, most likely
they had all tried to fight him ... and lost.

Sadly, Moo Moo is not with us anymore, he passed, as good as in my arms.
Mann, I miss him.


While we are on animals, while we don't get scorpions this far south, we still have a collection
of creatures.

Just out back of the kitchen ... here here



We don't often take Westerners to visit the farm, but two of my best friends were in Thailand
and they happened by.

I was chatting with them and confessed how worried I was for the safety at the place,
dangers were everywhere.

The place is surrounded by water and the boys can't swim ...

knives in the kitchen, lots of knives, chemicals in containers, neighbours dogs .. the list was endless.

Remember these are my first children. My friends said David, you worry too much. We were the same
with our first born, but we settled down after that.

About 1/2 way through the visit, while we were enjoying a cold Leo in the Sala (thanks Armstrong) they
confided ... yep, you wern't exaggerating ... the place is a OH&S disaster.

We had given the boys a 10 week swimming course when they were two ... useless.


While Life on the Farm is kindof laid back ... sometimes it's also muddy ... very muddy.


Extended Family member with a blue claw Prawn/Shrimp



Nephew - good Kid


Farm Father Farming

I've reached my photo limit, so continued below
.

[David48atTD]

^^ ^^^ thanks gents.

With Farm comes Family and a few images which hang with pride in the hallowed halls ...


Farm Father receiving an award from the Royal Princess



Partner receiving her Uni Degree from the then Prince, now King of Thailand.
Only time I've ever seen her in heels. Apparently she borrowed them for 20 mins


Food? I can't/won't eat a lot of the stuff that gets presented on the dinner table for the family.
Sure, prawns, but cooked, not raw. I don't eat offal. I also consider chicken feet as offal!
Really spicy.
But stuff like Larb Moo, I'll devour.

So, I get a bit of special treatment ...



God love her. Sanok and a touch of love.


Not much for entertainment round these parts, but sometimes the local Temple has a show on.







Is the Farm a part of me? Well, I know some of me will always be the Farm.

After a pond was emptied it dries for a few weeks, it's safe to walk on ... almost.

I'll let the pictures tell the story.


Looks solid enough


One shoe


It's down there somewhere ... still in the pond till this day



So, to the last media ...

When I was a wee lad, I grew up in the City but spent a lot of time on the Farm where my Mum grew up,
and loved it.

That's the sort of lifestyle we would like to afford the kids.
City savvy, but understand the struggle and joy of Farm life.

At the end of the day ... it's all about the Kids

Their cousin can teach them to fish ...

But, if there was one video that encapsulated what the Farm offers in terms of wide open spaces and
stuff they could never do in the West.

The Boys wern't even two when we captured this.
STRONG ... that thing would weigh more then me!

They love me taking them for a push ride on the Trolly.

So, I'll leave you with the Boys just have some Fun at the Farm



Life at the Farm is kindof relaxed, sometimes a slog and sometimes, just good fun.
.

[tomcat]

...loved the vids...probably wouldn't love the farm...

[GracelessFawn]

Awesome Thread. Thanks for sharing.

[OhOh]

Can't see the Moo Moo picture. All dogs go some day and it hurts. I'm sure there are many Moo Moos running around the village today. Persevere with the swimming lessons, but kids are tough, they bounce bank from many setbacks. The firstborn is always a challenge, numbers 3 and 4 just pop out and join the gang at the table.

As said by some here, beautiful life. Available to all that desire it. Good luck today and every day in the future.

[Chico]

David you should keep this thread updated,I'm sure many would appreciate the life you and the family have led over the years.

[David48atTD]

David you should keep this thread updated,I'm sure many would appreciate the life you and the family have led over the years.

I will when I have some related media.

One day, when time permits, I'll do a full low down on the Farm.

[ootai]

David
Great thread thank you!
I couldn't help laugh about you and wearing thongs (flip flops) wherever there is mud.
I have broken a few myself.
What I use now is scuba diving boots, these allow me to walk wherever I like and the water doesn't worry them and they protect my feet from the sharp shit in the mud in the paddies.
I try and get the ones with a hard sole, I seem to remember they call them reef boots.

Thanks again for the thread.

[Loy Toy]

For some reason I have missed this thread until now.

Has to go down as one of Teakdoor's best threads ever.

Well done David.

[fishlocker]

Nice read. Someday I may take the time to do a decent thread on what brought me to TD.
I recall BLD doing a thread on gold mining in Lao. Great stuff. I feel we just may have to take the plunge again. I've never been to Luang Prabang. Thanks for keeping the fire burning.



The Fishes