The simple life

[cyrille]

Reckon I'll end up long-term in Laos/Myanmar/Vietnam or maybe even Cambo in 20 years time as I'm approaching 60.

Given that you've previously said you'd be living in Chiang Mai and Rayong in a matter weeks, and ended up moving to neither, a prediction about where you'll be in 2038 seems rather unreliable.

[Luigi]

Jaysus, someone's desperate after feeling 'flamed'



'in a matter of weeks' huh.

[pseudolus]

Thai farm "labour" is priced at ฿400 - ฿500 per day around here.

Cambos then - who cares. Anyone willing to swap hard labour for a place to live and as much rice as they can eat.

[Troy]

^ The going rate is B300/day + dinner in my region (Sakon Nakhon). Almost all family helpers are paid in kind...i.e. they help you and you help them around 5-10 farms, and only a few outsiders are used, on request.

[pseudolus]

Almost all family helpers are paid in kind

You shag them?

[docmartin]

Reckon you are right related to farming in Aus. However, traditional farming in Thailand is a different storey.

True, but the basic principles aren’t so different.
Food doesn’t just leap out of the ground.
There’s still the predators and the pests, and I’ve noticed that weeds in LOS aren’t lazy.
But Thailand seems to be blessed with generally reasonable soils. I’m working with gravel on clay - the local bottom land is just river silt and there’s a few ridge tops with red loam from decomposed granite which is great soil but there’s no water of course.

[lob]

Living the simple life is certainly all good, especially as one gets older and enjoys the simple things and self-sucifiency a bit more.


Though living it through choice, with security and a back-up, is probably nicer than doing it because you have no other option.

the crux of the matter

[sabang]

https://isaanrecord.com/2018/08/19/m...e-simple-life/


Martin Wheeler is still living the simple life near Khon Kaen, but as he's keen to point out he is no ecowarrior or greenie.
Interesting recent article from the Isaan Record.

[Norton]

^^Good find, good read Sab.

[nidhogg]

Personally think he comes over as a right wanker.

"After the coup in May 2014, he was a speaker for the military’s reconciliation trainings."

Right.

[Neverna]

[Wheeler] says the media was intent on portraying him in a certain light — in a farmer’s hat, walking with his cows, growing rice. The problem was he didn’t own a hat. He didn’t have any cows, and wasn’t even growing rice at the time.

“People still think nowadays I’m into all sort of organic farming and vegetables and saving the world and all that kind of shite,” he says. “I just came out here because I want to live with ordinary people.”

[stroller]

^ The going rate is B300/day + dinner in my region (Sakon Nakhon). Almost all family helpers are paid in kind...i.e. they help you and you help them around 5-10 farms, and only a few outsiders are used, on request.

Similar here, and if you don't help them, they won't help you.
- pop goes the dream of doing sweet nothing while watching the natives slave for you for a bit of pocket money!

[HuangLao]

Similar here, and if you don't help them, they won't help you.
- pop goes the dream of doing sweet nothing while watching the natives slave for you for a bit of pocket money!

....and quite often, in numerous situations, one will find that everyday common labourers are paid well above the so called B300 minimum day rate.
Depending on the circumstance and if said employer is making a bundle, an extension of B380-B450 can be common for quality workers.

[jamescollister]

A simple life, watched the guys videos, have to say he had some balls to take the track less traveled, few would have even tried.

Guess I live the simple life, though manual labor is not high on my list of things to do, sometimes will get involved, pet projects.

For me it was about freedom, even with a military Government, Issan/Thailand you are free to do things that are illegal, taxed or need expensive permits in the west.

Have a milkshake stand front of the house, in Victoria Australia $20,000 a year for a local Government permit, plus health, food handlers certification, taxes etc.

Would probably earn more on welfare in OZ than I earn here, but I like the freedom.

Always remember, years ago went home to my mothers place, local counsel sent her a fine for not paying her dog registration, dog had died.
They wanted a death certificate from a Vet.

Give me freedom, life's more than laws, taxes and rules.

[HuangLao]

For me it was about freedom, even with a military Government, Issan/Thailand you are free to do things that are illegal, taxed or need expensive permits in the west.

Aside from the practical sense of everyday freedom, independence, and self-sufficiency that is really non-existent [in comparative form] throughout most of the West.

An ironic paradox that few can connect to nor understand.

[OhOh]

in numerous situations, one will find that everyday common labourers are paid well above the so called B300 minimum day rate.

Yes, lunch is provided here. Possibly the rate I quoted is when the rich felang is paying.

[HuangLao]

Yes, lunch is provided here. Possibly the rate I quoted is when the rich felang is paying.

In defence, I've known a number of Thai employers that ethically extend a higher day rate, just as a matter of course - more socially/community related.

Doesn't exclusively apply to Farang, whom tend to more stingy than not. Not always....of course.