[A New Life In Thailand]

Hi guys,

I am 53 yrs of age and British, my wife is Thai. My father, also British is 80 yrs of age.

We are planning to move to Thailand to our recently built house.

I understand that I will eventually finish up with a retirement or marriage visa and my

father with a retirement visa. I believe my marriage to my Thai wife does not present

any major problems in my procedures, but will I have any problems with my Fathers

applications?

Furthermore, what do start with in both applications and do I start at the Thai Embassey

in London?

I would be grateful for any assistance.

Regards Dukes.

[Internal Flights]

Hi Guys,

I will shortly be travelling from Yasothon to Pattaya. Rather than go overland, I considered flying

from Ubon Ratchathani. Does anyone know if there is a flight and by what carrier.

Thanks.

[Small Holder Farming]

Why not ostriches - I bought 12 chicks at 8 weeks old about 16 months back on a "hobby" basis.

Cost then: Baht 2800 (each) = Baht 33 600

Value now: Males x 4 Baht 18 000 (each) 72 000

Females x 8 Baht 12 000 (each) 96 000

Total: 168 000

Theoretical Profit: Baht Baht 134 400

Thats their value live. Slaughtered they would be a worth a lot more, and yes there is a market for there leather in Thailand - which is worth more than their meat (and their is a Thai market for that as well as the feathers).

They are susceptiable to bird flu - just like chickens - but can be vaccinated (which would obviosuly be the way to go with such a high value product).

Feed Costs: Haven't a clue - they were brought up on exactly the same forage diet (always fresh cut though) as the cattle (mixtures of maize and various forage grasses well chopped up). The only extra they have had is a regular dose of commercial vitamin additive to their fresh water (same stuff Thai chickenfarmers mix with the water they feed chickens), and the occassional sack of crushed shellfish shells (fresh water or marine - crab shells, oyster shells, mussel shells ect ect ...) to add extra roughage for their stomachs.

I've had no health problems with them - wish I could get that return on a cow over the same period of time.

Oh, land required: all kept together on 6 rai of land - but I am told you can keep 100 - 200 on that amount of land - only need to give "pairs" their own patch if you want them to breed.:

As for chicken/egg farming: its all been said - do your maths, do your homework, understand your market blah blah, blah blah......

Tim

Maizefarmer - Thanks for your input, greatly appreciated, I had never of considered ostriches

but will for sure look into this as it seems to be a viable addition to my options. What sort of

housing/enclosure would they need?

[Small Holder Farming]

Why not ostriches - I bought 12 chicks at 8 weeks old about 16 months back on a "hobby" basis.

Cost then: Baht 2800 (each) = Baht 33 600

Value now: Males x 4 Baht 18 000 (each) 72 000

Females x 8 Baht 12 000 (each) 96 000

Total: 168 000

Theoretical Profit: Baht Baht 134 400

Thats their value live. Slaughtered they would be a worth a lot more, and yes there is a market for there leather in Thailand - which is worth more than their meat (and their is a Thai market for that as well as the feathers).

They are susceptiable to bird flu - just like chickens - but can be vaccinated (which would obviosuly be the way to go with such a high value product).

Feed Costs: Haven't a clue - they were brought up on exactly the same forage diet (always fresh cut though) as the cattle (mixtures of maize and various forage grasses well chopped up). The only extra they have had is a regular dose of commercial vitamin additive to their fresh water (same stuff Thai chickenfarmers mix with the water they feed chickens), and the occassional sack of crushed shellfish shells (fresh water or marine - crab shells, oyster shells, mussel shells ect ect ...) to add extra roughage for their stomachs.

I've had no health problems with them - wish I could get that return on a cow over the same period of time.

Oh, land required: all kept together on 6 rai of land - but I am told you can keep 100 - 200 on that amount of land - only need to give "pairs" their own patch if you want them to breed.:

As for chicken/egg farming: its all been said - do your maths, do your homework, understand your market blah blah, blah blah......

Tim

[Farming In Isaan]

Z21 it's the same here with electric fence, but you just buy a small control box and run it from the mains. They are fairly cheap about 1000 bhat I think , never seen any disappear.

Tim

Yea we used to buy in fresh Pangular (sp) grass, sell it localy as well when we used to have a lorry. It just got too expencive, people were stoping buying it and I could'nt really afford to keep the lorry going just for us, but the milk yields we're better. To be honest I'm probably not buying in the stock to get much over say about 14/kg a head. I'm not from a farming background and neither really is the misses so I've just had to learn everything myself. We dont really have the facilities for the really good milkers here, the medical back up is pretty poor as well.

I think the milk indistry here in Nakon is not as mature as in Korat, where you tend to find larger farms and probably better support.

Going from giving Pangular to just "fang" the milk production droped about 40%, but my cost's did come down a lot as well. Fang Mak initialy I was approching the levels of pangular say about 10% less, but after about 3 months it just started to drop off eventually ending up at the levels of straight "fang". Mabye you could help me out a bit here as i've done loads of internet searches trying to find any long term problems with fang mak, but have yet come up with anything.

I'll probably feed it this dry season as well, but before we were geared to growing cash crops and buying forage so at least this year I should be able to get away with just about 3-4 months of the stuff. Going back about 6 months we had staff problems i.e we did'nt have any. Me and the wife were milking about 50 and then I was hand cutting(not tractor) jumbo twice aday for them, right in the middle of hot season as well, good way to lose weight !!

climate controlled barn

I've got one of these....yes you've guest it, it controled by the climate

Maizefarmer - I find your info and all input on your posting very interesting. Would you know

which crop would be suitable to grow for poultry feed. I envisage my land area to no more than

5 rai and would need to sustane a flock of some 500 birds.

[Small Holder Farming]

The price of eggs has gone up alot over that past few years due the the bird flu . less chickens , less eggs and the Thais love their eggs .

Random Chances - I have considered rearing a few pigs and think it would be another line of

income along with ducks, fruit/veg growing and the poultry/eggs. We are both in our mid fifty's

and would be taking this on as a secondary source of income to our pensions.

I know this won't make us rich but hopefully pay our way without dipping into our reserves.

As Jeff1 mentioned, I believe eggs to hold a good price, and by keeping out costs to a minimum

we should be able to make a small profit. Generally and average yeild of egg production assuming

the chickens to be cared for and fed/watered properly should be 1 egg/bird/day on average.

Therefore I would be expecting to acheive a minimum of say 400 eggs per day to retail.

[Small Holder Farming]

Sure, raising eggs can be done. It's a job tending to 500 hens. The thing to remember is that any agricultural enterprise like this one can be done by any number of Thai people all over Thailand so the profit margin will be kept low by the competition. If it was really easy to sell eggs and get rich then your neighbor would go into business and undercut your price.....it all balances out. This doesn't mean that you can't make a living doing it...I'm just trying to say that its a business and you'll need to work at it to stay competitive and keep it happening.

I'd investigate the possibility of growing your own feed. Many people in my village find that if they raise animals by buying all the feed that they don't really make much money because it all goes for the feed.

Thanks for that pointer, The land we have is approx 5 rai and would be able to support a feed crop,

perhaps my next question should be to 'maizefarmer' or any other with the Knowledge who could advise on the best growable crop for free range poultry?

[Small Holder Farming]

Hi guys,

My Thai wife and myself are intending to move back to her village district shortly to start up a small holding business producing and distributing eggs to local outlets/markets etc.

Does anyone have any advise/pro's or cons? Comments welcome.

A friend of mine just outside Pattaya set up with 20,000 hens and all new buildings to produce and sell eggs,6 months later he has had to cull all the birds and lost everything

Thanks - thats really made my day!! I assume that was to do with 'Bird flu'. However, my

enterprise is not expected to be that size, more like 500 max. which is more personel and controllable.

[Small Holder Farming]

Hi guys,

My Thai wife and myself are intending to move back to her village district shortly to start up a small holding business producing and distributing eggs to local outlets/markets etc.

Does anyone have any advise/pro's or cons? Comments welcome.

[Nationwide Electrical Wholesalers]

Hi Guys,

I am presently in the UK and will soon be building a house in the Yasothon area

with my Thai wife. Iam an Electrical contractor by trade and will probably do the

electrical installation work myself.

Could anyone help!! I am trying to locate an electrical wholesalers for the purpose

of obtaining electrical material, switches, sockets, light fittings etc.

Any help gratefully received. Regards to you all. ps. a great web site.

[Holiday Stay]

[email protected] I am staying in Thailand for a 35 day holiday. Is this period of time OK for a holiday visit or will I require a visa.

I would be grateful for your help. Regards Dave.