Diary of a farang in Isaan

[Assurancetourix 16,934]

3 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Your big mouth. You don't need a megaphone then!

Never ..

It happened to me in my early youth to run faster than they would have wanted some very bad bosses in the road transport of goods

[Assurancetourix 16,934]

My youngest daughter, she is 23 years old, has just arrived from a little trip that she made with her boyfriend; they went to Nakon Sri Thammarat;

he had things to do there after the end of his military service.
They returned with small gifts for the family.
I had  a coconut cake and I want to share with you the composition of the  cake ;

 

And yes, only in Thailand can we find a product that is made with 125% of products.

until now, I thought, but I was certainly wrong, that the maximum was 100% ...

 

[bluesofa 31,217]

27 minutes ago, Assurancetourix said:

My youngest daughter, she is 23 years old, has just arrived from a little trip that she made with her boyfriend; they went to Nakon Sri Thammarat;

he had things to do there after the end of his military service.
They returned with small gifts for the family.
I had  a coconut cake and I want to share with you the composition of the  cake ;

 

And yes, only in Thailand can we find a product that is made with 125% of products.

until now, I thought, but I was certainly wrong, that the maximum was 100% ...

 

Ha ha ha! Well that is just superb! Now I know why Thailand is so special.

I bet you feel full of energy now, having eaten 125% of a cake.

I wonder if the price was 125% of the standard price too?

[owl sees all 5,205]

Just came back from Ban Dung. A mini Big C has just opened alongside 7-11, and they are only two shops down from Tesco.

 

That's three competing shops within 50 metres. 

 

Must be boom time. 

[GarryP 4,868]

35 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

Just came back from Ban Dung. A mini Big C has just opened alongside 7-11, and they are only two shops down from Tesco.

 

That's three competing shops within 50 metres. 

 

Must be boom time. 

Sounds like the coffee shop business in upcountry provincial towns. One opens and does reasonable trade and with 6 months you have another 4 or 5 opening. Then business goes down and a year down the road 1 or 2 close down because of lack of trade. 

Edited February 25 by GarryP

[owl sees all 5,205]

6 hours ago, GarryP said:

Sounds like the coffee shop business in upcountry provincial towns. One opens and does reasonable trade and with 6 months you have another 4 or 5 opening. Then business goes down and a year down the road 1 or 2 close down because of lack of trade. 

You are right about the coffee shops. Life of about 3/4 months. 

 

Ban Dung is just a small Isaan town of a few thousand. It has five 7-11s, one big Big C and now the new mini one, Tesco's have a medium store and a mini one.

 

At last count it had 23 phone shops (12 in Big Care alone). But not big enough for a set of traffic signals. 

[GarryP 4,868]

2 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

You are right about the coffee shops. Life of about 3/4 months. 

 

Ban Dung is just a small Isaan town of a few thousand. It has five 7-11s, one big Big C and now the new mini one, Tesco's have a medium store and a mini one.

 

At last count it had 23 phone shops (12 in Big Care alone). But not big enough for a set of traffic signals. 

In a few years I will be retiring to Kham Muang in Kalasin, after living for nearly 40 years in Bangkok. There they have one 7/11, one Tesco express, about seven coffee shops, six or more phone shops, but no traffic lights and a small population I would guess at no more than 2 thousand.  The land prices are crazy there too. It is going to be a major change for me. 

[Kadilo 6,936]

4 hours ago, GarryP said:

In a few years I will be retiring to Kham Muang in Kalasin, after living for nearly 40 years in Bangkok. There they have one 7/11, one Tesco express, about seven coffee shops, six or more phone shops, but no traffic lights and a small population I would guess at no more than 2 thousand.  The land prices are crazy there too. It is going to be a major change for me. 

Why are the land prices crazy. ? What sort of price are we talking about?

[Assurancetourix 16,934]

7 hours ago, Kadilo said:

Why are the land prices crazy. ? What sort of price are we talking about?

 

Very expensive , I think 

A photo I shot 2 months ago just outside Sawang Daen Din on road 2342

somebody is selling half a rai for 1,5 million baht 

 

 

 

[bluesofa 31,217]

6 minutes ago, Assurancetourix said:

 

Very expensive , I think 

A photo I shot 2 months ago just outside Sawang Daen Din on road 2342

somebody is selling half a rai for 1,5 million baht 

 

Yes, land prices are expensive, but only as long a people are willing to pay the price.

I see it says "เกือบ" above, which is "almost" half a rai.

Last year my wife sold almost a rai on a concrete small soi for 2 million Baht, in our village just outside Udon.

[Kadilo 6,936]

1 hour ago, bluesofa said:

Yes, land prices are expensive, but only as long a people are willing to pay the price.

I see it says "เกือบ" above, which is "almost" half a rai.

Last year my wife sold almost a rai on a concrete small soi for 2 million Baht, in our village just outside Udon.

Bought by Thai or foreigner ? 

[bluesofa 31,217]

1 hour ago, Kadilo said:

2 hours ago, bluesofa said:

Yes, land prices are expensive, but only as long a people are willing to pay the price.

I see it says "เกือบ" above, which is "almost" half a rai.

Last year my wife sold almost a rai on a concrete small soi for 2 million Baht, in our village just outside Udon.

Bought by Thai or foreigner ? 

A Thai, who wanted to build houses on the land and sell them.

[owl sees all 5,205]

Land near the Phen road, off the 2022, is going for 100K a rai. Just farmland. No leccy or water.

 

In the towns the prices are between 500K and 2million+ a rai.

 

Come Saturday we are off to Udon. Hopefully I can pick up my new laptop.

 

On Sunday we are going in the opposite direction, towards Fao Rai,  to sort out our 12,000 eucalyptus trees. Not going to be delivered untill the rain (?) kicks in. Cost 24K baht. Gonna give them 5K for a deposit. The trees are for the latest money making venture. We have had all rice, 2200 rubber trees, cassava, 192 oil palm trees, sugar and back full circle to rice last year. Millionairre status awaits; once more! What will I do with all that wealth? Koi carp for me; handbags for the wife. Any left over then I'll pay Mildred not to keep watching her telephone. Only joking about the carp.

 

Feeling much better today. Heavy cold (Chinese virus) virtually gone. All thanks to the humble reishi mushroom concoction; generously enthused with the local rice wine. Should begin to ride my Carrera soon. Been over a month now. Have to get the WD40 and air pump out this week.

 

Caught up with my favourite rambler John Rogers on YouTube this morning. Felt quite homesick for a while.

 

More later guys.

 

Just about to post when a local lass visited. She chatted with Mrs Owl for a while and I was obviously  the subject matter. What did Looney (the lady) want?

 

It turned out that she had dreamt I'd died in the night and needed to know my age; for the lottery!! I kid you not. 

 

PPS,,,, 72. Easy money.

 

 

 

 

 

[GarryP 4,868]

14 hours ago, Kadilo said:

Why are the land prices crazy. ? What sort of price are we talking about?

The Land Department appraised price is Baht 1,700/sq wah for a large number of plots on the main road, but the owners are selling for up to 6 times that price. The piece of land I am interested in buying, on which to build a house, is 1 Ngan and 53 Wah or 153 wah so based on the Land Department it should be going for Baht 260,100. But the owner is asking 1.5 million. Along that road all the land is in that range.  The owner of the land does not know I am involved so it is not a cheat the foreigner type of deal. 

 

The funny thing is that in the next district over, which is much more developed, has more amenities, and is nearer the provincial capital, the land prices are lower. It seems that a local celebrity on the Luk Tung circuit started buying up a lot of land locally as they came into a lot of money and it pushed up the price of land in the district. 

[GarryP 4,868]

7 hours ago, Assurancetourix said:

 

Very expensive , I think 

A photo I shot 2 months ago just outside Sawang Daen Din on road 2342

somebody is selling half a rai for 1,5 million baht 

 

 

 

Including a house.