Do You Live In A Thai Village Full Time

[Monkeypants]

Well Macb,

Just a few loose ends to tie up in Blighty, and I should be building our house come this October, in Phetchabun.

Gonna live there semi permanently at first, 6 months perhaps.

Will have to visit you then mate, I didn't have time on the last trip, 13 days not quite enough.

[macb]

Well Macb,

Just a few loose ends to tie up in Blighty, and I should be building our house come this October, in Phetchabun.

Gonna live there semi permanently at first, 6 months perhaps.

Will have to visit you then mate, I didn't have time on the last trip, 13 days not quite enough.

No problem matey Mervyn kept me updated. Ironic really we all seem to be busy doing this and that, you take care mate keep in touch

[ThailandTony]

This is true Mac, always something to do around the place, especially if the builders have only just left!....haha. I just finished a small house in Chaiyaphum m/pants, did it long distance (Isend the money, the wife gives it to the builder....haha) The only real pitfall was making sure what wasn't in the bill for the finishes, ie tile shop scenario:

me: ok, what tiles can I have?

builder: (picks 3 bland and cheap tiles) you have these tiles

m: I don't like the colour, you have some other colour?

b: you have these tiles

m: ok, can I have 450 x 450 not 150 x 150?

b: you have these tiles

m: ok, I want non-slip, these are fully glazed

b: you have these tiles

m:lol....ok...what if I pay more money

b: you have ANY tiles

Haha....this same scenario was played out at the paint shop, the bathroom shop, the door shop, the aluminium shop etc.etc.....but in the end it only cost me an extra 80 k on a 620k build for a 120m2 3-bed so not to worry.

Good luck to all house builders and rice planters!

[jaiyenyen]

Hi All, back in Bahrain after another fun and adventure packed couple of weeks in my adopted country, Thailand. I think I was the only falang actually flying IN to Thailand for Songkran....lots of stories and photo's to follow.....just wanted to share one of the funnier days at home.

I have a katom (same same Sala) at the end of Mama's garden next to a big fish pond, about 20m x 10m x 3m where I have a hammock slung for those lazy afternoons. The location is perfect for a snooze, great view across the paddy's and surrounded on all sides by 15ft high bamboo. On the day in question a beautiful nap with afternoon breeze was interupted by the unwelcome drone of a generator starting up. Now Mama doesn't own a genny so this drew me out of my slumber only to see that Papa had attached what looked like a little genny to the end of a 4m long 6" pipe. I'd seen these before as they are used to irrigate the fields but normally with a lod Thai (tractor engine with handlebars) attached. Roused I wondered what was going on and got the gist that Papa was now pumping all of the water out of the pond. We have a klong (stream) bed at the end of the garden which of course is mostly dry at this time of year so was thirsty for our 400-500 m3 of water.

So what were they doing? It takes some time to shift that much water and my normally secluded end of the garden gradually became more and more populated by our kids, the village kids, family and friends. For what?

FISHING!!!!!

Anyone who thinks Thai people are daft need to spend some time in my village. Not a single rod! No nets! Not even a nylon line with a bent nail on the end! They emptied the pond, everyone climbed in and they lifted the fish out of the mud like they were going out of fashion haha! Big and small they were all extracted and then the real work started!

Anybody who ever wondered why the Thai's, especially the Isaarns, like Pa La (stinky fish paste) too mud, it takes a hel_l of a lot of effort to make it. The fish are obviously all gutted and scaled then everything is chopped up to a medium coarse paste then malleted with the pestle and mortar (pock pock pock) until everything is ground down to a fine paste and then bottled. A hel_l of a lot of effort but many hands make light work.

In these situations I often sit watching with a chilled bottle of Leo just wondering what anybody who knew me from home or from work would make of it in the absolute knowledge that they would never associate me with this scene. It is completely alien to most Westerners and complete heaven to me.

The reason for the Pa La fiesta? My wife and kids came back with me to Bahrain this time to stay here full time and we needed a shed load of Pa La to make the transition smoother. When we went to Dubai I could smell our bags 10 minutes before we saw them and so could everyone else....haha! We pretended not to recognise it as we lifted our damp and extremely smelly bag onto the trolley and sniffed our way through customs, all the time looking over our shoulders as if we were as disgusted by the smell as everyone else....haha.

My wife had the answer to my question before I asked it as we packed our bags last week. "5 BAG" she laughed holding up the big jar of Pa La bagged 5 times just in case...haha.

Now in Bahrain a week it has certainly helped having a big jar of Pa La. Word went around the Thai community and all the Isaarn ladies started making house calls and within a week my wife has met more people here than I have!

More to follow.....Special Hi to MacB, Bee and Jasmin ("did we settle on Jasmin?...or Gloria...lol")

Hi,

I too remember being amazed at my first Issan "fishing" trip.

We had gone to my fiance's village Ban Kaen, near Roi-Et, and was told that the next day we would go fishing.

Great, something i hadn't done for years, and wanted to start again in Thailand, as something to pass the time.

I asked if we had enough tackle for everyone and was given the answer " have machine" .I tried to work out what this "machine" thing could be, but gave up.

Next morning, i woke early, to find half the family and the neighbours missing, only to be told that they had gone to start the "machine". I will never forget the sight of the huge water pump, children throwing fish out of an almost empty pond, and the mums,BBQing the fresh fish.

Maybe i should send an article to Angling Times . LOL

Regards

Jaiyenyen

[macb]

It is funny the strange things you discover that you may not have seen before: I was amazed when I first moved into the village to just discover that fish can be obtained from a field also crabs, this never being heard of in the UK, only Rabbits and hares etc.

Not only that the surprises continued driving bak from Buriram after BBQ, the wife shouted STOP this I did it was dark but there in the middle of the road was a fish 'Amazing' to say the least, it was a fair size Catfish that she threw in the rear of the truck, then I hade to have eyes peels for the rest of the journey home:

So we never cease to learn or be amazed at the Wonders of Nature

What a learning curve life is becoming I love it

[Luckydog]

Delighted that you guys are happy living in the sticks.

And thank you for convincing me that it is not at all what I want to do......I will stay living well away from my wife's family on the outskirts of Pattaya......

[macb]

Delighted that you guys are happy living in the sticks.

And thank you for convincing me that it is not at all what I want to do......I will stay living well away from my wife's family on the outskirts of Pattaya......

ARe you have the Pattaya sickness

Or is it because there is not a pole in the bars up here:

[ThailandTony]

Some things never change regardless which country your in.

After dropping our son off at his 1st day at school in Bahrain, my wife & I went to look at a villa for rent and I was ordered to STOP by the wife outside what I knew to be the wrong villa. As she has only been here a week I was a little perplexed but it suddenly dawned on me why we had stopped. She had spotted a "salad" tree that she recognised and after a rummage on a neighbouring building site for half a minute she came out with a stick and started thwacking the tree. Large curly pods started landing everywhere and before we knew it we had a bag full! We then went to see the villa which wasn't up to much but went home happy with our salad catch.

This is a scene I have played out dozens of times in Thailand and its good to know we have good salad trees here in Bahrain to!

Keep thwackin them branches guys!

[macb]

Well its that time of year again when the ploughing is taking place and indeed some folks have sown there rice already with the rain coming early:

Earlier this year people were having there houses raised in the village and extra fill added tho there plots.

When the fields looked brown and dry and my front lawn despite watering was looking like a faded green snooker well used snooker table cloth, it is now wonderfully green again and the fields are green.

This year we had a first bananas from the garden and Mangos also Pappaya, people are now buying pappaya from the wife as we seem to the only ones growing it. also got pomelo growing on a tree.

[selftaopath]

Do you live in Thai village full time, what does a typical day hold for you.

What time does you day start, what time do you sleep, what does your wife do in a typical day.

macb

Hi macb, how are you? Keoki here. My transition to Nong Sung, Isaan is still in it's infancy. And I remain confused. I will hopefully "retiring" to Isaan by next year, building a house, finding a suitable (or several) motorcycles to ride. My recent confusion is a/b retirement visa. I "heard" a farang went to his embassy, told them (might not be true) that he has a retirement income (not any money in the bank) and swore to it. He then got a ??? stamp from the embassy stating he "swore" this to be true. Then he took this "paper" to immigration who (as the story goes) gave him a retirement visa b/c of the amount he claimed getting each month. Now, I am not sure how to proceed - even if my retirement will not be until next year. Of course EVERYTHING could and probably change in LOS by then, but wanted to hear if any other Isaan X pat friends, heard of anything like this.

Cheers, Keoki

[macb]

Do you live in Thai village full time, what does a typical day hold for you.

What time does you day start, what time do you sleep, what does your wife do in a typical day.

macb

Hi macb, how are you? Keoki here. My transition to Nong Sung, Isaan is still in it's infancy. And I remain confused. I will hopefully "retiring" to Isaan by next year, building a house, finding a suitable (or several) motorcycles to ride. My recent confusion is a/b retirement visa. I "heard" a farang went to his embassy, told them (might not be true) that he has a retirement income (not any money in the bank) and swore to it. He then got a ??? stamp from the embassy stating he "swore" this to be true. Then he took this "paper" to immigration who (as the story goes) gave him a retirement visa b/c of the amount he claimed getting each month. Now, I am not sure how to proceed - even if my retirement will not be until next year. Of course EVERYTHING could and probably change in LOS by then, but wanted to hear if any other Isaan X pat friends, heard of anything like this.

Cheers, Keoki

Hi there :

Re Retirement Visa :

Two options

1. 800.000bht in a Thai Bank Account ;

2 65.000 bht per month :

If you are Retiring and getting a company pension or have the monthly income : You have to send this papers to the British Consulate Bkk and you get a letter of Garauntee from them for your income :

Below is a link for the British Embassy which gives contact details etc : Also a link for Tha Immigration good information here as well

http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/F...d=1123953328230

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php

If you want to Pm me no problem

[macb]

What happened this week : Well Tuesday I travelled back from Petchabun Wednesday usual stuff looking after daughter, Thursday papa to Hospital for medication his Gout been left to long again, despite I said get to Hospital before you have to much pain.

Friday Khap Cheong re-new retirement Visa:

Saturday morning papa in pain and so was mama this time all hel_l broke loose, So Krasang 1st with mama she ended up in Krasang Hospital she got a nail in her foot and told no one so ended up with infection in blood, I said to wife okay ring all your sisters tell them they need to come help as we have baby to see to as well.

Back to village I said okay ring ambulance take your papa to Hospital (I didnt know to get an ambulance it has to be approved by poo Yai mmm)

Any way off to Huairat Hospital now, get papa booked in then back to village with the hangers on.

Then off to Krasang again collect mama back to village as everyone wants to see her, at the house no one there, then back to Huairat Hospital this time with mama, now mother and Father both in Hospital.

I did order VIP room, but did pass comment that 6 ladies from the village were all sat on the settee and Farang had to stand and no one got me a seat I went and got my own then of course fed them all.

And my 5 month old daughter never complained or got sleep all day.

Happy Retirement lol

[Luckydog]

Nice thread, and you are all obviously nice people enjoying your lives and families in LOS. As someone who is planning to move there shortly, your stories help to alleviate some of the concerns that grow from others experiences and horror stories that crop up all too often in various threads.

Thanks guys.

Sooner you than me old bean........

[johnsurin]

What happened this week : Well Tuesday I travelled back from Petchabun Wednesday usual stuff looking after daughter, Thursday papa to Hospital for medication his Gout been left to long again, despite I said get to Hospital before you have to much pain.

Friday Khap Cheong re-new retirement Visa:

Saturday morning papa in pain and so was mama this time all hel_l broke loose, So Krasang 1st with mama she ended up in Krasang Hospital she got a nail in her foot and told no one so ended up with infection in blood, I said to wife okay ring all your sisters tell them they need to come help as we have baby to see to as well.

Back to village I said okay ring ambulance take your papa to Hospital (I didnt know to get an ambulance it has to be approved by poo Yai mmm)

Any way off to Huairat Hospital now, get papa booked in then back to village with the hangers on.

Then off to Krasang again collect mama back to village as everyone wants to see her, at the house no one there, then back to Huairat Hospital this time with mama, now mother and Father both in Hospital.

I did order VIP room, but did pass comment that 6 ladies from the village were all sat on the settee and Farang had to stand and no one got me a seat I went and got my own then of course fed them all.

And my 5 month old daughter never complained or got sleep all day.

Happy Retirement lol

Oh, for the peaceful village life.

P.S. Hope you didn't forget to feed the chickens?

[Thaddeus]

Nice thread, and you are all obviously nice people enjoying your lives and families in LOS. As someone who is planning to move there shortly, your stories help to alleviate some of the concerns that grow from others experiences and horror stories that crop up all too often in various threads.

Thanks guys.

Sooner you than me old bean........

If village life holds no interest for you, why did you feel it necessary to comment?

[Thaddeus]

Back to village I said okay ring ambulance take your papa to Hospital (I didnt know to get an ambulance it has to be approved by poo Yai mmm)

It doesn't, but he has to do something to justify his position every now an again, and the whole village will play along with this little charade.

If he stuck up his hand in a real emergency..... he'd get flattened.

[soihok]

What happened this week : Well Tuesday I travelled back from Petchabun Wednesday usual stuff looking after daughter, Thursday papa to Hospital for medication his Gout been left to long again, despite I said get to Hospital before you have to much pain.

Friday Khap Cheong re-new retirement Visa:

Saturday morning papa in pain and so was mama this time all hel_l broke loose, So Krasang 1st with mama she ended up in Krasang Hospital she got a nail in her foot and told no one so ended up with infection in blood, I said to wife okay ring all your sisters tell them they need to come help as we have baby to see to as well.

Back to village I said okay ring ambulance take your papa to Hospital (I didnt know to get an ambulance it has to be approved by poo Yai mmm)

Any way off to Huairat Hospital now, get papa booked in then back to village with the hangers on.

Then off to Krasang again collect mama back to village as everyone wants to see her, at the house no one there, then back to Huairat Hospital this time with mama, now mother and Father both in Hospital.

I did order VIP room, but did pass comment that 6 ladies from the village were all sat on the settee and Farang had to stand and no one got me a seat I went and got my own then of course fed them all.

And my 5 month old daughter never complained or got sleep all day.

Happy Retirement lol

Fair play Mr Mac,

I will be making one of my rare pilgrimages to Korat next week ,,and I can tell you that I cant wait.

The Missus misses home and for me its like a great breath of fresh air.

I take my hat off to yer.

[Joe Walshe]

Most enjoyable thread.

I have lived on and off in a village outside Chumphae, Khon Kaen soem years ago and enjoyed it immensly. Like most of the Farangs posting here I read a lot and was happy with the simple pleasures in life. I enjoyed the company of the local kids who would drop by on way home from school. But I could lock gate and relax out of sight when I was weary of the limited conversational skills. I often visited local schools much to the delight of the local teachers and kids. Cycling along the river bank from village to village was nice. I speak limited Thai/laos but understand much. I don't expect ever to be fluent.

Soem peoples lifestyles have made me consider advantages of having satelite TV and if possible satelite internet.

My wife, 2 kids and I live in Ireland but look forward to returning once kids have finished college and are mature and independent.

I think a life in Thailand dedicated to ones own comfort and pleasure would be less pleasant to one simply helping in the farm or somehow involved in the community. My previous experiences working as a volunteer in Thailand were the best most enjoyable years of my life.

I hope this thread won't fissle out and look forward to reading other posts. Photos are nice too.

Joe

[AA1]

"Do I live in a Thai village full time"? Sadly at present 'No' but wish I was!

My wife, Ting, has just set off by bus back to our home near Sangkha, Surin for 4 days to check on progress of her rubber trees and join in the House Warming celebrations for her sister's new house. I am left in Bangkok looking after 11 year old step son!!

When deserted an empty bed is not condusive to sleep SO have just waded through the 22 pages of this post. What fascinating and enjoyable reading it makes and has encouraged me to put my own penny's worth.

Background.

When we met about 4+ years ago, Ting was commuting between her job in Bangkok and her mother who was seriously ill in the 'better' hospital in Surin. My first visit to Isaan was about 2 months later when she asked if I would like to go with her to her mother's funeral. What an eye opener that was! 2 days & 1 night of LOUD music, drinking & eating, dancing and of course the statutary 9 monks performing their duties over the 2 days with the cremation taking place at the tops end of their land. her mother left the house land, about 5 rai, between her 6 children. Ting was left the part with the family house as she had provided most of the money for building it (until money dried up with hospital costs - NONE were ever asked from me!). Her mother had always been the driving force of the family and was sorry I only met her after her death.

The Learning Curve.

1). A few months later and after 1 or 2 visits later, we decided to get 'village' married and so finished the initial work on the house - consisting of a very large room downstairs, (where father has under a 1/4 in a corner sectioned off as a bedroom for him) and another upstairs room covering about 2/3rds. of the downstairs room - which needed plastering and downstairs tiling, as well as having proper windows and doors fitted.

All finished, the lovely village wedding took place but don't expect to know what is going to happen!!

Learning curve No. 1:- When special events are going to take place, be polite and ask "What is going to happen" - DON'T expect to learn, just go with the flow and enjoy whatever does happen!!

I put off the 'government' wedding, for about 6 months until we (Ting) had acquired various bits of land which we wanted in case of any problems as legally she was still single & NOT married to a farang.

2). When we got married we bought a Tuk Tuk for the to able to use rather than buffalo.

I have 2 brothers-in-law - one lives on his plot so uses it and the other married a headman's daughter so has his own Tuk Tuk. It niggled me that the one who uses our family not only charges US full rate AND put up the price by an excesive B100 a day when petrol prices went up (I accepted this as it helped him even though it niggled me especially as we had paid for it) but was horrified when I discovered he was charging his other sister, who could ill afford it the same rate when it was as much her machine as his!

Learning curve No. 2:- If you give a gift to the family as a whole made sure you (your other half) stipulate how ALL are to benefit NOT just 1.

3). The house had an outside Wash House - How can water be so cold! The first bucket poured over you was agony!! Next to it was a squat loo - again not my scene so I designed and added a small eating room, running water for proper shower room with sit down loo and a kitchen with sink. Upstairs we seperated so that it consisted of 1/2 being divided into 2 bedrooms and the other 1/2 as a basic bolt hole for me. Having been the family house, this we said was to be our Private Area which was followed. BUT too late I discovered all the nephews & nieces (plus their friends) from their small homes with cement floor etc., decended on the t.v./video player downstairs and would blast us out of bed at 5.00 a.m.!!

Learning curve No. 3:- If you move into the Family House, make sure you know what you are letting yourself in for. They were used to that but I had been lucky and had not suffered it on previous visits. Without causing family problems, it could not be stopped!!

Having been through my basic learning curve, how are things now - wonderful!!

The improvements to the family house had not been very expensive, so we built a 2 bedroom bungalow, which I designed, on a building plot which we had already bought and which adjoined the end of other plot. Ting now has her own home and Yo can take over the larger 'Family' house if/when he later get married and until then it is still lived in by Ting's father.

SO we have a home as we want it to be (small garden awaits our move).

We build on one floor so when/if!! I become an old man NO stair to negotiate!! Would have been a problem in the old house.

We put in gates in the surrounding wall so they are convenient for us but NOT for all and sundry to use as a short cut!!

Some of the advantages:-

I love the country. Although I was educated and worked for a few years in London, my home was always in the country and that is what I loved.

The peace and quiet (when NOT invaded by nephews & nieces at 5.00 a.m.!)

The fresh air.

Going outside after dark and seeing a sky full of stars.

The friendliness of the locals (although Ting is nervous of me going off by myself as she worries about drunk townies who might be roaming the back roads and might feel farang has big wallet- have yet to see any!)

Pottering amongst small rubber trees now and in the garden later.

Sitting below fan outside and reading books.

We have a motor bike now. Never having driven one I am either passenger or travel on pedal bike. I will NOT get a pick up until we move then it can cause no problems and I don't want to have one in Bangkok.

NO-ONE has ever asked me for money so have had no problems on that score. They know better as they would get an earfull from Ting. They might ask her but NOT me.

Ting has a small monthly allowance so what she then does with it is up to her but she is a great saver and is always VERY careful how she spends any money.

We do help some of her family such as her sister who looks after our home and their father as well as keeping an eye on Ting's farm, we pay electricity for her father and give him a small allowance and if up there we provide food for the family as well as ourselves BUT basically it is generous money FOR HELPING US not 'hand outs' otherwise you will have expectant begging hands all the time.

Sorry I have written MUCH TOO MUCH and more use to those thinking of moving to the country rather than those who ARE living in the country already.

One final thing. Why have we not moved full time already. We decided Ting's son was getting such a poor education in the village school we brought him down to Bangkok for Pathom. He is now in P5 so only 1 more year after this in Bangkok then back to the country FULL TIME (except for travels) and he will go to a school in Surin or similar - anyone any suggestions of good schools for a typical lazy Thai boy!!

Hopefully photos of bungalow before surrounding wall built, living room & kitchen.

McB. Sorry not to have been in touch but look forward to meeting you and will be in touch when coming up for more than a fleeting visit.

[macb]

Hi Folks:

Thank's for the snippets you all added :

AA1 Your post is not to long mate thanks for going to trouble of sharing things with us it adds meat to the Topic and more info and insight to folks wanting or thinking or going too make the Village life there world :

Well here are some points that came out of this scenario:

1. Earlier in the week I took papa in my pick-up to hospital then home again it was painful journey for him, but if I had not suggested ring 1669 EMS for ambulance it would not have been considered.

2. Last year we had Papa in to Surin National Hospital with severe Gout (brought on through to much Alcohol over the years + Diabetes now (Which seems very common amongst Thai people) I add he has now stopped drinking. The bill was 8000bht I didnt mind paying but then there was medication after at 1500 bht per month.

3 I made a principle point with my wife that whilst we could meet the bills why was none of her Family helping when they all work in Bkk and one with good business. Things have changed now and they have been made to understand that they are there parents as well and need to help, and not just leave it all to the Farang.

4. Do bear in mind that if your wife has large family and they all work away and you decide to locate near the Family and build your home then all the problems will be on your wife's shoulders with regards to the parents and what ever Siblings have been left with them, I say this because my wife and I have had to deal with this alone and also 5 month old daughter, but as soon as this started yesterday I said ring sisters in Bkk they need to work something out to come and help, this morning a sister arrived from Bkk, but out of this my little daughter had very bad cold which we nearly cured with medication, but its back again due to too long days at Hospitals and in the heat.

Well they are not complaints but this could happen to you and you need to be aware and dont be frightened to voice your opinion and say this is what we are going to do.

[OxfordWill]

A very enjoyable, delightful, thread.. many thanks to all who contributed their stories. Ive never lived in a Thai village, although I did once stay in a Lao village for a few months. I enjoyed that immensely.

I do have a question for you village dwellers- do any of you have satellite internet access or are you all on normal phone lines? Any details about internet connections would be gratefully received out of nothing but sheer curiosity. thanks!

[macb]

A very enjoyable, delightful, thread.. many thanks to all who contributed their stories. Ive never lived in a Thai village, although I did once stay in a Lao village for a few months. I enjoyed that immensely.

I do have a question for you village dwellers- do any of you have satellite internet access or are you all on normal phone lines? Any details about internet connections would be gratefully received out of nothing but sheer curiosity. thanks!

Here is one link that is running on Satelitte. if you go to the Computer Section in the Forum and search you will come up with Topics relating to your query

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...view=getnewpost

But Basically IPSTAR Sat Internet through TOT, there are several packages I am on 256/128 installation Fee 3750 bht Cost per month 1605 bht I am very pleased with it

[OxfordWill]

~Thanks

[Martin]

I got IPStar last year, and had so much hassle with it that I kept my dial-up account going, too.

Over the last few months, IPStar has got much better,and I only rarely have to revert to dial-up now. Even then, when I try IPStar again after an hour or so, it is usually back in operation.

For Joe Walshe: It is unlikely that this thread will fizzle out. If it goes quiet for a while, someone can always revive it. Over the years before this thread, there was generally one going on a similar topic (despite there not being a specific Isaan forum then).

For AA1: You hit the nail on the head, when you alluded to the redationships with the extended family depending on your wife's forcefulness and willingness to respond to 'try-ons' with 'an earful'.

Lucky are those of us who married a daughter of an Isaan village and found that she was the dominant sibling!!!

[ThailandTony]

Great read AA1, yep we've all been there on the learning curve and I certainly in my case with almost identical issues...hahaha...but its good to put the info. out there for the new recruits to the boonies! I had IPStar in Chaiyaphum until I came back to Bahrain and found it to be fantastic. Same package as Mac's which was very good for the amount of time I would spend on it each day. Once I added the wireless router it was even better! Surfing from the hammock at the end of the garden!

Roll on August til my next trip home. Happy camping to all you guys still looking at the stars through the holes in the corrugated roof and finding your way into the 4ft 6in high crapper for a squat in the middle of the night....hahaha...been there and got the chill blains from the scoop water in the winter.

Take it easy one and all.

[ThailandTony]

Here are a few photo's of the family home from my 1st visits to my wife's village. It was like camping without a tent and no tins of baked beans either!....hahahah.....I'll post a couple of more recent shots from my home computer later.

Happy days....

[macb]

Here are a few photo's of the family home from my 1st visits to my wife's village. It was like camping without a tent and no tins of baked beans either!....hahahah.....I'll post a couple of more recent shots from my home computer later.

Happy days....

Looks like our families are related lol my wife's parents house is the same

[macb]

Well this last month or so everyone has been busy ploughing and sowing the rice nearly all the fields are green now. The weather at the moment in our area is overcast with the odd thunder storm : The rainy Season seemed to appear early this year: If you not sure wqhen the Seasons are here is a guide for you:

http://www.thailandguru.com/infra-weather.html

The growing rate here is phenomenal you can nearly see plants and trees growing as you look at them , my mornings still start at about 6 am sometimes earlier, with the new daughter on the scene, but this is a good time as I can achieve things in the garden ie this morning I cut the front hedge before the sun attempted to appear through the clouds, tomorrow finish strimming the grass, and i have a Markarm (Tamarind) tree to cut down as it is to near some other trees and the front wall, this is not a problem as we already have one in the garden.

Tomorrow is July 4th Independence day and my American cousin is at his bungalow in the village, this year he is having a firework party and a few beers of course

[macb]

What was yesterday it was July 4th Independence Day:

And ehat did we do in the village well my pal Ron who is married into the family same as me decided for the 2nd Year running to have a party, wel he rang me at 5 pm and said he wanted to start early.

So of me and the wife and daughter went ,the 5 minute walk to Ron's Ban. It was getting well under wayt with all the Family there with there kids and brothers sisters etc, well you name they were all there:

A Bamboo pole had been set into the ground and greased, at the top there were to USA flags you had to get to the top and retrieve a flag to win 200 bht well the thai men and kids were very busy at this game, but of course as the Loa Khoa flowed amongst the Thais it started to get more ballistic with thais standing on each others shoulders, now this was not really fresh Bamboo on this occasion and the inevitable happened with several drunken Thais on the pole yes it snapped and they al came tumbling down, only one guy winded but recovered quickly when he was given the 200 bht hahaha

The other event was tug-o-war well say no more Sanuk:

Well we were joined by Andy and Tariq and there respective partners, Ron and I were on the Gin and Tonic we fealt that Tonic was important as it contains quinine to keep the mossies away, well that was our excuse, and a couple of the lasses helped us empty the bottle throughout the night.

So Fun drinking eating dancing messing about, then once darkness fell a firework display, then more drinking and dancing and messing about, I finally left Ron's Ban at just after midnight escorted to the gate by a lovely member of the Family mmmmmmmm, as the wife had retired earlier with the daughter:

Many thanks Cousin Ron for a good night and see you later for some fishing.

[Joe Walshe]

Planning to retire to Chumphae in 10 - 15 years and am enjoying stories from folks living there now. Joe