Life in the Isaan Boonies.

[SnapDragon]

Hi all.

 

Been in Thailand for about 17 years. Moved out to Isaan almost straight away.

 

Had a lot of different jobs in my life. Teacher, salesman, soldier, builder, www developer, wine-dealer, local politician; but never a farmer. And what an experience it has all been. And still is to this day.

 

Join me for my week-to-week experiences. Often funny and enlightening; amazing even. Sometimes very sad; when the three kiddies drowned in the village just two months ago. And mostly just plain hard work.

 

Have two solar systems on the go and plan two more later this year. 12,000 eucalyptus trees. Eight big ponds. 400+ oil-palm trees. Plus the yearly rice. Not forgetting the cats and dogs. Or the wife and daughter.

 

The rice season is with us. Only have two rai to tend. That's enough! What with everything else.

 

This is the rice to be planted.  Sort of rice-nursery.

 

 

This is where it is going to be planted.

 

 

Some tractor work required.

 

 

 

 

A fish or two to be caught.

 

 

 

And there we have it. Ready for the planters.

 

Team of six planted the whole lot in 6 hours. By the time I got there at 15-00 they had gone.

 

 

Not too much water until the rice gets going.

 

 

The solar system in Number Two pond is getting the grass treatment. Grows like crazy.

 

 

So out with the chog-chog.

 

 

Farm dog 'Happy', always willing to lend a paw.

 

 

That's better. Now for the solar panel weeds.

 

 

Bloody tough stuff. That's enough for today.

 

 

The house by the bus stop has a pigeon problem. So set up a 'scarepigeon' to get them away.

 

They fixed up the monster and the pigeons left. But not that far. 

 

 

Next door but one.

 

 

 

The roof-monster went AWOL, and they soon came back.

 

 

The monster was 'Woody'. He had simply been blown down.

 

 

Soon got put back up. Pigeons scared away for good.

 

 

There is a set of twins in the village. Just 60 metres from me. I can't tell them apart. They are learning English from me. 'Good morning'. And 'buy me ice cleam'.

 

 

Bought a terrapin at the market last week. Only 100 Baht. Let him go in pond 7.

 

 

Not seen it since.

 

Are the trees ready for cutting? Unfortunately they are not all as grand as this lot.

 

 

Measured one of the biggest. 64cm around, at one meter off the ground.

 

 

The ponds looking South West from the road. Eucas in the distance.

 

 

Beautiful nature is everywhere in Isaan.

 

 

 

 

Seez ya next post.

 

[Poolie]

What is a boonie?

[Pinetree]

18 minutes ago, Poolie said:

What is a boonie?

The countryside, the outback, the rural areas, the bush, (not that bush), the remoter bits, not the Cities, towns, or settlements, the wild side, miles from anywhere, the desert, place where animals live.   etc. 

[SnapDragon]

16 minutes ago, Poolie said:

What is a boonie?

Think it's an Ozzie term. Means out in the sticks. Well away from town-folk. Often without basic amenities 

 

At the farm we have no piped water, leccy or www. That's just great. Just beautiful nature to get along with.

 

 

[Fanta]

22 minutes ago, Poolie said:

What is a boonie?

Short for boondocks. 

[rattlesnake]

It's good that you've decided to document your life in Isaan on TT, Snap. I will enjoy following it.

My wife is from a family of Isaan farmers with 50 rai to take care of. I have often stayed there and know everybody well in the village, so I can relate to your posts somewhat (though I have never actually done any farm work myself).

[Ikariotiko]

I drove round Isaan a few months ago, and I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it seemed rather ..... normal. I suppose I was expecting everyone to be in rags, begging for scraps at the roadside. Maybe I've been watching too many Thai soaps.

 

The lasting memory is how cheap it was there. I got an excellent hotel room right on the Mekong for 1000 800 baht (Mukdahan Nakhon Phanom), and on the way back 7 of us went to a restaurant somewhere outside Yasothon town, filled our boots with toothsome food, with the bill coming to 642 baht.

 

Keep the pics coming!

 

 

Edited July 26, 2024 by Ikariotiko
Correction

[rattlesnake]

37 minutes ago, Ikariotiko said:

I drove round Isaan a few months ago, and I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it seemed rather ..... normal. I suppose I was expecting everyone to be in rags, begging for scraps at the roadside. Maybe I've been watching too many Thai soaps.

The lasting memory is how cheap it was there. I got an excellent hotel room right on the Mekong for 1000 800 baht (Mukdahan Nakhon Phanom), and on the way back 7 of us went to a restaurant somewhere outside Yasothon town, filled our boots with toothsome food, with the bill coming to 642 baht.

Keep the pics coming!

 

Nakhon Phanom is not far from my missus' neck of the woods. I haven't been up there in several years, but I used to enjoy the occasional trip to Mukdahan/Savannakhet, very laid back and indeed cheap.

[Ikariotiko]

31 minutes ago, rattlesnake said:

Nakhon Phanom is not far from my missus' neck of the woods. I haven't been up there in several years, but I used to enjoy the occasional trip to Mukdahan/Savannakhet, very laid back and indeed cheap.

And everyone speaks Thai!

 

I was expecting heavy Isaan dialect, but maybe I didn't get far enough off the beaten track.

[rattlesnake]

28 minutes ago, Ikariotiko said:

And everyone speaks Thai!

I was expecting heavy Isaan dialect, but maybe I didn't get far enough off the beaten track.

 

They're all bilingual, they speak Isaan/Laotian and Thai. In Laos too, you can get by just fine by speaking Thai.

[SnapDragon]

1 hour ago, rattlesnake said:

It's good that you've decided to document your life in Isaan on TT, Snap. I will enjoy following it.

The thing that decided me  to move over was set last week. I had been followed by a mod, who took down more of my posts than was left up.  That's not what I believed was a good thing on a forum. I was never an abusive, or rude, poster. Just had views that were not always mainstream. Anyway; received my 15th ban.

.

Don't intend to post there again. Hope the AN supporters/contributors of the thread can find the new here on TT. (If any TT poster could go onto the AN thread and point to here; that would be great.)

.

I'll sometimes post pics from the past so as to contextualize the pics of today. A bit of history to a present story.

.

Together we can grow TT. Thanks for your support.

 

[rattlesnake]

8 minutes ago, SnapDragon said:

If any TT poster could go onto the AN thread and point to here; that would be great.

Done mate.

https://aseannow.com/topic/1134505-diary-of-a-farang-in-isaan/?do=findComment&comment=19095813

[Marc26]

Love this type of thread

 

 

 

 

 

 

Will be definitely following.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It seems that Issan trees, landscaping almost looks like forest that we have in North America vs the bright green rice fields, palm trees 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the interesting thread!

[SnapDragon]

7 minutes ago, rattlesnake said:

Done mate.

https://aseannow.com/topic/1134505-diary-of-a-farang-in-isaan/?do=findComment&comment=19095813

Seen it. Thanks Rattles.

[Poolie]

4 hours ago, Fanta said:

Short for boondocks. 

Ta.

 

 

[Poolie]

4 hours ago, SnapDragon said:

Think it's an Ozzie term. Means out in the sticks. Well away from town-folk. Often without basic amenities 

At the farm we have no piped water, leccy or www. That's just great. Just beautiful nature to get along with.

It's all Greek to me......

[rhodie]

 

5 hours ago, SnapDragon said:

no piped water, leccy or www

How do you post without www?

[Marc26]

5 hours ago, SnapDragon said:

Think it's an Ozzie term. Means out in the sticks. Well away from town-folk. Often without basic amenities 

At the farm we have no piped water, leccy or www. That's just great. Just beautiful nature to get along with.

Americans say it often as well

[Sotonowl]

4 hours ago, SnapDragon said:

The thing that decided me  to move over was set last week. I had been followed by a mod, who took down more of my posts than was left up.  That's not what I believed was a good thing on a forum. I was never an abusive, or rude, poster. Just had views that were not always mainstream. Anyway; received my 15th ban.

.

Don't intend to post there again. Hope the AN supporters/contributors of the thread can find the new here on TT. (If any TT poster could go onto the AN thread and point to here; that would be great.)

.

I'll sometimes post pics from the past so as to contextualize the pics of today. A bit of history to a present story.

.

Together we can grow TT. Thanks for your support.

I've landed Owl, not sure about your new name though, much preferred the old one.

 

Football score for you from today. Werder Bremen 2-2 Owls after going 2-0 down as well. Game played over 4 x 30 minute quarters.

 

Feel at home already, now where is that Blue Sofa?

 

Will you be slipping into the old routine? Posting Monday/Tuesdayish?

 

Any roads up, I've bookmarked it so I'll be a regular visitor here now, no reason to go on the old site now, their loss.

[Ikariotiko]

10 hours ago, rattlesnake said:

They're all bilingual, they speak Isaan/Laotian and Thai. In Laos too, you can get by just fine by speaking Thai.

But not the other way around - Thai soaps using Isaan dialect actually have to be subtitled for the central Thai audience....

[SnapDragon]

10 hours ago, rhodie said:

How do you post without www?

Good question mate.

 

The Mrs can get a signal, on her phone, until about 200 metres from the farmhouse, when it just fades. I don't use a 'smart-phone'. Don't trust them.

 

I post from the house in the village on my wired computer. 

[SnapDragon]

7 hours ago, Sotonowl said:

I've landed Owl, not sure about your new name though, much preferred the old one.

Football score for you from today. Werder Bremen 2-2 Owls after going 2-0 down as well. Game played over 4 x 30 minute quarters.

Feel at home already, now where is that Blue Sofa?

Will you be slipping into the old routine? Posting Monday/Tuesdayish?

Any roads up, I've bookmarked it so I'll be a regular visitor here now, no reason to go on the old site now, their loss.

Welcome mate. Owls for the Championship play-offs; if not alto'. Get in there. Easy money.

 

Ah yes; the footy. Was strong on TT a while back. Nothing at the mo. The footy quiz is another causality on AN. I'll not do the same here unless the footy supporters come back. Although I was doing a footy quiz when TT first opened; but I was kicked off back then. It's totally different now though.

 

But here's a little teaser; who is he.

 

 

Right! That's the one and only footy question on this new thread. Any others will be posted on,,,,,. We will see.

[NonThaiKiwi]

I'm on board too... AS was/is getting too bitchy and far too controlled. 

 

I had a post taken down... It was a video of Kermit the frog singing Rainbow connection. 

 

When I questioned it, was given a warning! 

 

No wonder you moved. 

 

Keep up your great posts! 

[DwizzleyMatthews]

Sorry it didn’t work out on AN but understand your move to TT.

I haven’t been on here for a while but will visit now if only to read about the further adventures of Owl, Mildred, Mrs O and all the other great characters we’ve become accustomed to .

 

Maybe you will even revive the Hat Lady story to add a bit of spice ?

[Daeng]

9 hours ago, Sotonowl said:

I've landed Owl, not sure about your new name though, much preferred the old one.

Football score for you from today. Werder Bremen 2-2 Owls after going 2-0 down as well. Game played over 4 x 30 minute quarters.

Feel at home already, now where is that Blue Sofa?

Will you be slipping into the old routine? Posting Monday/Tuesdayish?

Any roads up, I've bookmarked it so I'll be a regular visitor here now, no reason to go on the old site now, their loss.

@Sotonowl I decided I could be arsed to register after all. Slight namechange for me. 

Hello Owl as well.

Edited July 27, 2024 by Daeng