farm size

[SeventhHeaven]

Hi Everybody,

I am looking to buy a farm in the Buriram area in the near future, with the intention to
retire to the area in about 5 years. My plan is to purchase the land/ machinery etc during
this period out of my working income so that I can begin with a stocked operation with
no debt at the time I move to Buriram full time. My inlaws live in Buriram and would be
able to attend to general maintenance / land preparation / planting during this time and
i can support them during this period without the need to see any return on the investment.

I would like peoples thoughts on what would be the optimum size of farm that would be needed
to produce an income (net) of 30-40,000 Baht PCM with minimal labour input. I am considering
a mixture of maybe Rubber/ Cassava as a cash crop with a small amount of rice and veg for
family consumption.

[Thaddeus]

What is your current occupation?

[Buriramallstars]

One thing you have your head screwed on, you are doing it the right way. buy land and build etc now you have an income coming in, then when you retire it is all set up, this is what i have done and still doing, we have about 100 rai, eucalytus, and mainly rice and building land, we work it with the family on a share of 70%, 30% to myself, which is ok, as i do bugger all, when i am there full time i am going to look at rubber as well, also looking at growing coffee beans, anyone any info on this as these grow in all tropical climates.

wife & I are glad we built and bought most of the land when we did, as the prices now have rocketed, we do have quite a big project on this year in buriram, if everything go's to plan.

Good Luck.

[Lourens]

My mother-in-law is growing peanuts and maize and seems to be doing well with that. But the problem is that her land is not very big (4 rai). Lately, she's taken our land for the same crop (6 rai). Two problems here: The area is still too small to make a living out of it and maize and peanuts are seasonal. I'm considering eucalyptus myself. If you plant a large enough area, this might bring a nice income in four to five years but your planning will need to be such that you can rotate plots from year to year. This is all just in my mind and the way I think about it. I didn't go into any details or in depth studies yet. Fish farming seems another option but you need to have a good supply of running water. Or chikens or pigs? Livestock in general? Will rubber trees grow in this region? I've never seen any rubber trees around Buriram.

[Buriramallstars]

My mother-in-law is growing peanuts and maize and seems to be doing well with that. But the problem is that her land is not very big (4 rai). Lately, she's taken our land for the same crop (6 rai). Two problems here: The area is still too small to make a living out of it and maize and peanuts are seasonal. I'm considering eucalyptus myself. If you plant a large enough area, this might bring a nice income in four to five years but your planning will need to be such that you can rotate plots from year to year. This is all just in my mind and the way I think about it. I didn't go into any details or in depth studies yet. Fish farming seems another option but you need to have a good supply of running water. Or chikens or pigs? Livestock in general? Will rubber trees grow in this region? I've never seen any rubber trees around Buriram.

Hi Lourens,
As you know i put 2.5 rai of eucas in last year, doing 6 rai again this year, i am going to plant every year now for 5 years so i have a rotation in crop, best guy to speak to is Colin, this is what he has done, there is rubber trees around Buriram as last time i went to see a plantation just outside Buriram, 6 clicks, which was for sale, but they wanted far to much money. also bristol steve was growing rubber that was about 23 kms out of town. but i think now he has left the area.

[Yellow Tree]

I think we are averaging about 20,000 THB per Rai in Buriram: We picked up 55 Rai a couple of years ago and we are looking at another 13 now (the average of the two pieces would be 20,000). Grant it my mother in-law is great at getting a price down and the last couple of years have seen an increase in price.

The problem with buying farmland in Buriram (as I see it) is finding a piece of ground that is large enough to actually generate real income. What Thais in Isan consider as income would make a transplanted-Farang cringe. I assume since "machinery" was mentioned this farming-plan is looking at more than a couple of Rai.
 Generally there will be a Chinese person known in each village that "pawns" farmland to the locals in a fairly well defined area. Sometimes they pick up property that is big enough to actually do some farming on. You will need to be aware that Thai culture can play funny tricks on your ability to buy ground from a lender like this, but the price is usually worth the trouble.
 Keep in mind also: it will be much harder to buy your second piece of property than the first. In the beginning people will not be sure if you are full of crap or not, but after the first purchase you will be seen as the Rich Farang and prices will become a test of your will.
 
 It should be noted that much of the Farming Ground in Buriram is half-owned by the Government; especially if it is close to water. You will still have to pay full price for the ground, but the Government will have to be consulted for permission if you want to cut trees or complete other ventures. It is always good to find the ground that is free of those restrictions if possible.

 Half of your work will be done as you choose and purchase your ground: be careful. Since a Farang is not allowed to own ground in Thailand you will need to put the ground in your wife's name and not her parents. There is a ton of information you will need to know about that before you get in too far into your plan.

 Rubber trees can be and are being grown in Buriram but you will want to have a well on the property to keep the trees moist when they are young and to help them get through the particularly dry years. Plan for the well and a generator-driven pump in the early stages if you go with rubber. PM Thaksin’s Administration had some bold ideas to help irrigate the ground in Isan so there could be two planting seasons instead of one in the dryer provinces. With the Coup '06 all of those ideas went away and so did the money that had already been allocated for the projects.

  One of the posts mentioned it was good to get a head start on the farm: that is very, very true. Letting your in-laws develop the property and generate income from it from the get-go is also a really good idea. I never like hearing about a love-struck Farang sending money to his Thai in-laws while they sit and watch TV all day. The only way our plans in Buriram will work is if my in-laws want it to work and they are doing a great job. Anyway, I think the weak link for you and rubber would be time if you were starting from scratch. Depending on circumstances a slightly inflated price for a mature stand of rubber trees may be the best choice, but in my opinion the stand you are looking at the price they want is not the right deal.

Choke Dee Mak Mak

[Admin]

Yellow Tree, great review on how farming in Isaan is really working,will be happy to hear more inputs on this subject especially.. 

[Mr.Steve]

Hi Seventh Heaven-
30,00 baht per calendar month is thirty percent more than senior government officials make (before gratuities!).
Obviously the return on your land will be somewhat in line with the investment that you make. Even in these depressed economic times do not expect it to out perform offshore account returns.
Having said that; why do it? Because it's a lot of fun and gives great satisfaction (to me at least!).
Green is Good!
Cheers

[Khun Tony]

What's the cost of the land (ground) per rai?  Yellow Tree indicated a return of 20,000 per rai.  So it would be good to know the cost of land in Burriram for tree farming.  How difficult is it to farm eucalyptus.   From what I've read, it takes about 5 years to reach maturity!   Is there an issue of someone else logging your trees before you get to them?  How much is a eucalyptus tree anyway and is it time intensive to look after or is it plant and forget?

[dave the dude]

What's the cost of the land (ground) per rai?  Yellow Tree indicated a return of 20,000 per rai.  So it would be good to know the cost of land in Burriram for tree farming.  How difficult is it to farm eucalyptus.   From what I've read, it takes about 5 years to reach maturity!   Is there an issue of someone else logging your trees before you get to them?  How much is a eucalyptus tree anyway and is it time intensive to look after or is it plant and forget?

Hi 

Firstly Id like to admit I know nothing or am remotely interested in Farming. Tried it and thought it was not cost effective here (for Me) 

The one concern I have got with growing Euc trees is, my Australian buddies ALL tell me how they are highly flamable and always cause the horrendous fires/carnage in Australia.
I know they are a bit mad (Aussies)  but wonder if its possible in my lovely isaan area

Dave 

[boloa]

From what I have read about eucalyptus trees in Thailand they  are bad news for the soil, water, biodiversity and environment in general, and don't think they should be planted in large area's.Along paths or field edges might be OK.But as usual farangs coming here with big money and trying to make large profits with no care to what they are doing to the environment as long as they can live in there big house in comfort,not caring that the local Thai community might be suffering,shame on you.