Can we really make money from our farm in Thailand?..

Is it possible to make a decent living from our 5 acre farm in rural Thailand?…
Life in Thailand after leaving the UK.
Join me on my Thailand adventure as I attempt to create a fruit farm on five acres of land, build a house, dig a well for my own water source and install solar panels to become completely off grid!
Watch me generally fumble my way through every process, trying to keep positive and upbeat throughout 🧘‍♂️
✅support the farm by becoming a member on our Patreon page. We plant your choice of fruit tree and attach your name to it, so that you can watch it grow over the years. Choose from Mango, Banana, Avacado or Lime trees… just $5
/ lifeinthailand777
✅Timekettle Translator Device featured in a previous video
bityl.co/KJuo (15% discount with code LIFEINTHAI)
✅where we bought our initial house plans
www.banpatan.com
✅our fantastic builder, highly recommended
www.facebook.c...
✅our holiday rental villa in Southern Spain, if you’d like a relaxing and peaceful holiday away from the hustle and bustle
abnb.me/t5RcAV...
✅if you’d like to generously buy me a coffee I will love you forever 🥰 www.buymeacoff...

[@LifeinThailand777]

✅support the farm by becoming a member on our Patreon page. We plant your choice of fruit tree and attach your name to it, so that you can watch it grow over the years. Choose from Mango, Banana, Avacado or Lime trees… just $5 patreon.com/LifeinThailand777 ✅our holiday rental villa in Southern Spain, if you’d like a relaxing and peaceful holiday away from the hustle and bustle abnb.me/t5RcAVwSKub ✅if you’d like to generously buy me a coffee I will love you forever 🥰 www.buymeacoffee.com/benthailanZ

[@henkmulder5491]

Protect the sand around the house with grass,otherwise the sand will wash away with the heavy rain.

[@wendy-0101]

I thought about that as well with the sand bank.

[@Pathoian]

@@wendy-0101 just grass alone won't stop the erosion it's too steep, you need to install a geotextile first that is designed to protect slopes and give plants a foothold to sink roots to bind the soil

[@wendy-0101]

@@Pathoian I guessed a low wall, but understand you are an expert, which is good to help him.

[@Pathoian]

@@wendy-0101 Well Wendy it boils down to that old saying ""like trying to push (polite version) wet mud uphill"" cheapest and most cost-effective means is a designed and purpose made geotextile made for the purpose

[@VagabondRob555]

What a beautiful place you have there. Looking forward to watching the progress. All the best. Cheers

[@LifeinThailand777]

Thanks 👍

[@themadhousediaries]

Its magical how fast plants grow there 😮 And i love your neighbors dog 🐕❤

[@danielhartwig6333]

Are small tanks ! I just paid $2250 aud for 22500 litre poly tank ! I currently got 100000 litre in tank plus spring water from a well 👍👍👍👍👍

[@derekhaslett5244]

Eco resort

[@ThailandThomas]

Looks like you are building a nice life for your selves, sure it will work out. Many start with a lot less.

[@PloyandJayinThailand]

As you said, you don't need much money to survive there, but surviving is not what you want in your life either. Well, at least your house is paid for, and you have your Spain unit which generates some income. If not, the option is to sell it. Also, you already have quite a big KZbin audience which gives you many opportunities to monetize. Going back to the UK might be also an option but who wants to go back to the rat race? You are doing good, and I cannot see many risks but for sure you get older and you need money in the future. I would focus on researching online income streams instead of going back to the UK. Cannot comment on farming because I am not an expert 😂 Jay

[@drpk6514]

Build a couple of granny flats and rent them out to viewers.

[@rosskennedy]

Lived in thailand in northeast for 15 years,my wife farm is 28 rai,rice,rubber trees and big banana Grove,15 producing mango trees,with prices get for produce you do not run a profit,I call a black hole chuck money in get nothing back.All you could call it is hobby farm, just well I run a consulting civil engineering business to support the farm.

[@RomanVarl]

Look up Dexter's World, your Philippine counterpart (but much more budget and advanced farmer) 😆

[@LifeinThailand777]

More advanced than me? 😇

[@RomanVarl]

@@LifeinThailand777 light years more

[@LifeinThailand777]

😂😂😂

[@Mekhong3876]

Please film every single time you walk over that bridge. 😂

[@LifeinThailand777]

😇

[@bobbylong8348]

if you want to make money in thaliand grow magos, avocados and cannabis!

[@angolanmining6660]

Well..a couple guest houses on the property could give some income. 300/500 B a night each.

[@user-fx2dq9df49]

한국이나 일본은 국가에서 농업육성자금을 지원하기에 시골의 삶은 살만합니다. 태국도 지원금이 있나요? 없다면 최소 10년치 생활비는 가지고 있어야 합니다. 태국 시골에 정착했던 한국인들 대부분 실패하고 태국부인이랑 한국으로 돌아오더군요.

[@LifeinThailand777]

We’ve not got 10 years living expenses. That would be boring 😆😆

[@Pathoian]

mate funny I did the same as you when I was 41, 20 years have pissed by in a blink of an eye, so make hay while the sun shines is my advice, palm oil trees will be mature when you need them in the future and seem to bring in a nice few quid and would look good in the landscape too, enjoy your vids mate

[@johntheaccountant5594]

It will be interesting to hear how much the house and everything cost with a breakdown when it is complete and you have moved in.

[@robertbritz257]

As you said, you have future plans. All I can say is, make the house/land as off-remote as possible. Think worse case scenario, if you had NO income and not able to drive, that house/land is all you have to put food in your stomach. As I said to you previously, if you have to many bananas, make banana bread for yourself and go into business with a bakery. For meat, make the pond have plenty of big fish in them for you to harvest them each year. If there was a spot in the back by the pond, build a small hut and keep goats there. You can use their milk daily, and harvest their meat when time allows. Chickens as well.

[@useless8989]

I look forward to your vlogs. Good job. Keep it up. Btw is your "Mrs." a little camera shy?

[@LifeinThailand777]

Haha yes, she prefers not to be on camera 👍

[@ramfrancisuk]

Why are you not living there now?

[@LifeinThailand777]

The builders would drive me nuts. I prefer to wait til the house is 100% finished

[@123452315]

Looking forward to watching the first cook up in the kitchen. Make it an extravagance. 💕💕💕

[@raymondsmith4401]

Mr. Ben, I only have five rai here in Samoeng. In addition to our normal fruit and nut trees, I have planted 75 avocado trees and 50 Abui trees. I tell my wife everyday that we are farmers for fun, because we will never make any money on them.

[@SABAI15]

What a beautiful house that is going to be when it's finished. The views are utterly amazing!! Great work!

[@bars5718]

Are you going to collect the rain water from the roof?

[@LifeinThailand777]

We have drainage points around the house so that the rainwater is deposited onto the farm 👍

[@tonymcdonald6482]

I suggest you divide your financial thoughts into those you can and cannot control. You can budget and control your expat costs and general living expenses, these are all expenses without return. Farm net income is the uncontrollable part at the start. So set aside a small maximum budget sum for year 1 farm costs, then track expenses against income over a year. Minimise capital expenses and hire local tractors etc.. After a year you will have an idea if you make any money growing bananas, pineapples, fish, rice or whatever. To avoid disappointment, keep your farm income dreams small. Break even is hard enough so maybe a good expectation to start

[@LifeinThailand777]

This is great advice, although we’re not really expecting to make any profit beyond a few thousand baht from farming. That side of it is more like a hobby really. We’re developing this farm for a bigger project a couple of years down the line 👍👍🙏🙏

[@tonymcdonald6482]

What ever that is if it involves considerable expenditure, investigate the market before committing. Good luck

[@enough1494]

NEVER TELL YOUR DREAMS AND PLANS! Never ever!

[@isanBen]

Nice explanation and all, I'm wondering why you didn't plant any moneytrees?

[@LifeinThailand777]

😂😂😂 we did, but as seeds

[@isanBen]

@@LifeinThailand777 so at least 10-15 years or in 90-120 days 😁

[@isanBen]

People replying but they need to change their privacy settings 😅

[@deanconnolly100]

Happy to see you found your pipe 😂

[@LifeinThailand777]

😁

[@petehuxham7359]

Hi Ben, seems from what people are saying that theres no worthwhile money to be made in farming. What about growing Durian i hear demand is high....ive no idea how long it would take to grow before the treas bear fruit. Best option looks like you will need to work back in the UK for a few months of the year....which ain't bad at your age. The house is looking great. Im enjoying your vlogs ...ive just retired and will be on my way to Thailand next week to start my retirement....PS whats immigration like in Nong bua lamphu ?

[@enough1494]

Sell banana chips! Gosh I miss farming and gardening, although ver6 different from yours!

[@WeixDraqz]

You could work again for about 6 months in the UK, then come back. Just so you have a good emergency fund or for anything really.

[@mariettathornton5924]

The view from your balcony looks amazing! Wowwww, you sure have a beautiful place there and thanks for sharing your progress 😊 Cannot wait to watch the next video:)

[@mythai9593]

I would put some trees around the house, it's going to get extremely hot with no shade. Will be hard to make money from that land, self sufficiency I think is the best you can hope for. Those Baya Weaver nests are amazing, pisses me off that the Thai's cut them down to hang around the house as ornaments 😡

[@mikepaton3614]

There's always the option to nip back to UK and work for a few months and top up the old bank account.

[@PaulBell-gx9ql]

Gday ,try natural whiteoil for your fruit trees ,vegetable oil and water heavily shaken creates white oil ,works a treat in australia

[@giuseppe5643]

Hi Ben, be patient and you will achieve your goal, you are a bright young man, so be patient.

[@marwin3332]

I could be wrong but dont delay building retaining walls hold that dirt in tight around youre home, build walls wherever you can then put a little extra, It will wash away it happened at my home i have retained as much as possible....Home is looking great

[@olissime01]

You're right not to disclose your plans, mate, however, starting to get to know you more and more through your vids, I am pretty sure that these plans are solid and sustainable 😉

[@lifeinisan]

I like that T-shirt mate ;) Look forward to seeing how well you do with the land! Your house is looking very nice. I haven't received an invitation for the house warming party is the postal service on strike in your area?

[@LifeinThailand777]

Haha a few of us KZbinrs should get together one time for sure. I’m trying to convince Anna not to have a house warming / blessing but she’s insisting. I refuse to be paraded around my own property wearing a silly hat whilst “monks” chant incantations and then charge us 1000 baht for the inconvenience 😂😂. I’ll stay away that day

[@maddog6329]

It's Thai culture I try and be part of the community

[@johntheaccountant5594]

I don't think you will "make money" with only 12 rai but you should be able to be self sufficient and survive. I think you need to look at going back to the UK for 3 months a year and do your catering/chef (say Xmas time) and then go back to Thailand. Those 3 months should give you enough money to live reasonably well for the 9 months in Thailand. In my opinion, what is also important for you, as a UK citizen, is to be registered as employed (on the payroll) in the UK to get your qualifying years for your state pension.

[@LifeinThailand777]

It’s a possibility for sure 👍

[@WeixDraqz]

You can pay voluntarily for the years you have missed, but obviously, you need to have the money upfront to pay for each year..

[@johntheaccountant5594]

@@WeixDraqz It is about £800 a year but if you are on the payroll of a company you do not have to pay anything.

[@trentpatton2616]

Little Aussie view mate with the Gum trees 😂👍

[@Mekhong3876]

Or start your holiday retreat. (glamping for subscribers)

[@LifeinThailand777]

It’d be just my luck that the only ones to turn up would be the ones I’ve blocked. 12 rai, full of idiots screaming at me about why I shouldn’t have married a thai woman 😂😂😂

[@Mekhong3876]

@@LifeinThailand777 😃😂👍🙏

[@Wortsandall]

You have a very beautiful home

[@enough1494]

Just beautiful!!! Best wishes!

[@phuketprivateisland441]

You are already one of the richest guys I know. Wonderful property and life, but I understand the need to make some money in Thailand. Realistically, you are not going to "make money" from the farm, but if you can make enough to sustain a good life, you are miles ahead. Start looking for other ways to make a few other income streams in parallel. Get into that house as soon as you can and stop the rentals...then re-evaluate. You will make it just fine. You got this,

[@LifeinThailand777]

This is a great comment, thank you 🙏

[@Palm3s-to-palm3s]

Nice to see the farm is green 💚 even the water sure hope the 🌧️ hey how far is tak to your neck of the woods ?

[@LifeinThailand777]

Tak is about 200 miles 👍

[@lynbarnes5420]

Do you have battery storage on your panels so you have electric at night?

[@LifeinThailand777]

For the house yes 👍

[@AnyFishKiller]

0:33 ah yes, urea. Similar to the compound that caused the explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. But cheap fertilizer lol

[@LifeinThailand777]

I’ve no idea what it is, I was parked waiting for noodles 😅

[@AnyFishKiller]

Yeah man, good cheap source of nitrogen for plants on your farm. Usually in a slow-release form. Next time talk to the guys about how you can use it in your farm if that’s something you wanna do. Just don’t store it in an sealed enclosed space with a potential ignition source lol

[@LifeinThailand777]

I’ll store it under my wife’s charcoal burner. Should be fine 🙏

[@สุทธิศักดิ์มธุรพงศากุล]

So beautiful your house 😮🤗😊👍

[@LifeinThailand777]

Thank you! 🤗

[@douglastassell4070]

Hello Ben, I am enjoying watching your vids and seeing how you overcome all the bumps on the journey. We are getting close to signing a contract for a build and have a few questions to ask. 1. How much per sq m are you paying for the build? 2. What is the warranty/guarantee of the builder? 3. is the price of the digging of the foundations part of the sq m price or extra? 4. is the price of the tiles throughout the house part of the sq m price or extra? Thanks for your time Ben. kind regards Doug

[@LifeinThailand777]

Hi Douglas. We agreed a fixed price for the house build of 3 million baht. This included the wall around the plot and the foundations, all the tiling. But didn’t inc the plunge pool, electrical appliances like kitchen equipment or aircon units, or water tanks. We’ve also added an additional roof at the back of the house and cement around the house - this wasn’t inc in 3 million. I think total cost will be 3.3 finished. There’s either a one or five year builders warranty (I can’t remember off top of my head) Hope this is a help 👍

[@douglastassell4070]

@@LifeinThailand777 Hello Ben, thank you for your fast response to my questions. We have land in Chaiyaphum and are negotiating with a builder and they want to charge extra for the foundation digging but will not give a set price. Also, they charge extra for the tiles but they say somewhere between 100,000-150,000 baht. For me I want a set price and anything over that because I want to change to a more expensive item are willing to pay the extra. The warranty is 1 year for the builders work with 5 years for the materials. Thanks again........Doug

[@LifeinThailand777]

@douglastassell4070 maybe I’ve got the materials warranty grossly wrong Doug. I’ll check with my wife before getting back to you. We may well be on same warranty as yourself, for the builder and the materials.

[@douglastassell4070]

@@LifeinThailand777 Cheers, thanks Ben.

[@LifeinThailand777]

@douglastassell4070 yes it was same as yours Douglas. 1 year + 5 years. This seems to be standard. I’d definitely look to get the foundations inc within the cost per sqm though. Although our own build has really dragged on, I’m happy we chose this particular builder in the first place. We considered a few but we weren’t completely comfortable with any of them, apart from this guy. It’s worth delaying your build whilst you find a builder you are 100% confident with. If your builder is saying something that you’re not sure about, personally I think it’s best to hold back with signing the contract while you talk to other builders.

[@dumbshitabroad]

Thought about farming crickets? , Not for selling live but in a protein powder\flour , its a bit of a super food and is in a lot of protein foods nowadays,easy to farm in Thailand,small start up fees

[@LifeinThailand777]

Yes my wife’s mother does it actually 👍

[@MyNameIsNotEmail.ItsEmail]

I thought the house was elevated for flooding.

[@LifeinThailand777]

The land the house is built upon is raised for flooding, but not the house itself 👍

[@stephenwilliams8143]

Might as well move in upstairs mate. get out of the rental.

[@LifeinThailand777]

I couldn’t stand having the builders around once we are living there. It would drive me nuts 😅

[@stephenwilliams8645]

@@LifeinThailand777 That's what Chang beer & Regency is for mate. Don't grow weed on your farm & sell it to the Farangs. Hot in chaing mai, looks like plenty of rain comming.