Is there an equivalent of a Bobcat ? It would be super useful for cleaning buffalo/cow stalls

[Rice]

For what it's worth, the standard of living of average folks in the Surin area appears to be considerably higher than it was on my first visit in 1998.

I agree. But there is still that stubborn bunch in the same poverty as in 1998. Lack of opportunity or lack of motivation. It becomes endemic in a family and they drag everyone down to a common denominator over and over.

 

[Cent]

I see your point. My idea is the naive hope that it just might be possible to free the poor farmers from being beasts of burden by using machines to do the heavy lifting and increase efficiency and hence productivity and possibly raise the standard of living. Naive. The Middle Ages, the good old days, must go on, I suppose. As Leonard Cohen wrote:

“Everybody knows that the dice are loaded
Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed
Everybody knows the war is over
Everybody knows the good guys lost
Everybody knows the fight was fixed
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich
That's how it goes
Everybody knows”

Look at America today, leading the way. Oligarchy. Somehow, the poor farmers will wind up shoveling the shit as always.

Those 'machines' cost money and are mortgaged through bank loans, much like the nice trucks, cars and motorcycles. Some make money with the machines doing others' fields for a fee and their own land.

 

[Stargazer]

Keep the Somchai's employed to give them a living---get them some decent shovels though.

Thanks, @gotlost. The Bobcat is too big.

I pay more than the minimum wage, but you’re certainly correct by the numbers. I’d just like my brother in law to be spared such heavy labor as he gets older. It may be that plowing the rice fields with water buffalo is still cheaper, but everybody uses tractors now despite that. By your logic, the biggest extravagance I see are all the fancy cars and pickups. Not cost effective, really. All the excavating could be done by hand, too

I’m still looking for an affordable 1 meter wide front end loader to ease my brother-in-law’s load. Maybe there are Chinese made units. It’s certainly possible to make and sell such for less than 2x the price of a Kubota 5018!

 

[FERRET]

I’m still looking for an affordable 1 meter wide front end loader to ease my brother-in-law’s load. Maybe there are Chinese made units. It’s certainly possible to make and sell such for less than 2x the price of a Kubota 5018!

 

[Stargazer]

Sigh !!! You have no idea of Thai culture. By my logic Eh? Well no it is by Thai culture which you sadly still know nothing about.

You were not even here to see the transition from Buffalo to motor plough to tractor and what caused all that transition. You think it happened over night. Because it was a good idea?
Would you like to even guess what drove it?

I just viewed a detailed documentary about the Thai middle class falling deeper into debt that may be what you’re referring to:
How did the Thai middle class get into so much debt?
It mentions people taking out ‘loan shark’ loans with 10% interest per month to pay off other loans. A downward spiral. Also mentions the car ownership promotion and the large number of repossessions later.