Termite mushrooms

Every year stalls pop up on the 3086 from Kanchanaburi selling termite mushrooms which the local villagers collect from the mountain forests.

Termite mushroom sellers Nong Prue Kanchanaburi

The het khone termite mushroom is regarded by Thais as the king of them all. And at the height of the mushroom madness cars from Bangkok and even further afield can be seen queuing up to buy this expensive and much sought after delicacy.

Termite mushroom madness Nong Prue Kanchanaburi

They appear when the weather starts to change at the end of the rains. After the termites have swarmed from their nests to establish new colonies. Giving the mushroom spores in the organic matter the ants have gathered, the chance to germinate and sprout.

In the central region het khone are found in the Phetchaburi, Kanchanaburi provinces as well as the mountainous part of Suphan Buri. But the sweetest, tastiest mushroom are to be found in Nong Prue in Kanchanaburi.

This small farming town has a well established reputation as the mushroom capital of Thailand. And the stalls pop up every year at the intersection with the road into the town, transforming it into a bustling market as the customers arrive in search of the freshest and the best mushrooms on offer.

These are special days for the local people who wait patently for the first mushrooms to appear. And just before the rains cease completely there will be extreme hot and oppressive weather which they refer to rawn het or “mushroom heat”.

There is another variety of het khone grows in Isan. They are called het pluak by the locals and can be found at the beginning of the rainy season, from late May through early June. And the villagers gather them for eating rather than to sell. But when the price goes up they find their way to the markets in Bangkok.

Letter of consent

Applying for the new Thai e-passport is super quick and efficient. Except when your brother is a minor under the age of sixteen. We had to get a form from Amphoe for his passport. The other complication was that Dad is stuck in the England trying to organise a visa for the family to move and settle in the UK.

In which case he is required to provide a letter confirming that he consents to my Mum applying to renew passports for my brother and myself.

This he did.

He posted us the letter of consent together with a copy of his passport which took three weeks to get to us. Note for Dad, next time pay the extra and send it priority delivery.

Then when we eventually got up to Bangkok we found that they couldn’t accept it. It needs to be certified by the Thai Embassy in London on an official form, all in Thai.

He took leave, the train to the London Victoria Station and the District Line to Grosvenor Rd. From there he followed Google maps to the Thai Embassy.

Grosvenor Road London

The Embassy was not quite as efficient as they are in Bangkok. At first he joined the wrong queue but eventually got everything done and arranged to have the letter of consent and certified copy of his passport mailed back to him in the self addressed envelope which he had bought from the Post Office which is a priority service they offer.

He later found Rosa’s Thai Cafe which is near the London Victoria station before taking the train home. The documents will take three working days to process and when he gets them back he will courier them to us so we can pick the passports up when we next go up to Bangkok.

 

UK family visa

Not one of the easiest thing I have ever done. In fact applying for a family visa for the UK  has to be one of the most stressful thing I have ever attempted.

In part due to  the hefty price tag that comes with it.

It is costing us two thousand pounds each for my wife and two boys plus a further two thousand each for the Immigration Health Surcharge.

 

Hideaways

With over 20 million visitors a year and very little regulation, “unspoilt” is becoming more and more difficult.

THe main problem is quite logical – if a beach is REALLY beautiful then there will be virtually no restrictions on what a wealthy develpoper can get away with……the inevitably result is that ALL the top grade coastal attractions are overrun or destroyed.

THat leaves the sort of places that as yet have not attracted enough people to warrant the attentions of the greedy developers whose only criteria is quick and easy profit.

To this end you are better looking at in land areas, national parks etc.
I agree that Kanchanaburi Province and the Western Forest complex offers a great opportunity to see bits of unspoiled rural Thailand before it finally disappears.
Also towns mentioned like Prachuap Kiri khan have not yet been overrun by foreign tourists as their beaches – although quite respectable – are not 5 star and therefore the target of untrammelled development.

The further away from the main holiday centres you go, the more likely you are to fid towns that have not been ruined by rampant tourism.
The coastlines between Hua Hin and Suratthani still have quaint places as do the coastlines between Phuket and Ranong, Phuket and Malaysia (mostly) and Sattahip and Trat.
these 3 coastlines are relatively unfrequented by foreign tourist hoards (as yet) and although they may not be the “best “beaches in Thailand you may find the lack of crowds and reasonably priced local food etc. more than enough compensation.

[BTW – all these places are popular with Thai vacationers – on public holidays and week-ends]

lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/asia-thailand/thailand/unspoilt-thailand?page=2&utm_campaign=subscriptioninstant&utm_medium=email&utm_source=forum#post_22554333

KU Beef

I had almost given up on local beef until a chance encounter with an unreasonably tender sirloin steak at the Camp Cafe in Kanchanaburi gave us every reason to drive down to Kamphaeng Saen.

Kamphaeng Saen is home to the Kasetsart Agricultural University where they breed a sell KU Beef.  You can buy frozen meat retail from their shop on the campus as well as in bulk. Although for some cuts you need to pre-order.

There is also an onsite Steak House for potential clients who might still be a little sceptical about the quality of what is the best beef I have found in Thailand.

 

Qualifying income

It is a lot easier once you are in the UK and if both of you are earning.  Much better for the blood pressure.

You and your partner must have a combined income of at least £18,600 a year if:
You’re applying as a partner and you want to settle in the UK (get ‘indefinite leave to remain’) within 5 years

You must prove you have extra money if you have children who:
are not British or Irish citizens
do not have pre-settled status
are not permanently settled in the UK

If you need to prove extra money for your children, you’ll need to earn an extra:
£3,800 for your first child
£2,400 for each child you have after your first child
This is called the ‘minimum income requirement’.

You may be able to use your savings instead of income. How you prove you have the money depends on how you got the income.

What counts as income
You and your partner can use:
income from employment before tax and National Insurance (check your P60 or payslips) – you can only use your own income if you earn it in the UK
income you earn from self-employment or as a director of a limited company in the UK – check your Self Assessment tax return
cash savings above £16,000
money from a pension
non-work income, for example from property rentals or dividends

If you’re using income from self-employment or employment, you’ll need to prove you or your partner received that income for 6 months or more.

Example

You’ve worked with the same employer earning £18,600 or more for 6 months or longer.

What proof you need to give

You’ll need to provide proof of your income with your application. If you or your partner are employed, you could include:
bank statements showing you or your partner’s income
6 months of payslips
a letter from an employer, dated and on headed paper
The employer’s letter should confirm:
you or your partner are employed there
the job title or position you or your partner hold
how long you or your partner have worked there
the type of contract (for example, permanent, fixed term)
what you or your partner earn before tax and National Insurance
how long you or your partner have been paid your current salary
the payslips are genuine

You’ll be told exactly what documents to provide when you apply online.

You need to show you and your family have enough money to adequately support and accommodate yourselves without relying on public funds. The caseworker considers your income and housing costs.