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Why do they keep buffaloes?


thalenoi

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Some two years ago the gf's brother came to ask money. Since she refused to give any, he proposed to sell us his pregnant buffallo for 17k baht.

 

As a result we are the proud owners of three (useless?) animals. Yes, after the birth of our buffalo baby she got pregnant again and we now have a second baby buffalo. Well until yesterday that was.

 

Now the gf asked her father to take care of our buffaloes, together with the other buffaloes he has, 7 in total that is.

 

Why do they keep buffaloes anyway?

Ok, I understand they are used to plough the land, but that takes little time, one or two weeks perhaps? The rest of the time these animals need care: food, bathing, shelter.

So what's the deal anyway?

 

Recently the gf told her olding father he should stop caring for the buffaloes and sell them. Seems he agrees partially.

 

Two days ago a man stopped by at our house to talk to the gf. Seems her father asked 12.500 for the oldest of our baby buffaloes, he was ready to give 12.000, father would not go under 12.300....

Not my problem said the gf and yesterday we got, well I don't now exactly, 12.xxx something.

 

During dinner she asked me how much we should give to her father for taking care of the baby buffalo he sold for us. What the heck? How would I know? I am not Thai! So I suggested 50%? Her eyes shot me down! Was I crazy??? He had the old motorbike repaired the day before (which I gave him) for 1k baht using some of the proceeds.

What can a farang reply to this? "Up to you" I uttered....

 

At lunch time today we drove to her fathers rice fields where she handed me 2.500 baht. Na? What was I supposed to do with that? Ah, hand the dosh over to her father. So we have recouped 9k from our 17k "investment".

 

"Khop Khun" (Thank You) said he, for the first time in 5 years I know the man.

 

I heard the other two we own are for sale, but it seems he will keep the other 4 until they die. Still don't understand this. The gf said: they are like dogs for him.... :question:

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Like in every investment portfolio, it is important to spread your risks, so every sensible thai not only owns land and gold, but buffaloes as well. :grin:

 

All kidding aside, I don't understand the use as well. My wife has made some money trading buffaloes though. Her ROI was a lot better than mine on the money I invested in the stock market. :o

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Slightly off the track, one past GF told me that in her village one Thai man would go and get the water buffalloes each day. It would take him a long time to do this basic job. People started wondering what he was doing. And then started to go and see what he was up to. It turned out that eventually everybody was going to see what he was doing. The Thai man never realized he had an audience. He was spending his time boom booming the water buffalloes.

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