I thought it a good time to publish another blog post regarding updates of our rural Isaan life and various house projects we’ve undertaken over the past three months.

It’s now June (mid-year), the rainy season, and it’s very hot and humid. Over the past three months, we have been busy improving the landscape, as well as undertaking a few house enhancement projects.

We are really enjoying our new lifestyle. It is very quiet where we live, with no neighbours on 2 sides & others some distance away. The odd vehicle going by, some distant temple sounds, & the odd dog barking, as well as birds chirping, are all we hear. Ace is well, so are the pets, but I have been dealing with significant bladder issues – but a bit more on that later. So check out this blog to see how rural life is treating us at RAce Country Cottage.

YouTube – The past 3 months house and yard activity has been captured, & posted on my Channel. This will be the last Thai House video for YouTube – I am retired from my hobby of posting our house project videos on the platform. If your interested to view this last video story of our recent garden work and home projects then click on the following video.

If you don’t fancy watching YouTube then I have put together a short rundown below on what we have been doing over the past 3 months.

Landscape

Pathways – Aside from the main driveway entrance, there are front yard and side yard gates to the property. We decided to install a concrete stepping path from these gates to the lawn areas around the house to avoid the mud in the areas not yet grown with grass when it rains.

I laid down some plastic edging anchored into the ground along with a weed fabric barrier. We then had some small gravel and the concrete slabs (35 x 80 cm) delivered. A few locals assisted with the heavy work of laying the concrete slabs and filling in with the pea gravel. We then spread some rich dirt, and laid grass sod & planted some scented pine bushes on each side of the path to highlight it.

It looks nice & great to walk on when it’s raining. We will be putting similar stepping slabs into the grass leading from the new path to the sidewalk around the house – in the next month or so – or when a burst of energy can be found.

Trees & Plants – We have managed to visit the many garden nursery shops, about 15 minutes from our house on the highway to Mukdahan, a number of times over the past few months to pick a variety of new trees and shrubs to plant. With a large front & rear garden it can look bare without a variety of trees & plants – it will always be a work in progress. Here are a few shots of what we have done, so far.

The lawn grows – We are starting to enjoy some color around the gardens to compliment the lawn & trees. It has been about 3.5 months that our grass turf has been down. We have cared for it with daily watering as it took hold and have fertilized it 3 times. It is well and truly rooted, growing well and you can not see the joint seams from where it was laid. It now requires weekly cutting – & new lawn mower to aid in the maintenance. It is a nice 21 in wide, self propelled Vinmac from Global House & does a nice job. I usually do the back one day, the front the next – it takes about 3 hours in total.

Drone Images – I dusted off the DJI mini 4 recently and took to the skies over the house (once I refreshed myself on controls) to capture a few updated images. It offers a different perspective on the property when viewed from this height. I must say that the yard has come a long way since we began the build.

House Projects

New Front Door – Our builder installed an aluminum double front door to the house during the build. Initially we thought it was ok but with time & experiencing it, clearly the door was not fit for purpose. It was dual swing opening both ways. It did not have proper seals around the door or in the middle allowing wind noise & visual gaps.

When the house was completed in December 2024 we told the builder that we wanted a wooden double door to replace the installed metal one. We had chosen what we wanted from a company in Bangkok. It took until early January 2025 for the door to be ordered & then a further 3 months to be delivered & another month for staining & hardware fitting. Our new feature door was finally installed mid May 2025. It was a 3 day install & staining endeavor. The door is 165 cm wide & 220 cm high with matching a brushed door hardware finish.

Water Treatment System – Since moving to That Phanom we have been using delivered drinking water by the large bottle that we would pour into jugs to keep in the fridge. It is a common approach in Thailand for fresh water. In Chiang Mai we had a build in filter system so decided we would again get a filter system to make it easier to use. We found a long time filter company to do the work in Nakhon Phanom. They installed two systems – one outside and one inside the house.

One was a sand/charcoal filter and a sediment filter for the water to the water storage tank and the other in the house is an RO (reverse osmosis) system with 5 filters + a mineral additive filter. The water from the tap is clean, fresh & good quality. Happy with this system.

Backyard Gazebo – We have an outdoor table & small cooking area near the carport at the rear of the house. The rear of the house faces west so this area and the main kitchen wall gets the significant impact of the afternoon sun. We decided that an open walled roofed structure would be helpful to shade the area & the kitchen wall from the hot sun.

We engaged the metal works people that did the house railings/driveway gate and agreed a simple design. It took 2 days to complete. Half of the roof is covered with cement board to shade the sun (not rain proof) & half is designed to grow vines over it to create shade. The structure is 4.5 meters wide, 4 meters long & 3. 1 meters high to leave a clear view out of the kitchen window to the rear of the yard. The pictures explain the project best. I think the end result is just what we were looking for – simple but effective.

New Water Fountain – the sound of running water is always soothing and for me, it’s most enjoyable. We had fountains in our previous house in Chiang Mai so we installed two new ones in our yard when we moved into the house. In continuing to enhance the landscape we decided to move the front yard fountain to the back yard and install a new, larger & slightly grander water feature to the front.

We found a taller, cascading fountain online via Lazada Shopping & had it delivered to the house. This meant that I had to assemble and work out the functioning. Unfortunately there we no instructions but looking at the parts & using what little common sense I have left, & a phone call to the supplier, the feature was assembled and works very nicely. A wonderful addition to the front yard.

Rainy Season Weather

It is that seasonal time of year – rainy season. A fair amount of the wet stuff falling & with occasional storms. Recently there was a mini tornado that decided to lob itself in our neighborhood and took out significant power supply line that feeds our area. Apparently the strong winds toppled one of the large power poles and when it fell down, it took a large number of other poles with it. This meant we were without power, but luckily, only for a number of hours. It did take PEA about 3 days to make repairs, however, it didn’t impact us as our power supply was routed via other lines.

Easy Retirement Lifestyle

Since my last blog post we have been enjoying our wonderful new home. We have remained busy and continue focused on our house and gardens. Now in full retirement we are relaxed and enjoy being home after years of busy work and travels. Morning coffee & breakfast usually take place on the back porch overlooking the garden. Generally with the dogs seeking some treats – they enjoy sharing my morning fruit variety (such as mango, pomelo, melon, apple).

Immigration Fine – with all the goings on and activity associated with the house, somehow my calendar & my mind didn’t notify me of the required 90 day report to Thai Immigration. It was one morning having coffee it struck me to check when it was due – & to my surprise I was 3 weeks late. Change of plans for the day – a trip to Nakhon Phanom was required to report to Immigration, do the 90 day report and pay the late fine of 2000 THB. It was all very jovial with the staff but I was reminded to ensure I don’t repeat this failure. OK – its in the phone diary and a new white board prominently displays critical dates & appointments now.

Outdoor lounger – We have front and back porches with outdoor chairs, couch and table, but a sunbed was missing to lounge out on. You would only use it in the shade as the Isaan sun is very bright and brutal. We had space on the front porch and in the afternoons the sun is at the back of the house, so an ideal spot to relax & watch our rural community go by. We ordered online from an outdoor shop in Pattaya and was very pleased with the quality and delivery service. You can find me after a busy day out or gardening relaxing in this piece of furniture – noting the time pressures of the retirement clock.

New Accent Carpets – we have decided to place these lightweight pieces under the dining room table & lounge room coffee table. We had this concept in our previous house, so giving it a go in RAce Country Cottage.

Out & About – While there has been lots of activity centered on the house & gardens, we also get out (from time to time). I must say that I am generally happy to be home these days & travelling now longer holds the appeal it once did. Maybe its the older age & partially due to the medical issues I currently have. Our trips locally in That Phanom & surrounds are generally for a local lunch, a coffee shop visit or dinner, & hardware or Lotus for food shopping. Day trips to the nearby, larger towns of Mukdahan, Nakhon Phanom & Sakon Nakhon are less frequent but usually once or twice a month.

The day trips generally relate to shopping for food, household & hardware items, garden products at specialty stores or shopping centers. These trips only take 40 to 60 minutes each way on good, easy driving roads. We have been surprised & delighted by what has been on offer in this rural part of Isaan. Here are a few pictures to explain what is on offer. When out and about driving in Thailand it is always useful to remember how traffic lights are interpreted by other Thai drivers – caution for sure.

That Phanom & Na Kae – we often focus on a few regular food places when going out or ordering for delivery. Chicken & Rice (Khao man gai); red pork & rice (Kao Moo Dang); Boat noodle soap (kuai Tiaw Rwa) & wide variety of Thai food also at Benty and both Thai & western food at Sisters. No shortage of food offerings.

Nakhon Phanom – this where I often have medical appointments at the hospital, as well as for some Makro grocery shopping. The Mekong Riverside views are quite lovely looking over to the mountains of Laos. We have a few favorite spots for food here that we regularly visit to enjoy the views.

Medical

The urologist at Nakhon Phanom Hospital has been dealing with my voiding problem. I have had 10 catheterizations in the past 12 months. I have also sought a second opinion from a well regarded urologist in Sakhon Nakon. The issue is caused by the long term side effects of radiation treatment for prostate cancer.

The last time I had a catheter in, about 2 months ago, it was in for 2 weeks, out for 8 hours & then it needed to be reinstated. How frustrating.

After 2 more weeks with the catheter I saw the Urologist & given all the times I have had a catheter he now believes it is not the original urethral blockage/stricture he cleared with a cystoscope, but a bladder function problem – it ain’t working.

He has prescribed bladder stimulation medication that works too well to ensure that I can void – however, there is no bladder control unfortunately. Having to wears pads all the time is a must. With this problem day to day life can be challenging, get annoying and frustrating – but better than a catheter – I guess. I am trying to be positive.

The doctor has ordered a series of bladder tests/imaging but unfortunately these are not available locally and we need to travel to a hospital in Khon Khaen or Bangkok for the procedures. At this point in time we are considering going to Bangkok to see my original urologist who operated on my prostate cancer – likely in early July. So another medical journey begins to see what is going on & any positive, longer term solutions – time will tell.

When I was growing up and experiencing life’s adventures, one could never imagine this & other medical challenges in the older years. There is a saying – “that age shall not weary them” – not true in my case – there is definitely a weariness element these days.

Ace is well and keeps our new home running smoothly & is gold in dealing with trades in speaking Thai. He is very house proud and enjoys the never ending tasks, we share together, in maintaining the house & gardens. Here I caught a shot of him sitting after a lunch outing, viewing the local park – looks like he is contemplating life.

There you have it – our rural Isaan living in our lovely new home for April, May & June 2025. I don’t anticipate the next update for a little while. I will be concentrating on the health issues & trying to sort them out, along with taking time to enjoy our new life.

I will leave you with some pictures of the color we are enjoying in our garden. Hoping for a bit more as time goes on.

That’s all for now, folks – Cheers.