My college classmate, Sanchai, is a very successful fruit exporter in Thailand. He also owns his own orchards, where he grows durian, mangosteen, mango, pineapple, passion fruit, and more. Actually, I'm not sure how many types of fruit he grows, as the crops might change over time. I've heard him talk about experimenting with different fruits. If something didn’t work out or the economic returns weren’t good, he would switch to something else. This experimental spirit—unafraid of failure and able to handle losses—truly amazes me. No wonder he’s a successful entrepreneur. I admire his courage and his ability to make quick decisions.
This year, he invited our college classmates to vacation at a tea plantation he recently developed. It was a wonderful experience to enjoy a leisurely time in the mountains and wilderness.
The tea plantation is on the border between Thailand and Myanmar. Looking around, you can see bunkers and turrets on both sides of the border. I heard that artillery shells were once fired here, and bullets still remain in the ground. As we walked around the tea garden, we saw trenches that had been dug in the past. One afternoon, while we were chatting on the balcony, we suddenly heard a gunshot and had no idea what had happened.
In this place, where neither country has full control, even time can be confusing. Some people's watches automatically set to Thailand time, while others show Myanmar time. Interestingly, the two time zones are 30 minutes apart, with Thailand being 30 minutes behind Myanmar. When we arrange a time to meet, we need to clarify which time zone we're using.
This land is located in an area rich with ancient tea trees, some of which are hundreds of years old. The thick trunks reveal their age, and some trees may be six or seven hundred years old. Sanchai bought this land 20 years ago, and what impressed me most was that he purchased it because of a dream.
When he was young, he saw that emperors had vacation palaces in the mountains and by the sea. He dreamed that one day he would have his own land in the mountains and by the sea to enjoy. As a young man, he bought property by the sea and raised clams, fulfilling part of that dream early on. Later, he came across this beautiful piece of land in the mountains. Although he didn’t know what to do with it at the time, he bought it and left it unused.
Here’s a funny story: sometimes he would buy land and forget about it. One day, he saw a piece of land he wanted to purchase and asked others who the owner was—only to find out it was already his! It was really funny. I'm not sure how long this particular land remained unused, but eventually, he hired someone to clean it up and manage it.
Interestingly, Sanchai had previously cut down a large area of old tea trees on this land and replaced them with mango trees. However, he later changed his mind and decided to start a tea-related business instead. He even hired an expert to teach his employees how to roast tea. The black, green, white, and new teas they now produce are all very delicious. This shows his flexibility and adaptability in both investment and business.
Now, let’s look at the origins of the two houses on this land. I'm not sure why Sanchai suddenly decided to build a house here, but around this time last year, he had the idea. Once he made the decision, he quickly began the construction process. He bought two abandoned houses that were about to be demolished, salvaged the materials, and hired workers to reassemble them on this land. He also designed another house with several bathrooms and a large balcony for moon watching and gatherings. In front of one of the houses, there's an outdoor fire pit. All these additions make it a perfect spot for a vacation. And it's only been ten months!
Business people’s minds are always active. Sanchai had previously rented the place out as a campsite but found it wasn’t a sustainable business model. He had to clean and maintain the site afterward and bear the risk of damage to the property, so he abandoned the idea.
I’m always curious and fascinated by the life and career stories of different people. These experiences broaden my horizons, which is why I write them down—to remember and reflect.
Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Sanchai and Sue for their hard work in planning and arranging everything, so that we didn’t have to worry about food, entertainment, transportation, or accommodation. Sue was very low-key but took care of our meals along the way and coordinated with stores to arrange massages… It was very heartwarming. A big thanks to both of them!
我的大學同學 (吳楚林) 在泰國是個很成功的水果出口商，他也有自己的果園，榴連、山竹、芒果、鳯梨、百香果⋯ 其實我也搞不太清楚他倒底種了多少種水果，因為這些水果種植都有可能會變的，聽到他試種這，試種那，不成功或經濟效益不好就重新換過，這種不怕失敗也承擔得起虧損的試驗精神，讓我瞠目结舌，無怪他是個成功的企業家，他當機立斷的勇氣及判斷能力令我佩服。今年他邀請大學同學去他開發不久的茶園渡假，那幾天在山林原野中享受著閒情逸致的生活，實在美好。
這片茶園是在泰國及緬甸邊境，放眼望去可看到兩國一邊各一個碉堡炮台，聽說以前還有炮彈打過來，留下一個個彈頭在這塊土地上。我們去逛茶園時，也看到以前挖留下來的壕溝。有一天下午，我們在陽台聊天時還聽到一聲槍響聲，真不知道發生了什麼事。
在這兩不管的地方，連時間也很混亂，有些人的錶會自動跳出泰國時間，而也有一些人的錶則會出現緬甸時間，有趣的是，它們差半個小時，泰國時間比緬甸時間晚 30 分鐘。當我們要設定聚會集合的時間時，需要花一點功夫溝通清楚。
這塊地在盛產上百年古茶樹的地區，粗壯的樹幹顯示出它們的樹齡，有些樹有可能有六、七百年的樹齡。楚林在 20 年前就買下了這塊地。讓我留下深刻印象的是，他買地是源自於一個夢想。
他年輕的時候，當他看到帝王，在山上、在海邊都會有渡假的行宮，他也夢想有朝一日也能在山上及海邊有他自己的土地來享用。他年輕時在海邊有置產養血蛤，所以在海邊有地的夢想很早就實現了。後來他看到山上這塊美地，雖然不知道要做什麼，便買了下來，閒置一邊。
穿插一個好笑的事，由於有時他買了地會閒置一旁，久而久之便忘了它，有一天他又看到一塊地他想買，跟別人打聽地主是誰，結果竟然是他自己，真的很好笑。我不知道這塊地到底閒置了多久，總之後來他也雇了人來整理及管理。
另一件令我有些不可思議的事是，他之前把這塊地上的一大片老茶樹都砍掉，改種芒果，直到最近才改變主意來做跟茶有關的生意，還聘請專人來傳授他的員工，烘焙茶的技術。他們自產的紅茶、綠茶、白茶、一心一葉的新茶都非常好喝。由此也可看到他投資做生意的機動性。
再來看看這裏兩棟房子的來源。我不知道基於什麼原由，楚林在去年大約此時突然想到這裏蓋個自住的房子，他有這個想法後，又快速進行建屋計劃，他找到兩棟要拆掉廢棄的房子，他買下了房子的材料後，就找人在這塊地上重新拚湊組裝，又自己設計了另ㄧ棟有數間衛浴室的房子，有著一個大陽台，可賞月、可聚會。在其中一棟房子前還有室外燒火坑。讓這裡成為一個度假的好地方。至今也才十個月。
生意人的腦袋好像永遠都在轉動，之前他把這裏當露營地出租，結果發現事後打掃整理及承擔物品受損的風險，實在不是門好生意，因而作罷。我對不同種人的生活及事業的故事都很好奇並感興趣，這些他人的人生經歷能開闊我的眼界，因此寫下留著紀念。
最後，真心感謝楚林及助教每次不辭辛勞的計劃、安排一切，讓我們吃喝玩樂、交通、住宿全不用操心。助教很低調的一路照料我們吃的、聯絡安排按摩的店家... 很暖心。感激！
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