Robby nz

Well done Yingluck & Co !!

700 billion wasted and now the stockpiles can't even be used for animal food.....................

Last year I tried to explain the rice-pledging-scheme to my sister. Her reply: "Nobody can be that stupid"

As we all know.....................

Can anyone be as stupid to not understand that 650,000 tons or about 4% of the pledged rice was deemed unfit for both human and animal consumption, as well as ethanol production. Or that it can still be sold used as fuel in electricity generation? ref. PWO:650,000 tons of stockpiled rice declared rotten, to be used as fuel, 2015-06-15

Since the 700 billion baht was paid to the rice farmers for their pledged rice at twice the world market price, I wouldn't call that "wasted" - just one huge subsidy PROMISED by Yingluck and PAID by the Junta

More Red BS.

700 billion was not paid to the farmers and you well know that. By the time the stockpiles are disposed of the total loss will have risen to around a trillion baht and almost half will have disappeared in costs and corruption.

From the 2014 TDRI report: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/tdri-says-yinglucks-rice-pledging-scheme-causes-almost-trillion-baht-loss

By end of October 31 this year, it was found that 85% of rice in the stocks have lower quality than normal standard. This low quality rice resulted in the loss of 660 billion baht to the state from the pledging scheme.

He said that if taking into account of the assessment of the remaining 17 million tons of rice in the stocks that could be released in the market within the 10-year period, the loss could jumped 300 billion baht more to 960 billion baht.

He said in the research that the rice-pledging scheme had brought about damages to the societies rather than advantages to farmers and consumers of an estimated 123 billion baht.

Meanwhile farmers joining the scheme obtained additional 296 billion baht in direct revenues. But after the combination of both direct and indirect revenues from the scheme, farmers obtained 561 billion baht in revenues.

But farmers who were benefitted from the scheme were mostly rich and medium earning farmers, rather than poor and low income farmers.

It's a well-known phenomenon that people labelled as deviant tend to behave according to this label.

If Germany labels all Salafists as extremists, Germany may breed terrorism in a once quite peaceful community.

The OP demonstrates quite clearly how far this process has already gone: Now some Salafists feel like they have to defend themselves by showing fun in public.

Was wondering how the women would get on with 'having fun' dressed as they are required to ? Shouldn't think it would be that much fun trying to swim, but I suppose they would be easy to find in the snow. Fun of course may only be for men.

Good point Eric, there is no use having water restrictions if people are just going to steal the water from the dams and rivers.

And I agree with you regarding the water thieves, I would like to see the guilty pumps confiscated and the farmers' asses hung out to dry, so to speak.

Too many people are blaming past and present governments for this water problem, but it is a weather phenomenon. I suppose preparing for it is another thing but looking ahead and making preparations is not a strong point in the Thai culture.

And congrats Eric for making post #1 !

You have that one very wrong Mike. Who do you think this water belongs to that you accuse the farmers of stealing it ? They have as much right to the water as anyone else, in fact more right as they have a traditional use behind them

Most of them in the lower Chao Phraya river basin have had no income this year as they have waited while they were advised not to plant a second crop (although they didn't have to be told as they knew very well there was no water) Which means they have not used the water before now, so it is not them that has lowered the dam levels. Now they need to plant their main crop and the water is there for them to do so but they are being told not to use it.

I don't see any of the suits who are telling them not to plant or use the water offering to forego their wages and donate to farmers who they are suggesting go without income.

Most are deep in debt from what has gone before and desperately need to plant a crop to get enough to pay interest on loans and feed their families.

And most have no alternatives. different crops need different machinery and a market neither of which is available to most. They also have a longer lead in time from planting to harvest, if everyone grows corn or vegetables it will flood the market dropping prices and stuff things up for everyone.

Your post regarding pumps shows you level of knowledge of rice farming so please in future do some research before posting and condemning.

Robby not sure you are aware of simple economics, or how it works. Obviously not, but here is a lesson on not what to do in farming.

If the farmers cost to produce rice is more than the market is will to pay for that rice, means farmers are loosing money planting rice.

Not only are they planting rice for a loss but they are using 5000 L of water per kg to produce that rice.

So in the future you should do some research before posting.

Currently, the price of 15 percent water content rice is in the range of 7,500 - 7,700 baht per ton, down from the previous 8,000 - 8,500 baht per ton. Farmers' average selling price is around 6,700 - 7,000 baht per ton.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/833431-low-thai-rice-price-may-force-rice-millers-to-shutdown-operations/

The current rice price is as low as 4,000 Thb and 6,000 Thb per ton which means that the farmers have sold their rice at a loss. The average production cost per ton was at approximately 7,000 Thb per ton.

http://nsnbc.me/2014/06/07/thailand-military-government-rice-farmers-discuss-substitution-shinawatras-collapsed-rice-scheme/

I don't know where you get this 5000ltre of water per KG but from what I see of rice farmers managing the water they use and reuse it has to be very far from the truth. I live in a rice farming area and have watched successive crops through several seasons.

Economic theory is great but unfortunately farmers cant eat it. According to theory farmers should sit at home with their families and starve while they wait for those they have been forced into debt to, to arrive and evict them from their land.

Can you and the economists not understand that many if not most will be growing rice for their own consumption. During the pledging those who took part in the scheme (about 1/3rd of all rice farmers) sold all the rice they could produce. Things are different now and they must grow to feed themselves first then sell what is surplice. Even if they are only making a small profit on what they sell it will still be enough to add something to the rice they have stored and pay some of the interest on loans to keep the creditors from taking their land.

They also have ways of cutting costs which they will be doing. Farmers are not the dumb peasants some would like to make them out as. Perhaps you are the one who should learn a little about rice farming before posting on the subject.

I think stupid does not go far enough.

If these ex MP's are guilty of what they are accused of, and given the publicity of this we saw at the time it would seem pretty certain they are, it was way past stupid that they had to cheat in attempting to pass this legislation into law.

There was no need to cheat as they had the numbers to pass the bill had it been done legally, but no they had to try to take short cuts and ignore the rules in their confidence they could do whatever they wanted..........They were elected and they believed that gave them the right to ignore the law.

Well now they are finding out that they are accountable to the law, as are they and their fellow ex MP's and cabinet ministers in regards to the rice pledging scheme and other things.

It needs to be spelt out very clearly to any would be politician of the future that they can and will be held accountable by the law for any actions that subvert or break the law.

Robby, i don't believe the case about suspect voting is even being considered it is just the attempt to amend the Constitution which is subject to the impeachment vote.

Farcical really given every single Govt, including the one previous alter the Constitution, yet suddenly its deemed an impeachable offence.

You believe wrong. There are ways and means of changing the constitution and nothing wrong with that. A party that wants to make changes has to abide by the law when doing it. The PT party did not abide by the law, do some research and you will find this is true.

They are now being held to account for not doing things the correct way.

I shouldn't really bother for you should be able to do your own research.

However check out how in the first reading PT lumped 3 constitution changes together then stifled debate by cutting short the agreed debating time. After objections by the opposition they suspended the meeting and resumed after midnight when most of the opposition had left, taking a vote without farther debate at 1.30am with a total of only 428 MP's and senator in the house out of a total of 650 MP's and 76 senators : http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/630687-thai-lawmakers-move-to-change-constitution-amid-court-challenge/

You probably know by now that one of those bills was to make the senate fully elected, something the opposition agreed with. You probably also know that there were significant changes made during the committee stage that included abolishing the 6 year term and allowing members of sitting MP's families to become senators, something the opposition was against.

There was a case accepted by the constitution court in regards to this : http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/632591-thai-constitution-court-accepts-petition-against-charter-rewrite/

Carry on from there and see what they did during subsequent readings and you should be able to see why they are now facing impeachment.

They are being charged with trying to amend the section of the Constitution, nothing to do with process....

Even the second link you give makes no mention of the process, just that changing the Senators back to be 100% elected as per previous Constitutions would suddenly be a threat to the.....

The first link details how it was done, i have no idea if this is against the law or not, seemingly it is not given that from everything i have read, the contention with the impeachment case is not to do with the process itself. This is probably as it is not an impeachment offence.

OK so you have your tiny little red mind made up and you are not prepared to look farther.

As I wrote; changing the constitution is not illegal it is the way that it was carried out that they brought trouble on themselves.

Good point Eric, there is no use having water restrictions if people are just going to steal the water from the dams and rivers.

And I agree with you regarding the water thieves, I would like to see the guilty pumps confiscated and the farmers' asses hung out to dry, so to speak.

Too many people are blaming past and present governments for this water problem, but it is a weather phenomenon. I suppose preparing for it is another thing but looking ahead and making preparations is not a strong point in the Thai culture.

And congrats Eric for making post #1 !

You have that one very wrong Mike. Who do you think this water belongs to that you accuse the farmers of stealing it ? They have as much right to the water as anyone else, in fact more right as they have a traditional use behind them

Most of them in the lower Chao Phraya river basin have had no income this year as they have waited while they were advised not to plant a second crop (although they didn't have to be told as they knew very well there was no water) Which means they have not used the water before now, so it is not them that has lowered the dam levels. Now they need to plant their main crop and the water is there for them to do so but they are being told not to use it.

I don't see any of the suits who are telling them not to plant or use the water offering to forego their wages and donate to farmers who they are suggesting go without income.

Most are deep in debt from what has gone before and desperately need to plant a crop to get enough to pay interest on loans and feed their families.

And most have no alternatives. different crops need different machinery and a market neither of which is available to most. They also have a longer lead in time from planting to harvest, if everyone grows corn or vegetables it will flood the market dropping prices and stuff things up for everyone.

Your post regarding pumps shows you level of knowledge of rice farming so please in future do some research before posting and condemning.

"Members of the National Legislative Assembly are scheduled to meet before the end of the month to deliberate the impeachment of hundreds of former members of parliament."

How totally stupid - even Monty Python would have found it hard to think of anything equally ridiculous.

I think stupid does not go far enough.

If these ex MP's are guilty of what they are accused of, and given the publicity of this we saw at the time it would seem pretty certain they are, it was way past stupid that they had to cheat in attempting to pass this legislation into law.

There was no need to cheat as they had the numbers to pass the bill had it been done legally, but no they had to try to take short cuts and ignore the rules in their confidence they could do whatever they wanted..........They were elected and they believed that gave them the right to ignore the law.

Well now they are finding out that they are accountable to the law, as are they and their fellow ex MP's and cabinet ministers in regards to the rice pledging scheme and other things.

It needs to be spelt out very clearly to any would be politician of the future that they can and will be held accountable by the law for any actions that subvert or break the law.

Robby, i don't believe the case about suspect voting is even being considered it is just the attempt to amend the Constitution which is subject to the impeachment vote.

Farcical really given every single Govt, including the one previous alter the Constitution, yet suddenly its deemed an impeachable offence.

You believe wrong. There are ways and means of changing the constitution and nothing wrong with that. A party that wants to make changes has to abide by the law when doing it. The PT party did not abide by the law, do some research and you will find this is true.

They are now being held to account for not doing things the correct way.

I shouldn't really bother for you should be able to do your own research.

However check out how in the first reading PT lumped 3 constitution changes together then stifled debate by cutting short the agreed debating time. After objections by the opposition they suspended the meeting and resumed after midnight when most of the opposition had left, taking a vote without farther debate at 1.30am with a total of only 428 MP's and senator in the house out of a total of 650 MP's and 76 senators : http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/630687-thai-lawmakers-move-to-change-constitution-amid-court-challenge/

You probably know by now that one of those bills was to make the senate fully elected, something the opposition agreed with. You probably also know that there were significant changes made during the committee stage that included abolishing the 6 year term and allowing members of sitting MP's families to become senators, something the opposition was against.

There was a case accepted by the constitution court in regards to this : http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/632591-thai-constitution-court-accepts-petition-against-charter-rewrite/

Carry on from there and see what they did during subsequent readings and you should be able to see why they are now facing impeachment.

Another through the dirty bus window.

Cleaning the drains.

Oh, Oh slight technical hitch, but the finish line is in sight.

Absolutely she is talented, i would love to hear her play or just stand and stare like some brain dead caveman, but that doesn't mean she can ski to Olympic standards. In fact she proved she couldn't last time around.

She proved that she could complete 2 runs in an Olympic giant slalom without falling ass over, something several others in the event could not do and few others in the world can do

She may have finished last of those who finished but she did not finish last in the event.

Should never have been there.

She may well be innocent of the fixing of qualification by taking part in a deeply flawed event, no reason to think she isn't.

However without that event she would never have qualified.

She may well be a good slalom jumper but she isn't olympic class as her failure to qualify through legitimate events and subsequent performance in the olympics themselves.

She didn't fall over, well done, still doesn't make her olympic class.

"A good slalom jumper" shows how much you know about the event doesn't it.

You see I have respect for those who adhere to the rigorous training schedules that are needed to get into international sport and the fact that she is good enough to be able get into qualifying events for the Olympics in her event puts her in a class of elite athletes.

The fact that she did get to the Olympics and did compete doing better than many who could not complete the course deserves respect. But she will get none from those whose agenda is to bash anything Thai.

"That we are trading our freedom is to show that Thailand lacks freedom, be it inside or outside prison."

Erm, I think you'll find the whole point of being inside a prison is you lack freedom.

Like the rice joke though, nice little dig at the ban on second crop planting. (Though the ban, because of the current water shortages, is in reality the appropriate thing to do).

Try having a look at the map, the recommendation to delay planting is for the lower Chao Phraya basin and does not cover Loei.

Possibly when these so called students get a bit older they will learn that pissing into the wind only serves to get their pants wet.

I suspect that most of the parents these students (who should be in class) will be quite dismayed that the money they have spent on their children's education is now wasted.

"Members of the National Legislative Assembly are scheduled to meet before the end of the month to deliberate the impeachment of hundreds of former members of parliament."

How totally stupid - even Monty Python would have found it hard to think of anything equally ridiculous.

I think stupid does not go far enough.

If these ex MP's are guilty of what they are accused of, and given the publicity of this we saw at the time it would seem pretty certain they are, it was way past stupid that they had to cheat in attempting to pass this legislation into law.

There was no need to cheat as they had the numbers to pass the bill had it been done legally, but no they had to try to take short cuts and ignore the rules in their confidence they could do whatever they wanted..........They were elected and they believed that gave them the right to ignore the law.

Well now they are finding out that they are accountable to the law, as are they and their fellow ex MP's and cabinet ministers in regards to the rice pledging scheme and other things.

It needs to be spelt out very clearly to any would be politician of the future that they can and will be held accountable by the law for any actions that subvert or break the law.

I wondered how the author got from this terrible crime of a white killing blacks in a church to Islam.

If there was to be some balance on calling this urban terrorism surely the topic of black on white killings should be shown and given the same title.

Not to say that either is acceptable, but there would appear to be enough evidence of hate from all sides to address it as one.

To say that hate crime against blacks by a small minority of whites should be addressed while ignoring the small minority of blacks who commit hate crime against whites would only be dealing with half the problem.

Other random killings such as school shootings where there is no race involved also need to be included.

Those who are in positions of authority or influence who use such crimes to their own advantage and to stir even more hate also need to be tackled.

I am more interested in seeing more done for the protection for animals in the wild where populations are suffering through habitat destruction and poaching.

Laws are in place but blind eyes, corruption and lack of funding have been in the past and are still preventing them being used for the optimal protection of both the environment and the animals, birds, fish and insects that live in the forests and seas.

Thailand has some of the last remaining large forest areas in Asia which contains some of the most endangered species on the planet and some great marine national parks. There are dedicated people looking after these but more needs to be done to weed out the corrupt and ensure these places and their inhabitants are still there for future generations.

I wonder if the report on the US managed to find any link between the rise of the ISIL and other terrorist groups and past actions of the US in countries like Iraq and Libya.

Take the plank from your own eye before you take the splinter from your neighbors.

In South Korea there have been multiple cases and even deaths.

They say " In South Korea, there are no signs of sustained community-acquired infection Confirmed cases of transmission have been linked to hospitals. As a result, hospitals in South Korea have increased their surveillance and modified their approach to dealing with patients who exhibit symptoms.."

Is this not also true in Thailand ?

There has been one confirmed case in Thailand and that was someone who came from the ME and went straight to a hospital where he was immediately quarantined.

All those who came in contact with him have been identified, screened and in suspected cases isolated. There was also one other suspected case of a woman who came from South Korea but she has now been cleared.

Yet we see this from the US embassy which makes it look like the disease is widespread in Thailand which it is not.

Has there been similar notifications everywhere in the world where there have been cases identified ? Or is this just another "Pick on Thailand" thing ?

It would be great if the news articles about corruption were more specific.

There is this tendency to just say "corruption", but if people are to understand what is wrongful behavior, a more specific description is required.

In the above article, there is only one corrupt act cited, "collusion".

In order for the officials to be involved in this, one would assume there would also be bribery or kickbacks, yet the article only vaguely implies this.

We should see these terms more often:

Bribery

Kickbacks

Collusion

Bid Law Violation

Conflict of Interest

Fraud

If you were to read OP's slowly and carefully you may just be able to work some of these things out for yourself.

For instance, the Anti Money laundering office is involved. That would indicate money laundering is part of it.

Then there is :

"Preliminary investigation found collusion in the project as two companies entering the bidding belonged to same person and was awarded to construct futsal courts in all the 358 schools in 17 provinces."

As the word collusion is used.............Well perhaps you can understand that.

This is only the first news report on the investigation, there will likely more detail as more reports are released. They might even reveal the ex MP's involved and their party affiliation.

"Mae is now eligible to qualify for the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea."

Yeah, right.

Don't be so negative!!

She is qualified: vanessa.jpg

Absolutely she is talented, i would love to hear her play or just stand and stare like some brain dead caveman, but that doesn't mean she can ski to Olympic standards. In fact she proved she couldn't last time around.

She proved that she could complete 2 runs in an Olympic giant slalom without falling ass over, something several others in the event could not do and few others in the world can do

She may have finished last of those who finished but she did not finish last in the event.

How was it carried out ... inside or outside the bank, in order to steal this money from the bank they must have used weapons in order to freeze the bank team, and then speed away with a motorcycle.

A choking activity, it could have been done by past bank employers who had been dismissed by the bank.

Perhaps the police will be able to sort them out.

Try reading the OP then post again it tells reasonably concisely how and where it happened with small details like " they fired two shots to intimidate the security officers"

That suggests to me that they were armed.

Wondered how long it would take for that one to surface.

The kids must have been very disappointed when they found the futsal courts they had been promised by their local MP's and schools were useless.

These are the ones.

Not sure what this is but saw him on the door at the office. Quite a large fellow around 10cm long.

This looks like a Hawk Moth in the Sphingoddoidea superfamily. Could be a subspecies of Gnathothlibus erotus?

Don't believe them Tywais, its the spirit of the ancestor of someone who once worked there.....Be afraid, be very afraid.

A big problem with this one could be North Korea if it has spread to there would they be likely to tell anyone ?

I hear they are building one now in BKK at a cost of around 12 billion, although the work is a few years behind and the clowns have yet to be elected.