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Thai generals on the campaign trail?


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Generals on the campaign trail?

By THE NATION

 

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AS THE GENERAL election draws near, the government of General Prayut Chan-o-cha has become increasingly busier with projects seemingly aimed at winning the hearts of voters at the grassroots.

 

Senior government figures, including Prayut and Deputy Premier General Prawit Wongsuwan, have recently visited different areas of the country to kick off state-sponsored projects.

 

Those projects mainly are intended to benefit groups such as farmers, low-income people and rural residents.

 

The Cabinet on August 7 approved a three-year moratorium on farmers’ debts, continuing through July 2021. It covers debts owed to the state-run Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC).

 

A budget of Bt2.7 billion was approved for debt-interest compensation to the BAAC due to the suspension of debt repayments.

 

General Prawit, who is also Defence minister, recently visited northeastern Khon Kaen and Udon Thani provinces to follow up on the government’s commitment to stem the illegal lending of money at high interest rates.

 

In Khon Kaen, Prawit returned land deeds worth Bt120 million to 135 people whose documents had been dishonestly seized by loan sharks. In Udon Thani, he returned land deeds to another 1,778 residents from different provinces in the region. 

 

Altogether, land deeds and other assets such as vehicles were returned to 2,287 people throughout the country who were victims of loan sharks. The properties are worth collectively more than Bt3 billion.

 

At the Cabinet meeting on August 21, Prawit reported that 209,538 people had benefited from the project to help loan-shark victims. The Cabinet is also set to consider restructuring debt that farmers have owed to the BAAC since 2000. This project involves combined debt topping Bt6 billion and interest of Bt4 billion.

 

And the government has made it a policy to hand out money to needy people every month. In the second phase of this undertaking this year, monthly handouts increased from Bt300 to Bt500 for individuals earning less than Bt30,000 a year and from Bt200 to Bt300 for people on annual incomes of less than Bt100,000.

 

The Cabinet also gave the green light to an Interior Ministry scheme to help boost the rural economy by injecting Bt200,000 each into more than 82,000 communities throughout the country. There is also a Bt40-billion project to offer cheap loans to homebuyers on low incomes. 

 

After starting their jobs last week, new members of the Election Commission said the general election would be held sometime between late February and early May.

 

That gives the post-coup government less than a year before the vote, and meanwhile observers see the junta attempting to retain power through General Prayut’s return as government chief after the election. 

 

Prayut recently claimed to have the backing of many political parties to stay in politics, but said he had not yet made a decision to join any party. The junta leader said he would make his political future clear publicly next month.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30353019

 
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-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-08-27
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Where is all this money coming from?

 

Billions and billions and billions have been spent in the EEC.

 

The defense budget has at least doubled in the last few years.

 

"...The Cabinet on August 7 approved a three-year moratorium on farmers’ debts, continuing through July 2021...A budget of Bt2.7 billion was approved for debt-interest compensation to the BAAC due to the suspension of debt repayments..."

 

"...The Cabinet is also set to consider restructuring debt that farmers have owed to the BAAC since 2000. This project involves combined debt topping Bt6 billion and interest of Bt4 billion..."

 

"...In the second phase of this undertaking this year, monthly handouts increased from Bt300 to Bt500 for individuals earning less than Bt30,000 a year and from Bt200 to Bt300 for people on annual incomes of less than Bt100,000..."

 

"...The Cabinet also gave the green light to an Interior Ministry scheme to help boost the rural economy by injecting Bt200,000 each into more than 82,000 communities throughout the country...."

 

"...There is also a Bt40-billion project to offer cheap loans to homebuyers on low incomes. .."

 

These are just some of the expenditures noted from this particular story; members who read the news regularly know that there are many, many, many other spending announcements.

 

Where is all this money coming from? 

 

 

 

 

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22 minutes ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Where is all this money coming from?

 

Billions and billions and billions have been spent in the EEC.

 

The defense budget has at least doubled in the last few years.

 

"...The Cabinet on August 7 approved a three-year moratorium on farmers’ debts, continuing through July 2021...A budget of Bt2.7 billion was approved for debt-interest compensation to the BAAC due to the suspension of debt repayments..."

 

"...The Cabinet is also set to consider restructuring debt that farmers have owed to the BAAC since 2000. This project involves combined debt topping Bt6 billion and interest of Bt4 billion..."

 

"...In the second phase of this undertaking this year, monthly handouts increased from Bt300 to Bt500 for individuals earning less than Bt30,000 a year and from Bt200 to Bt300 for people on annual incomes of less than Bt100,000..."

 

"...The Cabinet also gave the green light to an Interior Ministry scheme to help boost the rural economy by injecting Bt200,000 each into more than 82,000 communities throughout the country...."

 

"...There is also a Bt40-billion project to offer cheap loans to homebuyers on low incomes. .."

 

These are just some of the expenditures noted from this particular story; members who read the news regularly know that there are many, many, many other spending announcements.

 

Where is all this money coming from? 

 

 

 

 

From here :

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Well am sure all will be revealed if the political ban is lifted and the election date is set and campaigning of sorts will be allowed, I anticipate something similar to the charter referendum. Regardless this sham election when it happens will be a total fix

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2 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

These are just some of the expenditures noted from this particular story; members who read the news regularly know that there are many, many, many other spending announcements.

 

Where is all this money coming from

I'm inclined to believe that they're just that: Announcements. They're not going to follow through with all these projects, so there's no need to actually find money to fund them. This government lies about EVERYTHING - why would they be honest about development projects?

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1 hour ago, z42 said:

Well am sure all will be revealed if the political ban is lifted and the election date is set and campaigning of sorts will be allowed, I anticipate something similar to the charter referendum. Regardless this sham election when it happens will be a total fix

The next election in Thailand will be as free and democratic as that election which has just taken place in Zimbabwe.

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5 hours ago, webfact said:

General Prayut Chan-o-cha has become increasingly busier with projects seemingly aimed at winning the hearts of voters at the grassroots.

These are not projects at all. The are nothing more than gifts from the government to provincial bosses and villages chiefs to use as they wish to influence voters in the way that is expected. Their arrogance overwhelms any shame in what they are doing.

The "project funds" will be used for filling in a few token potholes plus new cars, home improvements, land purchases, private schooling to replace the inadequate public schooling plus the odd Louis Vuitton handbag. 

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truly democratic countries do not allow the military to have any part in politics. This is usually enshrined in their constitution. I think if there was an attempt to include this in the Thai constitution there would simply be another coup. The Thais seem to change their constitution like I change my socks so it has very little credence and is currently overriden any time the illegal law 44.

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5 hours ago, webfact said:

the junta attempting to retain power through General Prayut’s return as government chief after the election. 

The junta's pre-election campaign strategy seems to showcase all the beneficial things it can offer and deliver for the Thai people's benefit. Yet, such promises, government investments, grants, subsidies, debt relief, and other such "gifts" are the same that any Thai government can and has produced in previous elections, regardless of whether they were elected or appointed by military coup. That's the nature of electoral politics.

 

A possible partial election strategy by political parties opposed to pro-military political parties is to differentiate themselves by what they can't or won't do as an elected government.

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4 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Where is all this money coming from?

 

Billions and billions and billions have been spent in the EEC.

 

The defense budget has at least doubled in the last few years.

 

"...The Cabinet on August 7 approved a three-year moratorium on farmers’ debts, continuing through July 2021...A budget of Bt2.7 billion was approved for debt-interest compensation to the BAAC due to the suspension of debt repayments..."

 

"...The Cabinet is also set to consider restructuring debt that farmers have owed to the BAAC since 2000. This project involves combined debt topping Bt6 billion and interest of Bt4 billion..."

 

"...In the second phase of this undertaking this year, monthly handouts increased from Bt300 to Bt500 for individuals earning less than Bt30,000 a year and from Bt200 to Bt300 for people on annual incomes of less than Bt100,000..."

 

"...The Cabinet also gave the green light to an Interior Ministry scheme to help boost the rural economy by injecting Bt200,000 each into more than 82,000 communities throughout the country...."

 

"...There is also a Bt40-billion project to offer cheap loans to homebuyers on low incomes. .."

 

These are just some of the expenditures noted from this particular story; members who read the news regularly know that there are many, many, many other spending announcements.

 

Where is all this money coming from? 

 

 

 

 

Prayut wins the lottery twice a month! This weeks win will all go to the purchase of water bottles and sandbags. 

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3 minutes ago, tigermoth said:

I think if there was an attempt to include this in the Thai constitution there would simply be another coup.

No, such amendment in the near term would simply be defeated by the pro-military Senate.

But there are traditions and practices that might be reversed or eliminated perhaps without even any new laws that could strengthen democratic secular governance. Even federal budget allocations can be "weaponized" to support a political agenda.

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5 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Where is all this money coming from?

 

Billions and billions and billions have been spent in the EEC.

 

The defense budget has at least doubled in the last few years.

 

"...The Cabinet on August 7 approved a three-year moratorium on farmers’ debts, continuing through July 2021...A budget of Bt2.7 billion was approved for debt-interest compensation to the BAAC due to the suspension of debt repayments..."

 

"...The Cabinet is also set to consider restructuring debt that farmers have owed to the BAAC since 2000. This project involves combined debt topping Bt6 billion and interest of Bt4 billion..."

 

"...In the second phase of this undertaking this year, monthly handouts increased from Bt300 to Bt500 for individuals earning less than Bt30,000 a year and from Bt200 to Bt300 for people on annual incomes of less than Bt100,000..."

 

"...The Cabinet also gave the green light to an Interior Ministry scheme to help boost the rural economy by injecting Bt200,000 each into more than 82,000 communities throughout the country...."

 

"...There is also a Bt40-billion project to offer cheap loans to homebuyers on low incomes. .."

 

These are just some of the expenditures noted from this particular story; members who read the news regularly know that there are many, many, many other spending announcements.

 

Where is all this money coming from? 

 

 

 

 

Debt. 

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7 minutes ago, fullcave said:

Debt. 

Or simply put, something that Thailand can't afford. Already government debts at 43% of GDP and budget deficit '17 at 2.7%. Like the poor farmer buying I-phone and new pick-up by raking up debts. Your children and their children will be servicing these unproductive debts for a long time. Worse of the unproductive debts are spending on military hardware.  

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5 hours ago, kannot said:

it sure is a "General" election, have been all along, maybe easier if the just said renonelection thought

Agreed, the "gold braid & medals" will disappear but the faces will remain the same!

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Wow........ Taksin has a 'twin' he never knew....... LOL......

Taksin knew how to buy the most votes with the least money.....You can buy the 'eneducated poor' for near nothing....... (and there are so many of them in Thailand)

Now this guy is following in his footsteps with same tactics....... Only this guy has the comfort of the whole ARMY behind him....

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13 hours ago, SABloke said:

I'm inclined to believe that they're just that: Announcements. They're not going to follow through with all these projects, so there's no need to actually find money to fund them. This government lies about EVERYTHING - why would they be honest about development projects?

Good point, announcements don't require funding but do usually result in reactions. Not many here are fooled that this will be a fair election and it is obvious that Payrut and his cronies have been campaigning for some time...but what about the Thais that will be voting? Can they see through the fog?

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