Loan-shark victims get land back

By The Nation

 

Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan poses with some of the 1,358 northeastern debtors who got their land-title deeds back in a ceremony yesterday in Kalasin.

 

Over 4,000 land documents returned in ceremonies nationwide yesterday
 

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER General Prawit Wongsuwan yesterday returned 1,534 land title deeds worth Bt3 billion to 1,358 Northeast residents who had fallen victim to loan sharks, in a ceremony held in Kalasin. 

 

 

Similar events held simultaneously in other parts of the country saw the handing over of 3,285 land deeds to 4,236 rightful owners, along with other assets including 121 cars and 504 motorcycles. The total value of the assets returned to in the ceremonies was Bt4 billion. 

 

The event in Kalasin was the largest in terms of debtors and land value as it covered people from 12 Northeast provinces. 

 

 

A provincial committee that includes police officers has been retrieving land deeds through negotiations with high-interest lenders and helping set up easier repayment schemes. 

 

At the event yesterday, Prawit, who oversees the police, said the authorities would continue to crackdown on illicit moneylenders to end inequality and “return happiness to the people”. 

 

 

He said the government was also working on giving low-income people access to legal loans and legalising the money-lending business. The government has been promoting “pico-finance” (micro-loans) to address the country’s underground debt problems. 

 

The debtors expressed gratitude at getting their property back. The assets of some had been seized by the lenders for nearly 30 years, after they had failed to keep up with loan repayments. 

 

Jenjira Jongreucha, who got back the title deed for her one-rai plot after four years, tearfully said this was the first government to do this for the people. “I never thought this day would come, when I could get my land back so easily,” she said.

 

 

Last month, Prawit presented 780 title deeds worth Bt1.8 billion in total and covering 3,700 rai (592 hectares) to 684 loan-shark victims in the Northeast, in an event held in Udon Thani’s Muang district. 

 

In July, police negotiated with loan sharks and retrieved title deeds covering 285 rai of land worth Bt130 million to hand back to 135 debtors in Khon Kaen province. This success led Prawit to extend the police aid to more victims, many of whom are poor farmers in the Northeast. 

 

According to Deputy Tourist Police chief Maj-General Surachate Hakpan, since July some 8,000 informal debtors nationwide have had assets worth a total of Bt18 billion returned to them, including 7,000 title deeds. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30354906

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-09-21

Great time to woo some of these northeastern voters to the green side isn't it. Impeccable timing no less, and a rare opportunity for lord Toad to be seen doing something good and wholesome for a change

And so the election caravan moves...

2 hours ago, webfact said:

who had fallen victim to loan sharks

Really? 

 

They did not fall victim, they borrowed the money knowing what it entailed. I seriously doubt any of them borrowed it for a noble cause.

 

This is a no sympathy for anyone situation. I feel no sympathy for the borrowers and even less for the sharks.

 Most of the people getting their land papers back were ecstatic, in a rush to get away, go visit another loan shark, to borrow more money.

now they can use their land again to borrow more money to feed their gambling addiction

1 hour ago, z42 said:

Great time to woo some of these northeastern voters to the green side isn't it. Impeccable timing no less, and a rare opportunity for lord Toad to be seen doing something good and wholesome for a change

Yep done some good on his WATCH ?

And what has happened to these illegal loan sharks?, Surely they should be rounded up and have their assets siezed.

"Jenjira Jongreucha, who got back the title deed for her one-rai plot after four years, tearfully said this was the first government to do this for the people. “I never thought this day would come, when I could get my land back so easily,” she said"

Let it not be said that Toads watches don't keep good time

Undercover electioneering ?

regards worgeordie

Edited September 21, 20187 yr by worgeordie

2 hours ago, z42 said:

Great time to woo some of these northeastern voters to the green side isn't it. Impeccable timing no less, and a rare opportunity for lord Toad to be seen doing something good and wholesome for a change

Is that a nice watch he's wearing? ? 

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Jenjira Jongreucha, who got back the title deed for her one-rai plot after four years, tearfully said this was the first government to do this for the people. “I never thought this day would come, when I could get my land back so easily,” she said.

Well, there's the NE won. 

12 minutes ago, Ks45672 said:

Is that a nice watch he's wearing? ? 

 Not a genuine 1, he gave all of them back.

That is a fake, picked up when he was over seeing the destruction of the fake luxury goods, a few days ago.

On the first picture the Lady was told to crouch down as she was a lot taller than the Toad......Also I see Big Joke is there on the left of his master....Thought he was on his way to Blighty......?

23 minutes ago, colinneil said:

 Not a genuine 1, he gave all of them back.

That is a fake, picked up when he was over seeing the destruction of the fake luxury goods, a few days ago.

I thought counterfeits are also illegal? ? 

Anyone else notice that pretty much everyone in the crowd holding up new chanote s is a woman. Don’t loan sharks target men too?

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Loan-shark victims get land back

There will be many more announcements such as this in the run up to election day. Just another election stunt not unlike his boss has been doing for many months.

They treat people as fools and unfortunately some of them are. Like these people who hand over their land titles to borrow money at outrageous interest rates. Because of their now good fortune they are converted to the Junta Party and will become idiots voting for idiots.

Edited September 21, 20187 yr by Cadbury

Sorry if you borrow off someone at xinterest rate then can’t pay it back - don’t borrow the money in the 1st place - not frigging Einstein 

but they do it with cars houses etc 

they should have lost their possessions 

Forgetting any political agenda, it’s wonderful news for all those concerned.

1 hour ago, AJBangkok said:

Anyone else notice that pretty much everyone in the crowd holding up new chanote s is a woman. Don’t loan sharks target men too?

Women are the ones who gamble.

Whatever the subject, as positive as it is, you take out your critical arguments like naval guns. It's tiring

36 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

Women are the ones who gamble.

Women are also the ones who perform the majority of work and they basically carry this country. Loans are also sought to put their children through schools or when their farms aren't profitable when crops fail or commodity prices fall.

Totally out of line for the timing and all we can hope for is the other political parties have a great master plan to canvass and win that happy support. The cesspool keeps on getting thicker and deeper.

 

Looks like the apprentice standing next to him..

Edited September 21, 20187 yr by holy cow cm

3 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

Totally out of line for the timing and all we can hope for is the other political parties have a great master plan to canvass and win that happy support. The cesspool keeps on getting thicker and deeper.

 

Looks like the apprentice standing next to him..

exactly what i thought.

the whole BJ thing recently and this move close to prawut as the election 'apparently' looms.

wonder what their plans are for him.

slippery bunch that's for sure

My Thai wife in Kalasin was one of the individuals who got her land deed back as we were in a bind at the time and needed to borrow money from these loan shark companies which operate in every city, town in Thailand as we knew the terms and rates when borrowing the money. She told me the whole situation as they missed the part on the news  that only the people who had the money to repay the loan in one sum interest free got their  land deed back."....

 

I'm greatfull for the cops to come down on these loan shark companies and slash all interest on the loans but come on its obviously campaign season gearing up in Thailand and as Thaksin did the same strategic thing to help the poor in Issan with the free health and the rice scheme to gain votes this current prime minister is doing the same exact thing by basically wiping out the high loan shark interest rates and helping getting people back their land deed but its important to know that the borrowers still need to pay back the loans just without interest which is a big deal as these interest rates are beyond extortion.

Edited September 21, 20187 yr by time2093

12 hours ago, phil2407 said:

Sorry if you borrow off someone at xinterest rate then can’t pay it back - don’t borrow the money in the 1st place - not frigging Einstein 

but they do it with cars houses etc 

they should have lost their possessions 

 So a guy who charges 10% a month should have their stuff ?

This is fine with you?

At least give some credit where its due..

 

Thais   also borrow for  hospital bills for Mumma !

And funeral expenses when she didnt make it...

They do it to cover brothers hit by irresponsible car drivers who decided to overtake and turn left seconds after doing so.

( You know the rich Mercedes driver will never truly compensate the families loss of earnings - you all probably raged on about that 20 times over on another Thread  !) 

They also do it because they are attached to  their sister , who carried your  missus on her hip till she was 3 years old and loved her and slept with her every night.

 A huge amount of reasons other than a new Fortuner ! ( the thing you notice .)

 

Its all good for you , sitting here while RECEIVING  from  a world of  pensions , doles and medicovers  and government funded insurance schemes.

Blagging on about how 'thrifty' you are whilst claiming this and that  government stipend every month.

 

Honestly , is it at all possible that some of you , or even ONE of you cant differentiate between the merely desirable and the truly 'immediate' ?

Cant 'sift' a little bit ?

Cant see that the society YOU came to live in is as dog eat dog as it gets and thats part of the reason its well cheaper than where you came from?

Have a moan about things in Thailand , denigrate the uneducated local ,  because you can because you got a Free education back home , then wander down to your KBank and draw from the public purse where you came from ..

YOU gotta be kidden me..

 

If you read the article thoroughly you will see that even the Government can see that the situation as to the criterion for borrowing money is too harsh on the poor , or really non-existent , so plan to address that.

 

I havent seen anything as 'proactive' before  offered up to the poor in all my 11 years in Thailand...

 

You guys have anything better in mind ?

I await some outstanding  alternative suggestions as to debt in rural Thailand   ... as this is TV , I dont expect much positive ...555

Edited September 21, 20187 yr by zaZa9

3 minutes ago, zaZa9 said:

 So a guy who charges 10% a month should have their stuff ?

This is fine with you?

At least give some credit where its due..

 

Thais   also borrow for  hospital bills for Mumma !

And funeral expenses when she didnt make it...

They do it to cover brothers hit by irresponsible car drivers who decided to overtake and turn left seconds after doing so.

( You know the rich Mercedes driver will never truly compensate the families loss of earnings - you all probably raged on about that 20 times over !) 

They also do it because they are attached to  their sister , who carried your  missus on her hip till she was 3 years old and loved her and slept with her every night.

 

Its all good for you , sitting in a world of doles and medicovers  and government funded insurance schemes.

Blagging on about how 'thrifty' you are whilst claiming this and that  government stipend every month.

 

Honestly , is it at all possible that some of you , or even ONE of you cant differentiate between the merely desirable and the truly 'immediate' ?

Cant 'sift' a little bit ?

Cant see that the society YOU came to live in is as dog eat dog as it gets and thats part of the reason its well cheaper than where you came from?

Obviously many farang have social welfare to claim if times are hard but some of them involuntarily donated a large % of their salary towards it during their working life.... (i know I did) 

 

Obviously these greedy illegal money lenders have been taking advantage of the poor and I'm happy to see their land returned

 

The best way to deter sharks would be to wipe the slate clean and nullify these illegal debts but that might upset some powerful people... ? 

 

If they are still responsible for the principle  I  would suggest  0% interest and all previous  payments (interest or otherwise) made will be deducted from their remainder

 

once these debts are settled , the govt should warn the 8000 owners that if they do this again, big joke will not be coming  around to fix it next time and the land will not be returned! ....