Some 200 Farmers Rally At Don Muang Airport

[george]

Some 200 farmers rally at Don Mueng Airport

BANGKOK: -- Some 200 farmers demonstrated at the Don Mueng Airport to demand the government to allocate budget for farmers' debt rehabilitation.

The farmers gathered outside the temporary Cabinet office at 10:30 am.

They called on the Cabinet to allocate Bt25 billion to the Farmers Rehabilitation Fund to pay some 50 per cent of 130,000 farmers' debt to the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives.

-- The Nation 2008-10-27

[Moonrakers]

Ahhhh.

The fruits of Thaksin's populist cheap loans are ripening then.

[Scott]

For a place called the "Land of Smiles", there sure are a lot of unhappy people.

[steveromagnino]

For a place called the "Land of Smiles", there sure are a lot of unhappy people.

sorry to correct you, but this was always a bit of a misspelling, the original version was the Land of 5 Miles, which was accidently typed as Land of 5miles and so the mistake began.

It was originally a reference to the 5 miles of tiles, which was Boonthaworn's original marketing slogan; copied in Singapore with the 4 floors of stores I think it was.

Being that we now use the metric system, whether Land of 5miles is actually appropriate deserves considerable debate.

Well, at least as much the PPP are going to put in before they bend over and give the Thai farmers a nice little ineffectual paycheck to make them happy.

[PoorSucker]

For a place called the "Land of Smiles", there sure are a lot of unhappy people.

Since Thaksin war on drugs not many people are "happy" anymore.

[sriracha john]

For a place called the "Land of Smiles", there sure are a lot of unhappy people.

Today's protests... as of noon...

protesters at Don Mueang... protesters at the SET building... protesters at Government House...

[Scott]

Darn it....and I have to work for a living! Life is so unfair. I think those of us working for a living should start protesting!

[animatic]

Ahhhh.

The fruits of Thaksin's populist cheap loans are ripening then.

Ah yes.

Like mother bountiful's breast's squirting the milk of human kindness across the body politic!

NOT.

This is Tacky's chickens coming home to roost.

Scott old son, most of these people

would like to have enough to live on after they work.

Edited October 27, 2008 by animatic

[h90]

Ahhhh.

The fruits of Thaksin's populist cheap loans are ripening then.

Anyway at next election they got told that all just happens because of the evil democrats kicked out Thaksin with the army, but if they vote TRT 3rd edition everything will be fine. As proof of being honest 500 Baht will be handed out.

Not everyone will be that stupid, but a big fraction of them will be.....

[WISteve]

For a place called the "Land of Smiles", there sure are a lot of unhappy people.

Today's protests... as of noon...

protesters at Don Mueang... protesters at the SET building... protesters at Government House...

And lets not forget the garlic farmers up in Mae Hong Son demanding higher prices.

And didn't they close the roads into Nan the other day over the high price of gas?

Just form-up a mob and insist you won't disburse until they throw money at you.

It is getting a little disturbing around these parts.

~WISteve

[Old Man River]

Some 200 farmers rally at Don Mueng Airport

BANGKOK: -- Some 200 farmers demonstrated at the Don Mueng Airport to demand the government to allocate budget for farmers' debt rehabilitation.

They called on the Cabinet to allocate Bt25 billion to the Farmers Rehabilitation Fund to pay some 50 per cent of 130,000 farmers' debt to the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives.

-- The Nation 2008-10-27

This is exactly what the farmers should be doing given that one of the PPP's main election promises for the Dec. 2007 election was to forgive farmer's debts to BAAC. It was election promises such as this that got them elected. Time to pay up.

[dingdongrb]

Some 200 farmers rally at Don Mueng Airport

BANGKOK: -- Some 200 farmers demonstrated at the Don Mueng Airport to demand the government to allocate budget for farmers' debt rehabilitation.

They called on the Cabinet to allocate Bt25 billion to the Farmers Rehabilitation Fund to pay some 50 per cent of 130,000 farmers' debt to the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives.

-- The Nation 2008-10-27

This is exactly what the farmers should be doing given that one of the PPP's main election promises for the Dec. 2007 election was to forgive farmer's debts to BAAC. It was election promises such as this that got them elected. Time to pay up.

Then go demonstrate and try taking over a government building in the USA for all the unpaid political campaigning promises tossed about. Choke Dee!!!!

[Old Man River]

Some 200 farmers rally at Don Mueng Airport

BANGKOK: -- Some 200 farmers demonstrated at the Don Mueng Airport to demand the government to allocate budget for farmers' debt rehabilitation.

They called on the Cabinet to allocate Bt25 billion to the Farmers Rehabilitation Fund to pay some 50 per cent of 130,000 farmers' debt to the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives.

-- The Nation 2008-10-27

This is exactly what the farmers should be doing given that one of the PPP's main election promises for the Dec. 2007 election was to forgive farmer's debts to BAAC. It was election promises such as this that got them elected. Time to pay up.

Then go demonstrate and try taking over a government building in the USA for all the unpaid political campaigning promises tossed about. Choke Dee!!!!

I think you missed my point. Let me put it this way, the PPP never intended to honor the vast majority of their promises and it was known to everyone except their main supporters (a few of which are now protesting at the old airport).

[h90]

Some 200 farmers rally at Don Mueng Airport

BANGKOK: -- Some 200 farmers demonstrated at the Don Mueng Airport to demand the government to allocate budget for farmers' debt rehabilitation.

They called on the Cabinet to allocate Bt25 billion to the Farmers Rehabilitation Fund to pay some 50 per cent of 130,000 farmers' debt to the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives.

-- The Nation 2008-10-27

This is exactly what the farmers should be doing given that one of the PPP's main election promises for the Dec. 2007 election was to forgive farmer's debts to BAAC. It was election promises such as this that got them elected. Time to pay up.

Then go demonstrate and try taking over a government building in the USA for all the unpaid political campaigning promises tossed about. Choke Dee!!!!

Well that's Thailand and not USA. In USA it does not even upset the people when the government attack other countries or torture people.

[animatic]

Some 200 farmers rally at Don Mueng Airport

BANGKOK: -- Some 200 farmers demonstrated at the Don Mueng Airport to demand the government to allocate budget for farmers' debt rehabilitation.

They called on the Cabinet to allocate Bt25 billion to the Farmers Rehabilitation Fund to pay some 50 per cent of 130,000 farmers' debt to the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives.

-- The Nation 2008-10-27

This is exactly what the farmers should be doing given that one of the PPP's main election promises for the Dec. 2007 election was to forgive farmer's debts to BAAC. It was election promises such as this that got them elected. Time to pay up.

Then go demonstrate and try taking over a government building in the USA for all the unpaid political campaigning promises tossed about. Choke Dee!!!!

Actually groups DO try and do this. Sometimes the succeed for a spell.

And for EXACTLY THE SAME REASONS.

But when the gov. extracates them, it usually is

MUCH more civilly that this last Thailand debacle.

PPP needs to see more than JUST PAD crawling up their backside and barking.

[innovator]

h90: So, you think it is fine to take over the govt house in Bangkok?

I guess you would like to take your little pad group and try to take over the White House because you are not happy with some policies.

The entire rally and mob takeover at the govt house has been a total joke from the start.

If you can get a Visa for your group, I invite you to go to the White House and attempt to take it over.

Go for it. Try to disrupt govts and see what would happen outside of the Land of 5 miles, or is it more like 3 mile Island coming soon???

There are much better and more effective ways to gain political power with voting and legal measures. No need to take over the streets and facilities for months on end and cause neverending public unrest.

[Seneque]

For a place called the "Land of Smiles", there sure are a lot of unhappy people.

Today's protests... as of noon...

protesters at Don Mueang... protesters at the SET building... protesters at Government House...

+garlic, + rice, + cassava +++ ...

The world financial meltdown 'might' bypass thailand ... they have a real serious 'selfmade' debt crisis that will not bypass them...

[h90]

h90: So, you think it is fine to take over the govt house in Bangkok?

I guess you would like to take your little pad group and try to take over the White House because you are not happy with some policies.

The entire rally and mob takeover at the govt house has been a total joke from the start.

If you can get a Visa for your group, I invite you to go to the White House and attempt to take it over.

Go for it. Try to disrupt govts and see what would happen outside of the Land of 5 miles, or is it more like 3 mile Island coming soon???

There are much better and more effective ways to gain political power with voting and legal measures. No need to take over the streets and facilities for months on end and cause neverending public unrest.

Beside that Bush was democratic elected, this government not, if Bush would have been stopped over a million people wouldn't have died.

Reuters reported 550.000 people when walking to government house. What would that be in USA? 2-3 million people?? With every higher police and army guy has some relatives there, they would have done it in USA the same.

[sriracha john]

A heck of a lot more than "200 farmers rally at Don Mueng Airport" are threatening...

Rice farmers demand higher government-guaranteed price

KHON KAEN, Oct 28 (TNA) - More than 10,000 farmers in northeastern Thailand are threatening a protest which will block a major highway unless the government boosts its guaranteed prices for rice harvested during the current 2008/2009 season.

Northeastern Farmers Assembly Chairman Paradorn Posri on Tuesday submitted the paddy farmers demand

to Deputy Prime Minister Olarn Chaipravat through the Khon Kaen Governor asking him to review the government's guaranteed price for rice reached during a Cabinet meeting earlier in the day.

According to a government spokesperson, the Cabinet approved a plan to mortgage of 8 million tonnes of paddy from farmers from the beginning of November until the end of February next year, a term of four months.

Under the approval, the government would guarantee the price of paddy with moisture not exceeding 15 per cent at Bt12,000 a tonne, 'Mali' fragrant jasmine rice at Bt15,000 and glutinous rice at Bt9,000 per tonne. Each farmer is entitled to mortgage rice having a total value not exceeding Bt500,000 and the mortgage process must be carried out within the farmer's plantation area.

But farmers argued that the offering prices were even lower than the previous season. They said to be fair to farmers the 15 per cent paddy should be guaranteed at Bt14,000 a tonne, 'Mali' fragrant rice at Bt16,000 and glutinous rice at Bt12,000.

Farmers will lose if they sell rice at government's offering prices, Mr. Paradorn said.

The farmer leader said the northeastern rice growers would give the government 10 days to reply and if not (receiving a satisfactory answer), they will block the highway in Khon Kaen for an indefinite period.

[Thai at Heart]

Does anyone know what the prevailing market rates for these types of rice is at the moment? I seem to remember about 5k approx for sticky

Edited October 29, 2008 by Thai at Heart

[sriracha john]

and just so the Northeastern rice farmers don't hog all the attention, Northern corn farmers are also threatening... our Eastern pineapple farmers can't be far off...

Maize growers rally in Chiang Mai

CHIANG MAI, Oct 28 (TNA) - More than 2,000 maize growers rallied at the offices of the Governor of this northern province Tuesday, expressing dissatisfaction at what they call a too-low price offered by the government earlier in the day.

In Bangkok, Internal Trade Department Director-General Yanyong Phuangrach said the Cabinet approved guaranteeing maize purchases at Bt8.50 per kilogramme. He said the government would start buying maize on November 1 and that the purchase programme would extend through December 30. The government has set aside a total of Bt4.25 billion to buy the commodity.

To prevent domestic prices from declining, the ministry will also ban imports of maize during the harvest season, said Yanyong.

Upon learning of the Cabinet decision, the demonstrators expressed dissatisfaction, charging that the guaranteed price is too low. They said growers in Chiang Mai's Mae Chaem district, for example, must pay Bt1 per kilo just for transportation cost to the silos which have joined the government programme.

Some 60,000 tonnes of maize now remain needing about Bt40 million for transport costs, Yanyong said, but the Chiang Mai Administrative Organisation has pledged to provide only Bt2 million to help, a sum the farmers say is not enough.

The growers also demanded that the Cabinet's decision must be made in writing as to when the government will implement maize purchases at the guaranteed price and with which agencies.

Farmers threatened to block entrances of provincial officials throughout the night Tuesday night if no satisfactorily answer is received.

Protest leader Uthai Boonthiam said maize is grown in over 100,000 rai in Chiang Mai, with an output of nearly one million tonnes, but that 20 per cent of the total yield was damaged due to heavy rains.

The protesters later dispersed after their demands were met. The provincial authorities made the cabinet's decision in writing that the government will implement maize purchases at the guaranteed price of Bt8.50, starting on Nov1 .

Also, the cabinet on Tuesday agreed to offer a minimum guaranteed price for cassava at Bt1.80 a kilogramme, aimed at preventing growers from demonstrating.

The government's guaranteed price for cassava will be up 5 satang per month with the ceiling price set at Bt1.90 a kilogramme.

According to Yanyong, the government will buy a maximum of 5 million tonnes of cassava, beginning November 1 with purchases possible through April 30 next year. The government will set aside more than Bt10 billion for the six-month purchase programme plus insurance and warehouse expenses.

[Johpa]

Ahhhh.

The fruits of Thaksin's populist cheap loans are ripening then.

Or maybe it has nothing to do with "populist" loans but more with the typical loans farmers must take out to plant the crops before the harvest and the low ball prices offered towards the end of the planting cycle by the agri-business buyers of the products via the business agents who control the government pricing.

[Johpa]

For a place called the "Land of Smiles", there sure are a lot of unhappy people.

Since Thaksin war on drugs not many people are "happy" anymore.

On the contrary, the war on drugs, despite its excesses, was very effective in diminishing the viral social plague that was raging through the rural communities. Although the "war" did not eliminate drug use, it did remove drug selling in the primary and secondary schools, and it lowered the overall availability of drugs which significantly lowered the crime rates in the rural areas as crimes had skyrocketed over the previous years, crimes such as robbery, domestic violence, assaults, and yes, murders. So although the "war" distressed many, especially the neo-sahib ex-pats whose lives were little touched by the meth epidemic, there were indeed countless more folks who were very happy.

[AlKing]

See, Thailand is sinking without Thaksin. If Thaksin is still in power, none of these protest will happens. All the farmers will be happy under his handout campaign.

[sriracha john]

See, Thailand is sinking without Thaksin. If Thaksin is still in power, none of these protest will happens. All the farmers will be happy under his handout campaign.

and the extra-judicial death toll would have reached 100,000...