Rent A Rai Of Land For Bt10 Per Year

[george]

Chaovarat expresses support for Thavorn's land renting idea

BANGKOK: -- Interior Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul Friday expressed support for the idea of his deputy Thaworn Senniem to allow farmers to rent public lands for farming.

Chaovarat said Thaworn's plan to allow farmers to rent public land at rate of Bt10 per rai per year for farming is a good idea.

He said his chief advisor, Saksayam Chidchob, did not oppose the idea as reported.

Chaovarat said he would propose the project to the Cabinet for approval once Thaworn proposes it to him.

"Thaworn can submit it to me. This is a good project and should benefit the people," Chaovarat said.

-- The Nation 2009-05-29

[slapout]

You would wonder where the Ag. ministry is in all of this. Sounds like someones sack is near empty and they are looking for a scam to fill it. Most of the village farmers in the area we frequent are looking for someone to rent their land, not rent more. Until farm products can be sold for a profit by the farmer, doubt they need more land, thus the need to borrow more money to put in a crop. Truly amazing.

[coconutmonkey]

I wonder what the point will actually be.... what will the contracts stipulate, and how will they be enforced?

Yes, the first rai is 10baht. Every rai after that is........ !

[brahmburgers]

Fat cats could grab up the best tracts, and then sub-lease them to others - including farang.

Slightly different, but in just about every case where a farang has secured property from a Thai (long term lease and/or put in his Thai wife's name, whatever) ....that property was secured prior for a pittance. One example of thousands: A recently secured 3.5 rai (non-title) for Bt.340,000 from a Thai guy who's father had 18 years earlier secured it for 18 baht (not a typo). Another situation: a 6 rai hilltop (also non-title, as millions of rai in northernmost Thailand are non-title) ....was 'bought' by a farang for 2 million baht. The same 6 rai had been secured by the Thai seller for Bt.3,000 a few years earlier.

Wheeler dealer Thais are equal opportunity scam artists. Doesn't matter whether the duped are farang or fellow Thais, or pseudo Thais who are lower down the social ladder. If there's a gov't program to give out land for nearly free, like 10 baht per rai, then you can bet there will be well-connected big shots first in line to take advantage of the situation to turn a buck - regardless of whatever toothless restrictions are put forth with the 'land grab,' oops sorry, the authorities are calling it a 'land lease' program.

Also, it often happens where property starts out being secured in such a manner (or simply encroached upon), and years later the encroachers claim possession of it. There are a number of ways, used in combination, that encroachers can gain sway over officialdom: by saying they've done improvements on the property, by pulling rank, mentioning the important people they're connected with, etc.

Chaovarat's proposal, even though it may be well intentioned, will probably be rife for land grabs by big shots, as most gov't programs are ill-thought-out and leave a lot of room for corruption.

[Siripon]

By public land I wonder if he means land held by state agencies and lying idle or public land that's used by locals to graze cattle etc. If the former it could win some votes for the Democrats which is why Pumjai would oppose it. I'd like to see Aphisit going upcountry to Issan and the north, at the moment Chaowarin and Pumjai are getting all the attention with their frequent visits.

If the red shirts attack Aphisit it can only be good for sympathy votes providing he's still alive!

[justanothercybertosser]

I'd like to see Aphisit going upcountry to Issan and the north, at the moment Chaowarin and Pumjai are getting all the attention with their frequent visits.

If the red shirts attack Aphisit it can only be good for sympathy votes providing he's still alive!

Dream on.

The Democrats never cared much about Isaarn or the North, and always left it to their odious coalition partners. That was so during Chuan 1, and Chuan 2, and nothing has changed.

[DaleBlue]

Where can I put my name for a million rai.

The Singapore government also like 1 billion rai.

[hammered]

I'd like to see Aphisit going upcountry to Issan and the north, at the moment Chaowarin and Pumjai are getting all the attention with their frequent visits.

If the red shirts attack Aphisit it can only be good for sympathy votes providing he's still alive!

Dream on.

The Democrats never cared much about Isaarn or the North, and always left it to their odious coalition partners. That was so during Chuan 1, and Chuan 2, and nothing has changed.

The Democrats were the biggest party in the North before the 2001 election with twenty odd seats. Virtually all of their sitting MPs including Yuth "dooyen" were brought into TRT in the big suck that preceded the 2001 election.

Make you right on Isaan. Interestingly Isaan MPs have pretty much always stuck together as a very big group with government and cabinet bargaining power since well before TRT. This time with PTP and Newin in different camps it will actually make elections in the Isaan a bit more interesting than for decades where they have been entirely predictable.