The New Issaan

[coalminer]

The Issaan region and people, being treated as unsocial, criminals, unable to vote for not having proper education (=PAD brainwashing), scum of Thailand, etc. will change after Songkran and want to let the citizens know what the changes will be.

Here a non-exhausted list if the changes to come:

Issaan will stop after Songkran with cultivating and exporting to ithe "rich areas of Thailand (icluding Bangkok)" cheap rice and vegetables.

Issaan will restrict the rice and vegatables production to themselves.

Export to Bangkok and "rich areas of Thailand" will be done at a price which will be 10 times higher than the price today.

The land from Issaan will be used to build schools, hospitals and factories.

The Issaan people will stop after Songkran to work for the people in Bangkok for 100 Baht a day and the minimum wage will be 500 Baht a day. Nevertheless, for people of Issaan, the wage for work can be discussed if the benefits are ONLY to Issaan.

ALL the Issaan daughters and sons who are working now in "hotels and restaurants" in Pattaya, Bangkok, and other similar places will stop working at these places and start to be re-educated.

Issan people are aware that this will have a major inpact on the country and the tourist who are coming to Thailand only for the ""cheap sex", but officialy there are no hookers in Thailand and thus nothing will be done that is against the law.

We hope that the richer people of Bangkok will understand these changes which we hope will bring Thailand out of the third world imago.

[robblok]

You made me laugh.. at first i thought it could be real (not that it could be accomplished because everyone wants to make a buck) . Then when i read on i knew it was made for a laugh.

[bkkjames]

Fine, cancel all their passports and citizenship while we are at it.

[Meridian007]

Wow, I didn't know that Issan is filled with such altruistic idealists! I thought that they were poor farmers, trying to make enough money to feed their families.

There are only two ways to do that, participate in the free market, and be subject to the laws of supply and demand, (I know it's more complicated than that, but I'm keeping it simple here), or, create a centralized government and economy, where the government decides who produces what, and who gets what.

I know that there is an element of the rally that would like to institute option two, but it isn't likely to happen. Therefore, those farmers had better be willing to starve in the dark, because they won't be able to pay for any services or goods unless they sell their products.

(Nice idea, but it won't happen)

[Chaimai]

Funny !

Unreal, but funny.

[somtampet]

Wow, I didn't know that Issan is filled with such altruistic idealists! I thought that they were poor farmers, trying to make enough money to feed their families.

There are only two ways to do that, participate in the free market, and be subject to the laws of supply and demand, (I know it's more complicated than that, but I'm keeping it simple here), or, create a centralized government and economy, where the government decides who produces what, and who gets what.

I know that there is an element of the rally that would like to institute option two, but it isn't likely to happen. Therefore, those farmers had better be willing to starve in the dark, because they won't be able to pay for any services or goods unless they sell their products.

(Nice idea, but it won't happen)

Sounds like you have never been to Issan,you think they are all poor????

[otherstuff1957]

It's a bit late for April Fool's Day.

[tb86]

Well the burmese and cambodian labors would love to see that happen, as would some of us

[simpathy]

Wow, I didn't know that Issan is filled with such altruistic idealists! I thought that they were poor farmers, trying to make enough money to feed their families.

There are only two ways to do that, participate in the free market, and be subject to the laws of supply and demand, (I know it's more complicated than that, but I'm keeping it simple here), or, create a centralized government and economy, where the government decides who produces what, and who gets what.

I know that there is an element of the rally that would like to institute option two, but it isn't likely to happen. Therefore, those farmers had better be willing to starve in the dark, because they won't be able to pay for any services or goods unless they sell their products.

(Nice idea, but it won't happen)

Sounds like you have never been to Issan,you think they are all poor????

yes!!!!!!!!!!!! EXCEPT THE ONES THAT ARE NOT!

Edited April 9, 2010 by simpathy

[thaihome]

I guess the OP failed to notice that most of the rice, fruits, and vegatables consumed in Bangkok come from the central plains area and not the North east. Most food produced in the North East is consumed there, particualry in the major urban areas.

TH

[Meridian007]

Wow, I didn't know that Issan is filled with such altruistic idealists! I thought that they were poor farmers, trying to make enough money to feed their families.

There are only two ways to do that, participate in the free market, and be subject to the laws of supply and demand, (I know it's more complicated than that, but I'm keeping it simple here), or, create a centralized government and economy, where the government decides who produces what, and who gets what.

I know that there is an element of the rally that would like to institute option two, but it isn't likely to happen. Therefore, those farmers had better be willing to starve in the dark, because they won't be able to pay for any services or goods unless they sell their products.

(Nice idea, but it won't happen)

Sounds like you have never been to Issan,you think they are all poor????

Of course not, that is why the red leaders from Issan come off as disingenuous when they talk about Bangkok elites. They and their friends in Issan are just as much of an economic elite as any in Bangkok.

That however, is not the issue here. I believe the OP is discussing the plight of those caught on the wrong side of the income gap in Thailand, which are primarily the rural, (and often agricultural), poor

[hawthorne]

Oh my why doesn't Issan just succeed from Thailand and end all of our misery. The country of Issan. Oh they can not support themselves that is why they ship off the little girls to be what they are. An agraian society that is becoming more scarce of water but like the people of Ethiopia instead of moving out of the desert they stay and starve. Ok not really but an over point. The weatlthy of Issan are not staying in the country side but becomging the Bad business man which are detested. make up your minds people. If Issan was a country who do you then take money from?

This is fun

[way2muchcoffee]

The real problem for Issan is their reliance on agriculture almost exclusively, primarily rice. There is no year-long work in rice farming. There are few industries or factories because of the geographical location. It is too far from major ports to make the construction of factories in the region cost-effective.

Agricultural products compete on the world market. With the economic problems facing the western world they are less interested in consuming jasmine rice at double the price of rice from other nearby regions. Thai rice is not competitive and it is becoming less so as new strains are introduced in other countries.

This situation is exacerbated by the fact the modern farming methods are being developed in other nearby countries. Implementing modern farming methods in Issan will destroy the lives of millions of farmers as what would ordinarily take a family a month of work can be done in an afternoon with a tractor.

The model just isn't sustainable. The people in the Issan region need to branch out and find other forms of income. The need to be encouraged and given financial incentives to open small businesses. Or failing that, they need to move to the city if they want more money. That's the bottom line. The rural lifestyle is necessarily synonymous with lower incomes, and it will only get worse over time

Edited April 9, 2010 by way2muchcoffee

[Sakeopete]

So what replace jasmine rice with Jazzmen rice from the US and get your fruit and veg from China (oops they already do that)

[tw25rw]

The poor farmers don't have any control over distribution and don't have the means to store their crops until the price is more favourable. Hence they remain poor farmers and the middlemen get rich. Same all over the world and is why there is a fairtrade movement.

[TerryLH]

"The model just isn't sustainable. The people in the Issan region need to branch out and find other forms of income. The need to be encouraged and given financial incentives to open small businesses."

That's what the million baht village fund was supposed to be for. Unfortunately, a lot of money wasn't rationed out to people wanting to dig fish ponds, open small stores, etc, but rather to friends or family of the chief handling the funds.

That lead to many new motorcycles and cell phones. When it came time to pay the money back, no money for that.

In many villages, a boondoggle from the word go.

For some who did want to start a business, they didn't get enough to really do anything with it.

[coalminer]

"The model just isn't sustainable. The people in the Issan region need to branch out and find other forms of income. The need to be encouraged and given financial incentives to open small businesses."

That's what the million baht village fund was supposed to be for. Unfortunately, a lot of money wasn't rationed out to people wanting to dig fish ponds, open small stores, etc, but rather to friends or family of the chief handling the funds.

That lead to many new motorcycles and cell phones. When it came time to pay the money back, no money for that.

In many villages, a boondoggle from the word go.

For some who did want to start a business, they didn't get enough to really do anything with it.

There is still the OTOP, which in some districts give the poor farmers a means of living until the next harvest.

I know some districts in which the OTOP is outselling the harvest revenues.

When supervised by people with knowledge about how to produce and sell things (marketing), the OTOP can be a lucrative business.

Edited April 9, 2010 by coalminer

[peter991]

There is no year-long work in rice farming.

A couple of years ago, I looked at buying land for growing rice in Issan. Because the water was only a couple of metres down, it was possible to put in a bore at a reasonable cost and then flood the paddys to allow a second crop to be grown and harvested, instead of the one crop a year which relies on rainfall.

I explained this to villagers and the common answer was WHY GROW TWO CROPS OF RICE ???

The villagers were happy with their income and didn't want to work 12 months of the year ....

Peter

[Jingthing]

10 times the price of rice? It would be much cheaper then to buy the rice from California. They would just be shooting themselves in the foot. Typical juvenile type of thinking. Rice prices are determined by GLOBAL markets.

Fine if they want to boycott Pattaya as well. A new look is always welcome. You don't think there will always be replacements from other regions/countries? So naive.

Edited April 9, 2010 by Jingthing

[Mosha]

Oh my why doesn't Issan just succeed from Thailand and end all of our misery. The country of Issan. Oh they can not support themselves that is why they ship off the little girls to be what they are. An agraian society that is becoming more scarce of water but like the people of Ethiopia instead of moving out of the desert they stay and starve. Ok not really but an over point. The weatlthy of Issan are not staying in the country side but becomging the Bad business man which are detested. make up your minds people. If Issan was a country who do you then take money from?

This is fun

I've a better idea. Give it to Laos.

[saraburioz]

Wow, I didn't know that Issan is filled with such altruistic idealists! I thought that they were poor farmers, trying to make enough money to feed their families.

There are only two ways to do that, participate in the free market, and be subject to the laws of supply and demand, (I know it's more complicated than that, but I'm keeping it simple here), or, create a centralized government and economy, where the government decides who produces what, and who gets what.

I know that there is an element of the rally that would like to institute option two, but it isn't likely to happen. Therefore, those farmers had better be willing to starve in the dark, because they won't be able to pay for any services or goods unless they sell their products.

(Nice idea, but it won't happen)

Sounds like you have never been to Issan,you think they are all poor????

My wife is from Isarn and I get sick of people assuming she is poor(when I talk about in the pub). Her great grandfather was the King of Laos.

[mca]

When the Isaan people succeed in taking over the country the national anthem will be replaced with this to be played at 8 am and 6 pm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR0pxszfdmY

Upon hearing it all citizens will be required to stop what they are doing and dance. Preferably with the nearest available upcountry granny or auntie.

[Eclipse]

I've a better idea. Give it to Laos.

Perfect. I will be able to get some decent beer then.