Public Has Had Enough Of Thai Govt's False Promises

[webfact]

EDITORIAL

Public has had enough of govt's false promises

The Nation

The government simply doesn't have the money to finance its pledged populist programmes; now people are beginning to vent their anger

A series of protests blocking roads to press the government to succumb to demands to fulfil election promises is a warning sign that the populist policy has turned sour.

Many people who took to the streets to press for their demands say that they are asking the government to honour the promises that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra made during the general election campaign last year.

The discontent can be seen from a group of truck drivers who protested a planned NGV (natural gas for vehicles) price hike. One of them displayed a banner saying that the Yingluck government had betrayed them by raising the NGV price, even though they voted for the Pheu Thai Party.

The government said it had to raise the cost of NGV to adjust local prices in realistic tandem with international markets. But the protesting truck drivers and taxi drivers felt the urge to vent their anger on the streets because they believe that that the government owes it to them to follow through on populist promises.

Amidst the current economic situation, the government will certainly find it difficult to raise the massive amount of money needed to realise its promises to the electorate. But voters are unlikely to accept this reality because these were political promises that the Pheu Thai Party pledged to voters in order to win the election.

The debate surrounding the minimum wage hike is an example of how the government will have to find a way out to minimise the impact of a sudden rise in labour costs. The debate over the highly anticipated subsidy for first house and first vehicle buyers has been less intense lately, thanks to the recent flooding disaster.

The government's promise to give Bt5,000 cash to everyone who suffered as a result of the flooding has also started to draw protests from those who were left out of the scheme. Like all the other promises made during the election campaign, the government did not come up with details and descriptions of who would be eligible for financial assistance, leaving much room for confusion.

The government's Bt2,000 electrical appliance purchase coupon for flood victims is an example of how the government has tried to work around the scheme. As it turns out, the coupons were not for Bt2,000 per se. Flood victims said they could not use the coupons as they wished because there were many restrictions, and Yingluck had to come out to apologise to the public over the confusion and mismanagement of the coupon scheme.

Rubber planters have also recently rallied to demand a subsidy on rubber prices.

The government was already uncertain as to where the massive budget needed for its schemes was going to come from. It will now find it even harder to finance these schemes after the flood disaster, which will require another massive budget for recovery. The government has planned to spend Bt350 billion on projects related to flood recovery. The government will have no other options except to borrow more, even though the level of public debt almost hits the ceiling requirement. As a result, the government is under pressure to transfer the Finance Ministry's debt from the financial crisis of 1997 to the Bank of Thailand, to enable it to borrow more to finance its new investment schemes.

The government has not made a good case for the defence of its populist policies, and the public has begun to question how it will spend the money to improve the well-being of the people. For instance, the Bt2,000 electrical appliance coupon project is financed by the Energy Conservation Fund. But so far it is unclear who is the real beneficiary of this project, because flood victims say they cannot get what they want from electrical appliance suppliers.

Populism does not necessarily have to be evil. But it can be a double-edged sword if the money is not spent wisely. Some recipients seem to be instilled with the belief that they can always rely on the government's give-away assistance schemes. This complacency will come at the expense of individual self-motivation. What kind of nation will we be if a majority of the population lacks personal drive but chooses to rely on government help to solve their problems.

-- The Nation 2012-01-12

[Reasonableman]

"What kind of nation will we be if a majority of the population lacks personal drive but chooses to rely on government help to solve their problems."

A nation dependent on crumbs from the rich man's table. So what's changed?

[Thaddeus]

"What kind of nation will we be if a majority of the population lacks personal drive but chooses to rely on government help to solve their problems."

A nation dependent on crumbs from the rich man's table. So what's changed?

They are entering Oliver Twist mode.

[Moruya]

What colour will the new mob wear?

[OzMick]

What colour will the new mob wear?

A splinter group from the yellow shirts has merged with some blue shirts to form the green shirts. I suggest as the red shirts become more militant they should incorporate the black shirts and become the brown shirts - a move both with both spectrum and historic accuracy.

[E1717007]

baht has weaken over the last week, the policies of this government are losing investor confidence

[animatic]

What colour will the new mob wear?

A splinter group from the yellow shirts has merged with some blue shirts to form the green shirts. I suggest as the red shirts become more militant they should incorporate the black shirts and become the brown shirts - a move both with both spectrum and historic accuracy.

Eventualy all will wear Harliquin's motley, like a jester.

All colors in tatters or naked as the emperors new clothes,

Clear proto-emperor Thaksins fine social vetiments are looking threadbare or non-existant.

In this case, 'the revolution WILL be televised.'

[khaan]

What colour will the new mob wear?

A splinter group from the yellow shirts has merged with some blue shirts to form the green shirts. I suggest as the red shirts become more militant they should incorporate the black shirts and become the brown shirts - a move both with both spectrum and historic accuracy.

and what the pinks

[SomTumTiger]

All governments promise more than they can deliver. But until the Democrats can figure out how to compete in the NE, the Thaksin mob will run the government, for the foreseeable future.

[hellodolly]

All governments promise more than they can deliver. But until the Democrats can figure out how to compete in the NE, the Thaksin mob will run the government, for the foreseeable future.

Rite on

In Thailand there is a large percentage of poor and uneducated Thai's who believe any thing the government tells them no matter that it is nonsense and they don't delver it. They stand waiting for the next bone to be thrown to them and have never been able to notice the bone was picked clean before it was thrown to them.

I say poor and uneducated because there are many who are not poor but never the less uneducated.

[garrfeild]

What colour will the new mob wear?

A splinter group from the yellow shirts has merged with some blue shirts to form the green shirts. I suggest as the red shirts become more militant they should incorporate the black shirts and become the brown shirts - a move both with both spectrum and historic accuracy.

so when the at least they'll be wearing the right colour!

[siampolee]

SomTumTiger # 9

All governments promise more than they can deliver. But until the Democrats can figure out how to compete in the NE, the Thaksin mob will run the government, for the foreseeable future.

With all due respect I feel I must point out a spelling error in your post. please note the error.

All governments promise more than they can deliver. But until the Democrats can figure out how to compete in the NE, the Thaksin mob will run ruin the government, for the foreseeable future.

Perhaps a better wording would have been or in fact is '' ruin Thailand .''

[Insight]

All governments promise more than they can deliver. But until the Democrats can figure out how to compete in the NE, the Thaksin mob will run the government, for the foreseeable future.

Perhaps a large amount of hidden-camera-uploaded-to-YouTube action covering what the Democrats are exposed to when they attempt to campaign up north might help shed light on this problem...

[Moruya]

All governments promise more than they can deliver. But until the Democrats can figure out how to compete in the NE, the Thaksin mob will run the government, for the foreseeable future.

The Thais have cecome a nation of handout junkies. The Dems will need to wait for the economy to be completely screwed so that only a political party with real policies can govern.

[SICHONSTEVE]

All governments promise more than they can deliver. But until the Democrats can figure out how to compete in the NE, the Thaksin mob will run the government, for the foreseeable future.

Rite on

In Thailand there is a large percentage of poor and uneducated Thai's who believe any thing the government tells them no matter that it is nonsense and they don't delver it. They stand waiting for the next bone to be thrown to them and have never been able to notice the bone was picked clean before it was thrown to them.

I say poor and uneducated because there are many who are not poor but never the less uneducated.

"One of them (taxi-driver) displayed a banner saying that the Yingluck government had betrayed them by raising the NGV price, even though they voted for the Pheu Thai Party".

My heart bleeds for you - try engaging your brain the next time before handing your future over to bumbling idiots that lied their faces off in order to bring back "their messiah". I wonder if his popularity is so high now, please excuse me a snigger or two, as the whole episode has a delicious taste of irony!!!!!

Interesting to see the retorts from Thaksin/Pheu Thai/Yingluck apologists on this latest turn in their (mis)fortunes, or maybe they have conveniently found something else to do or their laptops have stopped functioning.

I would like to be able to say "I didn't see this coming" - but I DID, it was so......so obvious that this was going to happen!!!!

Hand over the finances to fools and what do you get.........fools gold!!!!

[rixalex]

All governments promise more than they can deliver. But until the Democrats can figure out how to compete in the NE, the Thaksin mob will run the government, for the foreseeable future.

The way to compete is clearly not to put forward realistic achievable promises, as the Dems did with regards raising the minimum wage gradually, but to make ridiculous promises that you can't keep, but which voters will fall for. Who cares if it is deceitful, as long as you win power, that's all that matters.

[moe666]

It will only get worse as the cost of fixing the flood mess becomes known and good luck on no flood next year.

[yumidesign]

It will only get worse as the cost of fixing the flood mess becomes known and good luck on no flood next year.

raining in chiang mai today and as the dams have 20% more narm than this time last year could that mean a 20% more chance of pending disaster with excessive narm controlled by people who have a problem with logic and a prime minister that actually says nothing, amazing it is

[MaiChai]

If the Shinawatra government has to choose between business and the people; they will always choose business. Taksin is a businessman; not a socialist. These populist policies are only to get them into power; once in power they have the reins to make money. Thailand politics.

[inzman]

som nom na!

[exeter]

I am sure it has been said many times, the country got the government it deserved, too many people with short memories believed what the PTP said, now they have 4 years. In 4 years time will they remember all the broken promises or give them one more chance.

I suspect that in some areas if PTP put up a bag of bullshit as a candidate it would get in and who knows maybe become Prime Minister.

[SICHONSTEVE]

I am sure it has been said many times, the country got the government it deserved, too many people with short memories believed what the PTP said, now they have 4 years. In 4 years time will they remember all the broken promises or give them one more chance.

I suspect that in some areas if PTP put up a bag of bullshit as a candidate it would get in and who knows maybe become Prime Minister.

You mean like they have now!!!!

[wolf5370]

I am sure it has been said many times, the country got the government it deserved, too many people with short memories believed what the PTP said, now they have 4 years. In 4 years time will they remember all the broken promises or give them one more chance.

I suspect that in some areas if PTP put up a bag of bullshit as a candidate it would get in and who knows maybe become Prime Minister.

Assuming they last 4 years and another coup doesn't arise in the meantime. I was talking with a customer today, a young educated Thai girl. Her parents are from CR and, suprisingly, were more Yellow than Red. However, they voted PTP because they viewed Abhisit as having done nothing in the two years he was there. Now they regret their choice. Their rationale was that "this new lot" may be different and to give them a try, now they believe all their promises were lies and they are only interested in bringing back Thaksin and paying out millions to Red helpers (she cited the paying of 7.5m baht to each of the families of the 91 dead Red Shirts when large tracts of BKK are flood damaged and people displaced). Not everyone (even up north) that voted PTP did for handouts or for the return of Big Brother, some wanted to see a change and are feeling betrayed now. Their "majority" (yes, mathmatically NOT a majority) may be sliding as fast as the popularity rose before the election as both ends of society gets screwed.

Edited January 12, 2012 by wolf5370

[Mosha]

I am sure it has been said many times, the country got the government it deserved, too many people with short memories believed what the PTP said, now they have 4 years. In 4 years time will they remember all the broken promises or give them one more chance.

I suspect that in some areas if PTP put up a bag of bullshit as a candidate it would get in and who knows maybe become Prime Minister.

You mean like they have now!!!!

H'mmm you beat me to it

[nong38]

Surely the answer is to annexe the land of the red shirts, let them raise their own taxes and run their own affairs, this area is roughly Isaan, soon to be know an redshitland, I'm sorry I will just go back and edit that.

Any constituency that does not allow all candidates to contest the seat, should be voided, the redshrit candidate ( assuming it wins ) transported to a mysterious site in the Middle East where they can live with like minded souls.

[nong38]

I am sure it has been said many times, the country got the government it deserved, too many people with short memories believed what the PTP said, now they have 4 years. In 4 years time will they remember all the broken promises or give them one more chance.

I suspect that in some areas if PTP put up a bag of bullshit as a candidate it would get in and who knows maybe become Prime Minister.

Should that not be Prime Monster?

[geriatrickid]

baht has weaken over the last week, the policies of this government are losing investor confidence

LOL. Yes a fluctuation in the baht at a time when the Euro moves closer to collapse proves loss of investor confidence. Right.

Have a look at other currencies and their fluctuation. I suppose the direct FX deals negotiated with China mean nothing? Thailand has benefited from China's strategic long term trade planning and will be innoculated from some of the worst impact of the FX swings because of the agreement to be able to exchange Thai and Chinese currencies without having to use the US$.

[khunken]

baht has weaken over the last week, the policies of this government are losing investor confidence

LOL. Yes a fluctuation in the baht at a time when the Euro moves closer to collapse proves loss of investor confidence. Right.

Have a look at other currencies and their fluctuation. I suppose the direct FX deals negotiated with China mean nothing? Thailand has benefited from China's strategic long term trade planning and will be innoculated from some of the worst impact of the FX swings because of the agreement to be able to exchange Thai and Chinese currencies without having to use the US$.

This is wishful thinking. Japanese & Korean investors are hardly likely to trade via the Yuan. They are the main ones still waiting for the government to put together a realistic flood prevention plan & are investing heavily in the likes of Vietnam, Indonesia & Malaysia.

The Baht will continue to weaken while the government throws money (that needs to be borrowed) at every problem they face. Apart from ruling by decree (the TRT method), there is a move to interfere in the BOT which will only have a detrimental effect on the exchange rate.

[RogueExpat]

And on top of everything else, Diesel fuel will be higher for the consumer tomorrow, than under Abhisit's promise (which he kept) of "no more than 30 Baht per litre".

Yingluck's administration will see 30.49B (Bangkok) per liter tomorrow, with no contribution to the oil fund (which PT abolished), with world Crude/Refined oil prices not too different from when the Dems, Abisit and Kon (Korn) were running the show.......

[theanimaster]

Well... there's a reason why the government controls education in this country. It's to produce the sort of incompetent gullible idiots that they need to vote for them.

Just watch -- the government doesn't need to do anything except make MORE promises. That'll make the gullible fools happy. Just buy more time until the next elections where they can make more promises promising to promise the promises they've promised.