Thaksin Demonstrates How To Solve Poverty In Roiet

[Jai Dee]

PM DEMONSTRATED HOW TO SOLVE POVERTY FOR THE PEOPLE ON THE 3RD DAY OF THE VISIT TO ROI ET.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinnawat demonstrated how to solve poverty for the people in Roi Et, while foreign media have also reported on the premier’s visit to the province.

After having district chiefs listen to the villagers’ complaints this morning, Prime Minister Thaksin Shnnawat held a meeting with the ministers to discuss measures. Then, he listened to the villagers’ complaints again. The villagers are those from At Samart (อาจสามารถ) and Nong Kham (หนองขาม) districts who had registered earlier. Most of them voice complaints on ladn problem and debt outside the system. The premier advised that career trainings be organized for officials who inspect and help farmers.

CNN has also reported on the premier’s visit. It asked the premier while he knows the Poor’s problems so well. Prime Minister Thaksin said that it is the duty of the country’s leader to practice and not just push for policies.

As for the reality show, he said that the program is aimed at allowing officials to learn how to solve problems comprehensively.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 18 January 2006

[Plus]

I'm wating for the workshop on how to win bids for government contracts.

[Phil Conners]

[aranaya]

Bringing humiliation to the Thai people!

The actions of Mr Thaksin this week is bringing widespread humiliation to our country. Never before has any so-called statesman of any country, anywhere, stooped so low in populist personal progaganda to stage such a low-level paranoid fantasia in which hand-outs are liberally dispersed to a party's voter-based supporters. His crude arrogance is deeply embarrassing and I cringe whenever I think of how our once proud nation is being so cynically and perversely exploited in the eyes of the world.

This is not a campaign of economic education, it merely demonstrates to local people how to turn a hard-working farmer into a beggar, expecting free hand-outs rather than doing an honest days' toil.

[ovenman]

I'm wating for the workshop on how to win bids for government contracts.

First lesson: it helps to be part of the extended Mr. Big family.

This is not a campaign of economic education, it merely demonstrates to local people how to turn a hard-working farmer into a beggar, expecting free hand-outs rather than doing an honest days' toil.

My take on this week's dog and pony show is that this is merely a campaign to further promote the idea that the only person who can get anything done in the Thai government is Mr. Big himself.

[Jai Dee]

MR. APISIT VIEWS THAT PM'S POVERTY-ERADICATION IS UNABLE TO SOLVE POVERTY IN THE LONG RUN

Democrat Party leader ABHISIT VEJJAJIVA (นายอภิสิทธิ์ เวชชาชีวะ) viewed that Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s poverty-eradication scheme in AT SAMAT (อาจสามารถ) District of ROI ET (ร้อยเอ็ด) Province will not be able to solve the poverty problems in the long run.

Mr. ABHISIT however agreed with the premier's visit to this poverty-stricken province as he would experience people's sufferings. Nonetheless, he said that this measure cannot actually solve poverty problems. Following Dr. Thaksin's second day in AT SAMAT so far, Mr. ABHISIT considered that the premier would not be able to find a model solution to solve poverty problems throughout Thailand.

The Democrat Party leader expressed his concern over such eradication that the implementation might not cover poverty problems nationwide. He has demanded the premier to revise his actions.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 18 January 2006

[aranaya]

I'm wating for the workshop on how to win bids for government contracts.

First lesson: it helps to be part of the extended Mr. Big family.

This is not a campaign of economic education, it merely demonstrates to local people how to turn a hard-working farmer into a beggar, expecting free hand-outs rather than doing an honest days' toil.

My take on this week's dog and pony show is that this is merely a campaign to further promote the idea that the only person who can get anything done in the Thai government is Mr. Big himself.

Thaksin is not Mr Big by any stretch of the imagination. He is a small, weak, disempowered individual with a big ego who sees himself as an emperor of the old guard. Fortunately, China saw them off in the People's Revolution!

[shotover]

Channel 3 news last night showed the PM leading an entourage of officials on motorcycles cruising down a paved road in Roi Et. No doubt wanting to make a good camera appearance and appear like the locals, none were wearing helmets. Good example to set for the young people in Thailand.

[ovenman]

Channel 3 news last night showed the PM leading an entourage of officials on motorcycles cruising down a paved road in Roi Et. No doubt wanting to make a good camera appearance and appear like the locals, none were wearing helmets. Good example to set for the young people in Thailand.

Seeing is believing. Photo of Mr. Big's Roi-Et Road Rally here.

[Plus]

It was in the news once - Taksin shaking of reporters while doing 160 in his Porshe.

[Sandstone Art]

Those poor villagers must also learn how to solve their wrinkles problems

Pass the jar of rejuvenating cream around someone !

Beauty tip and a taste for charm

Being a celebrity comes with a price, as Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra learned on Monday night.

He jokingly accused UBC of exposing his top secret as he was unwinding for the day before going to bed.

“It was after 10pm and I thought they must have stopped broadcasting, so I took out a bottle of my rejuvenating cream and applied it on my face,” he said. “I didn’t realise that I was doing it on air.”

“Please understand me. My face has many wrinkles,” he told a crowd during dinner yesterday.

Before having his own dinner, Thaksin showed his cooking skills by making omelettes, stir-fried mixed vegetables and spicy beef salad for reporters. He took almost an hour to prepare the food, and camera operators and reporters refrained from asking how he was helping villagers at At Samat fight poverty by cooking.

Thaksin invited reporters to enjoy the meal he prepared and one of them asked what he added to the food to make it so tasty. Charm, the prime minister quipped

[stumonster]

call me confused , but what did mr 't' s demonstration entail ? did his demonstration solve povety in roi et? will it scale across the country , to be implemented within 30 days .

or he is just speaking <deleted> ?

[sonthaya]

call me confused , but what did mr 't' s demonstration entail ? did his demonstration solve povety in roi et? will it scale across the country , to be implemented within 30 days .

or he is just speaking <deleted> ?

I think your last comment is the right one, but we are getting used to that.

[Ricardo]

Channel 3 news last night showed the PM leading an entourage of officials on motorcycles cruising down a paved road in Roi Et. No doubt wanting to make a good camera appearance and appear like the locals, none were wearing helmets. Good example to set for the young people in Thailand.

I've occasionally heard stories of biker-gangs causing social problems here in Thailand.

Do you think these 2 stories might be linked ?

[raro]

Is that now a crackdown on poverty or is Thailand becoming the hub of poverty eradication? ...confused....

[silk123]

Give a man a fish and he eats for a day

Give a man a fishing rod and hooks and bait and make it that he cannot sell or gamble the rod away and he can eat for a year or two, but only fish unless he sells or trades some fish for rice, so long as the pond r river he is fishing from is not over-fished or poisoned with toxins.

Give a man a free handout so he will vote in favour of a party and he will be hooked and expect handouts all the time for doing nothing only being a poor peasant and will think bad and talk bad if he doesn't get more handouts.

Fair play to Khun Taxsin if he really cares or has changed to care some little bit for poorer Thais. That gap between the rich chinese thais and the poor thais seems to grow.

Taksin got about 2 billion dollars there for them shin shares. He is in a good position to invest a great deal in quality factories making quality products that the rest of the world could look at and make many workers and businessmen happier.

I hope he invests in things that may not make as much money for him but make many people happier including himself maybe even.

[stumonster]

Give a man a fish and he eats for a day

Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for a few hours.

Set him on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

how many of those villagers that are clustering around him shouting the adoring platitudes , have their thoughts set on those free handouts...

[Heng]

A lot of these folks are determined not to learn how to fish is the problem. Being poor, and particularly being poor with a taste for toys -liquor, phones, motorbikes and trucks- is no excuse for going into debt (and giving yourself a virtual guaranty of living in poverty forever).

[phuketsiam]

and there but for the grace of God go I

[penzman]

SMS messges are being shown at the botttom of the screen of some of the tv stations that air bits of the "Emperor's" reality show.

A few funny ones :

" Thaksin treats the Roi Et people as we do for the monkeys in Lopburi by giving them treats.

"He should try it for a month down South"

" One district, 71 more provinces to go!"

Where and how did they get all that land they are now handing out???

[Jai Dee]

PEOPLE HAVE EXPRESSED SATISFACTION WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S ANTI-POVERTY CARAVAN.

The people have expressed satisfaction with the government’s attempts to solve social problems and poverty in At Samart (อาจสามารถ) district in Roi Et.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinnawat held a workshop on poverty eradication at Poo-jao-ma-he-sak sitaram (ปู่เจ้ามเหศักดิ์สิตาราม ) temple yesterday. He listened to problems and complaints of villagers from Nong Kham (หนองขาม) and At samart (อาจสามารถ ) districts.

Mrs. Tongmuan Chart-ram (ทองม้วน ชาติรัมย์ ), a villager from Nong Kham district, said that she has owed 90,000 baht to the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, but she is unable to repay the loans, as her husband had an accident and could not work. Working groups from many agencies have discussed ways to help Mrs. Tongmuan and agreed that the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives help her recover her career so that she can earn enough incomes to support her family and pay debts.

Mrs. Tongmuan said that she was happy that the government was interested in the people’s problems. She expected that she will be able to repay debts and support her family after receiving help from authorities.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 19 January 2006

[penzman]

[astral]

Career training for Officials might help their poverty,

but I cannot see that it does much for the working man.

Poverty and drought has been a problem in Isaan for the 20 years I have

known Thailand.

Any little helps, I suppose.

[Jai Dee]

A VILLAGER OF AT SAMAT DISTRICT HAS PRAISED GOVT IN SOLVING NARCOTICS

A villager residing in At Samat (อาจสามารถ) District of Roi Et (ร้อยเอ็ด) Province named Mr. WAN PHANAN (หวาน พานัน), together with his four children, met Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra during his visit to the poverty-stricken area today.

Mr. WAN has praised the government for its attempt in solving narcotics, as it has helped three of his children to quit doing drugs. However, his remaining child is still suffering from the addiction, and the premier has promised to take the child to the drug rehabilitation center for further treatment.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 19 January 2006

[frodo]

MR. APISIT VIEWS THAT PM'S POVERTY-ERADICATION IS UNABLE TO SOLVE POVERTY IN THE LONG RUN

Mr. ABHISIT however agreed with the premier's visit to this poverty-stricken province as he would experience people's sufferings. Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 18 January 2006

The suffering of that poor man! I can see it in his face as he sits and eats with his ministers. Looked like more food than the village eats in a week. Riding through the streets on his Harley, internet access and a comfortable looking abode. Experiencing suffering at its best.

[Noel]

I am always wary of people loitering with intent...

[Jai Dee]

ANTI-POVERTY CAMPAIGN / PEOPLE FLOCK TO AT SAMAT

PM's handouts star in reality show

All roads, it seems, lead to At Samat in Roi Et where the curtain goes down today on the prime minister's reality TV ''Backstage Show''.

The population of the impoverished district is likely to grow significantly on the last day of the anti-poverty campaign. Many people are rushing to the area, hoping to brush shoulders with Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra so his generosity will rub off on them. A good number of those already there are not locals.

Narong and Krom Kerdsuk said they travelled 500km from Bo Rai in Trat, hoping for assistance in a land dispute with state authorities.

The stream of hopefuls is largely due to the live broadcast and extensive coverage of the prime minister's visit which, according to some, has somehow been turned into a charity treat rather than an anti-poverty workshop.

Yesterday, the fourth day of the campaign, Mr Thaksin began with Chanchat Sikaew, who asked for an allocation of land. But on learning that Mr Chanchat was a leather goods maker, Mr Thaksin asked to see samples of his products.

Mr Chanchat produced a hand-made wallet. The craftsmanship impressed the prime minister who ordered the Small-Medium-Sized Enterprise Fund to give his career a boost.

Some cynical observers commented that a Thai Rak Thai membership card that Mr Chanchat kept in the wallet might have done the trick.

Mr Thaksin handed out cash to Chamnan Kasien, a disabled man who rode a three-wheeled vehicle to see the prime minister.

''I'm glad that he understands my needs. And I'll spend the money well,'' said Mr Chamnan who received 5,000 baht.

In Mai Thai Chalermphrakiat village where he was greeted with banners such as ''We Love PM Thaksin''. the prime minister bought three pieces of dyed cloth at 3,500 baht apiece and donated 30,000 baht to a local weaving group.

At Hora school in tambon Hora, where he would spend the night, the prime minister offered two new uniforms and a pair of shoes to each of the students.

He asked them to do the maths and when they failed to give the answer, he told them what it was and also subsidised them to the tune of 50,000 baht.

Mr Thaksin defended his cash donations, likening it to helping people who were drowning.

''People who are drowning need help. They want just a little pull so they can swim by themselves. Fewer need to be pulled from the water.

''I met a disabled couple yesterday. They wanted a new three-wheeler that costs 3,000 baht. The one they are using is no different to scrap metal. In a case like this I can't say no to them,'' he said.

Mr Thaksin also approved a budget of 25 million baht for construction of a bridge across the Chee river when he inspected tambon Ban Chaeng administrative organisation.

However, when a kamnan in Nong Bua district asked for asphalt roads, the prime minister became noncommittal, saying he would see what he could do but the government had run out of money.

Mr Thaksin spent more than 30,000 baht throughout the day _ excluding scholarships worth 20,000 baht he granted to students of Ban Sala School.

Source: Bangkok Post - Friday January 20, 2006

[Jai Dee]

PM REITERATED TO DISTRICT CHIEFS TO SOLVE POVERTY ISSUES FROM ROOT

The meeting between the Prime Minister and district chiefs across the country took place last night, as the premier reiterated that all district chiefs must analyze the problems so that the problems can be addressed at the root causes.

Prime minister Thaksin invited district chiefs from 17 districts for a meeting and listen to the results of the field trips to tackle poverty for the past four days to exchange opinions and ideas on how to solve the problems for the people. The premier emphasized that the district chiefs analyze and look at the picture as a whole, so that the solutions will address the needs of the people. He said that the ministers tasked with solving social problems will be invited to give him a briefing.

The ministers concerned include those at the Ministries of Public Health, Education, and Social Security and Human Development.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENTS EXCITED OVER PM'S OVERNIGHT STAY AT THEIR SCHOOL.

Students of the Ban Ho Ra (บ้านโหรา) in At Samart (อาจสามารถ) district expressed their excitement yesterday, as the Prime Minister was staying overnight at their school.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinnawat and his delegates stayed overnight at the Ban Hora (บ้านโหรา) school in Ho Ra (โหรา) district last night in tents prepared by military officers in the school lawn. Prime Minister Thaksin greeted students as soon as he arrived at Ban Hora (บ้านโหรา) school. Students and teachers at the school were thrilled that the premier was spending the night there, and asked him to help with constructing new buildings, a library, and education materials. After learning that the students lack uniforms and shoes, the premier gave 50,000 to the school director to purchase 2 uniforms, socks and shoes for each student.

The Prime Minister is scheduled teach students at the school this morning, while foreign ambassadors will come to observe the premier’s poverty-eradication campaign.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 20 January 2006

[Jai Dee]

PM SATISFIED WITH OUTCOME OF HIS ROI-ET TRIP

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinnawat expressed satisfaction with his trip to tackle poverty in Roi Et, as it has enabled him to learn about the problems and receive the information directly from the people, so that the problems can be solved at its root causes.

Prime Minister Thaksin will begin his last day of the trip with a class with students of Ban Ho Ra (บ้านโหรา) school, before he welcomes foreign ambassadors and representatives from 38 countries who will come to observe the premier’s work closely. The premier said that he will exchange views and ideas with foreign ambassadors coming to the province today.

Deputy government spokesperson Chalermchai Mahakitsiri (เฉลิมชัย มหากิจศิริ) said that the premier’s visit to Roi Et has received wide public attention from the people, the government sector, as well as other countries. He said that the ambassadors will listen to a briefings of the premier’s work and measures to solve poverty before visiting the areas in Hora (โหรา) district and Pon Muang (โพนเมือง) district at Sawanghora (วัดสว่างโหรา) temple. The ambassadors will have lunch with the premier there.

Then, Prime Minister Thaksin and the diplomats will travel to listen to measures to promote Tung Kula Ronghai ทุ่งกุลาร้องไห้ () plains as a center for Jasmine rice production.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 20 January 2006

[Jai Dee]

PM: POVERTY ERADICATION CAN BE DONE EASILY WITH OBJECTIVES IN MIND.

On his fourth day in At Samart (อาจสามารถ) district of Roi Et, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinnawat said that tackling poverty can be done easily by reducing expenses, increasing incomes, and expanding opportunities for education for the people.

Prime Minister Thaksin said that the best medicine to remedy poverty problems is to provide education for the people. He said that each district chief has been instructed to study the possibility of distributing products manufactured by the locals efficiently, adding that they have been told to set up a center for Sufficiency Economy to select villagers with expertise so that they can help their fellow residents. In addition, the premier said that the private sector will gradually be allowed to take part in the poverty eradication campaign, focusing on systemizing debts outside the system. The district chiefs also need to find a lot of information to analyze the overall picture of the problems.

Prime Minister Thaksin also proposed that each district bring all information together so that it is easier for ministries and other agencies to search for information. The premier added that each district should spend its budget on supporting education by providing scholarships for needy families.

The premier said that he will produce handbooks on poverty eradication to be distributed to district offices across the country.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 20 January 2006