8,000 tons of rice worth 100 million baht missing from Phichit warehouse

[webfact]

8,000 tons of rice worth 100 million baht missing from Phichit warehouse

BANGKOK, (NNT) - 8,000 tons of rice from the government's rice pledging program have disappeared from a warehouse in Phichit Province. The missing amount is believed to be worth around 100 million baht.

After inspecting a warehouse in Pho Thale District, Phichit Governor Chakkarin Plienwong disclosed that 8,000 tons of rice were unaccounted for; 4,000 of which were from 2012/2013 pledging program, and the other 4,000 from the previous season's pledging program.

The missing rice is estimated to be worth well over 100 million baht. The governor then ordered an investigation into the matter, believing it involved corruption.

The governor has also ordered officials to inspect the other 33 rice warehouses in the province, vowing to take harsh legal action against anyone found involved in corruption practice.

Meanwhile, the Thai Rice Mills Association has confirmed that rice can be pledged at 15,000 baht per ton until June 29th.

The cabinet last week approved the proposal of the Commerce Ministry to lower the price of rice registered with the pledging program from 15,000 baht to 12,000 baht per ton.

[Soupdragon]

Is there any proof the rice actually exists other than figures in the accounts. ?

[up-country_sinclair]

Probably the beginning of many attempts to try and shift the blame for the poor planning and apparent corruption that have plagued this rice scheme scam.

[Neilly]

The missing rice is estimated to be worth well over 100 million baht. The governor then ordered an investigation into the matter, believing it involved corruption.

Wonder if it ever existed in the first place

Edit...Soupdragon beat me to it

Edited June 24, 2013 by Neilly

[Payboy]

I think I saw a few sacks behind a Lamborghini.

[Thai at Heart]

He has to go and visit it first hand to find out that it isn't there.

Strewth, i am glad they don't have bookeepers, or this would never have been found out.........The more they are digging the worse it gets. Cue, every governor nation wide bleating in the next few days, that millions of tons are missing. As though, the fact that as governor they could be just the tiniest bit responsible never occured to them.

[robblok]

Just imagine how much is missing and rotting in total I bet much more then is told to the public. Its too bad they did not go on with the rice program it would have blown the country up. Now it is clear why they wanted the loans for the infrastructure instead of when it was needed They need money to go on and cover this up.

Without those loans this will blow up and destroy the government, Moodies really fouled their plans. They had to act else the percentage on the loans might have been too high.

[waza]

I envisage a spate of warehouse fires.......

[jbrain]

100 million, how many Rolls Rice that would buy ?

[Thai at Heart]

Just imagine how much is missing and rotting in total I bet much more then is told to the public. Its too bad they did not go on with the rice program it would have blown the country up. Now it is clear why they wanted the loans for the infrastructure instead of when it was needed They need money to go on and cover this up.

Without those loans this will blow up and destroy the government, Moodies really fouled their plans. They had to act else the percentage on the loans might have been too high.

The woman who released the confidential report started the whole unraveling of this story.

Brave woman.

[waza]

Just imagine how much is missing and rotting in total I bet much more then is told to the public. Its too bad they did not go on with the rice program it would have blown the country up. Now it is clear why they wanted the loans for the infrastructure instead of when it was needed They need money to go on and cover this up.

Without those loans this will blow up and destroy the government, Moodies really fouled their plans. They had to act else the percentage on the loans might have been too high.

The woman who released the confidential report started the whole unraveling of this story.

Brave woman.

To be fair Ms Supa didn't know they were a government secret and she may enjoy her new post as in charge of the Office of the Permanent Secretary and the Fiscal Policy Office.

Edited June 24, 2013 by waza

[billd766]

I think I saw a few sacks behind a Lamborghini.

That was no Lamborghini, it was a rice millers pickup truck, heavily modified.

[billd766]

100 million, how many Rolls Rice that would buy ?

About 3.

[billd766]

I wonder if this 100 million baht should be added to the other 136 Bn baht?

[waza]

100 million, how many Rolls Rice that would buy ?

About 3.

Or two Rolls and a pink Bentley

[Thai at Heart]

Just imagine how much is missing and rotting in total I bet much more then is told to the public. Its too bad they did not go on with the rice program it would have blown the country up. Now it is clear why they wanted the loans for the infrastructure instead of when it was needed They need money to go on and cover this up.

Without those loans this will blow up and destroy the government, Moodies really fouled their plans. They had to act else the percentage on the loans might have been too high.

The woman who released the confidential report started the whole unraveling of this story.

Brave woman.

To be fair Ms Supa didn't know they were a government secret and she may enjoy her new post as in charge of the Office of the Permanent Secretary and the Fiscal Policy Office.

She runs the fiscal policy office, now. Good news. I await a few more leaks. Lol. Do they do the expense chits for plane tickets by any chance?

By the time this has all run it's course, she might want to have a permenantly inactive position, on the beach out of the country. She has really thrown a spanner in the works. Good on her.

Edited June 24, 2013 by Thai at Heart

[ignis]

missing ?

What size are the rats ?

[soi41]

Don't worry guys, it hasn't gone missing. It is just being "re-pledged" before the deadline!

[waza]

Just imagine how much is missing and rotting in total I bet much more then is told to the public. Its too bad they did not go on with the rice program it would have blown the country up. Now it is clear why they wanted the loans for the infrastructure instead of when it was needed They need money to go on and cover this up.

Without those loans this will blow up and destroy the government, Moodies really fouled their plans. They had to act else the percentage on the loans might have been too high.

The woman who released the confidential report started the whole unraveling of this story.

Brave woman.

To be fair Ms Supa didn't know they were a government secret and she may enjoy her new post as in charge of the Office of the Permanent Secretary and the Fiscal Policy Office.

She runs the fiscal policy office, now. Good news. I await a few more leaks. Lol. Do they do the expense chits for plane tickets by any chance?

By the time this has all run it's course, she might want to have a permenantly inactive position, on the beach out of the country. She has really thrown a spanner in the works. Good on her.

I think the key word is "office", she is the Office manager.

[Salapoo]

15k a ton? How many rai does it take to usually produce a ton per year?

[RubbaJohnny]

A very fat mouse and rat have benn taken in for questions,but the fat cats suspect a Ms 'Big" maybe the mastermind.

Seriously this reflects the whole danger of market subsidy.If you receive a premium for extra,good reson to claim extra ,could always substitute with smuggled rice ,monks in Lear jes and lamborghins are just for the sauces ,trucks and barges full would be possible if a country had an unmonitored river border,or should I say one with real enforcement.

Human nature is not as variable as the weather

http://beachhillel.org/2008/12/18/olive-oil-sicilian-maffia-scam-busted-wide-open-whewjust-in-time-for-chanukah/

http://wordpress.k21.webseiten.cc/aktionsbuendnis-demands-that-chancellor-merkel-clears-up-the-eu-subsidy-scandal/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-krotz/small-farms-and-the-farm-_b_817869.html

To be fair at least here we know who the players are and there is absolute certainty there will be no redress so the sums can be written off i.e passed on to the taxpayer without fear of an investigative press an assiduous detective a swingeing judge incarcerating the ahem....perpetrators

[animatic]

Someone there knows full well when the dozens of trucks came and took it away,

and which border it crossed to it's new home if that's the case too.

Can't sell it at the Thai Governments Set price?

Steal it and sell it to the Cambos or Laos to move on again at real world market price.

And they have been paid handsomely to play dumb, or died for not doing so.

[CrisRMenumate]

15k a ton? How many rai does it take to usually produce a ton per year?

average yield Per Rai in Thailand is 685 kilograms - so it takes about 1.4 Rai to produce one tonne per harvest - most places do 2 crops per year, some can manage 3 if they have plenty of water.

[waza]

15k a ton? How many rai does it take to usually produce a ton per year?

Thailand has one of the worse yield in the world at around 400- 500kg per rai. Thailand.... rice yields [are] about 350kg of grain per rai in the Northeast, 500kg per rai in the North and about 450kg per rai in the south ... http://www.thaiworldview.com/lao/isan4.htm

Edited June 24, 2013 by waza

[NongKhaiKid]

What a story, all we need now is a definitive comment from Chalerm of The Yard

[Songhua]

100 million, how many Rolls Rice that would buy ?

With tax or without?

[NongKhaiKid]

Addressing the media on the subject government spokesman Mr. Max Bygraves said " I wanna tell you a story ".

Apologies to TV users under a certain age who may not get this, please indulge an old, sorry mature, man.

[webfact]

Farmers lose cool as 4,000 tonnes of paddy 'disappear'
By English News



PHICHIT, June 24 – Farmers in this central Thailand rice-producing province today filed complaints with police, charging a rice mill with cheating them in its purchase of 4,000 tonnes of paddy.

Farmers from Pho Thale district said they sold their paddy to the mill under the government’s rice pledging scheme but have yet to receive payment.

They were only given papers certifying the total weight of paddy delivered to the rice mill.

The farmers said 4,000 tonnes of paddy which they delivered to the rice mill disappeared from the warehouse, and that each farmer incurred losses of Bt100,000-Bt500,000.

Meanwhile, another group of farmers from Bang Mun Nak and Pho Thale districts did not file complaints with police but chose to rally at the rice mill to demand rice verification papers from the mill owner.

They said any legal action against the rice mill would take too long.

A farmer who sells paddy to the government under the rice pledging scheme via a rice mill must produce a rice verification paper to get payment.

A weight-certifying paper is not a legal document but it only sets forth the total weight of paddy a farmer delivers to the rice mill.

The Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC), which signed an agreement with the Phichit rice mill to join the rice pledging scheme for the 2012/2013 harvest season, has taken off its rice pledging notification sign from the controversial rice mill. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-06-24

[Thait Spot]

Someone there knows full well when the dozens of trucks came and took it away,

and which border it crossed to it's new home if that's the case too.

Can't sell it at the Thai Governments Set price?

Steal it and sell it to the Cambos or Laos to move on again at real world market price.

And they have been paid handsomely to play dumb, or died for not doing so.

I make it around 400 * 20 tonne trucks.

Nobody noticed?

This scheme gets worse every day

[Robby nz]

What's the problem its only 100 million, nothing really when they talk in hundreds of billions lost.

I see trucks full of bagged rice, that's brand name bags not sacks, pulling up and unloading into the local Govt rice warehouse.

Don't know what that signifies if anything. Could be perfectly normal.

But the way things are anything looks suspicious.