Rice scheme demonstrates populism's dark side: Thai opinion

[Dap]

The Democrats must think it's Christmas, New Year and Songkran all rolled into one. A year ago they looked dead and buried but Thaksin (of all people) has given them a lifeline they could only have dreamed about.

But will they be able to grab it?

And if they can grab it, what can they do with it when (as usual) they will be in the position of bailing out the country due to the incredible incompetance and corruption of those who dropped Thailand into the toilet ... again

[Thai at Heart]

The Democrats must think it's Christmas, New Year and Songkran all rolled into one. A year ago they looked dead and buried but Thaksin (of all people) has given them a lifeline they could only have dreamed about.

But will they be able to grab it?

And if they can grab it, what can they do with it when (as usual) they will be in the position of bailing out the country due to the incredible incompetance and corruption of those who dropped Thailand into the toilet ... again

The numbers involved whilst seeming big, are in the total scheme of things, not going to break Thailand yet. That all said, it will be interesting to see really what happens to PTP popularity out in the country side over this issue. There must be some seriously p*****d farmers who have thrown their all in with this, and seen little out of it so far, with apparently even less to come.

I am sure in his fag pack plan, the idea was to be able to raise the price to the farmer continuously, when the final product had been sold for a profit.

[Pi Sek]

The author has an issue with populism it seems. He must be a Sino-Thai yellow shirt amataya fascist dictator.

I mean, just because the country is losing billions (obviously a Democrat lie, as we won't know how much is being lost until the coffers are empty), why does that mean it's bad for the country?

[tonneke breda]

The "Boss" has sure enough in his pocket to sort this out for the farmers, hihihihi

#tonneke breda

[mikemac]

Perhaps Cambodia, Vietnam and India are not as easily duped as the retards who got behind Thaksin and his puppet led government, who are only in power because of the Thanksin sponsored red shirt goon squad.

[MaxYakov]

This is like getting a salary increase and then having it taken away a few months later.

The problem is that the farmers work with a budget that coincides with the expected earnings for the season, so with the increase of the rice price, budgets were adjusted accordingly and possibly pre-spent, so by taking away the extra income most farmers will be in serious dept.

at best the ruling party should consider "sugaring the pill" by clearing the farmers depts. before implementing the price cut.

Not sure I would liken it to a "salary increase", which implies receiving value for hard work. I would rather liken it to finding a large bag of cash in the back seat of a taxi, keeping it and going to a 5 star restaurant to blow it, only to realize when the bill comes that the money is counterfeit.

Or, more analogous, a credit card with a really low and unknown limit. People never learn about the true nature of 'free lunches' (aka redistribution of wealth and vote-buying).

Edited June 26, 2013 by MaxYakov

[Ricardo]

If only the thinker had thought to put together some sort of agreement, with other major rice-exporting countries, to support his action in some way.

But that would have meant admitting, that he needs others to help-out, a very difficult thing to accept.

Instead they have eagerly leapt into the gap-in-the-market which he created, who can blame them !

They did try to set up an agreement with Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, and India and a couple of more it is mentioned on another thread here about the same scam. They were turned down

Perhaps those other countries should have elected the Big Boss PM too, then they also could have participated in the scam scheme !

Instead of which, they merely took advantage, of the opportunity which they were given.

No skin off their nose rice-pudding, eh ?

Although I don't doubt that the WTO might have said something about any such pact.

[Thai at Heart]

If only the thinker had thought to put together some sort of agreement, with other major rice-exporting countries, to support his action in some way.

But that would have meant admitting, that he needs others to help-out, a very difficult thing to accept.

Instead they have eagerly leapt into the gap-in-the-market which he created, who can blame them !

They did try to set up an agreement with Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, and India and a couple of more it is mentioned on another thread here about the same scam. They were turned down

Perhaps those other countries should have elected the Big Boss PM too, then they also could have participated in the scam scheme !

Instead of which, they merely took advantage, of the opportunity which they were given.

No skin off their nose rice-pudding, eh ?

Although I don't doubt that the WTO might have said something about any such pact.

"The WTO is not my, ummmm, uncle? Who is the WTO?"

[whatsupdoc]

There will be a lot of rice paddies up for sale cheap in the not too distant future

And who is going to buy these cheap paddies?? I guess that would be the middlemen who already profited most from the rice-pledging scheme......

[DekDaeng]

"oooh! That might be next on the list....watch this space ! Have all those graduates got their 15000 minimum monthly wage yet?"

No, we distinctly meant that we would be offering new graduates one ton of rice per month, & for labourers, 20 kg of rice per day.

Edited June 26, 2013 by DekDaeng

[Bluespunk]

"To realise how desperate and clueless the government has become"

Become?

Edited June 26, 2013 by Bluespunk

[yoshiwara]

'Rice scheme demonstrates populism's dark side'

There's an upside?

[hawker9000]

Thailand followed the west (as it tends to do in so many ways) in falling prey to the populist lie, but doesn't quite have as large a middle class to squeeze in paying for its depredations. So the train wreck was bound to happen in Thailand before Europe and the US (though it's pretty obvious their day is coming). The worst news is that the economic addiction that is populism is just a vicious downward spiral; it keeps going 'round & 'round and doesn't get better.

[tuky]

Strangely, I could almost believe that the big T Shinawatra through his proxy has embarked on a "destroy Thailand" campaign in order to exact revenge for his assets being frozen, his loss of face following the coup and the kick in the guts for being found guilty and hence sentenced to prison for corruption.

That'll learn 'em.

[GeorgeO]

This is like getting a salary increase and then having it taken away a few months later.

The problem is that the farmers work with a budget that coincides with the expected earnings for the season, so with the increase of the rice price, budgets were adjusted accordingly and possibly pre-spent, so by taking away the extra income most farmers will be in serious dept.

at best the ruling party should consider "sugaring the pill" by clearing the farmers depts. before implementing the price cut.

They have already announced that low-cost loans will be made available to the farmers in the, somewhat confused, belief that this will appease them. However, as I have previously noted, what kind of thought process believes that you can take away some of the farmers wealth and then offer them loans to replace it...!?

[kimamey]

Thailand followed the west (as it tends to do in so many ways) in falling prey to the populist lie, but doesn't quite have as large a middle class to squeeze in paying for its depredations. So the train wreck was bound to happen in Thailand before Europe and the US (though it's pretty obvious their day is coming). The worst news is that the economic addiction that is populism is just a vicious downward spiral; it keeps going 'round & 'round and doesn't get better.

I'm not sure that populism is quite so evident in the west these days. In the UK at the last election the Conservatives won without a majority on a promise of more austerity than Labour. Obviously people will always be attracted to something in their favour but it's not as simple as it appears to be here. Of course many didn't vote for PTP anyway.

[timewilltell]

anyone here upto to start a joint venture of farangs and start building rice warehouses...seems a pretty good business

Now if you would have said that 18 months ago..........keeeerrrrrrrrching!!!!

Er no. The government already thought that bit through and the rental is going to their mates who were given the heads up! All part of the plan.

[OzMick]

anyone here upto to start a joint venture of farangs and start building rice warehouses...seems a pretty good business

Now if you would have said that 18 months ago..........keeeerrrrrrrrching!!!!

Er no. The government already thought that bit through and the rental is going to their mates who were given the heads up! All part of the plan.

IMHO, the reason for the 4 Seasons meeting, and the subsequent cover-up.

[hawker9000]

Thailand followed the west (as it tends to do in so many ways) in falling prey to the populist lie, but doesn't quite have as large a middle class to squeeze in paying for its depredations. So the train wreck was bound to happen in Thailand before Europe and the US (though it's pretty obvious their day is coming). The worst news is that the economic addiction that is populism is just a vicious downward spiral; it keeps going 'round & 'round and doesn't get better.

I'm not sure that populism is quite so evident in the west these days. In the UK at the last election the Conservatives won without a majority on a promise of more austerity than Labour. Obviously people will always be attracted to something in their favour but it's not as simple as it appears to be here. Of course many didn't vote for PTP anyway.

Oh, I don't know. Detroit's bankruptcy, and the reasons for it, despite all of Obama's unqualified assurances, are fairly evident I think... More to follow - then it'll be even more evident. But getting back to Thailand: Its disciples can't openly acknowledge it of course, but populism IS the order of the day in Thailand. 'Don't see anything on the horizon that's going to change that. It always happens when the left learns it can bribe the electorate with other people's (i.e., taxpayers') money, and the right realizes it has to go along to stay in the game. The problem is - they get so used to doing it, and the corruption that goes hand in hand with it, that they then get dependent upon being ABLE to do it, until they eventually milk the productive sectors dry... (Then they fire up the money-printing presses.)

[Siripon]

The Democrats must think it's Christmas, New Year and Songkran all rolled into one. A year ago they looked dead and buried but Thaksin (of all people) has given them a lifeline they could only have dreamed about.

But will they be able to grab it?

And if they can grab it, what can they do with it when (as usual) they will be in the position of bailing out the country due to the incredible incompetance and corruption of those who dropped Thailand into the toilet ... again

The Democrats are already being blamed for whistleblowing on the rice mortgage scheme. Pheua Thai MPs say if the Democrats didn't criticise the scheme, the farmers wouldn't be facing a potential cut in guaranteed price. No doubt these words will be heard in the next general election campaign.

[Dap]

The Democrats must think it's Christmas, New Year and Songkran all rolled into one. A year ago they looked dead and buried but Thaksin (of all people) has given them a lifeline they could only have dreamed about.

But will they be able to grab it?

And if they can grab it, what can they do with it when (as usual) they will be in the position of bailing out the country due to the incredible incompetance and corruption of those who dropped Thailand into the toilet ... again

The Democrats are already being blamed for whistleblowing on the rice mortgage scheme. Pheua Thai MPs say if the Democrats didn't criticise the scheme, the farmers wouldn't be facing a potential cut in guaranteed price. No doubt these words will be heard in the next general election campaign.

Too true, and all I can do is shake my head.

PTP must figure the only crime is getting caught, if even that.