My wife's son is a rubber farmer who lives in Phato, near Ranong. He has two properties where he grows rubber trees, yesterday he went to register one of his properties for the subsidy the government is now offering to rubber farmers. As I understand it, the 'subsidy' being offered is 1000 Baht per rai for up to twenty rai per farmer. My wife informed me today that the government 'subsidy' is actually an interest free loan which has to be repaid in one month. I don't know what the weather situation is in other parts of Thailand, but the Ranong/Phato area has recently had some very heavy rain, as a result of this rain many of my wife's son's rubber trees were affected by a fungus that caused alot of trees to lose thier leaves and stop producing rubber, this is especially hard for him because most of his trees were due to be ready for harvest for the first time this year. The heavy rain and the damage to the trees are going to make it very hard for him repay this so called subsidy. I wonder how many other rubber farmers are in a similar situation?

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Farming is simple,you either make it or you dont.

Subsidies only prolong bad business decisions.

None of the reporting (CNBC, Bangkok Post, Nation) about this subsidy of ฿110/rai ฿16,000 max mentions anything about a loan.

Perhaps you are mis-informed (or if I'm incorrect, I am!).