Thai farmers to blockade roads over unpaid rice

[96tehtarp]

Strangely enough I live in Isaan in Surin and the farmers in the village (that includes me via the missus) and the surrounding village have been informed no money available for at least 1 month perhaps two months. That is called reality and real live experience of the current situation

Standard waiting time for the rice pledging scheme has always been 45-60 days AFAIK.

[ratcatcher]

As usual The Nation has a half of the story, and they have engineered the presentation of that half to suit their own political agenda, and many foreigners have swallowed the story hook, line and sinker ...

my farmer friends have been paid 80-90% for the last harvest, and they have no problem with funding the new planting (which anyway is months away)...

...the reason that the final payment of 10-20% has not been paid is because the "Democrats" refused to co-sign the use of the funds which PTP had intended for that payment...

Maybe the Democrats realized that the money the PTP wanted to use to pay the farmers was not coming from the BAAC, but some other source, maybe from the flood control budget, whatever is left in that is anyone's guess.

The BAAC was reported to not have sufficient funds to pay the farmers at this time. Maybe someone on this forum can expand. It has nothing to do with the Dems, it's not their scam/scheme. The chickens are coming home and the hen house door is closed. Someone had to keep an eye on what the Finance and Commerce Ministers were doing (or not doing).

[96tehtarp]

Most villages controlled by the head man, who gets 10k approx. without perks. and paid by the controlling council chief. it only needs 1 man to in a small village to have the people conform--remote villages of course. The head man gets voted in by the locals for sweeteners given. Fact, lived next door to one head man.

Most villages control the Gamnan and throw him out if he is useless. We did this recently. (Of course this only after accepting his money to buy our votes).

[finnomick]

Maybe Yingluck will go on a long shopping trip soon, as there is no law that says she can resign!

Cause it doesn't look like the farmers will vote PTP next time!

They will.

Remember YOU can FOOL all of the people ALL of the time... especially here.

As much as the locals where I live want to hang her and her cronies over the rice scam 10-1 they will vote the lot back in.

Most villages controlled by the head man, who gets 10k approx. without perks. and paid by the controlling council chief. it only needs 1 man to in a small village to have the people conform--remote villages of course. The head man gets voted in by the locals for sweeteners given. Fact, lived next door to one head man.

Only because he is the one who hands out the bribe money when it comes to voting time.....

[Valentine]

As usual The Nation has a half of the story, and they have engineered the presentation of that half to suit their own political agenda, and many foreigners have swallowed the story hook, line and sinker ...

my farmer friends have been paid 80-90% for the last harvest, and they have no problem with funding the new planting (which anyway is months away)...

...the reason that the final payment of 10-20% has not been paid is because the "Democrats" refused to co-sign the use of the funds which PTP had intended for that payment...

Maybe the Democrats realized that the money the PTP wanted to use to pay the farmers was not coming from the BAAC, but some other source, maybe from the flood control budget, whatever is left in that is anyone's guess.

The BAAC was reported to not have sufficient funds to pay the farmers at this time. Maybe someone on this forum can expand. It has nothing to do with the Dems, it's not their scam/scheme. The chickens are coming home and the hen house door is closed. Someone had to keep an eye on what the Finance and Commerce Ministers were doing (or not doing).

Weird spin from bundoi as for the life of me I cannot possibly think what the Dems have to do with the rice payments. It is like saying that PTP & the Dems have a joint bank account & both have to sign to withdraw funds. Completely ludicrous IMO.

[jpeg]

Think this needs big brother to dig deep in his pockets and

pay the farmers for their rice,after all it was his idea ! but it

will never happen.

Think the PM will be quite happy now she has dissolved

Parliament,as it was the only way for her and the Government,

to get out of this massive mess they have caused.they will be

back saying it was previous Government that caused this huge

problem for Thailand,.......and the poor of Issan will believe them!

regards Worgeordie

That's the problem with keep having coups to get rid of Thaksin governments. They never end up paying the price for the mess they make. If the Democrats would just let them see out a term of office, they'd end up disillusioning their supporters and the opposition would have a shot at getting elected.

But every time they get forced out of power before the chickens come home to roost for their failed policies, and up as as martyrs of democracy to boot. If their policies don't fail, then I guess hats off to them, but what chance is there of that?

Think before acting Democrats, think! And have patience.

2 more years and a bankrupt government, the country would be finished, no tourists, nothing left here but brothels. sexpats left only.

You believe the constant nannying of the Thai population a better idea? Yeah, look where they are now. And this from a forum constantly shouting'Nanny State' in the West

[96tehtarp]

...the reason that the final payment of 10-20% has not been paid is because the "Democrats" refused to co-sign the use of the funds which PTP had intended for that payment...

Waiting time for the govt. scheme has always been 45-60 days. Any dumb buffalo rice farmer knows how to calculate that. Nothing new here.

[hawker9000]

This was a PTP scheme. Why not just send the bill to TS, in care of YS? Come on all you Thaksinistas! Thaksin is the champion of these poor farmers, is he not? The rice scheme - along with SO many other things - was undoubtedly his handiwork in the first place. Why doesn't he put his checkbook where his thai-help-thai mouth is?

[96tehtarp]

2 more years and a bankrupt government, the country would be finished, no tourists, nothing left here but brothels. sexpats left only.

The last time Thailand went bankrupt who was at the helm?

Who got them out of the mess?

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

As usual The Nation has a half of the story, and they have engineered the presentation of that half to suit their own political agenda, and many foreigners have swallowed the story hook, line and sinker ...

my farmer friends have been paid 80-90% for the last harvest, and they have no problem with funding the new planting (which anyway is months away)...

...the reason that the final payment of 10-20% has not been paid is because the "Democrats" refused to co-sign the use of the funds which PTP had intended for that payment...

So why do they want to block the Asian highway now when PTP are still caretaking government, must be the PTP's responsibility to pay the farmers for what they have promised them before?

[robblok]

As usual The Nation has a half of the story, and they have engineered the presentation of that half to suit their own political agenda, and many foreigners have swallowed the story hook, line and sinker ...

my farmer friends have been paid 80-90% for the last harvest, and they have no problem with funding the new planting (which anyway is months away)...

...the reason that the final payment of 10-20% has not been paid is because the "Democrats" refused to co-sign the use of the funds which PTP had intended for that payment...

Maybe the Democrats realized that the money the PTP wanted to use to pay the farmers was not coming from the BAAC, but some other source, maybe from the flood control budget, whatever is left in that is anyone's guess.

The BAAC was reported to not have sufficient funds to pay the farmers at this time. Maybe someone on this forum can expand. It has nothing to do with the Dems, it's not their scam/scheme. The chickens are coming home and the hen house door is closed. Someone had to keep an eye on what the Finance and Commerce Ministers were doing (or not doing).

Weird spin from bundoi as for the life of me I cannot possibly think what the Dems have to do with the rice payments. It is like saying that PTP & the Dems have a joint bank account & both have to sign to withdraw funds. Completely ludicrous IMO.

I would love to see this backed up by some facts. I doubt the Democrats could have any influence and if they had it would be all out in the newspapers to make them look bad. Sounds more like a little bit of red propaganda if you ask me.

As others have said, government cant pay for its populist schemes and is now getting into trouble.

[hawker9000]

As usual The Nation has a half of the story, and they have engineered the presentation of that half to suit their own political agenda, and many foreigners have swallowed the story hook, line and sinker ...

my farmer friends have been paid 80-90% for the last harvest, and they have no problem with funding the new planting (which anyway is months away)...

...the reason that the final payment of 10-20% has not been paid is because the "Democrats" refused to co-sign the use of the funds which PTP had intended for that payment...

C'mon, bundoi! The world waits. What the HECK are you talking about?

[seajae]

I can see the payments mysteriously appearing just before the election to be paid as they get on the busses to vote for the ptp at the voting stations, what better way to get them to vote ptp once again. They all have that gold ring through their nose and are ready to follow whoever pulls it hard enough but what can you expect from uneducated people, to them whoever pays the most is their first choice, they dont give a crap about their country, its simply all about money. Now if the dems can promise to pay them all if they are elected it might cause a bit of a stink, could be interesting.

[Robby nz]

bundoi, on 11 Dec 2013 - 19:08, said:

As usual The Nation has a half of the story, and they have engineered the presentation of that half to suit their own political agenda, and many foreigners have swallowed the story hook, line and sinker ...

my farmer friends have been paid 80-90% for the last harvest, and they have no problem with funding the new planting (which anyway is months away)...

...the reason that the final payment of 10-20% has not been paid is because the "Democrats" refused to co-sign the use of the funds which PTP had intended for that payment...

This is of course what the farmers in the red villages will be getting told.

That Abhisit and the BKK elites are holding them to ransom for they need to keep them poor so they can enrich themselves.

They will be hearing that everything that has gone wrong is the fault of the Dems.

Unfortunately for PT and the reds the spread of the internet is taking the real truth, as opposed to the red truth, out to an increasing number of the farmers and others in rural areas.

This awakening, for want of a better word, can only be to the deterement of those who have been spinning the lies for so long.

[Siripon]

2 more years and a bankrupt government, the country would be finished, no tourists, nothing left here but brothels. sexpats left only.

The last time Thailand went bankrupt who was at the helm?

Who got them out of the mess?

t

1. Chavalit Yongjayut - his party,NAP, was subsequently taken over lock, stock and barrel by Thaksin, He bought nearly 80 MPs.

2 The Democrats got them out of the mess under Finance minister Tarin..

[connda]

Yeah, my wife wants a government subsidy for her Lumyai. If she doesn't get it, she's going to stand in the road with the dogs and stop traffic -- ah huh -- fat chance. I'm a political atheist, so I'll sit on the patio and watch.

Ag subsidies for select groups really isn't fair. Produce a quality product and compete on the world open market. If the government wants to get involved, maybe they should regulate the percentages that the middlemen rake in, or assist in the marketing to other governments. Unfortunately, farmers generally get the shaft. Subsidizing commodities at a loss is stupid. But if they are going to subsidize, my wife (and dogs) want their cuts too.

[connda]

I posted this on another thread before this topic opened, sorry.

Best headline of the day from one of the other English language newspapers.

The government hasn't got the money to pay the farmers because they haven't sold enough of the overpriced rice.

Perhaps some of the wealthy members of PTP could dip into their savings accounts and assist the rice farmers?

Maybe an own goal coming up.

The government hasn't got the money to pay the farmers because they haven't sold enough of the overpriced rice.

I love it. Classic Thai circular logic. I'm sure nobody in the government saw this coming. lol

[Zolt]

Democrats are really stupid to continue the protests in these circumstances. They are being handed out their best shot at winning elections since 1992, for free, and it looks like they're not even going to take it.

Remember, an inept politician is his own worst enemy, give him enough time and rope to hang himself and he certainly will.

[JRSoul]

(snip)

Example: 300 billion Baht as an example is just only 10 billion USD but its about a 2 billion Deal for those Chinese run rice mills from Bangkok that operates all over Thailand.

Another stupid story from the Nation.

Call me poor white trash if you will, but I would never describe 10 billion USD as "only."

BTW the accumulated losses appear to be at least twice that amount.

[icare999]

Maybe Yingluck will go on a long shopping trip soon, as there is no law that says she can resign!

Cause it doesn't look like the farmers will vote PTP next time!

They will.

Remember YOU can FOOL all of the people ALL of the time... especially here.

As much as the locals where I live want to hang her and her cronies over the rice scam 10-1 they will vote the lot back in.

Most villages controlled by the head man, who gets 10k approx. without perks. and paid by the controlling council chief. it only needs 1 man to in a small village to have the people conform--remote villages of course. The head man gets voted in by the locals for sweeteners given. Fact, lived next door to one head man.

thats peanuts head of village gets real money by distributing the village fund (I believe now 2 million) into his own projects for good of village of course or/and loans to help people but of course at least 10-20% kickback plus interest. No problem rice farmers and their families will probably get 1000 baht a vote this time plus promise of loans to help them manage their cash flow while waiting for rice payment.

Deserve everything they get for being so gullible and if theirs an election they will be fooled again and again and probably vote for Taksin since he's their saviour and will make them al rich but just need a bit more time

[metisdead]

A post containing a link to Bangkok Post has been removed.

[icare999]

i have just spoken to my wife about this late payment her reply no money no vote she is quite sure payments will be made before proposed election date

I'm sure she is right and like lambs to daughter then all is fine and they and I assume your wife will vote for this lot again. Well will serve them right to find if they do that next year payment is not made or less or whatever because as lots say here they were voted in so can do whatever they please.

[rubl]

Makes you wonder about the new promises the Pheu Thai party will come up with for the Feb 2nd, 2014 election

[ericthai]

Maybe Yingluck will go on a long shopping trip soon, as there is no law that says she can resign!

Cause it doesn't look like the farmers will vote PTP next time!

Isaan Rice can't be pledged.

Farners don't need to buy seeds for rice.

You don't know what you are talking about. I'm in Isaan (Surin) and my wife sold her rice under the program, so Isaan rice can be pledged. She sold it several weeks ago and still waiting to get paid, so it is true there is no money to pay. They are telling her she still needs to wait another 3-4 weeks maybe more. Yes, there are always mills around ready to buy if you want to sell at 12-13 baht instead of 17 baht. Of course if you have low grade rice not even the govt will pay the top price same as any mill. I would agree typically farmers don't need to buy seeds, but I think allot of the farmers will sell all their rice at 17 baht and buy new seeds at 14-15 baht later when needed. I don't see everyone getting paid by the end of the year. I surely hope YL does not get voted in again, however I would not put it past the people to vote for her. If they pay money for the votes it will happen, until the poor get smart and stop selling their votes. My wife got paid last election but still voted for who she wanted not who they paid her for. If they all realize this and take the money and vote how they want not for who they got paid for things can change.

[hawker9000]

i have just spoken to my wife about this late payment her reply no money no vote she is quite sure payments will be made before proposed election date

I'm sure she is right and like lambs to daughter then all is fine and they and I assume your wife will vote for this lot again. Well will serve them right to find if they do that next year payment is not made or less or whatever because as lots say here they were voted in so can do whatever they please.

Hmm. You put it that way and these farmers have a vested interest in repeating this cycle of re-electing the PTP to power, then standing back and watching it protested out. There's baht for them at every turn. ...Which is baht coming out of politicians' pockets (rather than the public trough), isn't it? 'Sounds savvy enough to me. Not too healthy from a democracy perspective, but probably preferable to a Thaksinocracy OR a Suthepocracy.

[GAZZPA]

Could not count how many PRO government posters have stated that Thaksin is loved by the POOR farmers, because he gave them support when they wanted it, he gave them hope---he promised them so much during the election campaign. NOW LOOK AT THIS MESS. sorry folks--let them Block the roads maybe they will see the light.

Lets see how many pro Thaksin posters post on this thread ??????????????? any guesses lads and lassies.

None, zero, zilch,,, this is very sad though. this non payment is just the tip of the iceberg. All that expensive stockpiled rice is going to have to be sold so the government can pay back the AG bank. Problem is how? And if they do they have a years stockpile so what will happen to the farmers while it's being sold?

the only ones who will suffer will be the farmers and the people of Thailand as the AG bank falls over.. really terrible scenario,,

[Dogmatix]

As usual The Nation has a half of the story, and they have engineered the presentation of that half to suit their own political agenda, and many foreigners have swallowed the story hook, line and sinker ...

my farmer friends have been paid 80-90% for the last harvest, and they have no problem with funding the new planting (which anyway is months away)...

...the reason that the final payment of 10-20% has not been paid is because the "Democrats" refused to co-sign the use of the funds which PTP had intended for that payment...

C'mon, bundoi! The world waits. What the HECK are you talking about?

I cannot understand what he thinks the opposition party had to co-sign to allow the disbursement of funds. The problem seems to be that the government uses the BAAC as its agent to pay for the rice and has not transferred the money to BAAC, hoping to pressure BAAC to pay out of its capital funds. The board refuses to do this as they could be prosecuted for malfeasance. Now the government has been overtaken by events and, as caretaker, no longer has the authority to make the payment to BAAC. Seems like a king size cock up but not a surprise given the massive amount of inefficiency and corruption in Thailand's rotting rice mountain.

[tomacht8]

For all farmers here.
The rice scheme players:
680 Billion Baht in.
+ rice sales 180 Billion Baht
- 16 Mio ton stock pile now. (value 200 Billion at best)
outstanding loans from BAAC around 80 Billion
BAAC now no money,
so lost: around 600 Billion Baht.
Unfortunately, no concrete numbers of the responsible
Somebody said that is small money,
sorry i do not think so (as a tax payer here).
With this money, every state hospital and every school could have been modernized in Thailand.
A slap in the face for all.

RPC.bmp

[whybother]

As usual The Nation has a half of the story, and they have engineered the presentation of that half to suit their own political agenda, and many foreigners have swallowed the story hook, line and sinker ...

my farmer friends have been paid 80-90% for the last harvest, and they have no problem with funding the new planting (which anyway is months away)...

...the reason that the final payment of 10-20% has not been paid is because the "Democrats" refused to co-sign the use of the funds which PTP had intended for that payment...

I think you've been sucked in by the red shirt propaganda.

Ask yourself, why would the Democrats be co-signing anything? Does Chuwit need to co-sign too?

[tingtongteesood]

The perfect storm is brewing. If the rice farmers do not get paid then this is the end of their support for PT. Unfortunately, the corruption and ineptitude of the PT government who have no idea about how to run a country or economics-all they know is Thaksinomics ( which consists of making sure they follow a fugitive's orders and do everything he wants at the expense of the country )-meaaning there is no tax money left in the coffers. They should be charged with extreme malfeasance for the mess they have gotten the country into. The only way to pay the farmers is to give back some of the funds they have siphoned from the country. If they know what is good for them they will have a whip around and pay the tab. If they don't then that's it, all over. Just don't tell them I said this as I don't want them to pay it, then they are gone and better people can have a go at sorting out the mess....I can't help wondering how much of his frozen 46 billion Thaksin has had replaced by the tax payers of the kingdom since he put his puppet in the top spot....?