Thai rice pledging scheme to go ahead

[SheungWan]

Thai Visa commentators have become so negative that is possibly depressing to spend time reading them anymore. Thai Visa was a mine of information and banter yet has become the purveyor of malice and pessimism. Guess I'll have to spend more time reading stickmanbangkok since at least it is mainly about Thai people and their farang lol.

You could make exactly the same criticisms about reading Stickman!

Now, back to smuggling rice and its inflationary effect on barfines..............................

[EricBerg]

Besore the rice scheme Thailand was the number one rice exporting country in the world. Then the missunderstood fugitive came with the rice scheme plan. Three effects were intended:

1. buy votes by paying the farmers more than the market value.

2. build up a huge stock by not selling, then push up the price on the worldmarket.

3. make money of it for personal gain.

So far it seems as it's the biggest financial disaster the fugitive orchestrated. India and Vietnam are now selling the rice Thailand didn't want to sell. The farmers cannot be paid the high prices anymore. It may very well cost votes on february 2nd.

Together with the amnesty bill fiasco this could mean the shinaclan are at risk of losing the february election. Then Thailand can start rebuilding.

[Denim]

The rice pledging scheme. Unworkable, unwise and unfair.

[Thai at Heart]

If the Dems used their imagination, they could really cash in on this rice pledging scheme.

They ought to promise to keep the scheme running if they get into power, and promise to make it economical, I believe they are able to do it quite easily.

First off, they cap the scheme to only farms with 150 rai and under. Any farms that are bigger are capped to the first 150 rai, that will wipe out most of the cash ending up in the pockets of the mega rich super farms who have probably already been paid top whack for their grain (yes they have).

That would distribute the funding between the farmers who truly need it.

They could really hijack Thaksin's rice scheme and steal away a lot of his Isaan votes. Sort of pulling the wheels off his political wagon a bit.

If these populist policies had been a bit better thought out, some may have worked. Instead PTP and the Shins abused it at every level where most of the cash was siphoned off by their elite, and did nothing really to help the poor.

Problem is, for the dems to really change the rice system they have to break the hold of the old rice cartel. And guess who most of them support.

Agriculture when supplying cp is essentially to enrich cp and for the farmer to feed himself. That is it.

[Thai at Heart]

Thai Visa commentators have become so negative that is possibly depressing to spend time reading them anymore. Thai Visa was a mine of information and banter yet has become the purveyor of malice and pessimism. Guess I'll have to spend more time reading stickmanbangkok since at least it is mainly about Thai people and their farang lol.

I am waiting for a positive. Did they buy any tablets for kids recently?

[Robby nz]

In answer to a couple of questions, first how much is it costing ?

An independent unofficial review said :

The total costs of buying rice from farmers and operating costs come to 29,605.52 baht per ton.

Effectively, this means the government incurs losses of 15,169.31 per ton. Using these numbers as of 31 Jan 2013 the actual loss would be 495.61 billion baht

That was before a 23% drop in world prices.

Second question, why doesn't the Govt give the old rice to the poor ?

The Commerce Ministry says they already have given some and also some as overseas aid, and therefor :

The ministry is claiming a refund from the cabinet of 7 billion B, however:

The Commerce Ministry must show the receipts to prove its claim that some 7 billion baht worth of rice has been donated as relief aid to disaster-hit countries and to help flood victims at home.

The ministry is claiming a refund from the cabinet without providing any proof of these donations. It must have the receipts, or does it?

[bigbamboo]

Thai Visa commentators have become so negative that is possibly depressing to spend time reading them anymore. Thai Visa was a mine of information and banter yet has become the purveyor of malice and pessimism. Guess I'll have to spend more time reading stickmanbangkok since at least it is mainly about Thai people and their farang lol.

Cheer up, Indy...!

[Thai at Heart]

They've 'proposed' selling the old rice, they've 'mulled' it, they've even announced several times that large amounts have been sold, now their committee's latest meeting "has resolved to accelerate sales", but it still doesn't go ?

Perhaps time, to bring out the 'big guns', and 'announce' or 'declare' that it's for-sale ?

Wonder if Yingluck actually attended the meeting, does she still chair the committee, or has this been delegated, like so much else when it goes wrong ?

Meanwhile "the caretaker minister admitted delays in payments to farmers" , and blamed slow sales of old stocks, "He promised that all farmers will be paid.", but forgot to say when, or what compensation they would pay to farmers, for the government's having screwed-up their cashflows & run-up their debts ?

Why don't the government simply transfer more money, into the BAAC, and pay the farmers on-time instead ?

Have the Thai government, prop. YS (& TS), not got the money ? Are they in fact in serious financial trouble ? I would sincerely hope not !

Did they go ahead with buying this rice, with no idea how to pay for it, or merely mess-up the execution of the scheme ? The poor rice-farmers of Thailand, as PTP's creditors & voters in the coming election, have a right to answers !

"Announce, declare, order, mull....'

I won't believe it until I hear a 'vow'.

You missed a step. A mull, is always followed by an "urge".

[JRSoul]

Do caretaker governments have the right to sell government assets at a value lower than that which they have placed on that asset?

[dutchisaan]

When I watch , or read the news, About the politicts in Thailand, I have the feeling that

I am looking at the Muppet show. Doctor Bob comes to mind.

[rametindallas]

Do caretaker governments have the right to sell government assets at a value lower than that which they have placed on that asset?

I think the World Trade Organisation will have a say if Thailand begins to dump rice at below market prices. This government has painted itself into the proverbial corner. They have run out of storage space, They can't afford to buy more but must, they can't sell for a loss (politically), and they can't dump it. They were counting on the 2.2 trillion infrastructure loan to cover up their crimes and now that is in the courts and probably won't happen. Dr. Thaksin has to use triple strengyh hair dye to cover all the gray hair he is getting since the amnesty bill blew up in his face.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Do caretaker governments have the right to sell government assets at a value lower than that which they have placed on that asset?

I think the World Trade Organisation will have a say if Thailand begins to dump rice at below market prices. This government has painted itself into the proverbial corner. They have run out of storage space, They can't afford to buy more but must, they can't sell for a loss (politically), and they can't dump it. They were counting on the 2.2 trillion infrastructure loan to cover up their crimes and now that is in the courts and probably won't happen. Dr. Thaksin has to use triple strengyh hair dye to cover all the gray hair he is getting since the amnesty bill blew up in his face.

Yingluck (by Skype instructions) to WTO (World Trade Organisation); WTO is not my father.

Have the PTP government ever published the price they got for the half rotten rice?

[rubl]

Rice Price Pledging scheme to go ahead!

Read all about it here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/688647-bt22-bn-rice-scheme-payments-for-dec-face-delay/

[Robby nz]

On the 5th of this month the Rome based Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) said :

Thai authorities willingness to accept sales (of rice) at a loss were enough to weigh heavily on market sentiment.

Translate that as you wish.

[paz]

Why not give any spare rice away to the women, children and older people that live on your border? We all know it will never happen but give them all a christmas present...Does it make any diffrence who they belive in? Let the poor ppl belive in something, they have nothing to start with. Make a smile on there face for once

Because they don't vote, and the gesture would not even be appreciated by thoes that do.