EC rejects government’s 130-billion baht rice loans

[Virt]

I feel sorry for those people who work all day long just to make a living ,and in return get screwed by their own corrupt government, not only in Thailand, but all over the world.

[kurtgruen]

Never underestimate the stupidity of the sheep (in any Country). A few years back, Thaksin offered poor farmers to get loans against their land and homes, from the bank. Under that scheme, they didn't have to pay any principle payments or interest, for a few years (three if I remember correct). Then both interest and principle came due.

It was the biggest land grab in a long time. Poor farmers lost their land, while the rich, bought it up cheap from the banks, afterwards.

Yet the farmers, blamed themselves, for "their" failure and praised Thaksin, for giving them the opportunity to borrow money. (which caused them to loose everything).

Thaksin, being educated, knew quite well, what would happen, to poor, mostly poorly educated farmers, once he gave them money from three years, without having to make a payment.

I wonder, if they will praise Thaksin, for this rice scam, again, after the party puts their spin on it?

[PatOngo]

The excrement just keeps getting deeper.

[poisonus]

How come the Eloctoral Commission has anything to say in this matter? Can anyone please explain?

A caretaker government have very limited money. They can follow already implemented rules, but anything that get close to new have to be looked at by the EC. The reason behind this is to stop the ruling party using state funds to sway votes before an election.

The rice scheme is an ongoing scheme, not anything new or close to New. The commissioners are sabotaging the government and bring hardships to the peoples.

Send from my Mobile

What a load of crap!

The rice scheme is already allowed to continue, but it can only run on its own budget as with ALL government projects.

Extra budget borrowing to pay off farmers for the next round of voting, and also risking a bank's liquidity is completely NON-EXISTING.

The EC MUST give its permission, and 99 out of 100 election commissions would say a big fat NO!

Your glorious Yingluck has come to the end of the road and it is ALL of her and her government's making. So STOP trying to push the blame onto the EC.

If they said yes.... EVERYONE would know that they were in the government's pockets.

[mimithewoof]

One way or another the farmers will get paid. Even in the event of a new govt, those payments would have to be honoured. The EC is saying the current govt does not have the authority, in caretaker mode, to commit the funds in the way they are proposing

Lets hope so.. don't want the farmers to be the ones that pay for these mistakes. I don't think anyone is suggesting the farmers don't get paid, but now they should check the whose rice scam to see how much has been lied and those government to government transactions should be checked too.

I for one would say get the money to the farmers now but let the responsible ministers be personally responsible for the funds.

sorry to say they don't deserve to be paid If I believe a lying crook and hand over some goods on promise to pay later then I deserve what I get if I'm cheated.

They accepted the bribe for their vote and now get what they deserve

It is high time some of people here ansi n Thailand woke up to what Taksin is and if it means they become ever more dirt poor then hopefully it might be a lesson for future not to be so gullible and naive

Its Taksin, his clan and cronies who've stolen most of rice buying money so let them pay it back which of course they wont

This Taksin regime will go down in history more than any other here in Thailand for amount of corruption and stealing peoples money

Their goes hundreds of new hospitals, much needed improvements to education, relieving of poverty here for maybe decades

And all for greed and revenge lust for power of one megalomaniac but let those who worship him now pay price for such stupidity

No sympathy at all for farmers and so many will loose their land due to debts and loose it to those they worship and support Serves them right

Please God (or whatever/whoever) that the next party in power don't read your post and take it as a true representation of how all expats think! You have, unfortunately, a right to your opinion, however much bitterness it displays , but hatespeak is hatespeak no matter who utters it.

I send you an old Chinese curse - 'may you live in interesting times'...

[kimamey]

This is all very well to make the gov pay for messing up to hell with them but.

1 What about the poor farmers ?

2 What has the EC got to do with any of it ?

OK OK i admit it i havnt read the mandate of the EC and all its responsibilities, I suppose i should have guessed it would have to rubber stamp any loans of finance, i mean it wouldnt be the treasury or some other financial dept of course not, its the EC i should have known that from all the dept of silly walks they have here ....

It's not fair on the farmers and probably never was.

I can only assume the EC is involved because the country is under election rules now. Does seem weird though.

[anon467367354]

I remember not too long ago the rice farmers dumping their rice in front of the government house.

I'm thinking that was quite tame as to what could happen when they find out there is no money to pay them.

I think there is more to it, they are so in your face whether it's intentional or not I'm not sure.

I see posters of Yingluck with this on it: รักษา ประชาธิปไตย she's going to "cure" democracy like cancer? make it go away?

The other thing is the UDD, United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship. It really is a front isn't it?

If anything it seems to be totally about no democracy and all about dictatorship, I think it really is a front.

Way to go Yingluck, are you still going to hang in there, for what?

[englishoak]

This is all very well to make the gov pay for messing up to hell with them but.

1 What about the poor farmers ?

2 What has the EC got to do with any of it ?

OK OK i admit it i havnt read the mandate of the EC and all its responsibilities, I suppose i should have guessed it would have to rubber stamp any loans of finance, i mean it wouldnt be the treasury or some other financial dept of course not, its the EC i should have known that from all the dept of silly walks they have here ....

Because extra budgetary borrowing the government wants to undertake must be first approved by parliament. But because parliament is dissolved, they can lodge a special request for the EC to make a judgement and approve it.

In this case, they didn't and rightly so.

yea i already knew the gov had to have ample capital as a caretaker to tide it over just found it highly amusing it had to go back to the EC in light of their little ongoing tiff, maybe a pretty please instead of posturing earlier this week may have helped, or maybe not

[473geo]

Here you see the formulation of a decision by the EC to hold a payment regardless of the fact that the payment will have to honoured and delivered, a delaying tactic to cause the government hardship, but also resulting in potential hardship to the lower income farmers, and you wonder at the reason the rural electorate vote the way they do!

[LevelHead]

Poor farmers screwed again by PTP

Hopefully it will be a lesson learned by them

Pretty irrelevant as far as the Feb 2nd election goes as PTP are petty much running un-opposed

But since the election will not have enough members to form a quorum, this might make things interestng

What will PTP do? the honorable thing to do would be to fall on the sword, but in Thailand most do not do the honorable thing. especially politicians. They will deny / blame / and accuse others and never say "Sorry" or "my mistake"

By-elections !

Thanks to the new Constitution in effect now, if there is no quorum the present caretaker government remains in power and the EC has to run, again and again and again, by-elections in places where there was no result, until there is a result.

So its a case of sit back and wait after Feb 2nd until the EC finally does their job and gets a result in every seat.

[LevelHead]

One way or another the farmers will get paid. Even in the event of a new govt, those payments would have to be honoured. The EC is saying the current govt does not have the authority, in caretaker mode, to commit the funds in the way they are proposing

No my friend, the EC is saying that it doesn't allow the government to dig a deeper hole to keep their voters happy.

They also said that they don't allow them to bankrupt the framers bank, e.g. use the farmers own money to pay them, but it seems it's too late already for that.

Now take of the pink red goggles

If there is an election the farmers will get paid after it, does not matter who wins, provided someone wins.

The problem is if there is an appointed committee of Suthep, or there is no election result. Either of these and the farmers have to keep waiting until an election.

So it is in the interests of the farmers to get an election result asap and a new government in place under the existing Constitution.

So look at it like this.

If they vote and PTP wins, they get paid.

If they do not vote and no winner, they will not get paid.

If Suthep takes over they will not get paid as the Constitution has been breached and massive, years long, delays.

So while the yellow tinted specs people see this as a win for anti-PTP, actually its beneficial for PTP for the farmers to not be paid due to the restrictions placed on them by the EC.

PTP blames EC, tells farmers sorry, its all Suthep and the EC's fault.

Only way out of the problem is to have an election and get a result.

In my opinion.

[icommunity]

This news report is not clear. Based on what were reported here, the EC commissioners are putting more weigh on political considerations than the well being of people. Unlike the caretaker government when considering the enforcement of rule of law, it put more weigh in the safety and well being of people. Exercising restraint, patience, tolerance, leniency and compassion in the midst of many baseless accusations and plots to seize power from the people.

EC commissioners may be guilty of conflict of interest, abused of power and dereliction of duties. Their action can also be seen as a revenge on the government for threatening to take legal action against them if they don't take responsibilities in resolving the mess they created.

Send from my Mobile

Edited January 16, 2014 by icommunity

[ginjag]

This is all very well to make the gov pay for messing up to hell with them but.

1 What about the poor farmers ?

2 What has the EC got to do with any of it ?

OK OK i admit it i havnt read the mandate of the EC and all its responsibilities, I suppose i should have guessed it would have to rubber stamp any loans of finance, i mean it wouldnt be the treasury or some other financial dept of course not, its the EC i should have known that from all the dept of silly walks they have here ....

Because extra budgetary borrowing the government wants to undertake must be first approved by parliament. But because parliament is dissolved, they can lodge a special request for the EC to make a judgement and approve it.

In this case, they didn't and rightly so.

yea i already knew the gov had to have ample capital as a caretaker to tide it over just found it highly amusing it had to go back to the EC in light of their little ongoing tiff, maybe a pretty please instead of posturing earlier this week may have helped, or maybe not

I am just wondering about any other monies owed that isn't in the limelight. Other walks of life here suffering hardship ??? I do know from posters some of the BKK flood victims are still waiting plus persons waiting for eco first time buyers of cars, we will soon find out.

Remember the case when Germany held a Boeing airliner of Thailand until Thailand paid for construction works carried out--I'm near sure. ANY MORE OWED P.M. sorry you alone are responsible, you make your bed you have to lay on it.

[473geo]

As of today the EC is blocking an attempt by the government to pay the farmers - fact

Take note of Thai philosophy, yesterday is gone we can not change, we do not know the events of tomorrow, Today the EC is stalling our money!

So who do you think gets the blame!

[renaissanc]

THE END !

Spare a compassionate thought for the Pheu Thai MPs, please. I feel sorry for them. They had such big plans on how they were going to spend their ill-gotten booty. I dare say that some have already bought new Merecedes, houses, resorts, land, and jewels. Now the MPs won't be able to pay for them. They will have to return the cars and jewels, and give up their holidays and homes abroad. Their dreams will have been shattered! There will be tears of sadness and broken hearts. How I feel for them!

[winstonc]

One way or another the farmers will get paid. Even in the event of a new govt, those payments would have to be honoured. The EC is saying the current govt does not have the authority, in caretaker mode, to commit the funds in the way they are proposing

No my friend, the EC is saying that it doesn't allow the government to dig a deeper hole to keep their voters happy.

They also said that they don't allow them to bankrupt the framers bank, e.g. use the farmers own money to pay them, but it seems it's too late already for that.

Now take of the pink red goggles

If there is an election the farmers will get paid after it, does not matter who wins, provided someone wins.

The problem is if there is an appointed committee of Suthep, or there is no election result. Either of these and the farmers have to keep waiting until an election.

So it is in the interests of the farmers to get an election result asap and a new government in place under the existing Constitution.

So look at it like this.

If they vote and PTP wins, they get paid.

If they do not vote and no winner, they will not get paid.

If Suthep takes over they will not get paid as the Constitution has been breached and massive, years long, delays.

So while the yellow tinted specs people see this as a win for anti-PTP, actually its beneficial for PTP for the farmers to not be paid due to the restrictions placed on them by the EC.

PTP blames EC, tells farmers sorry, its all Suthep and the EC's fault.

Only way out of the problem is to have an election and get a result.

In my opinion.

beneficial for the farmers not to be paid.....ive heard it all now. ..october was when they were meant to be paid..there are no excuses,.none.your wish may come true though.if no gov after feb2..then still no payment...i doubt the farmers are going to be to happy with ptp..its been stolen surely they realize that by now..shall we blame my wife and all the other protesters in bkk for stopping the lorries full of cash getting to them on time..

[Nickymaster]

Here you see the formulation of a decision by the EC to hold a payment regardless of the fact that the payment will have to honoured and delivered, a delaying tactic to cause the government hardship, but also resulting in potential hardship to the lower income farmers, and you wonder at the reason the rural electorate vote the way they do!

Pure Red propaganda.

They tried to borrow for months but nobody was giving them the money anyhow. Blaming the EC for this mess is not fair. The big question is: Why do they have to borrow more if they have already borrowed THB 800,000,000,000 and when they have over 10,000,000,000 KG of rice in stock?

[rreddin]

The rice scheme is an on going scheme. Must the caretaker government stop paying all their employees' wages? Before 2011 election, AV administration approved many populists subsidy and carried on during caretaker period. Should all be stopped now? I heard these were approved by present team of commissioners. IMO, they are sabotaging the government's on going projects and bring hardships to the people. Send from my Mobile

Rightly or wrongly, taken with the EC's reluctance to do the job they were appointed to do and their apparent political meddling, this will be seen by many as a clear indication that the EC are pro PCAD.

[Scamper]

" The EC commissioner said the EC has rejected the 130-billion baht rice loan scheme, and the using of 50 billion baht fund from the liquidity of the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives to pay rice farmers. But he said that he has learned that the government has already used the bank liquidity for rice payment, therefore the EC has warned that it has to take its own responsibility. "

There are so many incredible transgressions that could lead to the impeachment of this administration. This is one. It basically means that the administration can reject the ruling of the EC, or make the request again, or indeed go ahead, with or without EC sanction. An administration completely and utterly out of control.

[Nickymaster]

As of today the EC is blocking an attempt by the government to pay the farmers - fact

Take note of Thai philosophy, yesterday is gone we can not change, we do not know the events of tomorrow, Today the EC is stalling our money!

So who do you think gets the blame!

According to guys like you, the EC. According to fair people, the government who created this mess.

-Did you know that payments were already overdue for months before Yingluck dissolved parliament?

-Did you know that they were trying to sell rice for months before Yingluck dissolved parliament?

-Did you know that they were trying to borrow more money for months before Yingluck dissolved parliament?

-Did you know that they sold rice BELOW MARKET PRICE to Chinese trading companies?

If they would at least have sold AT MARKET PRICE maybe there would have been some more money for the farmers (and less for the trading companies......)

Edited January 16, 2014 by Nickymaster

[473geo]

Here you see the formulation of a decision by the EC to hold a payment regardless of the fact that the payment will have to honoured and delivered, a delaying tactic to cause the government hardship, but also resulting in potential hardship to the lower income farmers, and you wonder at the reason the rural electorate vote the way they do!

Pure Red propaganda.

They tried to borrow for months but nobody was giving them the money anyhow. Blaming the EC for this mess is not fair. The big question is: Why do they have to borrow more if they have already borrowed THB 800,000,000,000 and when they have over 10,000,000,000 KG of rice in stock?

Because they have not sold the 10,000,000,000 kgs..(I thought you might have worked that one out for yourself, but pleased to assist).... holding the payment to cause hardship to the farmers is not going to sell the stockpile any faster, in fact have the EC not commented that it may be illegal to do so!

[Nickymaster]

Here you see the formulation of a decision by the EC to hold a payment regardless of the fact that the payment will have to honoured and delivered, a delaying tactic to cause the government hardship, but also resulting in potential hardship to the lower income farmers, and you wonder at the reason the rural electorate vote the way they do!

Pure Red propaganda.

They tried to borrow for months but nobody was giving them the money anyhow. Blaming the EC for this mess is not fair. The big question is: Why do they have to borrow more if they have already borrowed THB 800,000,000,000 and when they have over 10,000,000,000 KG of rice in stock?

Because they have not sold the 10,000,000,000 kgs..(I thought you might have worked that one out for yourself, but pleased to assist).... holding the payment to cause hardship to the farmers is not going to sell the stockpile any faster, in fact have the EC not commented that it may be illegal to do so!

And why have they not sold more rice? Correct, because they only sell to the "right" buyer below market price....

And by the way, EC is not holding payments, there is no money. Simple as that.

[Baerboxer]

As of today the EC is blocking an attempt by the government to pay the farmers - fact

Take note of Thai philosophy, yesterday is gone we can not change, we do not know the events of tomorrow, Today the EC is stalling our money!

So who do you think gets the blame!

Wrong. The caretaker government has run out of money and hasn't got the cash to pay. The EC are stopping them, quiet rightly, from running up large additional debts, which an incoming government would inherit.

PTP knew when payments would be do and the amounts needed. They also know the true figures regarding purchases. sales and losses to date. All of which the keep secret. They're buggered simply because they didn't get their hands on the 2.2 trillion and 350 billion, destroy the checks, balances and accountability and get the boss home. They've screwed up their cash flow, the scams have dried up and the adverse reaction to the whitewash was vastly more than they thought.

The farmers, based on their leader's comments aren't so gullible or naieve in believing the Shins bull shit anymore.

[ShannonT]

My family from Ubon just called and said they have received their rice payment this afternoon and their uncle in Buriram had also received it this morning. If you have family members in the North or Northeast, check with them and have them go ask at the office, most probably the payments are now ready to be claimed. Good news indeed.

[473geo]

As of today the EC is blocking an attempt by the government to pay the farmers - fact

Take note of Thai philosophy, yesterday is gone we can not change, we do not know the events of tomorrow, Today the EC is stalling our money!

So who do you think gets the blame!

According to guys like you, the EC. According to fair people, the government who created this mess.

-Did you know that payments were already overdue for months before Yingluck dissolved parliament?

-Did you know that they were trying to sell rice for months before Yingluck dissolved parliament?

-Did you know that they were trying to borrow more money for months before Yingluck dissolved parliament?

-Did you know that they sold rice BELOW MARKET PRICE to Chinese trading companies.

If the would at least have sold AT MARKET PRICE maybe there would have been some more money for the farmers (and less for the trading companies......)

Government undoubtedly created the situation

Thailand is now in this situation the farmers are not getting paid

A loan can fix this situation and ease the burden on the lower income farmers and the bank

The EC is refusing to sanction such a loan

When you learn to live in today and not the past you will understand

[harada]

Was the cheque from a Dubai bank ?

[englishoak]

If there is an election the farmers will get paid after it, does not matter who wins, provided someone wins.

The problem is if there is an appointed committee of Suthep, or there is no election result. Either of these and the farmers have to keep waiting until an election.

So it is in the interests of the farmers to get an election result asap and a new government in place under the existing Constitution.

So look at it like this.

If they vote and PTP wins, they get paid.

If they do not vote and no winner, they will not get paid.

If Suthep takes over they will not get paid as the Constitution has been breached and massive, years long, delays.

So while the yellow tinted specs people see this as a win for anti-PTP, actually its beneficial for PTP for the farmers to not be paid due to the restrictions placed on them by the EC.

PTP blames EC, tells farmers sorry, its all Suthep and the EC's fault.

Only way out of the problem is to have an election and get a result.

In my opinion.

Actually this could be what happens, Thailand is notorious for holding payments up with red tape and we all know how much they love the "sorry cannot do bending the rules" when they are digging in.

A sensible solution would be no matter what, a deadline is made and the farmers get paid out somehow regardless.

The last thing anyone least of all the farmers need is for there to be a suspended period of no official government for a long period liable for payments.

It would also be very very prudent to pledge the farmers will get paid by X by some authority ( no idea what one nor does it matter )

If there isnt a payment or the PTP for any reason dosnt return as gov and it all stalls you can BET with big fat letters the blame will come down squarely on not PTPs neck but on whoever is refusing the funding or lending.

reeeely reeely simple and smart thing to do is.....................a party takes the upper hand and pledge to the farmers they will get paid ASAP they will adore them, oops the dems arnt running are they ?? Now where are those smaller parties, get them out there canvassing like crazy..........

The farmers need to be paid asap it is not their fault and it wont look good when they start blaming whoever they are told are holding things up and come to protest no doubt.

yeeesh anyone else fancy protesting in bangers ??? transexuals right to reversal maybe or some other group ?

Of course if TS were to offer a loan which of course would be illegal but nevertheless offered immediate funds and made it publicly known to the farmers he was trying to help them but the elite blah blah wouldnt let him................ how do you think that would go down as a cover story for him still championing the poor ?

ooo the possibilities on this one are pretty weeeoooflubberflubber .... pay the farmers before it goes even more wobbly

Edited January 16, 2014 by englishoak

[SOTIRIOS]

......that's right.....unfortunately, this government has 'broken the bank' in every department............and they want more.....giving nothing in return.....shame...

[marcusd]

One way or another the farmers will get paid. Even in the event of a new govt, those payments would have to be honoured. The EC is saying the current govt does not have the authority, in caretaker mode, to commit the funds in the way they are proposing

Lets hope so.. don't want the farmers to be the ones that pay for these mistakes. I don't think anyone is suggesting the farmers don't get paid, but now they should check the whose rice scam to see how much has been lied and those government to government transactions should be checked too.

I for one would say get the money to the farmers now but let the responsible ministers be personally responsible for the funds.

Well I am going to be controversial here.

STUFF THE FARMERS. TOO BLOODY BAD . They are getting what they deserve now. Before I sympathized but too many want too much and will do anything to get something for their own selfish gains to the detriment of the Nation at large.

they votes this corrupt mob in. What you sow you reap and now they are getting done over like a dogs dinner for being gullible stupid and selling their souls to the devil.

[rubl]

One way or another the farmers will get paid. Even in the event of a new govt, those payments would have to be honoured. The EC is saying the current govt does not have the authority, in caretaker mode, to commit the funds in the way they are proposing

Actually the government doesn't have the funds reserved and has just been told by the EC they cannot commit new loans in care-taker mode.

Also the G2G sales of rice with totally unclear sales prices can be seen as causing harm to the country when prices are lower than what the government paid.

All in all it would seem a case of not having prepared enough. The PM was never a boyscout, but it would seem none in her financial team either