Another problem rears its head for Thai government: Analysis

[scorecard]

Suthep and the Dems strategy is so obvious! It's not about being a dictator or wrangling for power nor is this even about Abhisit!

As some would suggest on this forum.

This is about exposing the faults of PTP (Pardon Thaskin party) It's about bringing the Shin a whats? down for good.

The Dems know deep down that nothing can change until these people are brought under control.

I think it is a great strategy. Risky? yes but I believe the momentum from the anti government will prevail and after the courts and independent

groups are finished this government will be finished. The protester's will go home. Suthep will go to jail (for awhile) Abhisit and the rest of Dems

will start getting their act together and start new fresh elections with oversight and a new charter. One that is fair for all and that will actually

benefit the Thai people.

The Shinawatras are not the root cause of this conflict. This conflict over control of Thailand and its "system" has been going on since 1932 look before Mr. Thaksin was standing up to relieve himself.

Yeah its not Thaksin who polirized the country and made himself a false messiah for rural and poor thais to suit his own agenda. There is inequality in thailand but there is also a chance for all people to make a decent living.

?

[KED]

Suthep and the Dems strategy is so obvious! It's not about being a dictator or wrangling for power nor is this even about Abhisit!

As some would suggest on this forum.

This is about exposing the faults of PTP (Pardon Thaskin party) It's about bringing the Shin a whats? down for good.

The Dems know deep down that nothing can change until these people are brought under control.

I think it is a great strategy. Risky? yes but I believe the momentum from the anti government will prevail and after the courts and independent

groups are finished this government will be finished. The protester's will go home. Suthep will go to jail (for awhile) Abhisit and the rest of Dems

will start getting their act together and start new fresh elections with oversight and a new charter. One that is fair for all and that will actually

benefit the Thai people.

You paint the dems in bright colours. I wish their intentions would be that sincere. Unfortunately they are just the lesser of 2 evils. I call this situation a cancer vs chemotherapy both are bad for the country but with the latest you at least have a chance.

How long have you been here.....

I have been living in Thailand for 8 years now and have visited for over 20 - not that that necessarily gives anyone more insight - I agree with Spartakos that the Democratic party is the lesser of two evils for Thailand; however, I am saddened to realize that either party is too filled with corrupt members to actually help the average Thai citizen.

[wolfmanjack]

I'm no accountant or investor by any means, but having checked out rice prices over the last 60 months (indexmundi.com) I was surprised to find that the Thai government was buying rice in at well less than the average world price until very recently.

For example - in September 2011, the world price was $615 per metric ton, with another article stating that the Thai government payment to the farmers was $480 per metric ton.

The fall in the world price began in October 2011 until a blip in May 2012 where it rose again to $606.14 before falling again until December 2013's record low price of $447.55.In September 2012 the world price was $590.50,and it finally dropped below the government's purchase price last September.

Taking into account the government's need for profit and the fact that no government anywhere could be called altruistic, it seems there would have been enough space for profit between government buying and selling prices for a good few months before the bottom fell out of the world price.

Rice is a traded commodity influenced by world demand and the profits being made by dealers, Western corporate manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers as well as the supply worldwide.

Other SEA nations selling rice at less, thats commerce, how do you expect any government to predict this as well as world demand and weather-dependent supply two years ahead? How many of you guys lost because you made a mistake in predicting the market?

If anyone's got an answer to the above or I've (likely) misunderstood the figures, please do post!

It seems to be a better explanation of the ups and resultant downs of the rice scheme than blaming it all government corruption, although I don't deny the 'possiblity' of that.

I'd hate to have to analyse a few of Suthep's schemes, if he ever bothered to explain them in detail...

Did you take into account that the 15,000 to 20,000 baht per metric ton is for paddy rice with up to 15% humidity content and the world market quotes are for milled rice? You would also need to take into account the exchange rate which has varied from a low of 28 baht to the US$ to 33 baht to the US$.

[Mark Thaiford]

In a normal democracy when a government makes a mess of its policy as Yingluck's government has done with the rice pledge scheme the opposition would get a boost in support as it would win over disaffected voters.

However, Thailand is not a normal democracy, but that is not due to Thaksin. Thailand is not a normal democracy due to the attitudes of the Bangkok elite who insist on a version of democracy that only takes into account the interests of their own narrow demographic.

The Democratic party has refused to engage with the Northern and North-Eastern voters who now have reasons to change their support from the Shinawatras to other political groups. The only reply the Democrat party has for these disaffected voters is that A) You are stupid You are uneducated C) You are not worthy to have the right to vote.

So even when some farmers may want to find alternatives to the Shinawatras they are rebuffed by the idiotic attitudes of the Thai elite and the Democratic party.

The reason why Thai democracy is not working has nothing to do with the Shinawatras - their only crime is that they have introduced modern electoral politics to Thailand. The problem with Thai democracy is solely to do with the dinosaurs now campaigning to deprive the majority of the population of a say in how the country is run - as long as the Democratic party does not engage with and respect all voters Thailand will stay a failed state.

[kurnell]

I think tourists should start protesting their shoddy treatment.

[rojack45]

Suthep and the Dems strategy is so obvious! It's not about being a dictator or wrangling for power nor is this even about Abhisit!

As some would suggest on this forum.

This is about exposing the faults of PTP (Pardon Thaskin party) It's about bringing the Shin a whats? down for good.

The Dems know deep down that nothing can change until these people are brought under control.

I think it is a great strategy. Risky? yes but I believe the momentum from the anti government will prevail and after the courts and independent

groups are finished this government will be finished. The protester's will go home. Suthep will go to jail (for awhile) Abhisit and the rest of Dems

will start getting their act together and start new fresh elections with oversight and a new charter. One that is fair for all and that will actually

benefit the Thai people.

The Shinawatras are not the root cause of this conflict. This conflict over control of Thailand and its "system" has been going on since 1932 look before Mr. Thaksin was standing up to relieve himself.

Exactly right. Anyone with any understanding of 20th Century Thai history can trace the roots of this conflict back to the events of that year. There's a hell of a lot of hotheaded ignorance spouted on these forums that might be best addressed by a little reading (some of which you might have to do outside the country).

Finally....someone who gets it.... Bravo posters Noitom and snig27!

[harada]

Meltdown for tourism in Thailand and the retail businesses in a downward spiral .The only group doing well is the vendors at mob sites. Street vendors who are fixed at regular sites are suffering with the lack if customers Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

The vendors at Victory Monument didn't do too well yesterday.

[Thai at Heart]

I'm no accountant or investor by any means, but having checked out rice prices over the last 60 months (indexmundi.com) I was surprised to find that the Thai government was buying rice in at well less than the average world price until very recently.

For example - in September 2011, the world price was $615 per metric ton, with another article stating that the Thai government payment to the farmers was $480 per metric ton.

The fall in the world price began in October 2011 until a blip in May 2012 where it rose again to $606.14 before falling again until December 2013's record low price of $447.55.In September 2012 the world price was $590.50,and it finally dropped below the government's purchase price last September.

Taking into account the government's need for profit and the fact that no government anywhere could be called altruistic, it seems there would have been enough space for profit between government buying and selling prices for a good few months before the bottom fell out of the world price.

Rice is a traded commodity influenced by world demand and the profits being made by dealers, Western corporate manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers as well as the supply worldwide.

Other SEA nations selling rice at less, thats commerce, how do you expect any government to predict this as well as world demand and weather-dependent supply two years ahead? How many of you guys lost because you made a mistake in predicting the market?

If anyone's got an answer to the above or I've (likely) misunderstood the figures, please do post!

It seems to be a better explanation of the ups and resultant downs of the rice scheme than blaming it all government corruption, although I don't deny the 'possiblity' of that.

I'd hate to have to analyse a few of Suthep's schemes, if he ever bothered to explain them in detail...

That doesn't include the milling losses.

[Jay Sata]

It's not rocket science to see who runs Thailand.

It's the Sino Thai family's who took the country by stealth over a hundred years ago. Walk down any street in any city in Thailand and see the signs above the shops or outside of the factories. The Shin's are just another big name in the Sino Thai culture.

I guess about 80% of Thai's rely on their income from the Sino Thai dynasties who run just about everything in the Land of Smiles.

[waza]

Then the problems got worse.....

"EC rejects government’s 130-billion baht rice loans"

and worse......

"and the using of 50 billion baht fund from the liquidity of the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives to pay rice farmers."

But true to their corrupt form the PTP went off half cocked...........

"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."

As the rock was lifted the true extent of their lies and corruption is being revealed.......

"NACC probe on PM a big setback to image of govt: Teerachai"

"Probe into PM Yingluck will be comprehensive "

"Thai Rice sale to China delayed by legal limbo over 'caretaker' powers"

"Thai farmers demand rice payment on Monday"

"Rice farmers threaten 'final showdown' if demands not met "

The treasury is empty, they had a self funding rice scheme that Thaksin claimed would double it money in three years all it would take is a Bht 500 billion loan to start, now its a Bht 800 billion blackhole. The government have protestors blockading Bangkok, rice farmers revolting in the heartlands, the judiciary exposing their dirty linen, a third hand lobbing granades and shooting protestors, an election in 2 weeks and they haven't started their election campaign yet!.........Poor Yingluck

The horror! I wanna quit caddy

No you cant quit Poo, now we both need a blanket amnesty

Edited January 19, 2014 by waza

[Rooo]

Please use correct names of parties & politicians when posting, I have let a post & replies quoting it stay, any such future posts of this nature mocking names will be deleted with no explanation.

[simon43]

In Phuket (Suthep country) when the police are caught on film collecting huge bribes

Ineed. It is not a huge surprise to note that those tourist areas famous for corruption (Phuket, Samui and Pattaya) are all Democrats strongholds, and those tourist areas under PTP control (Chiang Mai) have no such reputation...

[Mosha]

Getting back to the rice. The farmers should learn that a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush. At least the Dems paid them, and not much less than what they end up with under this lot. (When they do get anything.)