Rice farmers threaten 'final showdown' if demands not met

[edwinchester]

Funny how almost half the women in the photo wear headscarves and long dresses. Imported from the South?

Looks exactly like anyone in our own village actually which is a rice/sugar cane farming community in Kanchanaburi.

[Pib]

"Final showdown"....sounds tough...sounds like a title for a cowboy movie. Thais are good at issuing ultimatums (which are frequently revised, then revised again, etc). I do hope the farmers get their money although the rice buying scheme is wasting a lot of tax payers' money. But I also hope this rice buying scheme is radically overhauled very soon if it's a must to have it, because it can't continue in its current form...way too much corruption, loss of money, and not benefiting the farmers as advertised.

[whybother]

Funny how almost half the women in the photo wear headscarves and long dresses. Imported from the South?

Are you suggesting that anyone that works outside and covers up from the sun is a muslim?

[ginjag]

now now John, get out and have a look at how the women dress when they are working in the field, maybe they stopped to support the growers on the way home from earning their pittance of b350/400 day, not everyone has a silver spoon.

Yes just look how normal people dress to avoid the sun. Looks like an other poster that has never been in Thailand posting on political stuff. I wonder why.......

This government has had its last days and should be investigated for corruption. With such a stench of corruption normally a government steps down as not to interfear with the corruption investigation. In the west that is.. and people are saying this is a mature democracy like the west and votes should be respected and such. So what should they do to prove this......

If youve ever done a stint in the rice paddys you'll know exactly why they are covered up from top to toe, its not just the sun.

Indeed, if you been around people who actually work outside you see them covered up from head to too. They don't care how some look like terrorist others like Muslims even though they are not. But this is something someone who actually lives here knows.

He hasn't a clue, I have cut sugar cane--harvested rice- believe me you get well covered, it's not Pattaya beach in the fields.

[whybother]

Yes looks like pretty standard dress for farmers and anyone working out in the sun including on the roads and building sites. jackrich doesn't say where he's from but I'd be surprised if it's from a rural area.

As for the government stepping down I thought they had. I assume they've stayed on as a caretaker government because they have to in the same way as in the UK when an election is called MPs step down but ministers including the PM have to stay at their posts until a new government is formed.

I don't know much about the legalities of the Thai government system but I would have thought there should be some mechanism to enable the farmers to be paid. Maybe something could be done if the Dems cooperated. It would certainly show they are thinking of the people and not just themselves. It might do them some good in the future.

They dissolved parliament. They didn't step down. If Yingluck had stepped down, she wouldn't be the care-taker PM.

[englishoak]

Yes just look how normal people dress to avoid the sun. Looks like an other poster that has never been in Thailand posting on political stuff. I wonder why.......

This government has had its last days and should be investigated for corruption. With such a stench of corruption normally a government steps down as not to interfear with the corruption investigation. In the west that is.. and people are saying this is a mature democracy like the west and votes should be respected and such. So what should they do to prove this......

If youve ever done a stint in the rice paddys you'll know exactly why they are covered up from top to toe, its not just the sun.

Indeed, if you been around people who actually work outside you see them covered up from head to too. They don't care how some look like terrorist others like Muslims even though they are not. But this is something someone who actually lives here knows.

He hasn't a clue, I have cut sugar cane--harvested rice- believe me you get well covered, it's not Pattaya beach in the fields.

Indeed and those cuts sting like a b*****d

[Sunisalom]

Funny how almost half the women in the photo wear headscarves and long dresses. Imported from the South?

PT has been found out. Their supporters now realise they are full of BS and do not give a toss about the farmers. Don't try to create some sort of conspiracy theory out of this. The truth is PT has betrayed their core support through their economic ineptitude.

Does stealing make one inept?

-m.

[kimamey]

Yes looks like pretty standard dress for farmers and anyone working out in the sun including on the roads and building sites. jackrich doesn't say where he's from but I'd be surprised if it's from a rural area.

As for the government stepping down I thought they had. I assume they've stayed on as a caretaker government because they have to in the same way as in the UK when an election is called MPs step down but ministers including the PM have to stay at their posts until a new government is formed.

I don't know much about the legalities of the Thai government system but I would have thought there should be some mechanism to enable the farmers to be paid. Maybe something could be done if the Dems cooperated. It would certainly show they are thinking of the people and not just themselves. It might do them some good in the future.

They dissolved parliament. They didn't step down. If Yingluck had stepped down, she wouldn't be the care-taker PM.

Yes but if she stepped down wouldn't someone have to take her place? I think that would be a good idea if she stepped down actually as she's too close to Thaksin and not a politician which is the real reason for the start of the protests.

There must be someone in charge during an election campaign otherwise another country could just invade whilst there was nobody in charge. I know this happens in the UK and I would think the same is true of most democracies except the USA where the system is different but there's still not a time when there's no government.

[robblok]

Yes looks like pretty standard dress for farmers and anyone working out in the sun including on the roads and building sites. jackrich doesn't say where he's from but I'd be surprised if it's from a rural area.

As for the government stepping down I thought they had. I assume they've stayed on as a caretaker government because they have to in the same way as in the UK when an election is called MPs step down but ministers including the PM have to stay at their posts until a new government is formed.

I don't know much about the legalities of the Thai government system but I would have thought there should be some mechanism to enable the farmers to be paid. Maybe something could be done if the Dems cooperated. It would certainly show they are thinking of the people and not just themselves. It might do them some good in the future.

They dissolved parliament. They didn't step down. If Yingluck had stepped down, she wouldn't be the care-taker PM.

Yes but if she stepped down wouldn't someone have to take her place? I think that would be a good idea if she stepped down actually as she's too close to Thaksin and not a politician which is the real reason for the start of the protests.

There must be someone in charge during an election campaign otherwise another country could just invade whilst there was nobody in charge. I know this happens in the UK and I would think the same is true of most democracies except the USA where the system is different but there's still not a time when there's no government.

Actually they should all step down especially now the corruption cases are investigated so they cant influence the outcome of those. That is how it would be done in a real democracy.. one where I would stand behind the government as the normal checks and balances would be in place.. not like here.

[metisdead]

A nonsense troll post has been removed as well as some of the replies.

[Bluespunk]

Funny how almost half the women in the photo wear headscarves and long dresses. Imported from the South?

PT has been found out. Their supporters now realise they are full of BS and do not give a toss about the farmers. Don't try to create some sort of conspiracy theory out of this. The truth is PT has betrayed their core support through their economic ineptitude.

Does stealing make one inept?

-m.

If you get caught and at same time destroy a major export industry, I guess it would.

[whybother]

Yes but if she stepped down wouldn't someone have to take her place? I think that would be a good idea if she stepped down actually as she's too close to Thaksin and not a politician which is the real reason for the start of the protests.

There must be someone in charge during an election campaign otherwise another country could just invade whilst there was nobody in charge. I know this happens in the UK and I would think the same is true of most democracies except the USA where the system is different but there's still not a time when there's no government.

If she stepped down, a deputy would take her place. This is what happened when Thaksin "stepped down" after the 2006 election. He appointed someone as care-taker PM. Also, when Samak was forced to step down and when Somchai was banned, a deputy became acting PM until a new PM was elected in parliament.

If Yingluck stepped down, that would be a huge step to solving this problem. That doesn't mean that Suthep would suddenly be in power. PTP would still be care-taker government.

[slapout]

The EC is blocking everything from bank payments to farmers, rice sales to China, loans to pay farmers, etc.

The EC clearly has a hidden agenda but most farmers are not stupid and will show it in the next election.

I strongly disagree with you first sentence which appears to be pro government ranting, but the second statement on the 'not stupid' , may not be known until we see how they vote.

Your first statement is a repeat of Kittyrats lies and finger pointing. Contary to what the Finance Minister stated this is as untrue as his statement of 20 million households involved in the rice pledging program. This is not counting those involved in the theft of funds, laundering same, and those involved in storage, transport, milling, purchasing, weighing, testing for mositure, checking rental papers, etc. The number of rice farmers in Thailand seems to be agreed as to about 4 million in total and the AG. bank only records 1/2 of these being signed up to pledge rice..

[ggold]

The EC is blocking everything from bank payments to farmers, rice sales to China, loans to pay farmers, etc.

The EC clearly has a hidden agenda but most farmers are not stupid and will show it in the next election.

So the bank should make payments from their customers money rather than the money the goverment is supposed to supply the bank?

What hidden agenda, the EC are following the law as to what a caretaker government can spend money on. You also forget that the NACC are now investigating the rice scam. It has not been proven that China is actually buying Thai rice. It seems the PTP government is making that claim without providing proof.

You seem to be totally unaware of any facts just spouting BS

[scorecard]

The EC is blocking everything from bank payments to farmers, rice sales to China, loans to pay farmers, etc.

The EC clearly has a hidden agenda but most farmers are not stupid and will show it in the next election.

The EC has said no to a request to raid general deposits to pay the farmers. The EC is totally correct, no bank ever anywhere is allowed to do this and kittirat knows this very very well.

If it did happen surely there would be good grounds to sue the EC commissioners let alone the bank directors.

Further if the EC did approve this I suspect the Bank of Thailand would object very strongly.

There is also the possibility that such an action would cause a downgrade of Thailand by moodies, standard & poors etc.

But of course there are those who say this means the EC has a hidden agenda.

But you

[Ricardo]

Funny how almost half the women in the photo wear headscarves and long dresses. Imported from the South?

Are you suggesting that anyone that works outside and covers up from the sun is a muslim?

And also suggesting that all Thai muslims are from the South, that would be equally mistaken, IME.

Plenty of them up here in the North-West.

[Dogmatix]

Time for Kittirat to stop bothering the EC with demands for more cash to sink into his corruption plagued rice pledging scheme. It is a no brainer that they won't do it as they could be charged with malfeasance, if they release funds which are then stolen by PT cronies. A quick Skype to the boss in his Dubai mansion, the architect of the scheme, is called for to send funds to pay off the farmers and silence them before the elections.

[poisonus]

Personally I never agreed with the rice subsidy from the start - just like the ec farm subsidies, the us farm subsidies, or the aus purchasing schemes (wheat board, wool board) in the past.

But if the farmers are pissed off - ask the EC which has denied payment by the caretaker government under fears it would bias the election - despite the fact the payment commitments were made *before* the parliament was dissolved.

Bullshit.

The commitments were made, but the money was stolen that could have been used to make the payments.

The EC actually block 'borrowing' not 'paying'. This is extra budgetary borrowing that would see another 130 billion wasted on this scheme that you purport to disagree with.

The extra 'borrowing' would do more damage to the economy and all it would do is serve as vote buying and the EC has every right to say NO!!!

Or would you suggest that it would be acceptable for any other party to ask the EC if they can borrow 130 billion to help their own election campaign?... Then get the taxpayer to foot the bill??

Thaksin, Yingluck and the puppet government took their eye off the ball with this issue. Any administration with the slightest intelligence would have had the foresight to put the borrowing request through parliament BEFORE it was dissolved !!!

But NO..... Yingluck went and dissolved parliament without realizing this was coming to bite her hard. Just goes to show how stupid this lot really are, and not fit to run a kids sports day let alone an emerging nation.

Edited January 19, 2014 by poisonus

[tim armstrong]

Valentine, some of the farmers may lose their title deeds, but for sure the lenders have a problem too. The rice paddies cannot be turned into condos and sold off, and only farmers know how to farm. There is no replacement group, like a large scale agribusiness to step in and takeover 20 rai. Also many farms in Thailand still have not been properly surveyed, - its happening around us only now. So the time taken to establish legal ownership would for sure have a knock on effect on rice and other ag. production.

But the farmers are not entirely blameless. Encouraged by government, and the companies that support farming, many farmers have kept on planting more than the usual two crops a year, because there has been no real cap put on rice production. So some farmers have benefited from that. But clearly, the whole fiasco is the governments problem and they are now desperately trying to find a scapegoat.

[culicine]

I heard Thaksin is loaded, maybe he can shell out for it this time....

[Scamper]

The Thaksin base is unravelling faster than anyone possibly imagined. There was always the nagging problem of what would happen when the money dried up.

[fab4]

Perhaps the band Europe could remix their "hit" as "The Final Showdown" thus ensuring royalties not only during the new year but throughout the suthep and various hangers on "Marching Season"?

[Siripon]

Valentine, some of the farmers may lose their title deeds, but for sure the lenders have a problem too. The rice paddies cannot be turned into condos and sold off, and only farmers know how to farm. There is no replacement group, like a large scale agribusiness to step in and takeover 20 rai. Also many farms in Thailand still have not been properly surveyed, - its happening around us only now. So the time taken to establish legal ownership would for sure have a knock on effect on rice and other ag. production.

But the farmers are not entirely blameless. Encouraged by government, and the companies that support farming, many farmers have kept on planting more than the usual two crops a year, because there has been no real cap put on rice production. So some farmers have benefited from that. But clearly, the whole fiasco is the governments problem and they are now desperately trying to find a scapegoat.

A major flaw with this scheme is the promise of 15,000 baht per tonne regardless of the strain or quality of rice, there is every incentive for the farmer to produce the lowest quality, highest quantity of rice he can.

An utterly foolish scheme aside from the corruption loopholes.

And it doesn't benefit the poor, the subsistence farmer significantly, anyone with less than 7 rai is going to keep the rice for consumption. It's those with 20 rai and up who benefit.

[allan michaud]

Funny how almost half the women in the photo wear headscarves and long dresses. Imported from the South?

And just because you are a fat guy with tattoos doesn't mean you are a sexpat.

I suggest you buy some glasses before making such a moronic comment. I could count roughly 23 women in the picture with 2 in headscarves and one wearing your very traditional rice field attire of a kind of head covering (in green). That does not come even close to "almost half" and the 2 that are wearing head scarves could equally be wearing their normal rice field attire.

[SICHONSTEVE]

Many farmers have borrowed money for such things as fertilizer, chemicals, and so on to start and raise a Rice crop.

They are paying interest to the lenders with the belief that when they sell their crop to the government at the government pledge price they will get the funds to repay their debts to the lenders, and even make a profit to feed their families.

Not to get that money promised to them for pledging their Rice to the Rice Scheme is a matter of great importance to these farmers.

It is latterly life and death for their families.

That's why they feel so betrayed by the government promises of payment they believed were true.

It's not "just politics" to them .... it's life or death for their families.

The Rice scheme was always a money loser, because the pledge price was always intended to be higher than any fair market price the government could expect to receive from the sales of it's pledged Rice stocks.

That is how the red shirt government baited the hook to reel in the farmers and their votes.

Now he government has danced it's merry dance to the fiddler's tune, but they haven't yet paid the fiddler's fee.

As Benjamin Franklin said,

"Experience is a dear teacher, but fools will oft learn in no other."

It's time to pay the fiddler now.

Not that we will ever see any statistics but many farmers will lose their land to the owners of the fertilizer companies & loan sharks who will be holding land papers for this borrowed money. The rice scheme has many aspects to it one of which is a land grab.

Only themselves to blame!!!

Back a loser and you become a loser!!

Maybe it will only be loan sharks that will be backing the government next time - If someone is homeless do they still get to vote?

Edited January 19, 2014 by SICHONSTEVE

[metisdead]

A troll post has been removed as well as the replies.

[4u2mad]

Not that we will ever see any statistics but many farmers will lose their land to the owners of the fertilizer companies & loan sharks who will be holding land papers for this borrowed money. The rice scheme has many aspects to it one of which is a land grab.

Being highly cynical, i would suggest that this may be not to far from the truth. Landless people would basically HAVE to accept whatever work is available, at whatever rate, in order not to starve.

The rich get richer, the poor poorer

Civil war?

[nickynomates]

The rice farmers will be the final straw that could well break this donkey's back.

[robertson468]

If you look back a few days ago there was a report in here that 8 out of 9 payments were made to the northern disricts for their rice. So why would they be complaining when the PM takes care of them first. I would say the South has good reason to be angry Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I did pose the teaser the other day that it would be a good journalistic piece to show who was paid when, compared to when they donated their rice to this "very dodgy scheme", giving a geographical slant, just for fun! No Journalists prepared to take up the challenge? Oh, nearly forgot, all the data is TOP SECRET!

[ianf]

Personally I never agreed with the rice subsidy from the start - just like the ec farm subsidies, the us farm subsidies, or the aus purchasing schemes (wheat board, wool board) in the past.

But if the farmers are pissed off - ask the EC which has denied payment by the caretaker government under fears it would bias the election - despite the fact the payment commitments were made *before* the parliament was dissolved.

Well it wasn't a subsidy in the manner of those, say, in the EEC.

This madcap scheme was not thought through (same for the computers and subsidised cars etc).

I have seen over the years, Thaksin throw out a policy like this.

His accolytes do not question it and they do not analyse it.

There is no peer review.

Don't forget "Thaksin Thinks, ....." etc.

It was a bribe to win the farmers to his side.

Let's hope that this backfires big time.

Thaksin is not only dangerous, he's an idiot because he expects his crazy ideas to work and in the rice case, it's destroyed a whole industry.

Off course, Thaksin thinks .....Pheau Thai Does ..... the People Suffer. And so does the environment ......