Rice farmers heading to Bangkok to try and oust govt

[Robby nz]

Got to stop these rice farmers, extend the SOE to cover the whole country.

Then Thaksin will have the dictatorship he so dearly desires.

[metisdead]

A troll post spewing derogatory nonsense has been removed as well as the replies quoting the post.

[Scamper]

All the districts sited here are strongly Pheu Thai ones. That's what makes this story so extraordinary. And now the farmers - the very core of the Thaksin coalition - are joining the PDRC to bring down the Yingluck administration. Once they arrive in Bangkok, Chalerm will be faced with another dilemma. How does he handle the farmers ?

[SICHONSTEVE]

I have already admitted my error but this doesn't seem to have been published!!

[Fryslan boppe]

A PAD-Dem group for sure...How do I know:..Let me count the ways:

1. They are called a 'network'...A dead give-away...That is a favorite term used by PAD-Dems seeking to segment themselves and making it appear they have support outside themselves. If one were to track all the times PAD-Dem's come up with this network or that one, the country would be entirely made up of networks. For them, a group they assemble to oppose the Govt. is a network with organizational roots and historical standing, independently sharing their agenda.
2. Phichit is a commonly known PAD-Dem area
3. These so-called farmers were wearing whistles.

I could go on, but to imply that there is momentum of support for protesters and using the descriptor 'rice farmers' as if it has connotations outside Phichit and outside PAD-Dem circles is a reach.

Edited January 22, 2014 by Fryslan boppe

[ianf]

the democrats should have registered for the election irrespective of the protests - the very word democrat means that they should be supporting the democratic process - by boycotting them they have disenfranchised their supporters and if the PTP get re-elected they will be legally able to pay the rice farmers and others thereby winning back the support they seem in danger of losing at the moment. You cannot declare a government as illegitimate on the basis that they know or are related to Thaksin, you have to win the hearts and minds of people and get their votes. An unelected peoples council is about as legitimate as a military coup or communist revolution. All that would happen is that they would attempt to "reform politics" but in reality give the PTP time to regroup and regain their popularity - if they get their way then they can never risk free elections again.

That is why the democrats resigned from parliament and boycotted the election - because Thailand does not have democracy. Elections are a part of the democratic process but there is a lot more to it than that. They want reform before elections, same as the protestors and that reform is badly needed because PT keep perverting the laws to suit themselves and getting further and further away from democracy. They hide behind it when it suits them 'we were elected' but Thaksin does not want the checks and balances that real democracy brings with it, he wants all the power for himself. When there is the chance that true democracy may be allowed to start here, I am sure the Deems will be back.

Excellent post from someone who really understands the situation. Thank goodness for people like this.

[SICHONSTEVE]

A PAD-Dem group for sure...How do I know:..Let me count the ways:

1. They are called a 'network'...A dead give-away...That is a favorite term used by PAD-Dems seeking to segment themselves and making it appear they have support outside themselves.
2. Phichit is a commonly known PAD-Dem area
3. These so-called farmers were wearing whistles.

I could go on, but to imply that there is momentum of support for protesters and using the descriptor 'rice farmers' as if it has connotations outside Phichit is a reach and apparent to all discerning readers.

Pichit has 1 out of 3 Democrat MP's there - probably a party list MP so I would hardly say that is was a PAD (sic)/ Democrat stronghold!!!

[Dogmatix]

It is not hard to see that either selling your government IOU at a 30-50% discount to get cash or paying interest to loan sharks at 7% a month can easily result in a lower price than they could have got without the rice pledging scheme. No wonder they are pissed off and now they need cash to plant the next crop.

[Robby nz]

Asia Rd is now closed by the rice farmers south of Singburi, the Mrs is on a bus heading this way and they have been diverted to another road.

They think BKK shutdown is bad wait till the rice farmers shut down the whole country.

[SICHONSTEVE]

Asia Rd is now closed by the rice farmers south of Singburi, the Mrs is on a bus heading this way and they have been diverted to another road.

They think BKK shutdown is bad wait till the rice farmers shut down the whole country.

Isn't it wonderfully ironic that it is going to be the farmers that drive the final nail into the PTP coffin!!!

Now who would have thought that 6 months ago - I just can't get over the hilarity of it all.

[NanLaew]

Wow. Rice farmers and the "elite", working side by side to topple the government.

And after they have succeeded? Will they still stand side by side?

In a country with a more mature political system, the fact that the rice-pledging scheme was a total fiasco would have been seized upon by a viable opposition party and they could have turned the vote of the disenfranchised farmer to their advantage. Unfortunately, since NO other party in LOS chooses to embrace populism (or the fallout when it goes wrong) as a means of winning an election, we now have this alleged coalition of royalists and peasants seeking to oust the government? Rubbish!

If the Democrats ever had a single thought for the HUGE majority of eligible voters OUTSIDE the Bangkok city walls, they could have capitalized on the very real shortcomings of PTP and come up with credible solutions and alternative policies. But that would mean working hard, including huge amounts of internal horse-trading between their own very significant special interest groups, sponsors and benefactors and actually coming up with real policies and plans. Being LOS, that was filed under the 'too hard' category so the easy cop-out was to boycott the election and let their former deputy PM 'lead' what they see as a popular insurrection.

The incumbents and the wannabe's don't give a toss as to what the people want or deserve. They are too busy waiting for the daily update from the palace to see if they are any closer to getting the keys to the big house.

[Ricardo]

Where wil Suthep and the "peoples council" get the money to pay the farmers, if the Governement doesn't have it?

By reducing corruption from 30% to 10% of most state spending, and cutting other PTP-schemes like the cheap Chinese computers, or the yet-to-be-shown-to-be-profitable infrastructure-spending, or the flood-defence plans, or the four new government-travel aircraft, or halving the PM's foreign-travel budget ?

Take your pick !

By the way, while trying to fund the current relatively-small government-default for payments for the current crop, don't forget that all the previous borrowing & interest, for all the previous rice-scheme payouts, will also need to be repaid when the bonds fall due.

Then there's the write-offs when the existing massive rice-stocks are eventually disposed-of, the storage/fumigation/transport costs related to existing stocks, the costs of the scheme will be a burden on the taxpayer for some time yet to come.

Wonder what the Big Boss's plan is for all that ... apart from fudging money from other scams schemes, which aren't properly monitored ?

Edited January 22, 2014 by Ricardo

[SouthernMan3]

is it possible that the S.O.E. is a way in which the Govt wants to keep the farmers out of Bangkok and stop them from joining the protest . do they really think this will stop them from voting against them in the next election. is TS really tha stupid to think he can control them by instigating a state of emergency me thinks not because they are not that stupid .

Then let the ballotbox do the talking!!

The ballot box will have nothing to say as there are not 95% of MPs available to vote on.

Therefore vote is moot.

[mrtoad]

This should be a valuable lesson to politicians when banding about promises that can't be kept. Hopefully, the farmers will be the ones that finish off the disgustingly corrupt, criminal led regime.

[looping]

This headline warms my heart.

Finally, Thaksin may unite the country after all, in a way he could never of imagined

[Crushdepth]

Where wil Suthep and the "peoples council" get the money to pay the farmers, if the Governement doesn't have it?

They'll borrow it back off Thaksin, with interest of course.

[Showbags]

Note to farmers...don't bring rice, plenty here on hand.

[Soupdragon]

Where wil Suthep and the "peoples council" get the money to pay the farmers, if the Governement doesn't have it?

They'll borrow it back off Thaksin, with interest of course.

Lovely idea, the money goes full circle, twice.

[Robby nz]

Mrs and her friends have just got back from taking food to the farmers who have been closing Asia Rd south of Singburi.

Seems there has been trouble there today with a red leader who has turned up and tried to take over, he has been putting people (farmers and town people ) off joining and telling them they are not wanted.

He has apparently been saying he has funding for the protests and will provide things like tents and speaker systems, the farmers don't trust him and want nothing to do with him as they don't want any party affiliation mixed up with their protest as it is solely about non payment.

The farmers have gone home for the night now as they think it would not be safe for them to stay after dark considering what has happened in BKK.

They will be back again tomorrow morning and so will the lady boss so I will know more then.

[Dogmatix]

The emergency decree has been declared in the nick of time to prevent these people from coming into Bangkok. The government certainly doesn't want to open a second front against farmers while it is still battling the Chinese middle class in Bangkok and the Southerners in Bangkok and in the South. If the Northerners and Northeasterners rise up against them at the same time, it will make it a bit harder for Yingluck to justify staying on.

Kittirat better raise some cash fast, even if it means that he will have to go to prison for malfeasance afterwards. He must sacrifice himself to save his boss and his sister. They will surely send him donuts and KFC in prison.

[scorecard]

Where wil Suthep and the "peoples council" get the money to pay the farmers, if the Governement doesn't have it?

They'll borrow it back off Thaksin, with interest of course.

Lovely idea, the money goes full circle, twice.

The interest on the borrowed money mentioned just above, would that be at loan shark rates?

[Maestro]

Removed a troll post about fish.

[Robby nz]

I see the Govt is about to raise some more money through another auction ;

Commerce holds rice auction as rice protest grows

As the Commerce Ministry is now holding rice auction to get money to repay farmers, rice farmers in almost all parts of the country are stepping up pressure to force payment for their rice with the blockading of highways, government offices, roads.

Some also are on their way to Bangkok to join anti-government protests.
Deputy Commerce Minister Yanyong Puangrath today chaired the opening of the AFET’s rice bidding for the 2013 – 2014 rice crop stocks which amounts to 148,940 tons.

Nineteen out twenty seven bidders were approved as eligible bidders and sales should begin by the following week. He also stated that a further bidding through AFET of 150,000 – 200,000 ton of rice stocks is being considered in order to expedite payments to farmers.

As bidding is being held, rice farmers from 5 provinces in the central plains have now blockaded the Asian Highway causing the crippling of the Ang Thong to Singhburi stretch of the highway. The farmers blockaded both the inbound and outbound route of the highway in front of the Phromburi School in Ang Thong province demanding that the government pay them the promised compensations in the government’s controversial rice pledging scheme. They have also threatened an increase in the level of their protests should no payments be forthcoming.

Rice farmers in Lopburi province are also protesting demanding payments in the government’s rice pledging scheme and have gathered on the grounds of the Wat Sra Yai temple in Sra Bod district. They are threatening to round up government rice pledging scheme vouchers to file charges with the police should their payments not be received. Furthermore, they are threatening to close of the provincial town hall and various vital junctions in the province should the government not meet their demands.

Rice farmers from 12 districts in Phichit province have taken to the streets in a 10 km long procession on the Sri Mala road. They are protesting the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Co-operatives collection of both the principal and interest on loans made to farmers. They are demanding that the collection be delayed until the government pays them the promised compensations in the rice pledging scheme.

Farmers from almost all 32 districts in Nakhon Ratchasima have handed in papers to the government to complain about their inability to pay off loans because they were not paid the promised compensations in the rice pledging scheme.

Source: http://englishnews.t...e-protest-grows

in this auction will not

-- Thai PBS 2014-01-22

It should be noted that the last auctions they have held only 110 K tons out of 400 K tons on offer have actually been sold and that delivery of whatever is sold this time will not be till March, April, May.

Presumably payment (except possibly a deposit) would not be made till delivery date or after as the buyers would want to inspect what they are being given.

That being the case then this sale will have little or no effect on the present situation.