Rice row could see Phichit leaders join Bangkok protest

[webfact]

RICE PLEDGING SCHEME
Rice row could see Phichit leaders join Bangkok protest
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- UPSET AT THE breakdown of the rice-pledging scheme, local leaders in Phichit are considering joining the People's Democratic Reform Committee's anti-government protest to pacify farmers who have not been paid for their crops.

Payments to farmers participating in the ruling Pheu Thai Party's flagship populist programme have been delayed repeatedly for months.

The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) has said the government has not yet approved an additional budget for the scheme, so it cannot pay the hundreds of thousands of farmers who have pawned their paddy. In Phichit alone, more than 40,000 farmers have gone unpaid.

Nearly 100 kamnans and village heads gathered at the BAAC's Phichit branch to demand updates on the scheme's payment and ask that the branch refrain from pressing farmers for repayments of loans they had to take out to cover expenses while waiting for their income from the scheme.

Some 300 kamnans and village heads also rallied in front of Phichit Provincial Administration Organisation. Many were discussing the idea of supporting the PDRC, which has staged mass demonstrations against the government for a couple of months, hoping to implement reform ahead of elections.

Kittisak Rattanawaraha, chairman of the Northern Farmers Network, said separately that farmers from five provinces would converge on Bangkok to rally against the government. "We will use 100 farm vehicles per province," he said.

In Angthong, more than 400 farmers submitted an ultimatum to Governor Pawin Chamniprasart to facilitate the payment for pledged rice by January 27.

"If there's no positive response, farmers across the province will stage a big demonstration," said Songpon Poonsawas, chairman of the Angthong Farmers Confederation.

Police have recommended that public prosecutors indict Kittipong Saenworakul for alleged embezzlement in the rice-pledging scheme.

The Public Warehouse Organisa-tion under the Commerce Ministry has accused Kittipong of failing to deliver more than 1,260 tonnes of rice to the scheme. Corruption has reportedly plagued the scheme, which has incurred huge losses.


-- The Nation 2014-01-23

[Nowhereman60]

Don't worry guys you will get your money, Suthep promise that yesterday. Just relax the check is in the mail.

[notmyself]

As I said yesterday, the perfect storm.

[NongKhaiKid]

This should be a major worry for the government as it's likely to spread since money trumps most things here.

If, by any divine intervention, the government finds the money to cough up the overdue payments will the farmers pack up and go home or will they realise it's only a temporary measure and the same is likely to happen again and again ?

[Robby nz]

Police have recommended that public prosecutors indict Kittipong Saenworakul for alleged embezzlement in the rice-pledging scheme.

The Public Warehouse Organisa-tion under the Commerce Ministry has accused Kittipong of failing to deliver more than 1,260 tonnes of rice to the scheme. Corruption has reportedly plagued the scheme, which has incurred huge losses.

So the new plan is to attack the farmers leaders and try to discredit them.

[JRSoul]

Don't worry guys you will get your money, Suthep promise that yesterday. Just relax the check is in the mail.

Suthep has absolutely SFA to do with writing rice scam payment cheques. He stated that the next government would honour the current criminals debts.

Edited January 22, 2014 by JRSoul

[Nowhereman60]

JR Soul your comments to me are blocked so it useless to reply to me because I care less about any remarks you make.

[whybother]

JR Soul your comments to me are blocked so it useless to reply to me because I care less about any remarks you make.

I think you just got sick of being corrected all the time.

Sent from my phone ...

[Crushdepth]

JR Soul your comments to me are blocked so it useless to reply to me because I care less about any remarks you make.

Everyone else will see them though.

[Crushdepth]

As I said yesterday, the perfect storm.

There does seem to be some karma descending on their heads.

[hughben]

The farmers have been talking about this for over a week. They said they would march into Bangkok last week.

I wish they would just make their minds up.

[Siripon]

The farmers have been talking about this for over a week. They said they would march into Bangkok last week.

I wish they would just make their minds up.

For sure they would rather have the money and Kittirat keeps promising them they'll get it any day now.

But disappointment can quickly turn to anger and once those tractors and etains are in Bangkok blocking streets it really will be Bangkok shutdown!

[trogers]

Payments to farmers participating in the ruling Pheu Thai Party's flagship populist programme have been delayed repeatedly for months.

The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) has said the government has not yet approved an additional budget for the scheme, so it cannot pay the hundreds of thousands of farmers who have pawned their paddy. In Phichit alone, more than 40,000 farmers have gone unpaid.

Hmmm...talk about timing. Assuming the Amnesty Bill had been passed, I wonder if we would by now see a group of investors from Middle East inspecting the paddy fields of these poor farmers who are drowning in debts...

[tomross46]

Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance, (PPPPPP). Our leaders in the government, knows where the money went. We all know it did not go to the farmers. Was the rice pledging to support the farmers, or to put more money into the pockets of politicians and their supporters? Was the pledges made by the PTP a form of vote buying?

[fiberman]

JR Soul your comments to me are blocked so it useless to reply to me because I care less about any remarks you make.

Do us all a favour Nowhereman and <deleted>. We are all fed up with having to read through your crap.

[gerry1011]

Pichit is not a PT stronghold...

What a coincidence

The Democrat MPs are busy creating unrest it seems...

Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[kevvy]

Don't worry guys you will get your money, Suthep promise that yesterday. Just relax the check is in the mail.

they have already gone to dubai

[Thait Spot]

JR Soul your comments to me are blocked so it useless to reply to me because I care less about any remarks you make.

What's the point of being on a forum if you just want to listen to people who agree with you?

The rest of us have to put up with your red shirted babbling in just about every thread on here and filter out repeat after repeat.

Maybe you should pack your tent and head off to darkest Udon where you can attend red shirt school and try your monologue with the toothless old rice farmers over a bottle of lao Khao and some laab kwai

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Nowhereman60]

JR Soul your comments to me are blocked so it useless to reply to me because I care less about any remarks you make.

Do us all a favour Nowhereman and <deleted>. We are all fed up with having to read through your crap.

You can also block me if you don't like to hear the truth.

[darren84310]

JR Soul your comments to me are blocked so it useless to reply to me because I care less about any remarks you make.

JR Soul made a comment that was accurate according to events, whereas your comment was just an off the cuff dig at Suthep, which of course your aloud to make, but so is he allowed to correct you.

[belg]

and i guess they will still continue this rice scam

[casualbiker]

Pichit is not a PT stronghold...

What a coincidence

The Democrat MPs are busy creating unrest it seems...

Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

So the PT strong holds have ALL been paid on time?

I'm not sure that is correct BUT if it is. just goes to show that this WAS/IS a vote buying scheme.

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Baerboxer]

JR Soul your comments to me are blocked so it useless to reply to me because I care less about any remarks you make.

Do us all a favour Nowhereman and <deleted>. We are all fed up with having to read through your crap.

You can also block me if you don't like to hear the truth.

Good idea, Your version of "reality and truth" is straight out of the red book of propaganda and history rewrites.

Let Khun Kittirat show where every baht as been spent, as he claims to know (suddenly, as he didn't before)

Let the ministers who promised payments in October - December, and repeatedly lies that the money was available be challenged to explain

Let the NACC thoroughly investigate this seemingly corrupt scheme - and have the balls to charge all wrongdoers, no matter how high up the chain,

This scheme is nothing to do with the EC, BAAC, Suthep or the NACC - it was envisaged, designed, implemented and run by PTP.

Meantime - bye bye. Good trolling.

[BestBitterPhuket]

What am irony. The rice farmers coming to

Join the protesters who want to stop the rice pledging scheme.

The rice scheme has to stop ASAP. It's ruining Thailand, and many rice farmers who was counting on it to continue in definitely, and who have therefore taken up big car loans and housing mortgages, will be ruined too.

[JRSoul]

On top of that, clearing government stockpiles will depress rice prices for some years to come. Well, until the government rice is so old NOBODY will touch it.

On second thought, with so much old rice in the stockpile now, how would buyers know they are getting? If that time has come, or is close, the final balance of the scam will be an enormous loss.

[Nickymaster]

JR Soul your comments to me are blocked so it useless to reply to me because I care less about any remarks you make.

I think you just got sick of being corrected all the time.

Sent from my phone ...

Correct. He always makes smart ass comments. When asked for clarification he gets angry and starts making nasty comments. If that doesn't scare you, he will block you.

[Nickymaster]

Pichit is not a PT stronghold...

What a coincidence

The Democrat MPs are busy creating unrest it seems...

Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

..because the farmers don't really need the money it must be the Dems...

[casualbiker]

What am irony. The rice farmers coming to

Join the protesters who want to stop the rice pledging scheme.

The rice scheme has to stop ASAP. It's ruining Thailand, and many rice farmers who was counting on it to continue in definitely, and who have therefore taken up big car loans and housing mortgages, will be ruined too.

Many of the rice farmers are beginning to realize that the Democrats rice guaranty scheme was better!

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[smutcakes]

I thought given the last few days headline they had already joined. Everyday the headline reads 'Rice growers join PDRC'

[Lobber]

....And these are the Kanmans that have conned the poor farmers to support the reds, I feel sorry for the farmers.

I just hope they see sense (not Baht) and vote the right way next time.