Northeast farmers now threaten to blockade Friendship Highway

[Lite Beer]

Northeast farmers now threaten to blockade Friendship Highway

BANGKOK: -- Northeast farmers today threatened to the country’s major Friendship Highway to pressure for the payment of their rice by the caretaker government.

They said Friday, 25 January, as the deadline for the government to settle overdue payments for the rice pledging scheme.

The latest threat came after farmers in other regions have already blocked the south-bound and north-bound highways yesterday, although some have removed the blockades to pressure the government.

Farmers’ protest leaders representing t20 provinces in northeast Thailand set-up a public staging area to declare that the government pay-up by tomorrow.

Failing to receive payments, this particular group consisting of over 10,000 farmers would gather on Monday, 27 January to close off the Friendship Highway.

Elsewhere, rice farmers from Ratchaburi, Phetchburi and Samut Songkram today banded together to close off the Rama II Highway within the vicinity of the Pak Tho district demanding the government for immediate settlement of the now six months overdue payments of the rice pledging scheme which obviously resulted in horrendous traffic conditions.

During the negotiation with Ratchaburi governor Mr Narong Klongchon, he managed to convince farmers to vacate the area, promising them that he would bring their grievances to the central government immediately.

The group however demanded that the government settle all overdue payments by 31 January or they would be back again to blockade the south-bound highway.

Elsewhere, hundreds of farmers gathered at the Ubon Ratchathani Provincial Hall to demand payment for their pledged crops stating that they were highly indebted as they had purchased farm equipment and fertilizers on credit.

Moreover, they were now not able to pay their children’s school fees. Some had resorted to taking up loans from loan sharks at exorbitant interest rates where the repayment policy was within three months which is of course now long overdue.

The farmers here also insisted that the government pay-up by the end of January, failing to do so; they would not participate in the upcoming General Elections and would blockade the Piboon Mangsaharn road which will mean that cargo trucks would not be able to deliver goods to neighboring Laos.

In Lopburi, almost a hundred farmers today filed charges against the government at the Ta Wung provincial police station. The farmers here are concerned that they will not receive any payment for their rice deposits once the scheme expires in February and that their crops would then be confiscated. The group suggested that should the government not pay up within the stipulated deadline, they would withdraw their rice deposits and sell it to local vendors instead whereby the government will have to be responsible in settling the price difference.

In contradiction to the current paddy farmers’ protest, some farmers in Phichit province continue to deposit their crop at rice mills participating in the pledging scheme. Farmers here have however deposited only half their crop and selling the remaining balance to local vendors despite the lower rates of between 3,000 – 4,000 baht per ton. According to them, this would mean that they at least get some cash in hand to help with their living expenses and settling some of their debt.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/northeast-farmers-now-threaten-blockade-friendship-highway/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=northeast-farmers-now-threaten-blockade-friendship-highway

-- Thai PBS 2014-01-24

[soi41]

Why didn't the idiotic Dems not register for the election? They would have won a landslide!!

[soi41]

House of cards coming down!!

[ramrod711]

Turn out the lights, the party's over.

[tomyummer]

Who would've thought that rice would bring this country down? Once the pride and strength of the country has now brought it to its knees. Only something as pure as the staple of the nation grown from its own soil and tended by the blood and sweat of the people can bring out the false hopes, crude manipulation and corruption by their own brethren. Couldn't have written a better book about this.

Who's afraid of the anti government protests when you have an army of farmers marching to the beat one drum towards the capital. Go farmers.

[soi41]

Who would've thought that rice would bring this country down? Once the pride and strength of the country has now brought it to its knees. Only something as pure as the staple of the nation grown from its own soil and tended by the blood and sweat of the people can bring out the false hopes, crude manipulation and corruption by their own brethren. Couldn't have written a better book about this.

Who's afraid of the anti government protests when you have an army of farmers marching to the beat one drum towards the capital. Go farmers.

Good post!!

And ofcourse the farmers, who put PTP in power are the right persons to bring them down!

But don't confuse this protest with support for Sutheps undemocratic "peoples council", who want to take the votingrights away from the very same farmers!

What the poor rural/urban need is either a PTP without the Shins and their cronies or a complete new party to represent them, and bring an end to the feudal system!

High time for a redistribution of wealth in Thailand!!

[Jeremy50]

Anything that reduces the number of trucks on this road would be a good idea. If they have any spare time maybe they can fix all the potholes and pick up all the litter from the ditch.

[rreddin]

House of cards coming down!!

Smart move by the farmers to put pressure on the government without going to Bangkok. The Friendship Bridge at Nong Khai is a major artery supplying Laos and a major tourist entry point. By now the Laos government will be demanding that all the supply routes between Thailand and Laos are kept open. Pressue will also come from those international and Thai companies and haulage firms with lucrative contracts with Laos.

Money talks in this country and there are too many businesses that stand to lose too much money, not just in the short-term, if the supply routes are closed. Miraculously, at the last minute, a formula will be found to keep the supply routes open that satisfies the farmers and is approved by the EC.

[55Jay]

My mum told me once, if it sounds too good to be true, it ain't.

It really was a lovely idea Yingduck had, trying to lift the farmers out of their lot in life and make them look and feel more equal to the white pill swallowing crowd in BKK, with x2 price for crops, new car rebates and tablets for the kids, just like the BKK hi-so kids have.

Unfortunately, there's more to lifting them out of it than a new 4 door VIGO and an IPad. This idea, this attempt, shows the simplicity (and stupidity) of Yingluck but, if not that, demonstrates her understanding of how simplistic up-country Thais are.

It's about educating your kids to advance the family into another "class", over a generation or two, not in 1 or 2 years. It's about teaching them manners, and chewing food with your mouth closed, and a bit of education and sophistication that owning an IPad alone, just can't buy you.

Changes like this don't happen when you hand out material goods and free money in a year or two. Not in this country or any other. It happens with education, travel, and exposure to the world outside.

Thailand is an agricultural county and a vacuum that knows little of the outside world, and often has no interest in it, but seems to pretend otherwise. I live in lower Issan, and frankly these are some of the best folks I've ever met, within this context, but they have no idea what the hell I'm talking about when I talk about things outside of Thailand. Trying to shoe-horn them into equality, without a solid footing, is a fool's errand.

Nice idea, Yingluck, but IMHO, your effort was shallow and too much cart before the horse.

[SamMunich]

And ofcourse the farmers, who put PTP in power are the right persons to bring them down!

But don't confuse this protest with support for Sutheps undemocratic "peoples council", who want to take the votingrights away from the very same farmers!

What the poor rural/urban need is either a PTP without the Shins and their cronies or a complete new party to represent them, and bring an end to the feudal system!

High time for a redistribution of wealth in Thailand!!

He ho, what's going on? We're getting closer in our oppinions, Soi41!

I beg to differ on your oppinion about Khun Suthep and his hopes for the future, but else...

Certainly the Dems will not make much inroads in the North and Northeast, too much have they been depicted as the bad people. But other parties, maybe the likes of the Chidchobs or Banharns, can gain on the demise of the Taksinistas.

The PTP? No, unlikely to skip Taksin right now, so most of them will "drown" together with him, maybe into businesses, where a lot of corruption money can also be made.

For a new party I think it's to short-term. And who with money would be interested? Let's not forget money, lots of it, is needed to run a political party.

So when elections will come round, maybe in summer or so, I could imagine we get the good old coalition of 3 to 5 parties to form a government.

[northernjohn]

Who would've thought that rice would bring this country down? Once the pride and strength of the country has now brought it to its knees. Only something as pure as the staple of the nation grown from its own soil and tended by the blood and sweat of the people can bring out the false hopes, crude manipulation and corruption by their own brethren. Couldn't have written a better book about this.

Who's afraid of the anti government protests when you have an army of farmers marching to the beat one drum towards the capital. Go farmers.

Good post!!

And ofcourse the farmers, who put PTP in power are the right persons to bring them down!

But don't confuse this protest with support for Sutheps undemocratic "peoples council", who want to take the votingrights away from the very same farmers!

What the poor rural/urban need is either a PTP without the Shins and their cronies or a complete new party to represent them, and bring an end to the feudal system!

High time for a redistribution of wealth in Thailand!!

Maybe you haven't been keeping up with events. The protestors do not want to take the right to vote away from any one.

They want to take the right to sell their vote away from them. You are in the wrong ball park. Suggest you listen to what they want. Yingluck is. She agrees with it all except for the part where they would take away the right to buy their votes before the election. She also disagrees with who should chair the committee she thinks she is the one for the job. The protestors have not suggested any one yet.

[AleG]

Why didn't the idiotic Dems not register for the election? They would have won a landslide!!

What, and inherit this mess?

If I were them wouldn't touch this train wreck with a barge pole, let Thaksin/PTP get all the oprobium they deserve.

[55Jay]

My mum told me once, if it sounds too good to be true, it ain't.

It really was a lovely idea Yingduck had, trying to lift the farmers out of their lot in life and make them look and feel more equal to the white pill swallowing crowd in BKK, with x2 price for crops, new car rebates and tablets for the kids, just like the BKK hi-so kids have.

Unfortunately, there's more to lifting them out of it than a new 4 door VIGO and an IPad. This idea, this attempt, shows the simplicity (and stupidity) of Yingluck but, if not that, demonstrates her understanding of how simplistic up-country Thais are.

It's about educating your kids to advance the family into another "class", over a generation or two, not in 1 or 2 years. It's about teaching them manners, and chewing food with your mouth closed, and a bit of education and sophistication that owning an IPad alone, just can't buy you.

Changes like this don't happen when you hand out material goods and free money in a year or two. Not in this country or any other. It happens with education, travel, and exposure to the world outside.

Thailand is an agricultural county and a vacuum that knows little of the outside world, and often has no interest in it, but seems to pretend otherwise. I live in lower Issan, and frankly these are some of the best folks I've ever met, within this context, but they have no idea what the hell I'm talking about when I talk about things outside of Thailand. Trying to shoe-horn them into equality, without a solid footing, is a fool's errand.

Nice idea, Yingluck, but IMHO, your effort was shallow and too much cart before the horse.

Thanks for the "Lilkes". Don't get me wrong, all about lifting up the under class. Then again, Thailand can't afford to do that, which is why Yingluck's efforts were strange and her subsequent efforts seem to trash what the country had previously.

Without this farming "underclass", a major engine of the Thai economy would cease to exist. We can't have a bunch of PHd Thais. Who the hell's going to do the work?

Much like the USA, with hordes of college educated kids working as waiters and waitresses or in the fast food industry. If there's no new economy to go into, handing out the fruits of labor, without the hard work it takes to achieve it, is simply window dressing for votes. It's crap.

These protesting farmers likely know better, but a deal's a deal, even if it's too good to be true.

This government need to shit the money, pay these people, but repeal this unsustainable policy.

[Arkady]

My mum told me once, if it sounds too good to be true, it ain't.

It really was a lovely idea Yingduck had, trying to lift the farmers out of their lot in life and make them look and feel more equal to the white pill swallowing crowd in BKK, with x2 price for crops, new car rebates and tablets for the kids, just like the BKK hi-so kids have.

Unfortunately, there's more to lifting them out of it than a new 4 door VIGO and an IPad. This idea, this attempt, shows the simplicity (and stupidity) of Yingluck but, if not that, demonstrates her understanding of how simplistic up-country Thais are.

It's about educating your kids to advance the family into another "class", over a generation or two, not in 1 or 2 years. It's about teaching them manners, and chewing food with your mouth closed, and a bit of education and sophistication that owning an IPad alone, just can't buy you.

Changes like this don't happen when you hand out material goods and free money in a year or two. Not in this country or any other. It happens with education, travel, and exposure to the world outside.

Thailand is an agricultural county and a vacuum that knows little of the outside world, and often has no interest in it, but seems to pretend otherwise. I live in lower Issan, and frankly these are some of the best folks I've ever met, within this context, but they have no idea what the hell I'm talking about when I talk about things outside of Thailand. Trying to shoe-horn them into equality, without a solid footing, is a fool's errand.

Nice idea, Yingluck, but IMHO, your effort was shallow and too much cart before the horse.

I don't Yingluck had anything to do with dreaming up this policy. It was more the idea of a mentally ill man in Dubai who imagined he could make a killing by using other people's money to buy up the entire nation's rice supply and push up global prices.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[BillyBobThai]

Instead of selling to person who mills it and stores it, it seems to me a co-op owned by the farmers, would be a better option. Not only would they get a better price on their produce but a lower price on seed and fertilizer.

The mafia probably would not allow it.

[JRSoul]

Good post!!

And ofcourse the farmers, who put PTP in power are the right persons to bring them down!

But don't confuse this protest with support for Sutheps undemocratic "peoples council", who want to take the votingrights away from the very same farmers!

What the poor rural/urban need is either a PTP without the Shins and their cronies or a complete new party to represent them, and bring an end to the feudal system!

High time for a redistribution of wealth in Thailand!!

Instead of a redistribution of wealth, how about an agrarian revolution and get the rice farmers into more productive work where they can generate their own wealth?

[Robby nz]

Would seem that central farmers are going to be back on Asia Rd tomorrow, probably around Lopburi again.

Last time the local police chief and deputy governor turned up to try to get them to move.

Farmers asked them how about giving their salaries for the last 4 months to help farmers and how would they get on if they hadn't been paid.

The two of them ended up sitting on the road eating noodles with the farmers.

[tullynagardy]

Instead of a redistribution of wealth, how about an agrarian revolution and get the rice farmers into more productive work where they can generate their own wealth?

There are already several government schemes in progress to move farmers from less productive rice crops to more lucrative sugar and rubber .

As for redistribution of wealth this happens in virtually every civilised country. For every £4 tax generated in London £1 gets sent off to other regions of the UK. Whoever is in power next will be bullied into doing the same in Thailand. Make no mistake about it, the rural poor in Thailand now hold all the cards, hence why that nutcase is being danced like a puppet about Bangkok by the elite to try and stop them. They will fail.

[JRSoul]

Instead of a redistribution of wealth, how about an agrarian revolution and get the rice farmers into more productive work where they can generate their own wealth?

There are already several government schemes in progress to move farmers from less productive rice crops to more lucrative sugar and rubber .

As for redistribution of wealth this happens in virtually every civilised country. For every £4 tax generated in London £1 gets sent off to other regions of the UK. Whoever is in power next will be bullied into doing the same in Thailand. Make no mistake about it, the rural poor in Thailand now hold all the cards, hence why that nutcase is being danced like a puppet about Bangkok by the elite to try and stop them. They will fail.

Well the schemes got thrown out with the trash when a massive subsidy encouraged them right back to growing rice. Perhaps there would be more money available for them without the rice scam losses.

As for major income centres subsidising the infrastructure development of poorer areas, I have no problem with that. What I do have a problem with is the propping up of uneconomic industry which benefits nobody but the cash recipients of taxpayer funds, purely as a vote buying exercise.

In the middle of a depression, if the unemployed had enough votes to force the dole to 50% more than the minimum wage, would this be acceptable?

[WhizBang]

Who would've thought that rice would bring this country down? Once the pride and strength of the country has now brought it to its knees. Only something as pure as the staple of the nation grown from its own soil and tended by the blood and sweat of the people can bring out the false hopes, crude manipulation and corruption by their own brethren. Couldn't have written a better book about this.

Who's afraid of the anti government protests when you have an army of farmers marching to the beat one drum towards the capital. Go farmers.

Good post!!

And ofcourse the farmers, who put PTP in power are the right persons to bring them down!

But don't confuse this protest with support for Sutheps undemocratic "peoples council", who want to take the votingrights away from the very same farmers!

What the poor rural/urban need is either a PTP without the Shins and their cronies or a complete new party to represent them, and bring an end to the feudal system!

High time for a redistribution of wealth in Thailand!!

The biggest problem is that there is no good alternative. You are voting for two corrupt parties, it comes down to the lesser of two evils. Essentially a loose loose situitation.

I basically agree with Suthep that reforms are needed. The big question mark is how to achieve it without the self serving corrupt politicians being involved who would do their utmost to twart the process.

I have big questions over his 'peoples council' (who selects them?). Could his majesty appoint them? That might at least make the selection acceptable to most people.

I just do not see an easy solution for Thailand.

[Ricardo]

Lots of sense being talked on this thread !

From the OP, it's worrying that the poor rice-farmers are being driven into the arms of the loan-sharks, because of the failed implementation of this anyway-daft idea of the Big Boss. Almost as bad is the government-owned BAAC making loans & profitting, from the distress of the same farmers, whose rice-sale payments they've failed-to-make, thanks to government defaults.

It would clearly be better to return to the Dems lower-cost price-support scheme, with payment direct to the farmers, but could PTP/Thaksin accept the loss-of-face or the loss of support from the millers & middle-men & regional power-men & corrupt, who currently appear to benefit ? Are they 'big enough', to accept that they've made a mistake, and fix it ?

Agricultural-cooperatives would also be a great idea, provided they could be controlled by the local-farmers rather than the local bosses/merchants, who might lose out from them. The old nationalist excuse, that it opens-the-door to communism, is BS and should be ignored ! Local-democracy is good, not bad, provided that it doesn't get hi-jacked by the same old leaders/bosses/crooks.

The farmers mention having to pay school-fees, isn't education supposed to be free here, except for uniforms & so-on ? If it's still not, after a decade of Thaksin-government, then the funds saved on a more-rational rice-scheme might be diverted to make it free, or to improve it.

Just my two-satangs-worth !

Edited January 25, 2014 by Ricardo

[webfact]

Northeastern farmers plan road blockade to demand payment from govt
By Digital Content



NAKHON RATCHSIMA, Jan 25 –Twenty farmer organisations in Thailand’s Northeast have threatened to block a highway in the province to press the government to resign if it fails to pay them for their rice they sold under the rice pledging programme.

Prapas Chompakliang, core leader of the network, set today as the deadline for payment and said they would close Mitraphap Highway at Lamtakong section in Sikhio district on Monday if the government refuses to pay them.

He said farmers will also escalate their protest to remove caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, adding that their protest is not politically motivated.

In Ubon Ratchthani province, deputy governor Suraphan Dissaman and Suthai Chakanand, deputy director of the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, met with about 400 farmers from four districts who rallied at the provincial hall, and promised to pay farmers for their rice once financial allocation was granted from the government.

The farmers threatened to close Pibulmangsaharn-Chong Mek Road to block traffic and border transport if they did not receive payment before the end of this month.

In the central rice-farming province of Ayuthaya, Vichien Puanglamchiak, leader of the Thai Farmers Association, said farmers are in financial trouble and badly need payment for the rice they sold to the government under the rice subsidy scheme.

He said the government should find measures to assist farmers while they wait for payment for their rice. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2014-01-25

[Nowhereman60]

You see how stupid these farmers are. Blocking the roads is not going to get the money needed to pay them. It does nothing. They just have to wait until the government can take the money from one pot and put it in another. Or if the government lose the vote or CC disqualifies them let Suthep pay the bill.

[Bluespunk]

You see how stupid these farmers are. Blocking the roads is not going to get the money needed to pay them. It does nothing. They just have to wait until the government can take the money from one pot and put it in another. Or if the government lose the vote or CC disqualifies them let Suthep pay the bill.

They are desperate. They are in debt. They have not been paid for 4 months. They have seen promise after promise broken. They have seen those who claim to represent them betray them and destroy their export industry. Their protest solves little but gets them the publicity they feel their plight deserves. What else can they do?

Edited January 25, 2014 by Bluespunk

[Robby nz]

You see how stupid these farmers are. Blocking the roads is not going to get the money needed to pay them. It does nothing. They just have to wait until the government can take the money from one pot and put it in another. Or if the government lose the vote or CC disqualifies them let Suthep pay the bill.

Nice one, even for you that's pushing the bounds of stupidity.

So the farmers are stupid and they should just starve while they wait for their money that the wise and all knowing Govt very obviously hasn't got

What has Suthep got to do with the rice pledging scam ?

If anyone should pay its Thaksin he is the one who thought up the scam, "Thaksin thinks PT acts", remember

[Nowhereman60]

You see how stupid these farmers are. Blocking the roads is not going to get the money needed to pay them. It does nothing. They just have to wait until the government can take the money from one pot and put it in another. Or if the government lose the vote or CC disqualifies them let Suthep pay the bill.

They are desperate. They are in debt. They have not been paid for 4 months. They have seen promise after promise broken. They have seen those who claim to represent them betray them and destroy their export industry. Their protest solves little but gets them the publicity they feel their plight deserves. What else can they do?

Grow more rice

[Bluespunk]

You see how stupid these farmers are. Blocking the roads is not going to get the money needed to pay them. It does nothing. They just have to wait until the government can take the money from one pot and put it in another. Or if the government lose the vote or CC disqualifies them let Suthep pay the bill.

They are desperate. They are in debt. They have not been paid for 4 months. They have seen promise after promise broken. They have seen those who claim to represent them betray them and destroy their export industry. Their protest solves little but gets them the publicity they feel their plight deserves. What else can they do?

Grow more rice

Ah, wow. That's cold.

[maxme]

I love this mess... we have PDAC plonkers who obstruct justice and make life difficult for ordinary citizens, rice farmers that love to burn tyres and block roads and UDD is preparing its massive march... Wheee... just missing a few other colors and then it´s a party.

[BlueNoseCodger]

10,000 farmers? I count 29 protestors in the top photo

Met with 400 farmers?, I count 28 in the Mcot photo.

More PR fluff.

[Jean Pierre Jacquot]

Ha Ha Ha ....

Little Yingluck will probably not been able anymore to go on a government paid election tour to rural areas anymore. What's left for her, probably just the high end shopping streets in the West.