Rice-pledging scheme: Thai farmers driven to despair

[JRSoul]

Thailand's ability to feed itself in the future is uncertain, as it was before the present controversy, with the rice farmers aging and retiring and their children turning their backs on the family farm due to the hard work and low profit, are going into other career fields.

The PTP must take responsibilities for their mistakes up to the point (2) months ago ehen they became a caretaker government and were no longer allowed to borrow money to pay the nations farmers.

The EC must approve any request for a loan to the government and for the last two months have rejected all the PTP loan request to pay the farmers, as the EC has actively championed the protest request to cancel the election. As voiced on this forum the opposition to the government, are actively backing the EC refusal to pay the farmers, that are being held as political hostages, in the hopes they will vote against the current government. The EC must bear the responsibilities for denying payment to a million and a half Thai farmers (only for political gain)!

Many of the nation farmers will leave the rice fields and look to more profitable crops or into other occupations to support themselves and their families!

Thailand will end up the loser in the long run with a vastly decreased national rice production, by the EC failure to approve the loan to pay the farmers!

Cheers

Thailand was formerly the world's largest rice EXPORTER, and it can't grow enough to feed itself. One huge LIE and your idiot mates suck it up.

[djjamie]

The bottom line is ....... "The Rice Buying Scheme is the idea of Thaksin, the former Thai Policeman" and self proclaimed "Economic Expert" ... why would anyone in their right mind think this and his grand plans for revenge and to rule Thailand was intended to benefit anyone but him and his mafia friends?

Let's not forget he got his start in his "business career" by ripping off his farang business partner and using his police buddies to expel his farang partner, who had put up all the working capital to start what became the "Thaksin Empire", from the country. This has been reported in Thai and US newspapers before ... and of course Thaksin has since paid this guy off to drop his legal charges.

He then made his billions by securing a monopoly thru his mafia and corrupt network and for those years mobile phones and services in Thailand were the most expensive in SE Asia as he amassed his fortune by overcharging everyone in Thailand who had a mobile phone, including those rich and poor alike. In many Thai eyes this makes him "clever" and qualified to manage the country. Hun Sen also appreciates this kind of cleverness and this is why Thaksin is Hun Sen's "economic advisor".

For those of you who can't think of anything to say but ... "where's the evidence" ... I will answer you in advance .... to do your own research. If there is anything above which you think is incorrect, you show the evidence.

Let's not forget he got his start in his "business career" by ripping off his farang business partner and using his police buddies to expel his farang partner,

Lets also not forget he made his first billion off the back of the 1992 coup as well.

That's why Thaksin never denounced the coup in 1992. He is a businessman. His drive is making money. That’s what he is good at. I don't deny it. Unfortunately people could see through him very quickly during the coup of 2006. He denounced it as undemocratic yet it was really due to loosing his ability to continue to abuse power (make money). If he truly thought the coup in 1992 was undemocratic he would have said something. BUT nothing. He partied with the coup makers. He is a businessman. Not a politician. His drive is money, not helping a majority as has been shown with the rice scheme. His ministers lied from the 9th of October to up to the point that they became a care taker govt saying they had enough money for the rice scheme. It was budgeted etc etc. A week after they became a caretaker govt they don't have enough money and conveniently blame the EC.

​Why? They want the uneducated farmers to blame someone else. They knew they didn't have enough money before they became caretaker. They needed scape goat like all good demagogues do. Fortunately these uneducated farmers are waking up though. I wish some of the Falangs followed suit.

[jonclark]

.Another shot at the policies of this Govt. consistently demonized by denigrating a political notion called 'Populism"

Hmmm... ...That sounds awful similar to the Dems being constantly demonized by denigrating the social notion called elitism.

[tromboneman]

Hopefully they learn from this. Don't sell your vote for 500 baht and promises.

This doesn't really balance out though. Just because they bought into a scheme to make lots of money (they're not very smart) doesn't mean you should lose your whole farm and livlihood. It's like getting the death penalty for stealing a candy bar.

[kimamey]

On BBC just now.

"I don't think I'll vote for them again, as I haven;t been paid (for my rice)."

.

So they can vote for the Democrats instead and see off the Shinawatra party. Oh no, hang on a second, the Democrats have given two fingers to democracy so the farmers don't have an alternative to vote for. Looks like its going to be the Shins again, thanks to the Democrats dereliction of duty.

I think you're wrong. The Dems not contesting the election may be to their advantage.

Firstly the Democrats haven't given two fingers to democracy. They've just decided not to stand as they are perfectly entitled to and is separate from the protests and all the violence.

If the Democrats had stood I doubt that the red shirt farmers would have risked not voting for PTP in case the Dems got back in. I expect, rightly or wrongly that they would be worse. With the Dems not standing they can now cast a no vote (which I believe is possible) to send a message to the PTP without the risk of letting the Dems in. Of course if the Dems had taken part by Monday the PTP could have borrowed more money and paid them off which would have solved the problem for a while but left problems down the line as even the government thought the price was too high and tried to lower it.

I think your problem is contained in the phrase Oh no, hang on a second. That's the time it takes to come up with some Dem bashing. It works just as well the other way incidentally. It takes longer than that to think up something constructive.

[Dublin]

 

Trying to feel sorry for these farmers who voted for Thaksin and his clone, but am having a hard time doing
so. They voted for a liar who told them they would become rich, and now they are paying the price.....

 

Very true, but they don't understand that, they don't get that they voted the Thaksin family into power and now its the same people who screwed up the rice pledging scheme. They just don't get it,,,

Edited January 29, 2014 by Dublin

[louse1953]

The bottom line is ....... "The Rice Buying Scheme is the idea of Thaksin, the former Thai Policeman" and self proclaimed "Economic Expert" ... why would anyone in their right mind think this and his grand plans for revenge and to rule Thailand was intended to benefit anyone but him and his mafia friends?

Let's not forget he got his start in his "business career" by ripping off his farang business partner and using his police buddies to expel his farang partner, who had put up all the working capital to start what became the "Thaksin Empire", from the country. This has been reported in Thai and US newspapers before ... and of course Thaksin has since paid this guy off to drop his legal charges.

He then made his billions by securing a monopoly thru his mafia and corrupt network and for those years mobile phones and services in Thailand were the most expensive in SE Asia as he amassed his fortune by overcharging everyone in Thailand who had a mobile phone, including those rich and poor alike. In many Thai eyes this makes him "clever" and qualified to manage the country. Hun Sen also appreciates this kind of cleverness and this is why Thaksin is Hun Sen's "economic advisor".

For those of you who can't think of anything to say but ... "where's the evidence" ... I will answer you in advance .... to do your own research. If there is anything above which you think is incorrect, you show the evidence.

Let's not forget he got his start in his "business career" by ripping off his farang business partner and using his police buddies to expel his farang partner,

Lets also not forget he made his first billion off the back of the 1992 coup as well.

That's why Thaksin never denounced the coup in 1992. He is a businessman. His drive is making money. That’s what he is good at. I don't deny it. Unfortunately people could see through him very quickly during the coup of 2006. He denounced it as undemocratic yet it was really due to loosing his ability to continue to abuse power (make money). If he truly thought the coup in 1992 was undemocratic he would have said something. BUT nothing. He partied with the coup makers. He is a businessman. Not a politician. His drive is money, not helping a majority as has been shown with the rice scheme. His ministers lied from the 9th of October to up to the point that they became a care taker govt saying they had enough money for the rice scheme. It was budgeted etc etc. A week after they became a caretaker govt they don't have enough money and conveniently blame the EC.

​Why? They want the uneducated farmers to blame someone else. They knew they didn't have enough money before they became caretaker. They needed scape goat like all good demagogues do. Fortunately these uneducated farmers are waking up though. I wish some of the Falangs followed suit.

I have been saying similiar things since 2004.It's all about Taksin and money,and all that comes with that.Taksin must be cut loose by his croneys,until then,same same,not different.

[hawker9000]

I'll just never get why people lamely assume all their problems can be solved with just a little more government, when the historical evidence - minus the happy face which the taxpayers ALSO have to pay for - clearly shows government invariably just makes things worse. Good things go bad; bad things get worse; everything gets more expensive; and the only ones to benefit are, of course, the career politicians, lawyers, & bureaucrats. This rice-pledging scheme is certainly no exception; in fact, it's pretty much an object lesson.

[Spalpeen]

On BBC just now.

"I don't think I'll vote for them again, as I haven;t been paid (for my rice)."

.

So they can vote for the Democrats instead and see off the Shinawatra party. Oh no, hang on a second, the Democrats have given two fingers to democracy so the farmers don't have an alternative to vote for. Looks like its going to be the Shins again, thanks to the Democrats dereliction of duty.

I think you're wrong. The Dems not contesting the election may be to their advantage.

Firstly the Democrats haven't given two fingers to democracy. They've just decided not to stand as they are perfectly entitled to and is separate from the protests and all the violence.

.

.

The Democrats are within their rights not to contest the election but any party that doesn't stand, or voter that doesn't vote, thereby loses any and all rights to complain about how the winning party then runs the country.

"The Dems not contesting the election may be to their advantage". That's just weird. Reminds me of another poster who said "Democracy has nothing to do with elections!"

'Politicians not contesting election may be to their advantage'. How about 'farmer not planting seed may be to his advantage', 'fisherman not going fishing may be to his advantage'. Weird thinking. I mean, if politicians don't contest elections, <deleted> are they for?

[hawker9000]

On BBC just now.

"I don't think I'll vote for them again, as I haven;t been paid (for my rice)."

.

So they can vote for the Democrats instead and see off the Shinawatra party. Oh no, hang on a second, the Democrats have given two fingers to democracy so the farmers don't have an alternative to vote for. Looks like its going to be the Shins again, thanks to the Democrats dereliction of duty.

I think you're wrong. The Dems not contesting the election may be to their advantage.

Firstly the Democrats haven't given two fingers to democracy. They've just decided not to stand as they are perfectly entitled to and is separate from the protests and all the violence.

.

.

The Democrats are within their rights not to contest the election but any party that doesn't stand, or voter that doesn't vote, thereby loses any and all rights to complain about how the winning party then runs the country.

Oh really. According to whom? Where is that written? You?! LOL

[Spartakos]

"Another farmer put his tractor up for sale yesterday....."

Okay, it's farm machinery, but you'd have thought he'd at least give it a bit of a clean if he was serious.....

Without wanting to belittle the farmers' plight, this is just staged sensational jounalism me thinks.

@LucidLucifer: [what a disgusting 'handle' to start with; unless you're attempting to play "Devil's Advocate ? ?]

Mate; it is obvious that you have never ventured into the "real" Thailand; because if you had, you would instantly recognize the absence of thick layers of dust & dirt on that tractor.

Maybe divert some of your 'beer-budget' on a bus-trip into the Isaan: a new world will open-up for you . . . . . . .

and do you believe "real" thailand to be isaan? What about the rest of the country, does not count?

[Sam Gold]

The rice pledging was kind of like getting a new tattoo, seemed like a good idea at the time.

Actually, it was clearly a bad idea from the very beginning and they were warned about it by all serious economic experts, but they covered their ears and went for it anyway, only interested in what happened in the short term and overlooking possible consequences.

That's what you get for being ignorant and arrogant.

[northernjohn]

Trying to feel sorry for these farmers who voted for Thaksin and his clone, but am having a hard time doing

so. They voted for a liar who told them they would become rich, and now they are paying the price.....

On the surface of it you have a case. But looking at the entire situation you are not even close.

They are paying the price for all the previous administrations lack of providing education. Even today in 2014 we have some schools with dirt floors and no electricity. Given the same back ground you would probably vote for Thaksin or any Shinawatra.

[Ricardo]

The bottom line is ....... "The Rice Buying Scheme is the idea of Thaksin, the former Thai Policeman" and self proclaimed "Economic Expert" ... why would anyone in their right mind think this and his grand plans for revenge and to rule Thailand was intended to benefit anyone but him and his mafia friends?

Let's not forget he got his start in his "business career" by ripping off his farang business partner and using his police buddies to expel his farang partner, who had put up all the working capital to start what became the "Thaksin Empire", from the country. This has been reported in Thai and US newspapers before ... and of course Thaksin has since paid this guy off to drop his legal charges.

He then made his billions by securing a monopoly thru his mafia and corrupt network and for those years mobile phones and services in Thailand were the most expensive in SE Asia as he amassed his fortune by overcharging everyone in Thailand who had a mobile phone, including those rich and poor alike. In many Thai eyes this makes him "clever" and qualified to manage the country. Hun Sen also appreciates this kind of cleverness and this is why Thaksin is Hun Sen's "economic advisor".

For those of you who can't think of anything to say but ... "where's the evidence" ... I will answer you in advance .... to do your own research. If there is anything above which you think is incorrect, you show the evidence.

"Thaksin is Hun Sen's "economic advisor" "

Just to point out that Thaksin reportedly resigned from that position in August 2010.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/392681-ex-thai-pm-thaksin-quits-as-cambodias-economics-adviser/

Agree about the Monson-affair, that was a pretty warped example, of what being 'clever-in-business' is about, IMO.

Edited January 29, 2014 by Ricardo

[Spalpeen]

I'll just never get why people lamely assume all their problems can be solved with just a little more government, when the historical evidence - minus the happy face which the taxpayers ALSO have to pay for - clearly shows government invariably just makes things worse. Good things go bad; bad things get worse; everything gets more expensive; and the only ones to benefit are, of course, the career politicians, lawyers, & bureaucrats. This rice-pledging scheme is certainly no exception; in fact, it's pretty much an object lesson.

.

And your alternative suggestion is.........not having a government?

[LALes]

Where did all the money for the rice pledging scheme go? Where did all the money for the flood prevention go?

The only thing that saved their ass from another flood disaster was an early end to the rains. They were all set

to undergo another disaster before Mother Nature bailed them out. No such luck with this scheme.

So corrupt its thrilling.

[Daniel Boon]

So who has the rice?

who technically owns the rice? (can it be re-possessed?)

can sub-regional co-ops be formed to represent the farmers

what about a levy from tourists where the funds for the rice goes as a one-off payment ... 20 baht from 1 million tourists, it would help ...

a moratorium that holds action by all lenders until the matters is resolved (at worst, just the interest component of a loan be met)

[allan michaud]

On BBC just now.

"I don't think I'll vote for them again, as I haven;t been paid (for my rice)."

Notice he said "dont" not "wont"

Eh?. I have never heard anyone say "I won't think I'll vote for them again" but then I am guessing it's a translation anyway.

[tingtongteesood]

On BBC just now.

"I don't think I'll vote for them again, as I haven;t been paid (for my rice)."

.

So they can vote for the Democrats instead and see off the Shinawatra party. Oh no, hang on a second, the Democrats have given two fingers to democracy so the farmers don't have an alternative to vote for. Looks like its going to be the Shins again, thanks to the Democrats dereliction of duty.

Thailand doesn't have democracy. It has Taksinocracy ( which is a kind of plutocracy which is not a good thing ). So the Dems decided to boycott the election and rightly so.

[northernjohn]

The conspiracy to sabotage the rice pledging scheme has been ongoing since its inception.

It was conceived as a money losing subsidized program from day one. It's a subsidy, and a popular one at that. It was intended to lose money.

Even the farmers know it needs to be reformed, and it will be. I also doubt that the Thai civil service has anyone qualified to administer a plan of this scheme's scale. What makes reform more difficult is political sabotage carried out by (self censorship here).

If Thailand can't even organize an election how can anyone expect them to run a scheme of the rice pledging plan's magnitude. Recall the flood a couple of years ago? They need better water resource managers as well.

I can't find a single G7 country that does not afford agricultural subsidies. They are constantly squabbling about them in the WTO and NAFTA. I think this is why Thailand can't offer an outright subsidy as the competing counties would cry foul to the WTO.

Elitists prefer corporate welfare for those "two big to fail". It's all money politics and in Thailand it is uniquely centred mostly around (self censorship here). Thailand isn't broke and isn't going broke any time soon.

This turmoil will continue until the sad day that the inevitable happens and the question of (self censorship here) is resolved, this because most of Thailand is owned by (self censorship here).

Yes it was doomed from the start. That being said I believe that it had been carefully thought out and was successful in it's ultra aim.

That is for the rich to acquire more land and open up a huge trough for the pigs in the government to get at. They did it with the aim of claiming the government needed another 2.2 trillion baht loan to open up more avenues for the pigs. This was all done for one man. I would like to know how many politicians own rice storage facilities now and get their check for rental every month.

In the two and a half years it has been going I have yet to hear of a small farmer gaining from it. I have heard lots of people say they have but none of them are small farmers. Why is that? In all the road blocks they have done how many of the protestors were rich rice farmers. Answer none because they were the first ones to get paid before it ran out of money and the government in power at the time took no steps to pay the others. They instead dissolved the house so they could hide behind the EC and blame it on others.

Has any one heard them say we made a mistake in not paying the small farmers before we shut the government down?

So yes in it's ultra goal it has been a success. It was never designed for the little people.

[digibum]

It's not a matter of

"someone forgot that people can grow rice elsewhere and India and Vietnam stepped up production and kept global rice prices in check by providing a steady supply."

India had banned the export of non basmati rice since 1998 and was not a player in the market at all. Then they had a bumper crop, too much was held in storage over and above local consumption so huge amounts of cheap rice undercutting the market price suddenly became available on the World Market. The government tried to ride this out reasoning that eventually India would reduce exports. Due to flooding and a bad crop last year exports from India are due to be cut to fill the domestic demand.

It is a matter of that. Whenever you have a commodity product that is relatively easy to grow and someone attempts to create a shortage, someone else will grow it.

The entire article you linked to is warning of exactly that type of reaction to a shortage. Even the rice exporters knew that if you jack up the price you're going to encourage people to either switch to lower quality rice (provided by other countries) or invite competition. This is pretty much what any Econ student can tell you.

Even if Thailand's plan had begun to work, India would have dumped that rice on the market and driven the price down. Thailand's losses might be less but the end result would have been the same. Massive losses.

As I said, that is not a subsidy. That is a roll of the dice on commodity prices. It is also insanely irresponsible for a government to risk so much taxpayer money on what essentially was the equivalent of throwing some money down on a crap game in Las Vegas.

[SPIKECM]

Interfering with the market is NEVER a good idea. The Rice Pledging Scheme was sheer madness and it could have been the undoing of populism and the maturing of Thai democracy. If only the Aphisit could have controlled Suthep and concentrated on providing a proper opposition in a way similar to Western democracies and successful Asian countries like South Korea and Japan, then this pending civil war could have been averted.

The rice pledging was kind of like getting a new tattoo, seemed like a good idea at the time.

Edited January 29, 2014 by SPIKECM

[MGP]

In the case that some of you have missed this articles.

- I think it's not allowed to post links to Bangkok Post here, but you can make a Google search for the titles:

"Support bleeds away from the heartland"

and

"Farmers end protest in Phitsanulok" That has happened after the Red Shirts threatened the Rice Farmer's leader to harm his family. Who are the Red Shirts supporting? Seems like not the poor Rice Farmers.

All the protesters in BKK could go home right now. There is no need to push further; karma is going to ripen by it's own inertia.

[mikemac]

Poor guy needing to sell his tractor.....All because of the rice pledging thing......Really?....Are we sure of that?......Certainly is a heartfelt story against the Govt. as the Opposition likes to spin....Does this farmer have other financial woes not detailed here precipitating this thing?....It is a Govt. policy screwing him up?....."Is it just a stunt putting a 'for sale' sign on a new tractor?...

"The rice-pledging scheme, one of Pheu Thai Party's populist policies..."..

.Another shot at the policies of this Govt. consistently demonized by denigrating a political notion called 'Populism"

Populism defined: Policies for ordinary people....The significance of this is that the DP cannot hope to win on a national level until they propose serious policies which would benefit the majority of the electorate. But they have consistently opposed the universal health care system, the job creation policies, this rice support scheme and any infrastructural development projects. They reject state spending on the population and instead favour local patronage.

Instead of reforming themselves to reverse their unelectability resulting from these agenda's, they can only envision systemic changes....Electoral Democracy in other countries are filled with examples of a seemingly down-and-out political party resurrecting itself and winning national elections by reforming its' policies and leadership......It baffles me why the DP cannot fathom this....I can only attribute it to arrogant, holier-than-thou convictions of being the sole repository of political wisdom, and a dogma that the electorate must conform to their enlightened approach.

Why is it whenever a PTP problem/rort/debacle/scam/crime arises you drongos have only one way of defending the thieving crooks, by blaming the Democrats ?

Bagging the Democrats is not going to put food on the farmers' tables, getting rid of the Shinawatras and cleaning the slime out of the PTP might be a good start though.

[Fryslan boppe]

Poor guy needing to sell his tractor.....All because of the rice pledging thing......Really?....Are we sure of that?......Certainly is a heartfelt story against the Govt. as the Opposition likes to spin....Does this farmer have other financial woes not detailed here precipitating this thing?....It is a Govt. policy screwing him up?....."Is it just a stunt putting a 'for sale' sign on a new tractor?...

"The rice-pledging scheme, one of Pheu Thai Party's populist policies..."..

.Another shot at the policies of this Govt. consistently demonized by denigrating a political notion called 'Populism"

Populism defined: Policies for ordinary people....The significance of this is that the DP cannot hope to win on a national level until they propose serious policies which would benefit the majority of the electorate. But they have consistently opposed the universal health care system, the job creation policies, this rice support scheme and any infrastructural development projects. They reject state spending on the population and instead favour local patronage.

Instead of reforming themselves to reverse their unelectability resulting from these agenda's, they can only envision systemic changes....Electoral Democracy in other countries are filled with examples of a seemingly down-and-out political party resurrecting itself and winning national elections by reforming its' policies and leadership......It baffles me why the DP cannot fathom this....I can only attribute it to arrogant, holier-than-thou convictions of being the sole repository of political wisdom, and a dogma that the electorate must conform to their enlightened approach.

You talk garbage. "they have consistently opposed the universal health care system". Which party made the system free when they were in power? I'll give you a clue it wasn't PTP. Which party made school books and uniforms free for all kids going to school up to mattayom 6, and which party reintroduced the fees when they got back into power. Which party had a rice scheme which was a lot more sustainable and would not bankrupt the country in the long run.

Before you go on a rant it is better that you look into what you are ranting about, otherwise you just look foolish.

There is no denying the DP and their Elitist friends demonize the concept of Populism at every opportunity, and then throw Govt. policies into that maligned interpretation. So now to suddenly embrace it as in this comment is rather suspect...

Any attempt to be un-DP when the unelected, coup-rooted Govt. was hoisted into power, was basically copy-catting and tampering with policies of the PTP and its' previous incarnations....In this context the best way to show the dichotomy, is to put the descriptors Elitism and Populism next to each other. They are mutually exclusive and puts the two political elements into perspective.

If this headline linking Rice farmers and despair, as if it is a country-wide phenomenon, would certainly threaten the PTP in Sunday's election......I am betting that will not be the case thereby bringing this quote into serious question.

On the other points raised:

• Eliminating the 30-baht hosp. thing....You fail to mention however, that a number of Hosp. services cut after that. Some medicines were excluded..Sort of rob from Peter, to pay Paul"...With the 30-baht benefit, all services were included and medicines for every disease....But never mind that...It was an extension of 'dignity' to poor people needing medical care every bit as much as the elite...It is the Thaksin Govt. who did this, and no amount of tampering after that by a coup-rooted Govt. accrued benefits to them
• Free school books and uniforms....This was a long standing program in existence for many, many years. The DP again tampered with it, by placing restrictions on it, standardizing it to such a degree that it failed to meet the need of many students with accompanying poor quality.
• Sustainable rice scheme....The DP version was land-based and not production. Land owners didn't even need to grow rice to benefit....Without getting into a detailed comparison, suffice it to say rice farmers continued in poverty and only saw their condition rise after user-friendly programs were introduced by the PTP...But still, their income and living standards are far below that of Rubber producers.

In reviewing these matters, one theme jumped out, and that being any nod by DP administrations to instituting programs and policies for ordinary people, always seemed to be minimalist, begrudging tokenism. Giving wth one hand and taking away with the other. The 30-baht hopital thing being a primary example.. All of this harks back to my point that the Elitists really don't like to spend State money on the population.

Edited January 29, 2014 by Fryslan boppe

[realenglish1]

Everyone is missing the point here. Yes the rice scheme was a bad idea from the get go. I said to my girlfriend once they announced they where getting into it that there are going to be problems with it

Having said that it is the full responsibility of the government to pay for the rice that is in the scheme and in a timely fashion.

They have not done so and think it is a game Why not borrow the money from a different Ministry. Or do so with Thai banks Don't play with the money from what is clearly a vertebrata of Thailand. The Thai farmer

Next time anyone sits down and eats a bowl of rice. Think about the Farmer who cannot send a kid to school or make a payment on land he is farming...

This is not due to any fault of theirs its clearly the fault of Thai leadership Plain and simple

[Stradavarius37]

[twr404]

Not aware if this concept has been done or not: The farmers need to form a collective with the purpose of selling the rice directly to the market and thereby bypassing all the middle men. The farmers might not get 15,000 a ton but it would be more than the previous methods available to farmers before the rice pledging scheme.

[mikemac]

After all the rotten scams this so called Government has been in, it would be ironic if it were brought down by something as silly as ripping off their bread and butter voters over rice. Sooner or later, Rome will burn !

[SPIKECM]

The populist Rice Pledging Scheme can be looked on just like Hollande's 75% tax on the rich. Populism is a fundamental flaw in any democracy. Just no one was so clever to see populism as a tool to gain power until Thaksin came along. The West, through bitter experience, has become cynical to socialism and populism, but for historical reasons it is harder to knock the socialism out of the French psych. So Hollande gets into power with some great socialist ideas of how to avoid austerity measures. The result is that he he is a disaster for the French economy and he will be out the first chance that the French electorate get to the polling stations. The tragedy for Thailand is that this can't be allowed to happen.

Edited January 29, 2014 by SPIKECM