Rice-pledging scheme: Thai farmers driven to despair

[Spalpeen]

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.

Free speech is free speech. There are (as of yet) no Speech Police to check one's voting record.

'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?

You obviously don't know much about farming or sustainable fishing.

.

Free speech was never a barrier to hypocrisy.

.

You obviously don't know much about logic.

[aimbc]

"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.

No. It's actually true if you bothered to get out of your armchair and have a look around. This was a stupid idea aimed at getting votes; which it did, and now (as a previous poster noted) the people who voted for this incompetent and corrupt regime are paying the price.

A brief analysis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNgHkJKCr3E

[kikoman]

The Democrats boycotted the election so they could fill the power vacuum ,if Yingluck resigned from office . Again they chose to be on the wrong side, if it were not for bad luck they would not have any luck at all,

They will forever be remembered as the party that favored a dictatorship for Thailand, and are not worthy of their party being named the Democrats.

Cheers

wait and see .... by the next election there won't be a Democrat Party and there won't be a PTP Party and probably several other parties will disappear. The deck will be reshuffled and politicians will reallign and some of the current violent enemies will be political allies ...... and most of the international press and farang community won't understand or remember who used to be who .....

I believe that also, the history of Thai politics since 2001 has been that the powers that be have always had the peoples party dissolved by their court, TRT was first, then PPP and Next it will be PTP, the Democrats where also the target of party being dissolve but the elites court systems have always failed to convict them, at the moment the Democrats have (5) outstanding cases of alleged corruption that the court has been sitting on for 3 years but they are going to fast track the case against Yingluck.

But make no mistake, Thaksin has awaken a sleeping giant, and showed Thai's what the power of their vote can accomplish, no matter what happens to PTP the new party that is formed will have the overwhelming support of the common people of Thailand!

Cheers

[SPIKECM]

It is always a mistake to see everything in black and white. Thaksin only sees democracy as a means to an end and that end is power for himself. Once he gets in power, he'll not relinquish it easily. He is a believer in democracy as much as Hitler was in 1933. And he doesn't really hold the interests of the people at heart. Not really so different from the old ruling Elite. Thailand will just move from a plutocracy to a kleptocracy under Thaksin. He sees himself as some kind of Lee Kuan Yew type figure, but he is not.

Rogerdee123

I believe that also, the history of Thai politics since 2001 has been that the powers that be have always had the peoples party dissolved by their court, TRT was first, then PPP and Next it will be PTP, the Democrats where also the target of party being dissolve but the elites court systems have always failed to convict them, at the moment the Democrats have (5) outstanding cases of alleged corruption that the court has been sitting on for 3 years but they are going to fast track the case against Yingluck.

But make no mistake, Thaksin has awaken a sleeping giant, and showed Thai's what the power of their vote can accomplish, no matter what happens to PTP the new party that is formed will have the overwhelming support of the common people of Thailand!

Cheers

[EyesWideOpen]

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.....

Man, you reek. The farmers were not voting out of avarice- Only for a more secure life. If they were hustled by a politician then they are amongst practically every adult human being on earth. From the tone of your post I think that you like this sort of news- Nothing gives some folks more pleasure than to kick 'em when they're down, eh?

I am with with you. People, who don't have a lot, will always (100%) vote for the group who promises them help. These are poor people and we shouldn't expect them to think any longer term than it impacts them. We wouldn't. There was no promises of them becoming rich. I have never heard this, and I have been here a long time. My friends are protestors. Let's be real.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

So what are you implying ?? That the farmers are so stupid and shortsighted that they would sell their vote to Thaksin for 500 baht and some empty promises ?? Then Suthep would be right, with moronic populist programs luring short sighted farmers into voting for the person at the microphone, then they should not be voting. Because the net result which can clearly be seen now, is that Thailand goes down in flames

while the farmers are voting their pocketbook. I am positive that Thaksin studied the Perons in Argentina extensively, because they almost invented populist programs......

[samuidave]

Rucus7: It only seemed like a good idea because noone bothered to look at the details. Instead they saw baht signs in their head and quickly agreed. The gov offering more money than market value should have been incentive enough for people to be wary. As always in the past "if it looks or sounds too good to be true, it usually is too good to be true". Everyone is learning thiS lesson the hard way now

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Actually the government was repeatedly warned about its imminent failure, and literally every commodity broken on the planet knew it was going to bust. Thailand thought it could dictate the world rice market by holding off on sales, and then allowing only 'inside family' connections to vend it at a profit. Of course Thaksin (or are you thinking 'the crab' dreamt this one up on her own?) has been a repeat failure on any business ventures that he cannot fully game, and this is evidence of another.

[tomacht8]

"Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na Ranong, his deputies Tanusak Lekuthai and Benja Louicharoen, and Council of State secretary general Chukiat Rattanachaicha discussed the scheme yesterday but refused to give any interview."

What kind of attitude!

They have brought millions of farmers in distress.

And now, no information how they want to solve this problem.

Incredible.

The largest subsidy program in Thailand and there is no information available.

Worse than any shadow economy.

Where are the 700-900 billion Baht gone?

Who has got, what here?

In which regions the farmers got their money and in what regions not?

It looks that all the farmers got their money only in PT strongholds.

What about the overall social responsibility?

Campaigning and vote buying with state money?

I hope that the NACC investigate this program fully and that the responsible be held accountable, including the confiscation of illegally acquired funds.

[northernjohn]

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.

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

I cannot say for sure what the school scene was but the students have been short changed by every government. In the last two and a half years it has not improved one bit. The last two education ministers said it needed an overhaul. Funny they should say that with the pad's in the schools.

As for the hospital 30 baht. It cost 50 baht to process the 30 baht. Do away with the 30 baht and well............I hope you can do the math. If not just borrow a calculator subtract 30 from 50 and that will give you 20 that is 20 baht saved on every patient. Now take let us say 1,000,000 patients and multiply that by 20 and you will have a net loss of 20,000,000 baht that could be going to services provided directly to the patients by the hands on workers. Not some ding bat PTP or red shirt that uses eye drops to cure a cold. If I have the correct information on the system under the Democrats the Nurses and the Doctors were not protesting the medical services. How ever under the PTP They both were protesting.

[northernjohn]

"Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na Ranong, his deputies Tanusak Lekuthai and Benja Louicharoen, and Council of State secretary general Chukiat Rattanachaicha discussed the scheme yesterday but refused to give any interview."

What kind of attitude!

They have brought millions of farmers in distress.

And now, no information how they want to solve this problem.

Incredible.

The largest subsidy program in Thailand and there is no information available.

Worse than any shadow economy.

Where are the 700-900 billion Baht gone?

Who has got, what here?

In which regions the farmers got their money and in what regions not?

It looks that all the farmers got their money only in PT strongholds.

What about the overall social responsibility?

Campaigning and vote buying with state money?

I hope that the NACC investigate this program fully and that the responsible be held accountable, including the confiscation of illegally acquired funds.

All the secrecy and Yingluck refusing to except a plan to make the government transparent.

Gee I wonder why.

I see where some of the farmers have stopped protesting because the government promised them they would pay them some time in the future. The same story they have been getting all along. Makes me wonder if there was not some external force brought to bear on them to get them to stop protesting.

Maybe they are working on another Gov. to Gov. deal where they sell a tremendous amount of rice at half price to get enough money to pay the farmers off. Naturally the price they receive for it will not be available to the public.

I by no means am an expert on economics but it seems to me that if you pay say 15,000 baht to buy a ton and store it for a year at shall we say 1,000 baht a year you would have to sell it at 16,000 baht a ton plus shipping and handling just to break even. The company I worked for when they did a cost plus it would be cost plus 10% for handling and office staff and what not. Then another 10% for profit.

Hard to say how much money they need to pay the bills I have heard 136 billion baht. But then I hear another source saying they are trying to borrow 150 billion baht and another says 180 billion baht.

Then along comes another source saying they are going to borrow it from 33 different banks. As I said I am not an expert or even an amateur but it seems to me that no matter which one they are trying to borrow one or two banks would be all they need to get that much.

Feel free to correct me on that point. The other figures are just being bandied around and really aren't that much apart.

[Old Man River]

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.....

Man, you reek. The farmers were not voting out of avarice- Only for a more secure life. If they were hustled by a politician then they are amongst practically every adult human being on earth. From the tone of your post I think that you like this sort of news- Nothing gives some folks more pleasure than to kick 'em when they're down, eh?

I am with with you. People, who don't have a lot, will always (100%) vote for the group who promises them help. These are poor people and we shouldn't expect them to think any longer term than it impacts them. We wouldn't. There was no promises of them becoming rich. I have never heard this, and I have been here a long time. My friends are protestors. Let's be real.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

So what are you implying ?? That the farmers are so stupid and shortsighted that they would sell their vote to Thaksin for 500 baht and some empty promises ?? Then Suthep would be right, with moronic populist programs luring short sighted farmers into voting for the person at the microphone, then they should not be voting. Because the net result which can clearly be seen now, is that Thailand goes down in flames

while the farmers are voting their pocketbook. I am positive that Thaksin studied the Perons in Argentina extensively, because they almost invented populist programs......

We are talking about rice not votes. I am agreement with the previous poster that the farmers are not voting out of avarice - only a more secure life. People who don't have a lot will always go with those who promise more. It is Human nature. When they are very poor, their scope is short term. They need food now and clothes for their kids now. If they were cheated, it is sad and not a day to be happy, because the person cheating them is someone you don't like. Instead, it is a sad day in "Mudville."

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Throatwobbler]

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

And that my friend is called supply and demand and progress.

They will turn to other profitable crops which they will be able to sustain them and their family. With the extra money they may be able to afford more nutritional foods such as meats, fruits, and vegetables which has actually been happening now with a declining trend in per capita rice consumption.

Demonizing the WORLD BANK

I remember on the 9th of October (5 days after rice farmers were not paid) last year the world bank said the scheme was incurring heavy losses and the Deputy PM defended Thailand and criticized the world bank saying the two-year pledging scheme for farmers cost the state only Bt200 billion. Mr Niwatthamrong ruled out a report that PT would have only Bt230 billion for rice purchases in the 2013/2014 crop, stating the Cabinet approved Bt270 billion for the scheme up until the end of February, 2014. That was a lie. But if it was not a lie then they had budgeted enough money and all would be good now? The rice farmers started waiting for payments from the 4th of January and even on that day the PTP were saying everything was OK. Doesn't sound like the EC's fault? If the PTP had taken the advice of the World Bank they would not be in this position today.

Demonizing IMF

I remember on the 12th of November (1 month and 8 days since rice farmers were not paid) last year IMF urged Thailand to drop its multibillion-dollar rice subsidy program. The the Finance Ministry said it hadn't seen the IMF report and wasn't worried about the subsidy program. The Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisal however did say something and that was surprise surprise refuting the claim, telling reporters last week that losses from the program “should be not over 100 billion baht a year.” That was a lie. If it wasn't a lie the rice farmers would be paid and all would be good now. 1 month and 8 days after rice farmers stopped getting paid the PTP said everything was still OK. Doesn't sound like the EC's fault. Had the PTP listened to the IMF they would not be in this position today.

Now we fast forward to today and even though the world bank had warned them. IMF had warned them. Even though the Deputy PM said they had budgeted for the 13/14 crop season. Even though the finance minster said "nothing to worry about". Even though the Commerce minister said he refuted the claim and demonized the IMF..drum roll...It is now the EC's fault that the rice farmers haven't been paid. PTP logic.

Unaccountability is the PTP's favorite dish. Followed for desert by blame. Washed down with a swig of propaganda so it can all be digested.

I do love your blind faith in this party though. It is admirable and worthy of a mention at the yearly PTP ministry of propaganda awards night.

I live in a rice growing village for almost a decade my view of rural Thailand is better than most, T.V.posters can see from their bar stool or out of the window of their local go go bar. Many of these clueless posters in their daily yellow tinted lies, states that PTP is at fault for Thailand no longer being the worlds top rice exporting country. I posted to the facts as I witness them here in the village,

In our family all our current crop of university students , 7 as we speak all will not be following their parents in to the family farm, that is a trend all over the country,due to the hard work, low pay that has kept Thailand as the top rice producing and rice exporting country in the world for 31 years off of the backs of the farmers.

Pray tell me with facts, how my propaganda (your word, not mine) is not more creditable than the excrement the Suthep sympathizer spread every day.on this forum, Your post kind of indicates you fancy yourself knowledgeable and clearly understand much about international Organization and procedures, if you are so "worldly" why do you not understand about international Democracies, constitutional rights, the rule of law and definition of terrorist activities are in the world and specific to Democracies, many on this forum believe that the Thai people do not deserve the rights they enjoyed in their home countries,and I simply believe that they do.

Do not quit your day job, as you could be an award winner on the American TV show "are you smarter than a fifth grader"

Common sense is not a gift, it is a punishment, when you have it you still have to deal with all those that don't.

Cheers

You may make some good points but you lose it all with your I am better than you attitude. Simply accusing people who don't agree with you as seeing life from a bar stool or a go-go bar shows you can not listen to another point of view. Your general condescending tone proves that you are in fact a lot worse than them.

[RubbaJohnny]

So desperate they have rejected alcohol and rice whisky tobacco and swapped flat screen TVs and SUVs for monks robes.

Some have even tried renting family to gullible punters from overseas on hourly basis

[love1012]

It was a stupid plan executed by Thaksin who claimed Thailand itself could drive up world rice prices.

Like his claim to solve Bangkok traffic jams in 3 months- an utter failure.

If I had to prescribe my own course of action for the Anti-Shinawatra side it would be as follows

1) Anyone who doesnt like Shinawatra close your business and take your money abroad to another ASEAN country. never pay taxes again - why work for these lazy slob Pheu Thai crooks? A mass exodus of the educated business owner is needed from Thailand - perhaps we could all go to Dubai for a while

2) Let him come back - I remember Thailand in 2008 when so many throughout the whole country were celebrating his demise because of his failures. The way to rid the world of the Shinawatras is to let them fail.They are good at murder, theft bribery, corruption and having stupid ideas - NOT at running countries effectively. Let them have Thailand - let Thai red shirt supporters feel the pain when they cannot be gotten rid of - then they will see how stupid they've been.

[JRSoul]

It was a stupid plan executed by Thaksin who claimed Thailand itself could drive up world rice prices.

Like his claim to solve Bangkok traffic jams in 3 months- an utter failure.

If I had to prescribe my own course of action for the Anti-Shinawatra side it would be as follows

1) Anyone who doesnt like Shinawatra close your business and take your money abroad to another ASEAN country. never pay taxes again - why work for these lazy slob Pheu Thai crooks? A mass exodus of the educated business owner is needed from Thailand - perhaps we could all go to Dubai for a while

2) Let him come back - I remember Thailand in 2008 when so many throughout the whole country were celebrating his demise because of his failures. The way to rid the world of the Shinawatras is to let them fail.They are good at murder, theft bribery, corruption and having stupid ideas - NOT at running countries effectively. Let them have Thailand - let Thai red shirt supporters feel the pain when they cannot be gotten rid of - then they will see how stupid they've been.

My family, home, even my faithful dog, don't deserve to be abandoned to a pack of thieves. Some things are worth fighting for.

[Crushdepth]

"Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na Ranong, his deputies Tanusak Lekuthai and Benja Louicharoen, and Council of State secretary general Chukiat Rattanachaicha discussed the scheme yesterday but refused to give any interview."

What kind of attitude!

They have brought millions of farmers in distress.

And now, no information how they want to solve this problem.

Incredible.

The largest subsidy program in Thailand and there is no information available.

Worse than any shadow economy.

Where are the 700-900 billion Baht gone?

Who has got, what here?

In which regions the farmers got their money and in what regions not?

It looks that all the farmers got their money only in PT strongholds.

What about the overall social responsibility?

Campaigning and vote buying with state money?

I hope that the NACC investigate this program fully and that the responsible be held accountable, including the confiscation of illegally acquired funds.

And how much rice does the government have in stock? How much have they *really* sold? Who owns the companies that bought it (now that would be an interesting trail to follow, I think it's not too hard to guess).

Never a clear answer, just lies and BS.

[Robby nz]

I see now it is reported elsewhere that Yingluck is pleading with the NACC to be fair with her over their impeachment investigation.

I would ask her "Has she been fair with the farmers"

Guilty as charged.

[gemguy]

OK......so it says that some farmers are not being paid by the Government under the rice pledging program..

What happened to private rice buyers and companies that normally buy the rice and more or less set the market price???

There must still be traders and or companies that want to buy the rice that is currently being grown and ready to be sold in say 2 or 3 months from now.

The farmers can still sell to who ever they choose ...right??

They did not have to sell to the government in the first place...correct?

Edited January 29, 2014 by gemguy

[Ricardo]

OK......so it says that some farmers are not being paid by the Government under the rice pledging program..

What happened to private rice buyers and companies that normally buy the rice and more or less set the market price???

There must still be traders and or companies that want to buy the rice that is currently being grown and ready to be sold in say 2 or 3 months from now.

The farmers can still sell to who ever they choose ...right??

They did not have to sell to the government in the first place...correct?

Correct, the farmer can always sell, at a much lower price, to his local miller ... but chose to sell to the government-scheme, for a higher one.

Had he known, 4-5 months ago, that the rice he delivered into the government-scheme would not be paid-for via BAAC in the usual week-or-so, he might well have decided to go for the more-certain cashflow, at the lower price. He would at least have had the option to make that decision.

But instead he trusted the government to pay up on-time, when they said they would, and has instead been fed a series of politicians' promises & lies.

And you can't spend, or live on, promises & lies !

Edited January 30, 2014 by Ricardo

[edwinchester]

OK......so it says that some farmers are not being paid by the Government under the rice pledging program..

What happened to private rice buyers and companies that normally buy the rice and more or less set the market price???

There must still be traders and or companies that want to buy the rice that is currently being grown and ready to be sold in say 2 or 3 months from now.

The farmers can still sell to who ever they choose ...right??

They did not have to sell to the government in the first place...correct?

If someone offered you 8-10,000bht for something and just up the road somebody else said I will give you 13-15,000bht who would you choose?

[englishoak]

Depends if the one offering 10k was cash now or 13k in 6 months ... me id take the 10 and reinvest it for the 6mths spend say 5k reinvesting and make another 10k thats 15k cash in the hand by the time the 13k pays up ... no brainer

[GeorgeO]

"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.

What a moron.......staged journalism.......have you ever been hard up through no fault of your own and having worked very hard in very demanding conditions....yours is one of the worst posts I have ever seen on TV and that is really saying something! Shame on you!

...and the usual suspects "liked" the post. This is essentially a case of Red Shirt sheep p***ing all over the fundamental Red Shirt support base.

[kerrysum]

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.....

Guess I would have to agree,

Become independent farmers, such programs will never reap results..... Been there done that in Issan, but there is a way, don't become a victum of lies..... The pint is the pound, the world around..... And now a great program to buy votes, you reap what you sow.... Just a thought....

Kilosierra.....

[scorecard]

Depends if the one offering 10k was cash now or 13k in 6 months ... me id take the 10 and reinvest it for the 6mths spend say 5k reinvesting and make another 10k thats 15k cash in the hand by the time the 13k pays up ... no brainer

Nice text book answer. Do you really believe the majority of the farmers have enough knowledge to make the same assessment, especially when their darling puppet has promised them the higher price?

[kerrysum]

"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.

They do not take care of their equipment, never have, and never will... Change the fluids, wash it, after all, it is your machine.... Correct..???

They come with manuals, on how to maintain them, don't they? Run it.... until its stops, then ask what went wrong?????

Just a thought, otherwise? Use the Water Buffalo......

[edwinchester]

Depends if the one offering 10k was cash now or 13k in 6 months ... me id take the 10 and reinvest it for the 6mths spend say 5k reinvesting and make another 10k thats 15k cash in the hand by the time the 13k pays up ... no brainer

My father in law is a rice farmer. He sold to the Govt at the end of Oct being told payment would take two or three weeks. He is still waiting.

The guy who rents my wifes paddy was told exactly the same thing back at the beginning of November.

He too is still waiting.

All the farmers here in Kanchanaburi were deceived as to when they would be paid for their rice when they harvested their last crop, that is why they sold to the Govt.

If the Govt were up front with the delayed payouts then I am sure many would have sold quickly for the lower price.

[Lucie]

I bet all the Farmers in the RED Shirt electoral strongholds have been paid ... The rest ... Well "We wheren't gonna get your vote anyway" .... SAD !!! ....

Actually, I saw the figures on TV last night for each province. The Northeastern provinces have actually been paid less of what they're owed, on average, than the provinces in the Central region. I guess they're counting on the Northeastern farmers being loyal even without being paid! At least where I live, that seems to be holding true. Poor deluded people.

[noikrit]

I bet all the Farmers in the RED Shirt electoral strongholds have been paid ... The rest ... Well "We wheren't gonna get your vote anyway" .... SAD !!! ....

Actually, I saw the figures on TV last night for each province. The Northeastern provinces have actually been paid less of what they're owed, on average, than the provinces in the Central region. I guess they're counting on the Northeastern farmers being loyal even without being paid! At least where I live, that seems to be holding true. Poor deluded people.

Interesting Lucie , any figures for the Northern Regions ?? ...

Edit Spelling

Edited January 30, 2014 by noikrit

[Thaddeus]

Depends if the one offering 10k was cash now or 13k in 6 months ... me id take the 10 and reinvest it for the 6mths spend say 5k reinvesting and make another 10k thats 15k cash in the hand by the time the 13k pays up ... no brainer

If you know how to turn 10k into 15k in six months, I'm all ears.

[JRSoul]

Depends if the one offering 10k was cash now or 13k in 6 months ... me id take the 10 and reinvest it for the 6mths spend say 5k reinvesting and make another 10k thats 15k cash in the hand by the time the 13k pays up ... no brainer

The only no-brainer involved is the person who thinks that magical interest rates are available to the small investor, or do you know anybody offering 100%+ pa?

It's not Thaksin, is it?

Edited January 30, 2014 by JRSoul

[wolfmanjack]

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.

I agree. i do not think it would be in the Dems best interest to form a government now anyway. Why would they want to inherit this problem? Let PT get back in and finish hanging themselves until the majority of the people realize who is causing the problems.

The Dems do need a better PR program though since even most of the people on TVF do not even know the Dems had many programs already mentioned that benefited the poor without bankrupting the country or resulting in huge amounts of corruption.