Thai Commerce Minister affirms 60 billion paid to farmers

[webfact]

'Niwatthamrong' affirms 60 billion paid to farmers



BANGKOK 8 February 2014 (NNT) —The Commerce Minister has brushed aside claims that the Ministry has been six months late in its payments to farmers participating in the rice pledging scheme.

According to Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan, farmers who pledged their rice during the month of October of 2013 have already been paid. However, he admitted that payments for November through January are still outstanding. Based on the information, the ministry is only two months behand in its payments, not four as claimed.

About 3,000 farmers from Uthai Thani, Prajinburi, Chachoengsao, Ayutthaya, and Petchburi, who pledged their rice during July - September 2013 have not yet been paid. The Commerce Minister pointed out that it needed a nod from the Cabinet and the Election Commission (EC) to secure loans to pay the overdue payment.

In regard to the farmer's protest situation at the Commerce Ministry, the Minister said he had tasked the Deputy Commerce Minister with resolving the issue with the farmers as soon as possible. As for those who wish to get their back instead of payment, the government is willing to comply with the request if it makes the farmers happy.


-- NNT 2014-02-08

[MaxLee]

Another black lie,...

[Scamper]

Infuriating. His account directly contradicts the accounts of the farmers. Why doesn't he meet with them ? He seems quite comfortable meeting with the press. Why not meet with them ? Why not tell them to their face that they have not waited as long as they say they have ?

" The Commerce Minister pointed out that it needed a nod from the Cabinet and the Election Commission (EC) to secure loans to pay the overdue payment. "

What a smoke screen. If if had been up to the " cabinet ", the money would have been plundered from errant Viking ships long ago. And the EC - as he well knows - has said no. Repeatedly. Because of the election laws. And as this election is apparently now in perpetuity, the money isn't surfacing any time soon. And neither is this administration.

[skills32]

How come that pledges from Oct get their money before those from earlier months?

[Ricardo]

"According to Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan, farmers who pledged their rice during the month of October of 2013 have already been paid."

but later in the OP ...

"About 3,000 farmers from Uthai Thani, Prajinburi, Chachoengsao, Ayutthaya, and Petchburi, who pledged their rice during July - September 2013 have not yet been paid. The Commerce Minister pointed out that it needed a nod from the Cabinet and the Election Commission (EC) to secure loans to pay the overdue payment."

So even in a short story like this, there's a contradiction which shows that the caretaker- Commerce Minister is being ... 'economical with the truth' ?

And what's his excuse, for the whole scheme having to be funded by loans, which have someday to be repaid, rather than being budgeted-for & funded properly, out of the government's income ?

Edited February 8, 2014 by Ricardo

[Gone]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think I just saw a documentry 3 weeks ago on the Australian Channel that said "Thailand supplies 80% of the world's rice." But it also said that was declining as rice crops aren't what they used to be due to Floods and droughts etc.

There must be a way of paying these poor farmers quickly. I remember was it just last year or the year before when farmers were commiting suicides from the floods ruining their crops.

These farmers MUST BE PAID !!!!!!

[Jeremy50]

Bunch of criminals who shouldn't hold office.

[JesseFrank]

According to Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan, farmers who pledged their rice during the month of October of 2013 have already been paid.

So I take it that the farmers who are blocking the roads and commerce ministry, failed to notice the cheque in their letter box.

[marcusd]

How come that pledges from Oct get their money before those from earlier months?

They needed the Chiang Mai votes

[davehowden]

"However, he admitted that payments for November through January are still outstanding. Based on the information, the ministry is only two months behind in its payments, not four as claimed."

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY

= 3 MONTHS, right?

Maybe I could lend him my hand for counting on, mind you I would need to check I still had 4 fingers and a thumb after he had finished!

[edwinchester]

Every farmer in our village would like to smash that smug pompous look right out the back of his lying head.

[ratcatcher]

"Looks good to me"

[seajae]

How come that pledges from Oct get their money before those from earlier months?

they are the red shirt farmers, the others dont matter

[bigbamboo]

There's a rumour that Sunisa Lerkpatwat, runaway soldier and author of 'Thaksin Where Are You?' and 'Thaksin, Are You OK?' fame has asked by the red shirt rice farmers to pen a new tome to be entitled, 'Thaksin, OK, Where's Our Money?'

Edited February 8, 2014 by metisdead
Oversize font reset to normal.

[GeorgeO]

How come that pledges from Oct get their money before those from earlier months?

That's just what I was thinking, and I love the two contradictory statements: ...

"The Commerce Minister has brushed aside claims that the Ministry has been six months late in its payments to farmers participating in the rice pledging scheme..."

"... about 3,000 farmers ... who pledged their rice during July - September 2013 have not yet been paid".

... so he brushes aside claims that they are six months late in paying farmers, essentially because they are, in fact, eight months late...!!

[GeorgeO]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think I just saw a documentry 3 weeks ago on the Australian Channel that said "Thailand supplies 80% of the world's rice." But it also said that was declining as rice crops aren't what they used to be due to Floods and droughts etc.

There must be a way of paying these poor farmers quickly. I remember was it just last year or the year before when farmers were commiting suicides from the floods ruining their crops.

These farmers MUST BE PAID !!!!!!

It's a shame the Australian Channel didn't do some research into the real reason for Thailand's declining status in the global rice market...that is, the attempt by Thaksin, through his puppet sister, to hold the world market to ransom, resulting in millions of tonnes of rotting rice in Thai warehouses...!!

[timewilltell]

Another unbelievable clown at the helm vomiting out a load of falsehoods. So full of ethics and honour these people.

Edited February 8, 2014 by timewilltell

[chainarong]

Something is really not adding up here ,also the good minister states that they have to raise a loan to pay the farmers, in other words they don't have the money and are operating on the credit card ,not good governance , bad economics, in actual fact , the PTP are spending money they haven't got to buy votes , money that Thailand has not got. The sooner the good people of Thailand wake up to themselves the better the place will be , well one can only hope, but that's not guaranteed either, devil U do devil U don't.

[Melyn]

I'm a little concerned that downtown Chiang Mai and darkest Isaan are not more vocal.

Were they fast-tracked before February 2nd I wonder?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited February 8, 2014 by Melyn

[jackrich]

"However, he admitted that payments for November through January are still outstanding. Based on the information, the ministry is only two months behind in its payments, not four as claimed."

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY

= 3 MONTHS, right?

Maybe I could lend him my hand for counting on, mind you I would need to check I still had 4 fingers and a thumb after he had finished!

January is due by the end of February.

Maybe I am counting wrong but on my calendar it's not the end of February yet.

[ramrod711]

I hope that i'm not too far off topic but, where are Jatuporn and Nattawut? Remember Nattawut, from the agricuture ministry? Thaksins right hand man, looks like the two of them left Chalerm in charge.

[fstarbkk]

I must admit that I was never a star in math and thus not qualified to argue with a financial expert, such as a commerce minister.

But if I add up July, August, September, November,December and January, I keep coming up with SIX months, NOT TWO.

Where am I going wrong here, your excellency pray tell???

[mightyatom]

"However, he admitted that payments for November through January are still outstanding. Based on the information, the ministry is only two months behind in its payments, not four as claimed."

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY

= 3 MONTHS, right?

Maybe I could lend him my hand for counting on, mind you I would need to check I still had 4 fingers and a thumb after he had finished!

January is due by the end of February.

Maybe I am counting wrong but on my calendar it's not the end of February yet.

The only poster on the thread that continues to blindly believe all the lies.

What does that tell you?

Good luck the next time you need to tie your shoe laces.

[ikurauni]

Whatever the BS this man is talking about, the fact is that the farmers have not been paid and are very angry. The government tries to make a better public image but the more they try to make excuses they more lie they have to tell. Everybody knows the BS.

[jackrich]

"However, he admitted that payments for November through January are still outstanding. Based on the information, the ministry is only two months behind in its payments, not four as claimed."

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY

= 3 MONTHS, right?

Maybe I could lend him my hand for counting on, mind you I would need to check I still had 4 fingers and a thumb after he had finished!

January is due by the end of February.

Maybe I am counting wrong but on my calendar it's not the end of February yet.

The only poster on the thread that continues to blindly believe all the lies.

What does that tell you?

Good luck the next time you need to tie your shoe laces.

It's not a lie, it's a fact. Please stop trolling if you don't know how payments are made.

[dinooz]

I must admit that I was never a star in math and thus not qualified to argue with a financial expert, such as a commerce minister.

But if I add up July, August, September, November,December and January, I keep coming up with SIX months, NOT TWO.

Where am I going wrong here, your excellency pray tell???

you missed October that's seven

[fstarbkk]

I must admit that I was never a star in math and thus not qualified to argue with a financial expert, such as a commerce minister.

But if I add up July, August, September, November,December and January, I keep coming up with SIX months, NOT TWO.

Where am I going wrong here, your excellency pray tell???

you missed October that's seven

In the unlikely event that it's true, I left October out, because his excellency said that month HAD actually been paid.

Of course, I wouldn't bet my rice farm on that claim either.

[slapout]

The Commerce Ministry, Finance, Agriculture, etc plays round robin with who will meet the press each week. Noone seems to be aware of what their coharts have said before them, thus they just stacking the bs higher on the old pile.

They seem to play to the notion that the people have a short memory (old style political thinking) and they themselves do not take into account the written reports, tape recording, etc of each of the lies that have/are/will be told. Another prime example of the self entitlement this man and most of those in the political arena of Thailand have for themselves, their position and the utter disdain they have for those who pay their salaries, while they are stealing the shirt off of their backs and the generations to come.

It is this kind of 13 centuary attitude that many countries of the world have gotten rid of.and most did so through means, that may have seemed cruel at the time, but resulted in a government/society that they can be proud of today.

[dominique355]

Let me get that straight: The PT government bought rice from the farmers worth THB 600 billion and paid them THB 60 billion?

That's a meagre 10%. What happened to the 90% who apparently did not get paid?

I really wonder how Yingluck has ever done business before she became a PM?

[rickirs]

Infuriating. His account directly contradicts the accounts of the farmers. Why doesn't he meet with them ? He seems quite comfortable meeting with the press. Why not meet with them ? Why not tell them to their face that they have not waited as long as they say they have ?

" The Commerce Minister pointed out that it needed a nod from the Cabinet and the Election Commission (EC) to secure loans to pay the overdue payment. "

What a smoke screen. If if had been up to the " cabinet ", the money would have been plundered from errant Viking ships long ago. And the EC - as he well knows - has said no. Repeatedly. Because of the election laws. And as this election is apparently now in perpetuity, the money isn't surfacing any time soon. And neither is this administration.

I believe the EC first told the administration that it needed the EC's permission to borrow the funds because the amount was "

significant." Then when the administration requested the EC's permission, the EC said it had no authority to approve such loans, whereby the administration began to directly contact banks for rice loans. No was no smoke screen other than the one delivered by the EC.