Rice farmers to get payments next week, Yingluck assures

[saltandpepper]

If it is true it is really bad news for Suthep as the farmers were just about his last straw.

Are you really sure?

The last straw is still a long way....

Think a bit: Protests areas are manned by very few protesters, leaving them easy targets for police. Still, nothing is done to retake them except for this morning deal. Why?

Now, as for the payment promised for next week, details to be revealed later, I would really see that as a "last straw" to try to prevent farmers to escalate their actions against Yingluck. Too many lied have been told them already, and I am not convinced they are going to accept this empty promise again!

Wait and see!

[JesseFrank]

Benja said the loan was secured under a Cabinet approval, dated September 23, 2013, and the Finance Ministry had provided financial resources to guarantee it.

So if the loan was approved almost 5 months ago, why they had to ask the EC for approval ? Maybe it was a loan approved for a different budget ?

She said that the Cabinet approval was legal and actionable but a House dissolution had made commercial banks hesitant to approve loans.

But the house was only dissolved on 9 December, so the banks needed more than 2 months to approve the loans, looks like they considered a bad creditor.

Deputy Finance Minister Benja Louichareon said the money - the amount was not specified - had been borrowed partly from the state-owned Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC).

Here lies lays the truth, the amount was not specified, so it probably will be far from the 130 Billion Baht needed.

Finally, if a loan is approved why needs the rice to be moved ? I doubt the banks gonna store in under their desks in the office, is it .

I know I'm probably exaggerating now, because soon Troll1011 and cohorts will be here to explain everything to us.

[smedly]

"Sacks of rice are readied for night-time loading onto a long line of waiting trucks at a warehouse in Ang Thong.

Local residents expressed suspicion, as the movement of the rice came as farmers were demanding payment for rice sold to the government."

"Ang Thong Governor Pawin Chamniprasart said he had no authority to look into mysterious night-time deliveries of rice in and out of a warehouse in Ang Thong, as it was likely privately-owned and likely not part of the rice-pledging scheme."

Money one can easily carry in suitcases back and forth.

With rice it is not such easy.

No transport or shipping papers?

Maybe thieves at work?

“likely not part of the rice-pledging scheme.”

What is going on there?

well the DSI should be in there to take a look, my guess is this is a holding area for rice that has been bought and sold several times - if you close you eyes and imagine hard enough you can make that big storage facility turn into a farm and a huge paddy field

[GeorgeO]

If it is true it is really bad news for Suthep as the farmers were just about his last straw.

Is that the best you can do? Pathetic.

Really great response to a fairly simple post relating to what may happen IF the payments are made, take a lot of time and thought to come up with it did it?

I'm guessing it took about the same time as your original post...!

The Caretaker Government has already been clearly advised that they may not borrow money from the BAAC. Before you even think of it, I know that you will argue that the loan agreement was reached in September, well, even if that is true (which I very much doubt) then such an agreement was made null and void when the government dissolved Parliament.

If it is true that the agreement was reached in September, then my simple question to you is, why were the payments not made at that time?

[bigbamboo]

"Yeah, I sent the check already. You didn't get it yet?"

"No, I didn't get it yet."

"Ok, let me check with the mail. Sometimes they are slow. I can't believe you didn't get it yet."

.......... "My brother got his."

[JesseFrank]

well the DSI should be in there to take a look,

DSI is probably helping loading the trucks.

[noikrit]

"Yeah, I sent the check already. You didn't get it yet?"

"No, I didn't get it yet."

"Ok, let me check with the mail. Sometimes they are slow. I can't believe you didn't get it yet."

.......... "My brother got his."

Where does he live , interested to know ...

[Halion]

"The farmers will get paid next week" has become the catch phrase of this benign and beleaguered administration.

Yes Yingluck, the check is in the post, we have heard this with monotonous regularity for the past 3 months and it has no more substance than it did in November.

[tomacht8]

"Sacks of rice are readied for night-time loading onto a long line of waiting trucks at a warehouse in Ang Thong.

Local residents expressed suspicion, as the movement of the rice came as farmers were demanding payment for rice sold to the government."

"Ang Thong Governor Pawin Chamniprasart said he had no authority to look into mysterious night-time deliveries of rice in and out of a warehouse in Ang Thong, as it was likely privately-owned and likely not part of the rice-pledging scheme."

Money one can easily carry in suitcases back and forth.

With rice it is not such easy.

No transport or shipping papers?

Maybe thieves at work?

“likely not part of the rice-pledging scheme.”

What is going on there?

well the DSI should be in there to take a look, my guess is this is a holding area for rice that has been bought and sold several times - if you close you eyes and imagine hard enough you can make that big storage facility turn into a farm and a huge paddy field

It is very sad that the DSI as an special police force organisation, stopped at all to work for Thailand, for the people and the country interests.

The irregularities and corruption in this rice scheme is so obvious. So far they have not carried out one single determination.

If the police are not working in the interest of the country and doing their work, then it comes to looting. Thieves have then free hands.

That Thailand is now in chaos, it is also there fault.

Who else have the authority to look into mysterious night-time deliveries of rice in and out of a warehouse in Ang Thong?

Edited February 14, 2014 by tomacht8

[aimbc]

I wonder if the loan approved by the cabinet was tied to the G-G deal. Because it is already over the budget and in good faith of the G-G deal happening, they decided to approve the loans. Believing that they would get paid soon with the G-G deal. I think there are many strikes against them. It is going to be a huge mess once evidence comes to light. I think DSI has best use their time to find out how YS administration is defrauding the farmers and the misuse of taxpayers money.

[thhMan]

With a statement like that... It has to be paid.... or else there will be hell to pay...

But I am also sure... they will sell their votes when the time comes.... no lessons learned here... move on

[Loles]

wait, wait, this was the 23th, ..... no, no, the 24th assurance.

[realenglish1]

Hey I know

Set up a Casava Pledge Scheme next Year Should go over like a lead balloon

[Skint]

How many people on TV are actually affected by the issue?

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[billd766]

If it is true it is really bad news for Suthep as the farmers were just about his last straw.

Is that the best you can do? Pathetic.

Really great response to a fairly simple post relating to what may happen IF the payments are made, take a lot of time and thought to come up with it did it?

Strangely enough it was equal to or better than your post which was a waste of time.

My response is if it is NOT true then there are more problems for this broken down government and its broken down lies.

How many times have they promised to pay the farmers and failed every time which makes each promise just another lie.

If they don't pay the farmers will you apologise on Thai Visa or not?

[billd766]

well the DSI should be in there to take a look,

DSI is probably helping loading the trucks.

Under a police guard and security detail as well.

[wprime]

I wonder how they guaranteed the loan? The government can't legally guarantee it in the caretaker state, unless it was privately guaranteed in which case the loan amount would be much less than what they need (not even Thaksin can afford to guarantee the entire amount).

[Lite Beer]

PM: Farmers will be paid on Feb 17

BANGKOK, 14 February 2014 (NNT) – Prime Minister and Defense Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has reaffirmed that all farmers registered with the government’s rice support program will be paid, starting from February 17th.

Amid the ongoing protests by farmers who have not received their rice compensations, the prime minister during her trip to Ayutthaya reassured that the government would start making payments to the farmers from Feb 17 onward.

The cabinet earlier gave an approval to a 712 million baht budget which will be allocated to the farmers awaiting for September 2013 payment.

During her trip to Ayutthaya with her son, the locals gave Miss Yingluck flowers to show their moral supports as she moved towards Panun Cheong Temple to make merit on such a special occasion of Magha Puja Day.

Tagging along with the Premier were her sister, Yaowapa Wongsawat and Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan.

-- NNT 2014-02-14

[mightyatom]

With the auction only netting 1 billion and they need 130 billion i wonder how many farmers will be appeased nexr week.

That is if that money ever makes it to the farmers

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

They will likely pay the ones who land in Bangkok.

[JesseFrank]

Prime Minister and Defense Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has reaffirmed that all farmers registered with the government’s rice support program will be paid, starting from February 17th.

Well if she pays one farmer on the 17th, then she hasn't lied, but I doubt even that .

[mightyatom]

The saddest thing is that even if they pay the farmers everything they owe tomorrow, they have wasted so much money and the farmers are no closer to being self sufficient than they were 5 years ago. Think of how all that money wasted could have been used to teach and implement new agricultural techniques and crops diversification. Instead PTP has created an army of destitute farmers who are even more dependent on handouts from the government just to survive.

SHAME on you Thaksin and Yingluck. You have failed your people.

Very true and well thought out post.

You can't fix something just by throwing huge sums of money at it. You need to approach a problem intelligently, and that is something the government are not capable of. Also your method would not enable the huge amount of corruption that huge volumes of wasted money can facilitate. So the gov are much more interested in the cash method.

[TVGerry]

PM: Farmers will be paid on Feb 17

BANGKOK, 14 February 2014 (NNT) – Prime Minister and Defense Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has reaffirmed that all farmers registered with the government’s rice support program will be paid, starting from February 17th.

Amid the ongoing protests by farmers who have not received their rice compensations, the prime minister during her trip to Ayutthaya reassured that the government would start making payments to the farmers from Feb 17 onward.

The cabinet earlier gave an approval to a 712 million baht budget which will be allocated to the farmers awaiting for September 2013 payment.

During her trip to Ayutthaya with her son, the locals gave Miss Yingluck flowers to show their moral supports as she moved towards Panun Cheong Temple to make merit on such a special occasion of Magha Puja Day.

Tagging along with the Premier were her sister, Yaowapa Wongsawat and Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan.

-- NNT 2014-02-14

Pay them and all is well, lie to them again and come Tuesday, the Shinawatras will be in an all new world of hurt.

[khwaibah]

Prime Minister and Defense Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has reaffirmed that all farmers registered with the government’s rice support program will be paid, starting from February 17th.

Well if she pays one farmer on the 17th, then she hasn't lied, but I doubt even that .

Her lips are moving again.

[quagmirefg]

The payment checks will be for 5 baht and have the memo: "Instalment Payment from on/or after 17th, February".

Ha Baht, Ha Baht, Ha Baht 555

Edited February 14, 2014 by quagmirefg

[mightyatom]

Ang Thong Governor Pawin Chamniprasart said he had no authority to look into mysterious night-time deliveries of rice in and out of a warehouse in Ang Thong, as it was likely privately-owned and likely not part of the rice-pledging scheme.

Likely? Ang Thong Governor Pawin Chamniprasart should only have to ask his minions if they are or they are not.

This could be a smoking gun my friends. On the illegal side it was always going to be a problem shifting it. Illegal trade goes on all the time in banking where it is electronic and gem stones which can be easily concealed. Eighteen million tonnes of rice just cannot pass like a ship in the night, no way. It does make one wonder what all this rice shipping being done at the dead of night is all about.

Filling up other warehouses where rice has been stripped?

Also Nattawut Transport being paid to transport rice in a carousel fashion with no purpose from warehouse to warehouse so they can skim millions a day in transport costs?

You make up your minds.... it is likely one of those two.

Edited February 14, 2014 by mightyatom

[Costas2008]

To Yingluck:

Edited February 14, 2014 by Costas2008

[Scamper]

" She said that the Cabinet approval was legal and actionable but a House dissolution had made commercial banks hesitant to approve loans. "

It is emphatically not legal. It is illegal and unconstitutional. The EC and NACC have forbidden this. She has no right to make such promises. Kittirat's " letter of comfort " to the banks is yet another imaginative way Pheu Thai has come up with that somehow attempts to skirt around the constitution by calling such a request for a loan not a formal or official one ( in other words, not one that comes from a parliamentary-sanctioned budgetary request - the only legal or constitutional means available ). They are a caretaker administration that doesn't have a quorum, and doesn't have the means to delegate funds. Period. As a result of desperation, the administration is now recklessly forging an illegal course.

Edited February 14, 2014 by Scamper

[Tatsujin]

Krung Thai someone else mentioned . . . not sure if true or not.

[cup-O-coffee]

The farmers will only believe you once the money is in their hands. You've lied to them about the payments far too often for them to believe you again. And if you lie to them again, I expect them to escalate their protests next week.

Yet the odd part of this is that the farmers don't have their rice in their possession at the moment; the government does. How did the government get the rice? The farmers gave it to them. They still have not been paid. How often has this happened before? Many times. One would think that one would learn from experience and not hand over the keys to the farm without money in hand firstly.

Is it inappropriate for me to think that the farmers are utter lunatics to ignore the past, as well as ignore their intuition and instinct about this government and simply hand over their livelihood without even one satang being placed in their hands?

I don't think so, respectively speaking.

Ask any Thai what they think about handing over the farm before getting even one satang placed in their hands, and they will laugh in your face and tell you that the person who does this is ting tong indeed.

So, why did they hand over their rice to an entity that they never trusted, or whom their mothers told them an action such as this is folly?

What do they teach kids in schools these days anyways?

Moreover, I add further incrimination on the farmers for not having a backup plan. You don;t give away your livelihood without a backup plan. What is their backup plan?

You can't fix stupid.

Yeah! The government has been naughty... been that way forever, and these farmers know this.

Feigning ignorance to that, and crying that their trust was taken with ill will is no excuse to me.

Where is it written anywhere that anyone hands over anything before they see the money? Show me the money?

DUMB!

Simple economics baby. You want to buy my truck, but you want to take it out for a test drive first? You'd better leave a big fat deposit in my hand first, or let me ride shotgun.

[mightyatom]

How many people on TV are actually affected by the issue?

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

How many comments have you posted on other issues that affect you?