Stress drives another farmer to suicide

[bigbamboo]

This is not something unique to Thailand its happening in Australia.

Really? The govt not paying the farmers for months and need to keep borrowing money while there is still inventory? And do countries need to be like Australia? And what other countries does it happen to? Only a fool follow a fool.

Talk about bitter.

Perhaps what Harada was trying to say was that ATM, there are farmers in Australia committing suicide because of the difficulties and isolation they face, as various parts of the country face very severe drought. Many of the farmers there feel they have little or no support from the government, it might be the case that the government reacts far too slowly, many farming families hit the wall long before the pollies get motivated and start touring the regions to work out how to respond to and support farmers.

WITHOUT farmers, people around the world would have nothing to eat. Australia is particularly harsh as it can be very remote place for people on the land. Australia is almost 80% the size of the USA, yet only 23 million odd people, most of which are in the cities and costal areas. Farmers, especially ones in remote areas, in this circumstance are very vulnerable to depression and suicide.

In Thailand it must be very difficult, although the circumstances are different, I bet little is done for farmers facing stress and depression. I wouldn't be too quick in judging people without having walked at least a few yards in their shoes. Red snakes comment takes none of this into consideration & whilst I do feel sorry for the families of the farmers who suicide, it wouldn't take much effort to choose words more carefully and not be some dam_n critical of the farmers that have taken this course of action. Clearly his words wouldn't support the respective families, one iota. Yet another example of internet heroism at its best....err worst.

It's very clear certain people responsible for this failed government policy have a lot to answer for, but we already knew that, didn't we?

Australia has 23 million odd people?

I'm sure they can't all be.

[neverdie]

^^^. Lol @ bigbamboo

[wprime]

They tried to sell but there is no buyer. PTP and Yingluck should be held responsible for farmers killing them selfs.

Have you seen the penalties for negligent homicide? Based on her current net worth, the fine for negligent homicide and typical levels of compensation required to evade a jail sentence, she could afford to kill 11,150 of them before she'll face a jail sentence. If Thaksin helps her she can afford to kill over a million.

[winstonc]

The tragedies ensuing from the rice scheme have embedded themselves in the consciousness of the Thai people. It has effective changed the nation. The country will not the same because of this. And it will forever alter historians' view of the Pheu Thai party. And yet, not once have Pheu Thai ever offered an apology, not one gesture of contrition. They have never owned responsibility for this debacle. They have expended much energy blaming everyone else, however. Everyone but themselves. It is something they seem biologically incapable of doing. They will never take responsibility for this. For that reason alone, they have forfeited their right to govern.

very true post...but i have never encountered 1 thai who will take responsibility for anything or their actions.it doesnt matter who your support leans toward they are incapable,as a nation to ever move forward because of this and face saving,quite pathetic really.this comment has no relation to the poor chap who lost his life..directly...

[Skywalker69]

What a garbage story. No opinion from a forensic psychiatrist, no autopsy results to rule out an underlying organic factor, no investigation to determine if there are other factors involved such as alcoholism, misadventure or existing mental illness.

The conclusion of suicide from stress is made solely upon the wife's statement that stress over the debt combined with not being able to pay his home mortgage possibly led him to kill himself. Next time a westerner takes a leap off a balcony keep that in mind, when considering the contributing factors. The money issues are probably one of many other contributing factors. In any given year, long before the rice pledging program, farmers were killing themselves, just as other Thais do every year in Thailand.

BTW, suicide is a reportable activity under WHO protocols .20 and 30 years ago, Thai suicide rates were significantly higher. The decrease coincided with the period when Thaksin became PM and it reached its lowest point in the final year of Thaksin's administration. It increased slightly under the military junta and Democrat governments. Using the logic of some people, the Thai governments of the 80's and 90's should be condemned because the suicide rates were significantly higher during that period and Thaksin should be praised.

The reality is that as all governments since 2001 have provided some mental health services. Drug and alcohol addiction/dependency is not as bad as it was 30 years ago, some HIV and cancer patients have hope, and the population is more prosperous compared to the 80's and 90's. These changes are reflected in the suicide rate.

What a garbage story

Says the defender of the poor Thaksin and Yingluck.

[antimedia]

This is not something unique to Thailand its happening in Australia.

one word....Bullshit...

Your one sick SOB

[harada]

This is not something unique to Thailand its happening in Australia.

one word....Bullshit...

actually it is not bullshite, farmers do commit suicide in Australia also. I have personally investigated suicides of farmers and completed reports for the coroner.

Post removed

Edited February 16, 2014 by harada

[belg]

son of a gun, the governement will finally start to sell some rice for their riceberg scam that only costed a few hundred billions of tax payers money

[kevvy]

This is not something unique to Thailand its happening in Australia.

one word....Bullshit...

actually it is not bullshite, farmers do commit suicide in Australia also. I have personally investigated suicides of farmers and completed reports for the coroner.

A new study has found 147 farmers committed suicide in Queensland in the decade after the 2000, compared to 92 in New South Wales.

Researchers say the number of suicides in NSW could be even higher, but it is harder to define because of the way the statistics are gathered.

There is more work to do to find out why the number is higher in Queensland.

The study was conducted by the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, in collaboration with the University of Newcastle.

[smileydude]

Where are all these bitter inhuman unsympathetic remarks about suicide coming from?

Are you so removed from reality? Are you so lacking in compassion to realise the depth of despair some individuals sink into that their only feeling is to take their own life as a relief?

If you have been here long enough you will see that all the unsympathetic remarks are coming from supporters of the red shirts. They are trying to distort it via conspiracy theories, denial and other off topic remarks as the deaths of these farmers reflects badly on the PTP and the same people who supported them.

I wonder how many more farmers will have to die before the government comes clean?

[manxninja]

Yingluck or anyone else is not responsible for suicides.

It's the person, some people are mentally strong, others are not. I've been in severe financial difficulty with a number of children to feed, did I kill myself, no I worked through it and came out the other side.

rice farming is a business the same as any other, one should never rely on Government alone for funding.

It is not nice when people die, but put the blame where it lies and not at the door of Yingluck.

[chooka]

Where are all these bitter inhuman unsympathetic remarks about suicide coming from?

Are you so removed from reality? Are you so lacking in compassion to realise the depth of despair some individuals sink into that their only feeling is to take their own life as a relief?

If you have been here long enough you will see that all the unsympathetic remarks are coming from supporters of the red shirts. They are trying to distort it via conspiracy theories, denial and other off topic remarks as the deaths of these farmers reflects badly on the PTP and the same people who supported them.

I wonder how many more farmers will have to die before the government comes clean?

Oh please, farmers were committing suicide thousands of years before Thaksin was even born.

[moonao]

meh, just the Nation Newspaper trying to push their propaganda and blame on the government. no wonder we get a bunch of farangs frothing at the mouth about yingluck on the news forum, they have been brainwashed by the relentless The Nation propoganda and cant think for themselves

[Barney R]

Has anyone actually given thought to the ministers statement about selling 10 million tonnes of rice . In a nutshell that is rubbish . If they dumped 10 million tonnes on the market they would destroy the world rice prices . It wouldn't be only the yellow shirts gunning for the present Thai government I am sure other countries like Vietnam,India ,Philipines,Cambodia ,Laos ect ect would all make their objections know .

[kikoman]

They plan to sell 10 million tons. Why didn't they already sell? How many more desperate people have to die?

If the government retires money can be borrowed for paying the farmers. The game is over for the shinas anyway. Do they need the extra time to cover up their wrong doings?

Your dreaming again!

The government is starting to get money as the EC has played all of their cards and can not longer hide from the eyes of the farmers as who is denying the government the money to pay them,

130 billion baht was allocated for rice payments and was approved by the cabinet on September 3, 2013, in the 2013-2014 budget, already at the disposal to pay off the farmers. Only the EC can OK its release! The EC voted that they lacked the authority to approve any loans, that the government must bear any legal ramifications. The government is forging ahead with the payments that had already been approved prior to them becoming a care taker government!

Cheers

[smileydude]

Where are all these bitter inhuman unsympathetic remarks about suicide coming from?

Are you so removed from reality? Are you so lacking in compassion to realise the depth of despair some individuals sink into that their only feeling is to take their own life as a relief?

If you have been here long enough you will see that all the unsympathetic remarks are coming from supporters of the red shirts. They are trying to distort it via conspiracy theories, denial and other off topic remarks as the deaths of these farmers reflects badly on the PTP and the same people who supported them.

I wonder how many more farmers will have to die before the government comes clean?

Oh please, farmers were committing suicide thousands of years before Thaksin was even born.

evidence of denial.

I rest my case

[aimbc]

This is not something unique to Thailand its happening in Australia.

Really? The govt not paying the farmers for months and need to keep borrowing money while there is still inventory? And do countries need to be like Australia? And what other countries does it happen to? Only a fool follow a fool.

Talk about bitter.

Perhaps what Harada was trying to say was that ATM, there are farmers in Australia committing suicide because of the difficulties and isolation they face, as various parts of the country face very severe drought. Many of the farmers there feel they have little or no support from the government, it might be the case that the government reacts far too slowly, many farming families hit the wall long before the pollies get motivated and start touring the regions to work out how to respond to and support farmers.

WITHOUT farmers, people around the world would have nothing to eat. Australia is particularly harsh as it can be very remote place for people on the land. Australia is almost 80% the size of the USA, yet only 23 million odd people, most of which are in the cities and costal areas. Farmers, especially ones in remote areas, in this circumstance are very vulnerable to depression and suicide.

In Thailand it must be very difficult, although the circumstances are different, I bet little is done for farmers facing stress and depression. I wouldn't be too quick in judging people without having walked at least a few yards in their shoes. Red snakes comment takes none of this into consideration & whilst I do feel sorry for the families of the farmers who suicide, it wouldn't take much effort to choose words more carefully and not be some dam_n critical of the farmers that have taken this course of action. Clearly his words wouldn't support the respective families, one iota. Yet another example of internet heroism at its best....err worst.

It's very clear certain people responsible for this failed government policy have a lot to answer for, but we already knew that, didn't we?

Why not be bitter? The policies are suppose to help the farmers, but where is the money now? These are the money that need to go to them. No one is oppose to helping them. If they were, they would have protested a long time ago. But to use farmers as a political tool to create a policy to steal from? No that is not cool! We have to do things responsibly. Rice farmers are just one group of many farmers in many agricultural industry that needs support. What about the rest? But if corruption was lessen, then the money would reach them better. If the government is inept, let's help them, but before we can help them, they need to make all transaction transparent, so we can avoid this mess again. The government already spent or will be spending close to 800+ billion baht for the policy. With about 1.8 million farmers participating in the program, that would make an equivalent of 444,444 per farmer. Now don't take my number as the true number, they are just what I gathered from the limited data that the govt. are willing to provide.

And if you truly care about the farmers, there are about 2.2 million farmers who can not participate in this program. And this are even poorer than the farmers participating in the program. How are those being help? Are they the forgotten? The program according to TDRI, only support the upper 20% of the well off farmers while leaving the 80% to struggle. What do you say to them? This policy was designed with corruption all the way.

So the issue here is not whether or not we want to support the farmers, the issue here is the money has been stolen by the YL administration. Because the rice are not all there and most are poor rotten rice. This I know from a CEO of a large rice company in Thailand. That is why it's hard for the government to sell the rice. They had basically took all the money away from the farmers and are now asking taxpayers to cover up for their crime. A crime that not even DSI or any law enforcement dare to touch.

Let's all help the farmers, but the government must stop the program first and open all transaction to the public. I am sure we can find money some where among the mess. I will bet all 130 Billion.

[kikoman]

They plan to sell 10 million tons. Why didn't they already sell? How many more desperate people have to die?

If the government retires money can be borrowed for paying the farmers. The game is over for the shinas anyway. Do they need the extra time to cover up their wrong doings?

Your dreaming again!

The government is starting to get money as the EC has played all of their cards and can not longer hide from the eyes of the farmers as who is denying the government the money to pay them,

130 billion baht was allocated for rice payments and was approved by the cabinet on September 3, 2013, in the 2013-2014 budget, already at the disposal to pay off the farmers. Only the EC can OK its release! The EC voted that they lacked the authority to approve any loans, that the government must bear any legal ramifications. The government is forging ahead with the payments that had already been approved prior to them becoming a care taker government!

Cheers

*Deleted post edited out*

Sing with new wind, from all the refried pintos.!

My take on the situation, The money was allocated for the Rice payments, on 9-03-13 the Democrat asked for a budget review, which held up the payments, after the review the Demo's resigned en mass, which prompted the dissolution and caretaker status,

(But I do agreed that the PTP must take responsibility for the non-payment up to the time they became a caretaker government!)

Suthep and the EC made some stupid decisions that took the heat off of the PTP, the EC asked the Court who could delay the elections, sure that the court would rule in the EC favor, they did not.

Second the majority will still vote for the PTP, the EC placed the election out of the time of maximum farmers protest and any voter backlash would have given a strong message, they failed there to.

Suthep refusal to negotiate, when it seemed like he had a big backing (from a position of power), but his failure to stop the election, proved he was a paper kitten, and really spoke for a small minority.(No power to negotiate)

Lastly do not get your jockeys in a knot, as a Farang it does not matter what you or I think, we have no say in the final analyses!, no rights, no say, no power!

Cheers

Edited February 16, 2014 by Scott
Deleted post edited out

[geriatrickid]

What a garbage story. No opinion from a forensic psychiatrist, no autopsy results to rule out an underlying organic factor, no investigation to determine if there are other factors involved such as alcoholism, misadventure or existing mental illness.

The conclusion of suicide from stress is made solely upon the wife's statement that stress over the debt combined with not being able to pay his home mortgage possibly led him to kill himself. Next time a westerner takes a leap off a balcony keep that in mind, when considering the contributing factors. The money issues are probably one of many other contributing factors. In any given year, long before the rice pledging program, farmers were killing themselves, just as other Thais do every year in Thailand.

BTW, suicide is a reportable activity under WHO protocols .20 and 30 years ago, Thai suicide rates were significantly higher. The decrease coincided with the period when Thaksin became PM and it reached its lowest point in the final year of Thaksin's administration. It increased slightly under the military junta and Democrat governments. Using the logic of some people, the Thai governments of the 80's and 90's should be condemned because the suicide rates were significantly higher during that period and Thaksin should be praised.

The reality is that as all governments since 2001 have provided some mental health services. Drug and alcohol addiction/dependency is not as bad as it was 30 years ago, some HIV and cancer patients have hope, and the population is more prosperous compared to the 80's and 90's. These changes are reflected in the suicide rate.

What a garbage story

Says the defender of the poor Thaksin and Yingluck.

NO, says someone who has actually read the suicide data. Have you? The story makes the conclusion SOLELY on the wife's statement that the suicide was POSSIBLY related to debts. There are multiple factors involved in a suicide. One of those factors is depression often exacerbated by the abuse of alcohol. Don't let the science interfere with your speculation. The article doesn't provide any facts, save for the death and the debt situation.

By your logic, you should be singing the praises of Thaksin, since suicide rates fell SIGNIFICANTLY during his administration. I don't give Thaksin credit for that reduction, just as I do not "blame" the current government for this suicide. This story panders to those looking for an excuse to blame the government. There were suicides prior to the rice program, and there will be suicides after the rice program. Mental illness doesn't need a rice program to manifest itself, and suicide is the manifestation of a psychological problem. That's the science.

[hgma]

This is not something unique to Thailand its happening in Australia.

?????????????????

So What??????????????

[Thai at Heart]

Farmer commits suicide and 90% of the article focuses on rice storage. What is wrong with these people.

[Skywalker69]

This is not something unique to Thailand its happening in Australia.

You mean the government take the farmers rice and don't pay for it??

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[deepcell]

This situation is hapening one another after generation of farmers and still with no end, just like SAMSARA (wheel of eternal suffering and corruption). If the problem is only money, then the syndicate or labor union or whatever govern this, they need an agreement, something like money upfront or you do not get any rice if you do not pay me first. If payment fails, then farms at least have the option to sell the rice direct to the market. I know things does not work like this in Thailand, but I think the time to change is right now. Still in the same old fashioned and broken scheme is not a solution, maybe the situation will get back to the normal in few months, but the next generation will suffer the same problem.. how I said, it is samsara!

[Scott]

An off-topic post and replies have been deleted. Please take care to use the proper names of politicians. Even if you do not like them, use the correct name and transliteration. Aberrant spellings with negative connotations have and will be be deleted.

[kerrysum]

This is not something unique to Thailand its happening in Australia.

Excellent point.......

This has happened around the world with farmers, may be that the big boys want it all eh??????

guess that the many are trying to hand on to their culture, and family tradition..... the pint is the pound the world round.....

[webfact]

Eleventh farmer takes his life



BANGKOK: -- A farmer in Pathumthani province hanged himself after failing to settle the debt he owed to bank and to traders for unpaid fertilizers.
The latest victim to the failed rice pledging scheme of the caretaker government was reported to the police yesterday.

The victim was identified as Anant Saiprayong, 49, a farmer in Tambon Bang Pood of Muang district of Pathumthani.

According to his wife Chantana, 47, her husband complained about being heavily in debt after he could not get cash from the rice he pledged with the government.

She said her husband was a farmer leader who borrowed rice seedlings, fertilizers, pesticides from local financiers and shared with farmers in his group to begin planting with promise to pay them after the harvest and get money from the pledged rice.

But after the harvests, no farmers were paid for the rice they pledged, thus putting her husband in trouble for all things secured from financiers who kept asking him daily to repay.

She said her husband could not pay because farmers in his group were also not paid by the government and therefore could not pay her husband for the seedlings, fertilizers, pesticides they borrowed to begin planting.

In all, she said her husband was 600,000 baht in debt, although his rice pledged was about 200,000 baht.

She said if her husband could get the money, he could manage the debt because money could circulate with no stoppage.

She added that the circulation stopped when no new money was paid by the government, thus prompting him to commit suicide.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/eleventh-farmer-takes-life/


-- Thai PBS 2014-02-17

[Davidhere]

Eleventh farmer takes his life

The victim was identified as Anant Saiprayong, 49, a farmer

-- Thai PBS 2014-02-17

Thailand's extremely sad. suicide cluster with atypical ages involved...

the existence of suicide clusters has been confirmed by studies launched by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The actual reason that suicide clusters happen is hard to fathom. Although suicides can come in waves, with one suicide other to commit or attempt to kill themselves, the full extent of the cluster is hard to chart (since not all attempted suicides are reported). Since suicide clusters are most commonly seen in people under the age of 25 or younger, most research studies and literature reviews focus on that age range.

There are other high-risk groups however,

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/media-spotlight/201208/when-suicides-come-in-clusters

[bkkdave1220]

3,000 suicides per anum in thailand.

Will that be 3,000 threads on here? strange media coverage in the english lang. press

or will it be like the 6 million man mob and the rice scheme and thaksin ..... people will tune out after a few?

[mikemac]

What a garbage story. No opinion from a forensic psychiatrist, no autopsy results to rule out an underlying organic factor, no investigation to determine if there are other factors involved such as alcoholism, misadventure or existing mental illness.

The conclusion of suicide from stress is made solely upon the wife's statement that stress over the debt combined with not being able to pay his home mortgage possibly led him to kill himself. Next time a westerner takes a leap off a balcony keep that in mind, when considering the contributing factors. The money issues are probably one of many other contributing factors. In any given year, long before the rice pledging program, farmers were killing themselves, just as other Thais do every year in Thailand.

BTW, suicide is a reportable activity under WHO protocols .20 and 30 years ago, Thai suicide rates were significantly higher. The decrease coincided with the period when Thaksin became PM and it reached its lowest point in the final year of Thaksin's administration. It increased slightly under the military junta and Democrat governments. Using the logic of some people, the Thai governments of the 80's and 90's should be condemned because the suicide rates were significantly higher during that period and Thaksin should be praised.

The reality is that as all governments since 2001 have provided some mental health services. Drug and alcohol addiction/dependency is not as bad as it was 30 years ago, some HIV and cancer patients have hope, and the population is more prosperous compared to the 80's and 90's. These changes are reflected in the suicide rate.

Congratulations gk, you have officially hit rock bottom. The only way for you now is up, you cannot get any lower.

No brains, no life, no compassion, no heart. Nothing.

[ikurauni]

It is very sad. The farmers are the real victims.

It is obvious that Thaksin does not care about the farmers. He only cares about himself thinking about coming back to Thailand without the jail time.

Just like many people want, Yingluck should resign for all the screw ups she created.

She does not have capabilities to do the job as PM. She is just a puppet.

This is a real embarrassment for Thailand.