Many Thai farmers go home empty-handed as funds wired not enough

[webfact]

Many farmers go home empty-handed as funds wired not enough
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- SOME FARMERS in the North and Northeast collected long-overdue payments for their pledged rice yesterday, though many had to go home empty-handed because the money transferred by the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) was not enough to cover them all.

In Buri Ram, BAAC provincial director Gan Rattanasakulchat said his office had received an additional Bt108 million to distribute among its 22 branch offices.

However, some 70,000 farmers were still pending payment as they were still waiting for their turn based on the certificate numbers under the rice-pledging scheme, he said. Hence, he added, the bank would extend a grace period of another six months from March 31 onward.

A separate low-interest loan would also be available to help farmers with increasing operational costs, he added.

The provincial branch was initially given a total of Bt1.287 billion, which covered only 13,000 of the 82,000 eligible farmers.

In Ang Thong, several farmers were able to collect their pledged rice payments after the provincial branch received Bt10 million.

Farmer Santi Eiumsa-ard, 58, said he was overjoyed and would spend some of the Bt100,000 he was given to purchase fertilisers and chemicals for the next crop.

Many disappointed

In Phitsanulok's Muang district, many farmers returned home empty-handed because the BAAC branch only had enough funds to 370 of the 4,000 eligible farmers.

The provincial BAAC office director Thanin Pitak-annop said the bank's 14 branches in Phitsanulok had only been given Bt90 million this time, which is the 13th round of fund allocation.

So far, Bt1.859 billion has been paid to farmers in the province, but another Bt6.038 billion is needed to cover the remaining farmers, but this amount has yet to be wired to his office, he said.

In Ratchaburi, many farmers went to BAAC branches with their pledged-rice certificates in the hope of finally getting paid, but returned disappointed as bank staff said no money had been wired to the branches yet.

Farmers in this province have so far been paid Bt915 million and are still owed Bt1.736 billion in payments.

A similar sight of disappointment was seen in Uthai Thani, where 17,852 farmers are still owed payments worth Bt2.8 billion.


-- The Nation 2014-02-18

[Thai at Heart]

What an utter debacle

[Costas2008]

But.....Kittirat promised, lot's of money around....everybody will be paid.

And the pigs still flying.

Edited February 18, 2014 by Costas2008

[GeorgeO]

...Kittirat has already felt the brunt of the farmers' wrath for once again betraying them, whilst she simply refuses to face them...!

I'm willing to bet that it's all wearing a bit thin on him and many of the rest of them.

As the saga continues, farmers are being offered low-interest loans to help them through...! <deleted>...! How can they possibly expect farmers to take out loans (with interest) as an alternative to paying them what they are due....?

[Fryslan boppe]

What an utter debacle

Since when is a cue, a debacle?

[soundman]

Troll removed from view. Be careful my fine feathered chum, you are skating on very thin ice.

[thesetat2013]

How sweet they pay the north with the little money they got. Not politically motivated im sure hehee! I read yesterday this money would be going to the most needy. I guess they meant which party most needed more supporters.

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

[ratcatcher]

What an utter debacle

Since when is a cue, a debacle?

I understand Thai at Heart's use of the word 'debacle', but what is the significance of 'cue'?

[cooked]

What an utter debacle

Since when is a cue, a debacle?

I understand Thai at Heart's use of the word 'debacle', but what is the significance of 'cue'?

He either watches too much snooker or the queue for dictionaries was too long.

[noitom]

Thai farmers are not going home. They are at the airport begging from foreign tourists as reported in the Thai press here.

[robblok]

What an utter debacle

Since when is a cue, a debacle?

I understand Thai at Heart's use of the word 'debacle', but what is the significance of 'cue'?

He either watches too much snooker or the queue for dictionaries was too long.

He is from a certain part of Holland where most people don't make sense so don't worry about not understand him. Most Dutch don't either.

[bushwacker]

I feel very sorry for the Farmers. Shame on both side of the Political Divide. It is very sad to use these hard working folk as pawns in the struggle for power. I can only think of the long term affects of the farmers not trusting any government and what if they decide to stop farming. Can you imagine a Thailand with no rice!

Then the Shit will hit the FAN. My family members eat rice 3 meals a day and rice noodle for the other 2 scheduled meals!

[MMarlow]

Since when is a cue, a debacle?

Since when is this thread about snooker?

[HerbalEd]

...Kittirat has already felt the brunt of the farmers' wrath for once again betraying them, whilst she simply refuses to face them...!

I'm willing to bet that it's all wearing a bit thin on him and many of the rest of them.

As the saga continues, farmers are being offered low-interest loans to help them through...! <deleted>...! How can they possibly expect farmers to take out loans (with interest) as an alternative to paying them what they are due....?

Unfortunately many farmers are taking out HIGH interest loans from loan sharks to get them by. And many can't afford planting rice and fertilizer to plant this year's new crop. I wonder how they feel about their beloved Taksin now.

[HerbalEd]

Thai farmers are not going home. They are at the airport begging from foreign tourists as reported in the Thai press here.

Exaggerate much? There were a small handful of farmers at the airport for thirty minutes.

[RubbaJohnny]

Since when is a cue, a debacle?

Since when is this thread about snooker?

QI ,quite Interesting observation,the green fields The Reds valued lowlyat the start but necessary to sink,the yellow the lowest colour,other harder ones in a pyramid hierachy,oh yes the goal get it all in the pockets,let's break

LOS Land of Sanook ..er?

[spirit47]

When Plodprasop comes out with his 1000 boat flood prevention plan, I know that this Government will end in an disaster. They going to be the undertakers of the small rice farmers, 11 suicide now. Remembers me on the Monsanto scandal in India where thousands take suicide. Taksin and his supporters have responsibillity, greed and stupidness on a high level. Stop them now!

[Goat Roper]

What an utter debacle

Since when is a cue, a debacle?

What in hell is a 'cue'?

[siampolee]

Many farmers go home empty-handed as funds wired not enough

This is the current rate of exchange for the Dirhana Thaksin will be happy though

1.00 AED = 8.83987 THB

[GentlemanJim]

What an utter debacle

Since when is a cue, a debacle?

What in hell is a 'cue'?

A cue is an item used for playing pool, I thought you might know that. What the forum member meant to say was queue, but the rest of us all understood that so don't give a toss about trivia. Of course the 'cue' will not be highlighted by spell checker and many of us 'hear' can make similar mistakes you 'no' if we are distracted, and that is even the English speakers, let alone those who have English as a second language. Be gentle, you understood what he meant and it's only Tuesday

For me, I can't work out which 'D' it is, a national debacle, a national disaster, or a national disgrace, maybe it is an element of all three....a national cluster.

Edited February 18, 2014 by GentlemanJim

[Scamper]

This tragedy - that has affected the lives of every farmer in the country - continues. The Yingluck administration is constitutionally disabled. Though they will be impeached on the strength of all that they have done, they will not be able to guarantee any funds at this point. Yingluck needs to step down. The farmers will not benefit by Yingluck's inability to govern.

[Thai at Heart]

When Plodprasop comes out with his 1000 boat flood prevention plan, I know that this Government will end in an disaster. They going to be the undertakers of the small rice farmers, 11 suicide now. Remembers me on the Monsanto scandal in India where thousands take suicide. Taksin and his supporters have responsibillity, greed and stupidness on a high level. Stop them now!

As tragic as it might be, I am taking these stories of farmers suicides with a pinch of salt.

There is zero proof that this is in any way a larger number of suicides than previous years. Farmer suicides happen, its terrible but true.

[slapout]

its my understanding that the rice certificates (show receipt of rice, price, amount owed to farmer) are time dated for payment up until a future expiry date from date of issue. The Ag bank spokesman noted that that expiry date will/was extended by 6 months.

Now where i come from, if someone takes possion of a item I own, issues a promiseary note for payment in full, and the document given cannot be exchanged for cash on the due date, fraud has been committed. Subsquently criminal charges would be filed against all of those involved in the scam, A indepent auditing firm tasked with overall accounting for all movement of monies, illegal acts, etc and then with subsquent restitution, jail time, siezer of assits, etc to the satisfaction of the law.

The PM, Commerce, Finance, Ag bank, millers, grain storage owners, handlers of the product associated with this frauldent act would all be held liable for their involvement.

Edited February 18, 2014 by slapout

[3NUMBAS]

what a pitifull life being a farmer

[Patpending]

I only care for the farmers.

yingluk, thaksin suthep, dems can all go to rot in hell 4 me.

hope whoever comes out tops here can pay them.

[attento]

What an utter debacle

Since when is a cue, a debacle?

What in hell is a 'cue'?

A cue is an item used for playing pool, I thought you might know that. What the forum member meant to say was queue, but the rest of us all understood that so don't give a toss about trivia. Of course the 'cue' will not be highlighted by spell checker and many of us 'hear' can make similar mistakes you 'no' if we are distracted, and that is even the English speakers, let alone those who have English as a second language. Be gentle, you understood what he meant and it's only Tuesday

For me, I can't work out which 'D' it is, a national debacle, a national disaster, or a national disgrace, maybe it is an element of all three....a national cluster.

a Cue is like a horse-shoe, but for draught oxen. i.e. = a horseshoe for cows.

As this is a farming topic, why not a rural explanation for the word ?

Edited February 18, 2014 by attento

[Basil B]

It is nice to know the bank is offering the farmers a cheap loan, but hay, how about a free loan and let the government pay the interest.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I do feel sympathy for the farmers, considering how they've been screwed by the government here as circumstances have played out.

But let's not forget, it was the farmers at large who helped vote PT into office and happily went along with the rice pledging scheme during its prior life -- even though many sensible people knew and warned it was economically unsustainable for the long term.

If the current government had the authority to continue tapping the government's till to pay inflated rice prices, they'd probably be doing it still, the farmers would be getting their government checks, and neither the farmers nor the government would be complaining.

So it's not exactly like they haven't been willing participants in an essentially flawed and corrupt program. But clearly, the majority of the blame belongs to those in government who devised the program in the first place. You can't expect rice farmers to be economists.

Edited February 18, 2014 by TallGuyJohninBKK