Tens of thousands of farmers in hundreds of farm trucks heading to Bangkok

[winstonc]

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Where I live the are just now planting a new crop of rice while these farmers and protesting who planting the rice? No wonder their poor.

This time, rice is already growing and some are near to be harvested. March is the start of harvesting month.

You should pity those farmers instead of attacking them for being poor.

Do you think they should prioritize going and spending to Bangkok rather than planting if planting is more important this time?

Do you really live in Thailand, or maybe you don't get out much, but where I am they are just flooding the paddies. Try to get out more.

and you try not lying so much ..

[The Deerhunter]

I think I remember seeing 30 billion baht as being the figure they need to pay the farmers. Is it a coincidence that 30 billion is the amount Thaksin apparently boasted in a Forbes magazine interview a few months ago that "the government of Thailand" sent him? If the two figures do correctly match, then it is QED. Just send it back immediately please, oh great friend of the north.!!!!!!!

[edwinchester]

I think I remember seeing 30 billion baht as being the figure they need to pay the farmers. Is it a coincidence that 30 billion is the amount Thaksin apparently boasted in a Forbes magazine interview a few months ago that "the government of Thailand" sent him? If the two figures do correctly match, then it is QED. Just send it back immediately please, oh great friend of the north.!!!!!!!

The Govt owe the farmers 130billion bht.

[thaijoe]

they all should go on strike.... lets see if they get paid then when there is no rice to eat. these thai people will go crazy....

shit ask suthep to help and pay...

like he never lied when he was in office... hahahahaha.. aint that a hoot

[Ruin]

Some parts of Thailand are eadier to farm. Near mountains, probably got water and varied crops. Yam, bananas, sugar cane, sweet corn etc. As well as two or three rice crops a year. Low ground like Isaan, maybe only one crop of rice. You can see who will be suffering more.

[WAERTH]

Some parts of Thailand are eadier to farm. Near mountains, probably got water and varied crops. Yam, bananas, sugar cane, sweet corn etc. As well as two or three rice crops a year. Low ground like Isaan, maybe only one crop of rice. You can see who will be suffering more.

There is a thing wrong with this.

Isaan is a highlying, unfertile, plateau.

It is the low ground of the Chao Phraya river that delivers multiple crops a year!

[Dr Bruce]

Some areas are still harvesting, some are waiting on second crop.

Where I was last week they were thinking about planting the seedbeds in the nursery paddies which will be transplanted into the production paddies when they are about 6 inches long. They then use the nursery paddies for a quick second crop.

[jimbeam1]

I don't know if this has been said already. I have just joined the thread. But I was just wandering, how many of those vehicles and drivers are road legal?

jb1

[fleeing]

I don't know if this has been said already. I have just joined the thread. But I was just wandering, how many of those vehicles and drivers are road legal?

jb1

I think you may be a contender for most irrelevant post of the day. Congratulations.

[thaiguzzi]

Rice farmers who can grow 2-3-4 crops per year are normally not skint farmers. rice farmers from northern Isaan who are smallholders and can only grow one crop per year are skint farmers. But the majority of these did not partake in the rice fund scheme, and just took the going current normal rate. The rest of the year they are builders, taxi drivers, whatever.

[Phatcharanan]

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Where I live the are just now planting a new crop of rice while these farmers and protesting who planting the rice? No wonder their poor.

In my wife's village, which is 100% red shirt, most have not been paid and have no money to buy supplies for a new crop. Many owe money to illegal money lenders and are in dire straights.

I guess the farmer where I live are smart and have money or been paid by the government

Very patronising.

Your avatar is quite apt.

[thaiguzzi]

I forgot to add, a lot of smallholders (up to 10 rai) don't even sell on the market, as the one crop per season is just enough to feed 2 or 3 households in the greater family.

[Phatcharanan]

I don't know if this has been said already. I have just joined the thread. But I was just wandering, how many of those vehicles and drivers are road legal?

jb1

Jeeeeeeeez.

Go back to sleep.

[jpeg]

@englishoak

Slow tractor on road causes maximum disruption to traffic.

Pickup would be fined for deliberately driving slowly to disrupt traffic.

Not about fuel costing.

Farmer protests in UK and France play the same game.

Yes but they also have a lot more money in Europe nor pleading poverty, so the Q remains how much will it cost or are you saying they now have money to burn ?

PS trucks and vans block a road just as well as any tractor.

Not quite the same impact though, is it?

[zydeco]

I don't know if this has been said already. I have just joined the thread. But I was just wandering, how many of those vehicles and drivers are road legal?

jb1

Funniest post I've seen all day!

[Dr Bruce]

Quote from Suthep's speech live on Blue-sky tonight.

"do not put money into GSB, the bank is going to fail and you will lose it all"

Just another nail to stop the government from paying the farmers.

[LeamchabangLarry]

Quote from Suthep's speech live on Blue-sky tonight.

"do not put money into GSB, the bank is going to fail and you will lose it all"

Just another nail to stop the government from paying the farmers.

Farmers should have been paid from the 500 billion baht budget set long before the protests

[BlueNoseCodger]

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Just a thought if these farmers are so poor and skint whos paying for all the fuel ? tractors are not that fuel efficient and its a long way to bangers and back. im no expert on tractor mpg but its got to be pretty awful and expensive on a round trip.

And why do all the tractors look like they came from exactly the same place or hire firm ?

1. These tractors are pretty standard and standardized. Same manufacturer and probably the same outlet

2. The protesters think it looks better to put those that look the same together at the front. You know, more professional, more serious, more pretty and just riep roi.

3. Some of the money collected by PDRC was specifically allocated to farmers groups to allow them to protest (and legal fees)

Most usually it's supporters of Phua Thai and it's predecessors that accuse the other side of being elitest and derogatory for saying that farmers are paid to vote. Apparently it's becoming OK for supporters of Phua Thai to say that farmers are being paid to protest against them. Any port in a storm it seems.

Nation: Tens of thousands of farmers

Richard Barrow: 100's of farmers.

Look, 2 people per tractor, 100 tractors, we're talking 200 people, so Richard Barrow estimate is reasonable.

10000 people in 100 trucks = 100 people per truck and tractor, so Nation are wrong, you couldn't get 100 people in a tractor.

38.2% of Thailand is rural agriculture. i.e. about 26 million people.

200 people = 0.0008% of Thailands rural agricultural population.

So dear Suthep, you raised 20 million baht and organized a protest for farmers, and you got 0.0008% of Thailands rural population to back you.

But worse than Suthep, you want to put 400 people in power with your people's council, but bring a convoy of 200 people as justification!

Who can make the most outrageous claim? You or the Nation. Clearly 10,000 is way over the top, but similarly your claim of 200 is farcical. Realistically there are probably upwards of 2,000 people judging by the fact that the tractors are mostly pulling carts with people in them.

2000 people? At 2000 people /100 vehicles = 20 people per truck?! Nah.

My estimate came here

18 vehicles, 41 people about 2 per vehicle.

But if you like, I'll double the estimate, i.e. 400 farmers, 0.0016% of Thailand rural agricultural population.

Does that make it better?

[SICHONSTEVE]

Some parts of Thailand are eadier to farm. Near mountains, probably got water and varied crops. Yam, bananas, sugar cane, sweet corn etc. As well as two or three rice crops a year. Low ground like Isaan, maybe only one crop of rice. You can see who will be suffering more.

There is a thing wrong with this.

Isaan is a highlying, unfertile, plateau.

It is the low ground of the Chao Phraya river that delivers multiple crops a year!

Why don't they find an alternative line of employment in Isaan then.

After all, you wouldn't build a brewery in the Yemen would you!!

[Dr Bruce]

Quote from Suthep's speech live on Blue-sky tonight.

"do not put money into GSB, the bank is going to fail and you will lose it all"

Just another nail to stop the government from paying the farmers.

Farmers should have been paid from the 500 billion baht budget set long before the protests

I agree that the government badly missjudged the rice scheme and have run out of money. The problem now is what can they do to aliviate the suffering of the farmers. On Bluesky now Suthep is theatening to sue the board of GSB. just another scare tactic to ensure the farmers are not paid until he can overthrow them and take power for himself.

[jimbeam1]

I don't know if this has been said already. I have just joined the thread. But I was just wandering, how many of those vehicles and drivers are road legal?

jb1

I think you may be a contender for most irrelevant post of the day. Congratulations

You must be the same as me then. Just joined the thread.

Actually on reflection I feel that my post could be very relevant. Especially if some ones child or in fact anyone was to be run over and seriously injured, or god forbid killed by one of them. If you have spent much time in Thailand, you would know that quite probably not many of them would be road legal

Just go back a couple of pages and read some of the Infantile posts. Ooopps I hope yours isn't one of them.

jb1

Edited February 20, 2014 by jimbeam1

[Tycoon]

Where I live the are just now planting a new crop of rice while these farmers and protesting who planting the rice? No wonder their poor.

So who do they sell the new crop too?

The price of rice is in the gutter now because of the fake government rice buying scheme.

Think its fare your own elected government refuse to pay you for your crop.

Stand up or shut up is what they are thinking.

[davejones23]

Where I live the are just now planting a new crop of rice while these farmers and protesting who planting the rice? No wonder their poor.

Maybe the farmers near you got paid. Some farmers don't have any money, so can't plant more rice. Perhaps you can help them out.

[Smokemachine]

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Where I live the are just now planting a new crop of rice while these farmers and protesting who planting the rice? No wonder their poor.

In my wife's village, which is 100% red shirt, most have not been paid and have no money to buy supplies for a new crop. Many owe money to illegal money lenders and are in dire straights.

I guess the farmer where I live are smart and have money or been paid by the government

Where do you live exactly?

Edited February 20, 2014 by Smokemachine

[smileydude]

If this is to be the nail on the coffin for corrupt politicians like the PTP, farmers must demand more then just being paid.

They need to talk with their votes and choose MP's who don't just dangle subsidies but those who have good intentions for their well being and that of all Thai's.

Edited February 20, 2014 by smileydude

[Dr Bruce]

The Government has been trying to pay the farmers for months, The EC said they could not borrow money because it would be a carry-over to the next government, but the debt would still carry over to the next government.

Suthep has been putting pressure on the banks not to lend money to pay the farmers, he then led several marches to raise money to pay the farmers and then kept the money.

When the GSB lent money to pay the farmers Suthep organised a small group of people to withdraw money in his heartland of Trang and publisised it as a run on the bank which caused a real run on the bank. So then the GSB had to withdraw the loan.

I feel the rice pledging scheme has been a complete cluster fuc_k but the reasons for the payments (that were already late) now stopping completely can be laid at the door of the protesters rather than the goverment.

First, can you show documentation (proof) of Suthep keeping (pocketing) monies?

Second, The protester drew attention as to the methods being used by the government to circumvent the EC ruling, which some alledge are illegal.

Third, the government itself and its rice program, with all its warts may be accepted IF they could/would account for about 700 billion baht, 40+ million ton of paddy, involving blacklisted storage facilities, over 100 billion in adminstration fees, the promised inventory involving Cammerce Ministers and Interior Minster . etc.

Forth, this government has told so many outright lies that their crediability has sunk to to a minus factor in belief, so the source of any and all info being thrown around should be suspect.

If Suthep had given any of the millions he collected to the farmers, he would have done it publicly.

The elected government has tried many ways to pay the farmers recently which have all been blocked by Suthep or the courts.

At least we agree that the rice pledging scheme is a failure.

As I understood it Suthep claimed to have raised 20 million baht but instead of giving it to farmers it's been given to the "lawyers" to sue the government.

So no help then for the farmers.

Just confirmed on Bluesky, Suthep claims to have given 25 million to The Lawyers to sue the government. I bet he did not say that to the sheeple who gave him the money in the first place.

[ratcatcher]

I don't know if this has been said already. I have just joined the thread. But I was just wandering, how many of those vehicles and drivers are road legal?

jb1

You've already had some well deserved answers. However chances are the farmers operating their tractors, Etan trucks and Iron Buffaloes also have drivers licenses to drive their pickups. However this being Thailand there's a good chance many are operating on the chance they won't get stopped. Road legal is a western term and is more loosely used here.

When you have a convoy of 200 or more carrying hundreds of angry farmers, it would be a brave policeman who would hold them up for such a technicality.

Say high to Jack for me.

[Suriya4]

First, can you show documentation (proof) of Suthep keeping (pocketing) monies?

Second, The protester drew attention as to the methods being used by the government to circumvent the EC ruling, which some alledge are illegal.

Third, the government itself and its rice program, with all its warts may be accepted IF they could/would account for about 700 billion baht, 40+ million ton of paddy, involving blacklisted storage facilities, over 100 billion in adminstration fees, the promised inventory involving Cammerce Ministers and Interior Minster . etc.

Forth, this government has told so many outright lies that their crediability has sunk to to a minus factor in belief, so the source of any and all info being thrown around should be suspect.

If Suthep had given any of the millions he collected to the farmers, he would have done it publicly.

The elected government has tried many ways to pay the farmers recently which have all been blocked by Suthep or the courts.

At least we agree that the rice pledging scheme is a failure.

As I understood it Suthep claimed to have raised 20 million baht but instead of giving it to farmers it's been given to the "lawyers" to sue the government.

So no help then for the farmers.

Just confirmed on Bluesky, Suthep claims to have given 25 million to The Lawyers to sue the government. I bet he did not say that to the sheeple who gave him the money in the first place.

So lawyer only love money. Lawyer don't love Farmers.

[Sunderland]

100 farmers, 10,000 farmers ... does it really make any difference? Even one hundred tractors blocking the roads will just add to the pantomime that is Bangkok these days. Oh yes it is. Oh no it isn't. Look ... she's behind you!

[animatic]

Where I live the are just now planting a new crop of rice while these farmers and protesting who planting the rice? No wonder their poor.

In my wife's village, which is 100% red shirt, most have not been paid and have no money to buy supplies for a new crop. Many owe money to illegal money lenders and are in dire straights.

Same for my wife's family. The whole village is in financial dire straights. Nobody there has any money. But STILL they vote for the Shinawatra clan. In the Sunday election a couple of weeks ago my wife was intimidated into voting. She said there would be "problems" if she didn't go back to the village to cast her vote.

It is not hand to hand buy one vote, which is the impression most have when vote buying is mentioned.

But the Shin Clan has bought whole networks of village headmen and rice millers,

and not to be forgotten 'loan sharks', and the like who make SURE their villagers vote the party line.

The intimidation to vote for the Shin choices is systematic and heavy handed.

And those in the network profit one way or another.

It is the face of the TRUE heart of corruption in Thailand,

far more insidious than just naked graft or paying tea money to get better service.

Carrot and stick, but always the stick in view to make sure the carrot is accepted

and the vote tallied as the boss demands.

Edited February 20, 2014 by animatic