RICE-PLEDGING SCHEME
Farmers to target Suvarnabhumi
Petchanet Pratruangkrai
The Nation


Rice farmers on tractors head for Bangkok down the Asian Highway yesterday. The farmers planned to spend last night in Pathum Thani, just north of the capital.

About 10,000 to arrive in capital today in bid to push govt to resign; leader rules out siege of airport

BANGKOK: -- Tens of thousands of farmers, travelling on more than 1,000 farm tractors in a long convoy from the upper northern and central provinces, will today arrive in Bangkok and move to Suvarnabhumi Airport in a concerted attempt to pressure the caretaker government to resign.

They believe the government's exit would remove the legal hurdle impeding funding for the rice-subsidy project.

Meanwhile, another group of farmers plans to file a petition with the Office of the Ombudsman, demanding a probe into the government's rice-pledging scheme, as corruption is suspected to be the reason for the inability to pay the farmers.

Former Chart Thai Pattana Party MP Chada Thaiset, who represents Uthai Thani farmers, led some 15,000 farmers from Uthai Thani, Ayutthaya, Singburi and Ang Thong to Bangkok.

"I decided to lead the convoy because I feel sorry for the farmers and I am fed up with the government's lies about the payment, which never came," said Chada, whose party is a coalition partner of the Pheu Thai-led caretaker government.

Some farmers would be heading to Suvarnabhumi Airport, for a purpose he did not specify. But, they insisted that they would not obstruct air traffic or raid the airport. They only wanted to make a symbolic demonstration. After that, this group of farmers will move to other places.

Rawee Rungrueng, leader of the Thai Rice Farmers Network, said farmers will try many methods to pressure caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her Cabinet to resign soon as that would be the fastest solution to secure payments.

"The farmers want the Office of the Ombudsman to help inspect rice warehouses to check whether there is rice in stockpiles, as well as investigate corruption," said Rawee.

He said they would stay overnight at Rangsit and enter Bangkok today.

Meanwhile, the Central Administrative Court yesterday accepted for judicial review a petition filed by a farmer against the Commerce Ministry.

Lamyai Srithong had petitioned the court on January 30, seeking damages from the ministry for its failure to pay for the rice she had sold under the price-pledging scheme. She had obtained a receipt for the pledged rice but later the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) refused to cash her receipt.

The petition names the Finance Ministry, the Budget Bureau, the National Economic and Social Development Board and the BAAC as co-defendants.

The court gave the defendants 30 days to submit their statements and their lists of witnesses and documents.

A leader of Lop Buri-based farmers, Ubolsak Bualuangngarm, said the farmers would blockade the capital for seven days if the government failed to pay them. He, however, said they would not cooperate with the anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee in its drive to oust the government. He also asked capital residents to stockpile food supplies for seven days.

"If the government wants to disperse farmers' protests or arrest us, we are all ready to die, and donate our bodies," he said.

He added that the farmers travelling with this convoy would be joined by those travelling from the Northeast and the West, who are expected to reach Bangkok today.

Farmers based in Uthai Thani, who had said that they would camp out at the Commerce Ministry north of Bangkok, vowed yesterday not to return home if they did not get paid. The others travelling in the convoy, which was also using outbound Asia Route lanes against the regular traffic, are from Chai Nat, Sing Buri and Lop Buri. Although the caretaker government has attempted to find money, without full authority it cannot raise Bt130 billion still owed to several million farmers. "If the caretaker government decides to quit, I can assure the farmers should get their money in a short time," he added.

So far, only about 1-2 per cent of farmers in many provinces have been paid after Yingluck had promised to pay them off from Monday.

Farmers fear that if the current government continued to manage the pledging project, they would have to wait for several more months or even a year to receive their money.

"Hence, we will continue to pressure the crippled caretaker government to resign," emphasised Rawee.

Chada said the convoy would leave Bangkok for the farmers' homes once they were all paid.

Chart Thai Pattana Party adviser Somsak Prissanananthakul said Chada's role as a leader of the farmers would not affect his party's relationship with the ruling Pheu Thai Party.

Meanwhile, a group of pro-government people led by former transport minister Prasert Chantra-ruangthong yesterday deposited their money - a total of Bt30 million - in the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) in Nakhon Ratchasima amid continuing withdrawal of deposits from the Government Savings Bank (GSB).

GSB customers withdrew from the bank, as they disagreed with the bank's granting of a loan to BAAC to fund the rice-pledging scheme. GSB lost net deposits totalling Bt60 billion in three days, from February 17-19.

-- The Nation 2014-02-21

That looks serious. Now maybe the government will deal with them.

looks like brand new tractors, unlike agricultural machinery which is seen in the countryside.

somebody lend them to the farmers?

also it looks like there are several groups, each with a different objective. It seems somebody is playing politics, instead for the farmers to represent themselves.

those national flags on the tractors are worrying, a nationalist card is played too often in thai politics, always against interests of the majority

looks like brand new tractors, unlike agricultural machinery which is seen in the countryside.

somebody lend them to the farmers?

also it looks like there are several groups, each with a different objective. It seems somebody is playing politics, instead for the farmers to represent themselves.

Did you even look at the picture properly before trying to get your Red spin going?

If you enlarge the picture, the tractor in the front row on the far right has nearly bald tyres, all the rest have medium wear tyres and are covered in mud and dents.

Oh, don't tell me. It was staged by Suthep.

'Some farmers would be heading to Suvarnabhumi Airport, for a purpose he did not specify. But, they insisted that they would not obstruct air traffic or raid the airport. They only wanted to make a symbolic demonstration. After that, this group of farmers will move to other places.'

Makes the newspaper headline appear to be somewhat misleading.

Tens of thousands of farmers, travelling on more than 1,000 farm tractors

Nation do the math how many farmers do you think can fit inside one of these tractors. Another article by the Nation with misinformation.

Have you never seen a pickup truck with the cast of thousands on the flatbed ?

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Tens of thousands of farmers, travelling on more than 1,000 farm tractors

Nation do the math how many farmers do you think can fit inside one of these tractors. Another article by the Nation with misinformation.

Have you never seen a pickup truck with the cast of thousands on the flatbed ?

not with 1,000's and I doubt you have also.

They should probably check out Don Muang Airport as well ...... Thats probably where the SHIN CLANS Private Jets are waiting ....

I have to admit, it looks impressive with all those tractors. The farmers mean business and I wish them well. Unless you've worked on a rice farm, you would never know just how hard a life it is, let alone worrying about payment after a hard seasons work. They were treated unfairly and enough is enough.

That looks serious. Now maybe the government will deal with them.

How? You say that as if the govt could pay them but doesn't want to. But they have surely exhausted all available avenues to get the money... only way they're going to be paid is if parliament meets quorum, or if senate can amend the constitution to give caretaker govt extra powers (apparently this can be done but takes three weeks), in which case they could borrow more money. Also if the govt is overthrown I guess, although it's not clear why an appointed govt would legally be allowed to borrow the money and a caretaker govt can't, but I suppose if you're going to tear up the constitution...

None of this is going to happen this week, so I guess the farmers aren't going to get paid.

Well, the wind is turning towards the pig dung.

These people will do in one day what Suthep has tried to do since December 4th.

Tens of thousands of farmers, travelling on more than 1,000 farm tractors

Nation do the math how many farmers do you think can fit inside one of these tractors. Another article by the Nation with misinformation.

Every farmer has a trailer as well as a tractor, thus one tractor and trailer can carry over 10 people easily.

looks like brand new tractors, unlike agricultural machinery which is seen in the countryside.

somebody lend them to the farmers?

also it looks like there are several groups, each with a different objective. It seems somebody is playing politics, instead for the farmers to represent themselves.

those national flags on the tractors are worrying, a nationalist card is played too often in thai politics, always against interests of the majority

I think you will find the majority are farmers!

That looks serious. Now maybe the government will deal with them.

It's been serious for long before these people got involved. And since there's no government dealing with them in a rational and sincere way will be somewhat difficult when the offending party is lead by an elusive "caretaker" P.M.

Now it can only get worse until YL has said bye bye.

Ouch!!!! That's going to hurt big time, attacking the heart of amazing Thailand where it starts with the people rice farmers... Technically a great idea from their point of view....

Well done Yingluck, you better flee to Hawaii or Ibiza now, before the rice farmers catch you,...

looks like brand new tractors, unlike agricultural machinery which is seen in the countryside.

somebody lend them to the farmers?

also it looks like there are several groups, each with a different objective. It seems somebody is playing politics, instead for the farmers to represent themselves.

Did you even look at the picture properly before trying to get your Red spin going?

If you enlarge the picture, the tractor in the front row on the far right has nearly bald tyres, all the rest have medium wear tyres and are covered in mud and dents.

Oh, don't tell me. It was staged by Suthep.

Loads of FB posts by anti-govt people claiming these farmers are fake too. Though according to them, it's not staged by Suthep, but rather by Thaksin. Not sure why Thaksin would be organizing a plot against his own government, including setting up fake negotiations where farmers walk out making govt ministers look stupid, but there you have it... they seem to have based this on the fact that the former CTP MP is involved, plus the tractors, plus the fact Chadchart was able to speak to them without being lynched.

Meanwhile, another group of farmers plans to file a petition with the Office of the Ombudsman, demanding a probe into the government's rice-pledging scheme, as corruption is suspected to be the reason for the inability to pay the farmers.

Unfortunately for the farmers, the Ombudsman is a toothless Office as evidenced by Yingluck's refusal to comply with their directive to revoke the illegally issued passport to her brother fugitive by her cousin Foreign Minister.

.

looks like brand new tractors, unlike agricultural machinery which is seen in the countryside.

somebody lend them to the farmers?

also it looks like there are several groups, each with a different objective. It seems somebody is playing politics, instead for the farmers to represent themselves.

those national flags on the tractors are worrying, a nationalist card is played too often in thai politics, always against interests of the majority

"looks like brand new tractors, unlike agricultural machinery which is seen in the countryside."

What an absolutely stupid statement. They've still got mud on the blades, most have been washed before the trip.

What do you think these farmers use in their fields then. Carabao? Kwai?

Do they look like they just came out of crates from the Kubota, Yanmar factory?

The farmers are here to represent themselves, not Mr Suthep or Thaksin.

There are different groups, they come from different provinces and they have one objective in mind. To get paid for the rice they grew and have never been paid for thanks to the devious behaviour of the PTP government.

The national flags on the tractors are there because these people are proud Thais and have been let down by the motley crew you call a government.

No doubt if they were supporting Ali Thaksin and his forty thieves things would be acceptable the way they are.

I hope they don't block the airports.

If they do, it will become a real serious issue.

Suthep, the mad man even did not try to block the airports because he knows how it can seriously hurt Thailand.

Yingluck is already a loser but maybe she still thinks that she can keep her position.

Everything went too far and uncontrollable. Yingluck has no choice but resign.

Khun Yingkuck, please do all of us a favor.

Do something good in the end.

Come Yingluck, resign now. It is over. You lost.

It is a poor reflection on the PTP Administration , that farmers have to resort to this type of action, they work very hard to get a harvest , to treat them with complete contempt, is a pox on the PTP, The Soft UN should take note of this, now you will understand why the people protest , with morons like these people running (Ruining ) the country, who needs friends..

'Tens of thousands of farmers?' -mainly from wealthy provinces such as Ayuthaya and Singburi- out of the how many million farmers in this country?

Again the vocal and well marshalled minority are shouting the loudest.

The remaining millions are bright enough to have worked out that what Mr. Suheps and his puppeteers have in mind for Thailand, does not include subsidies or any help at all for farmers- other than making it even easier for their rich friend to buy the farmers land.

These people will do in one day what Suthep has tried to do since December 4th.

Mostly poor and mostly uneducated but they know how to get a job done no question.

Sure glad I am not stuck behind that convoy trying to get somewhere in a hurry!

Yingluck resigning will not solve the disenfranchisement and exclusion of 45 million Thai poor ordinary citizens. If Yingluck dropped dead tomorrow, Thailand would be a free for all. There would be absolutely no one in command except the army if they step up.

The Thai farmers moving on the airport is preposterous. Can you imagine the chaos, the collapse of Thailand, the breach of security, if the Thais commandeer the airport once again? Do you really think that this will solve the corruption, law and order , poor education, and equal voting rights and opportunity issues in Thailand? Do you think that taking over the international airport in Thailand again will correct decades of establishment privilege and exclusion of ordinary Thais?

Looks like they all bought the same exact tracker and all seem to no be too concerned with the wear and tear they are putting on this critical piece of farm equipment.

They are Sethups men dressed as farmers Cunning plan but it wont work

here is the real leader

Good luck Yingluck

They are Sethups men dressed as farmers Cunning plan but it wont work

here is the real leader

Good luck Yingluck

Yes indeed, she looks just like a real rice farmer's wife, except she's never spent a day in the sun.

But the boots are cute. And it probably smells a bit out there in the paddy field

That photo was a sethup, the protests are led by Suthep.

Have a jolly day up there in Ulan.

I apologize for replying to a troll.

Sure glad I am not stuck behind that convoy trying to get somewhere in a hurry!

Being a smart man Jeremy, you'd have known in advance that the highway was blocked and you would have planned an alternate route.

The major parade is being led by many new tractors that were lent by Kabuta. The major shareholder in Kabuta Thailand is SCC which is owned by a very important person.

And your evidence being.....what?

.

They are Sethups men dressed as farmers Cunning plan but it wont work

here is the real leader

Good luck Yingluck

Is this your idea of a joke? You need lessons in satire, so I suggest you read all of YL lame excuses.,then, you will be filled with uproarious, uncontrollable laughter.