Will the farmers who put Yingluck in power bring her down?

[Suriya4]

Will the farmers who put Yingluck in power bring her down?

Sure.

Now that the farmers realise that 15,000 Baht/tone is not such a good thing.

Going with Suthep is better, as he collect money from Bangkok tax-payers to give them relief.

[smileydude]

Farmers have the capability to bring down the government just in the sheer number of votes but the only way that is going to happen is if the farmers REALLY learn their lesson that politicians who promise subsidies and other forms of populist free lunches for their votes are insincere. For ever baht given politicians expect a return of 100-1000 fold.

Farmers have to realize that they were being used as a part of a corruption scheme of epic proportions.

If farmers are paid and go back with the same mentality that corruption is okay as long as everyone benefits then its back to square one for Thailand. Farmers need to be part of the thai society that says the buck stops here and vote in decent MP's.

Edited February 21, 2014 by smileydude

[SICHONSTEVE]

IMO, YL and the red clowns could probably handle Suthep and the protesters and still manage another term as let's face it, they really are just a middle class minority. However, it would now seem that with the majority of the farmers (rice and rubber) against them, PT's time is hopefully doomed!

'inability to pay the 130 billion Baht to farmers' I wonder if big bruv will attempt another pay-off? Somehow, I think not. It really does look like that finally, the tide is turning.

He couldn't bear to part with his ill-gotten money.

He knows that his chance of ever coming back to Thailand has gone and so I think that he will surrender and call it a day having LOST for the first time ever!!

[belg]

they cannot go loan on the world bank at 10 or 20% interest and get a nice JUNK status on top of that ?

[Tatsujin]

One thing is 100% for sure, if Suthep or his bosses, or whomever they deem to be "prime minister" are in power any chance at all that farmers might get paid ever flies out the window. Anyone with even a slender grasp of Thai history knows how the Dems and and their military allies have treated annoying farmers over the past 50 years or so. It wasn't that long ago that bombs were an acceptable means of control for the rural masses.

"One thing is 100% for sure"

On the contrary, that is absolute crap, any succeeding government, including a military one or another PTP one, will still be liable for the previous government's legitimate-debts, which definitely includes these overdue ones to the farmers.

No government can afford to walk away from these debts, any more than they can refuse to pay back the public-borrowing which has part-financed the rice-scheme & whatever flood-control work actually did get done, the Thai taxpayer can only give thanks that they didn't also get saddled with a 2.2-trillion Baht loan plus-interest over 50-years as well !

And looking past the short-term relatively-minor problem of the existing defaults, the farmers should be worrying also about the long-term damage done to their industry, lost export-markets and slowly-decaying rice whose eventual sale/dumping will inevitably cause further damage to the reputation of the rice they produce, all this down to Thaksin and his sister's PTP-government.

The Shin-elite may wriggle and twist, and try to blame current & future problems on Suthep's short-term anti-government protests, but the truth is that Thai rice-farmers are in for several years of pain, and its all down to the Big Boss, thinking he could use public money to rig world-markets in their produce. Now that really is "100% for sure" !

I'd actually like Thaksin/PT to stay in power for a while longer now so that the "Thai's" can truly see the mess they have made of things, because right now we're only seeing the tip of the iceberg and I'm damn sure I'd not want to be the one in power who has to sort it all out if/when they leave.

[HOOD Robin]

One thing is 100% for sure, if Suthep or his bosses, or whomever they deem to be "prime minister" are in power any chance at all that farmers might get paid ever flies out the window. Anyone with even a slender grasp of Thai history knows how the Dems and and their military allies have treated annoying farmers over the past 50 years or so. It wasn't that long ago that bombs were an acceptable means of control for the rural masses.

I don't recall the opposition taking farmers crops and declining to pay them for six months (so far).

Look at the rice scheme for what it is: A pit of lies, mismanagement and corruption. The PM is still lying about it, do you support THAT?

Sent from somewhere in the Pacific

Seems Snig27 is a RED doormat

You better grab YL by her poisened hand and lead her, together with her Red basterds, to the Middle East...

(ooh and tell her to NEVER come back to TH anymore...)

[seajae]

surprisingly I think this is oine of the best articles I have seen written. It doesnt bullsh*t to people, it states FACTS, not fallacies or innuendo and really sums it all up nicely. I realize the red brothers in here might not like it but it is the truth, most of what we read here normally is innuendo and personal bias by the reporters/editors. It is refresshing to get a straight out piece that simply tells it like it is, wish it happened more often as the articles on the violence etc are always written for appeal not actually whats happening/happened, a few lies and bits of innuendo added for effect and there you go.

[hellodolly]

One thing is 100% for sure, if Suthep or his bosses, or whomever they deem to be "prime minister" are in power any chance at all that farmers might get paid ever flies out the window. Anyone with even a slender grasp of Thai history knows how the Dems and and their military allies have treated annoying farmers over the past 50 years or so. It wasn't that long ago that bombs were an acceptable means of control for the rural masses.

You are apparently one who has no grasp of history The Democrats have only held power for three years in the last 20

Would you care to give us a list of all the wrongs done to the farmers by the Democrats and the army. All so include why they were worse than forcing some into bankruptcy starvation no money to replant suicide. You know the situation we have here in the here and now.

don't forget taking them from the number one rice exporter in the world to number three. With as good chance of going lower. Or the fact that Cambodia now produces the worlds best Jasmine rice no longer Thailand under the PTP.

My suggestion to you is get rid of all your electronics and modern appliances you have and replace them with equipment from 50 years ago. Your thinking and your surroundings will then match each other. You would look good behind a plow being pulled by a buffalo.

[hellodolly]

One thing is 100% for sure, if Suthep or his bosses, or whomever they deem to be "prime minister" are in power any chance at all that farmers might get paid ever flies out the window. Anyone with even a slender grasp of Thai history knows how the Dems and and their military allies have treated annoying farmers over the past 50 years or so. It wasn't that long ago that bombs were an acceptable means of control for the rural masses.

"One thing is 100% for sure"

On the contrary, that is absolute crap, any succeeding government, including a military one or another PTP one, will still be liable for the previous government's legitimate-debts, which definitely includes these overdue ones to the farmers.

No government can afford to walk away from these debts, any more than they can refuse to pay back the public-borrowing which has part-financed the rice-scheme & whatever flood-control work actually did get done, the Thai taxpayer can only give thanks that they didn't also get saddled with a 2.2-trillion Baht loan plus-interest over 50-years as well !

And looking past the short-term relatively-minor problem of the existing defaults, the farmers should be worrying also about the long-term damage done to their industry, lost export-markets and slowly-decaying rice whose eventual sale/dumping will inevitably cause further damage to the reputation of the rice they produce, all this down to Thaksin and his sister's PTP-government.

The Shin-elite may wriggle and twist, and try to blame current & future problems on Suthep's short-term anti-government protests, but the truth is that Thai rice-farmers are in for several years of pain, and its all down to the Big Boss, thinking he could use public money to rig world-markets in their produce. Now that really is "100% for sure" !

good article.

I think the 2.2 trillion baht loan is not yet had the door closed on it. Unless the interim government steps down and we get a new election it will remain an option.

[billd766]

One thing is 100% for sure, if Suthep or his bosses, or whomever they deem to be "prime minister" are in power any chance at all that farmers might get paid ever flies out the window. Anyone with even a slender grasp of Thai history knows how the Dems and and their military allies have treated annoying farmers over the past 50 years or so. It wasn't that long ago that bombs were an acceptable means of control for the rural masses.

"One thing is 100% for sure"

On the contrary, that is absolute crap, any succeeding government, including a military one or another PTP one, will still be liable for the previous government's legitimate-debts, which definitely includes these overdue ones to the farmers.

No government can afford to walk away from these debts, any more than they can refuse to pay back the public-borrowing which has part-financed the rice-scheme & whatever flood-control work actually did get done, the Thai taxpayer can only give thanks that they didn't also get saddled with a 2.2-trillion Baht loan plus-interest over 50-years as well !

And looking past the short-term relatively-minor problem of the existing defaults, the farmers should be worrying also about the long-term damage done to their industry, lost export-markets and slowly-decaying rice whose eventual sale/dumping will inevitably cause further damage to the reputation of the rice they produce, all this down to Thaksin and his sister's PTP-government.

The Shin-elite may wriggle and twist, and try to blame current & future problems on Suthep's short-term anti-government protests, but the truth is that Thai rice-farmers are in for several years of pain, and its all down to the Big Boss, thinking he could use public money to rig world-markets in their produce. Now that really is "100% for sure" !

good article.

I think the 2.2 trillion baht loan is not yet had the door closed on it. Unless the interim government steps down and we get a new election it will remain an option.

If this caretaker government cannot even borrow 20Bn baht for 30 days who will lend them 2.2 Tr baht over 50 years?

What collateral do they have?

Open and transparent government? Honesty? Morality? Good leadership? Trust of the people?

None of the above but there may or may not be a few million tons of rotting rice available cheap soon.

Edited February 21, 2014 by billd766

[mikemac]

One thing is 100% for sure, if Suthep or his bosses, or whomever they deem to be "prime minister" are in power any chance at all that farmers might get paid ever flies out the window. Anyone with even a slender grasp of Thai history knows how the Dems and and their military allies have treated annoying farmers over the past 50 years or so. It wasn't that long ago that bombs were an acceptable means of control for the rural masses.

yes only one thing is 100% sure

you live in the past and all the future of Thailand depends on your ability to see the future

Please Note:

When I first met my Thai wife she was a Tasking lover

Now she is protesting against him

The Farmers where the main force behind Yingluck getting to be PM

Now they want her blood

how do you explain these things in you great wisdom that the past tells you what the future holds

"When I first met my Thai wife she was a Tasking lover

Now she is protesting against him"

freudian slip

My wife is a "Tasking" lover. She comes up with lots of tasks for me to do.

She was a Thaksin fan when I first met her, now she thinks the entire Shinawatra family are one level below the Mafia, and she hates them with a passion.

[Emster23]

"Will the farmers who put Yingluck in power bring her down?"

I don't know, how about the radical idea of having an election? Then we could find out.... Oh, there was one already? And the democrats decided they didn't want to risk democracy, so sat it out. Hmmm what's wrong with this picture?

[Scamper]

Good article. And it asks the question that's on everybody's minds. Certainly one thing is for sure - no way did Pheu Thai ever think they would be asking this same question. Indeed, this changes the whole political field. Though it is doubtful the farmers - at least not yet - would amass themselves behind the Democratic party, they will almost certainly move away from Pheu Thai. This experience will not be forgotten by farmers or their families for years to come. They are very, very angry, and justifiably so. And they have finally coalesced in Bangkok with a new-found sense of political power. Of all the sad, sad things that have happened to the farmers, their awakening and emancipation have been one of the greatest shifts in the country in years.

[mikemac]

If this caretaker government cannot even borrow 20Bn baht for 30 days who will lend them 2.2 Tr baht over 50 years?

What collateral do they have?

Open and transparent government? Honesty? Morality? Good leadership? Trust of the people?

None of the above but there may or may not be a few million tons of rotting rice available cheap soon.

Good point, who would lend these no-hopers money after this rotten rice scam ?

So sad to see the poor rice farmers hung out to dry by the same government they voted into power, and hard to believe there are people out there who actually support these criminals.

[rijb]

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

One thing is 100% for sure, if Suthep or his bosses, or whomever they deem to be "prime minister" are in power any chance at all that farmers might get paid ever flies out the window. Anyone with even a slender grasp of Thai history knows how the Dems and and their military allies have treated annoying farmers over the past 50 years or so. It wasn't that long ago that bombs were an acceptable means of control for the rural masses.

You are apparently one who has no grasp of history The Democrats have only held power for three years in the last 20

Would you care to give us a list of all the wrongs done to the farmers by the Democrats and the army. All so include why they were worse than forcing some into bankruptcy starvation no money to replant suicide. You know the situation we have here in the here and now.

don't forget taking them from the number one rice exporter in the world to number three. With as good chance of going lower. Or the fact that Cambodia now produces the worlds best Jasmine rice no longer Thailand under the PTP.

My suggestion to you is get rid of all your electronics and modern appliances you have and replace them with equipment from 50 years ago. Your thinking and your surroundings will then match each other. You would look good behind a plow being pulled by a buffalo.

So your point is... less time, less mistakes. That would make a great slogan for the Dems.

[HerbalEd]

Recycled news ... like this ... is not news, it's boring.

[hellodolly]

One thing is 100% for sure, if Suthep or his bosses, or whomever they deem to be "prime minister" are in power any chance at all that farmers might get paid ever flies out the window. Anyone with even a slender grasp of Thai history knows how the Dems and and their military allies have treated annoying farmers over the past 50 years or so. It wasn't that long ago that bombs were an acceptable means of control for the rural masses.

"One thing is 100% for sure"

On the contrary, that is absolute crap, any succeeding government, including a military one or another PTP one, will still be liable for the previous government's legitimate-debts, which definitely includes these overdue ones to the farmers.

No government can afford to walk away from these debts, any more than they can refuse to pay back the public-borrowing which has part-financed the rice-scheme & whatever flood-control work actually did get done, the Thai taxpayer can only give thanks that they didn't also get saddled with a 2.2-trillion Baht loan plus-interest over 50-years as well !

And looking past the short-term relatively-minor problem of the existing defaults, the farmers should be worrying also about the long-term damage done to their industry, lost export-markets and slowly-decaying rice whose eventual sale/dumping will inevitably cause further damage to the reputation of the rice they produce, all this down to Thaksin and his sister's PTP-government.

The Shin-elite may wriggle and twist, and try to blame current & future problems on Suthep's short-term anti-government protests, but the truth is that Thai rice-farmers are in for several years of pain, and its all down to the Big Boss, thinking he could use public money to rig world-markets in their produce. Now that really is "100% for sure" !

good article.

I think the 2.2 trillion baht loan is not yet had the door closed on it. Unless the interim government steps down and we get a new election it will remain an option.

If this caretaker government cannot even borrow 20Bn baht for 30 days who will lend them 2.2 Tr baht over 50 years?

What collateral do they have?

Open and transparent government? Honesty? Morality? Good leadership? Trust of the people?

None of the above but there may or may not be a few million tons of rotting rice available cheap soon.

Excellent points.

Unfortunatly Moody's is out today with a report that keeps their rating the same and says that the economic situation is not changing.

[hellodolly]

"Will the farmers who put Yingluck in power bring her down?"

I don't know, how about the radical idea of having an election? Then we could find out.... Oh, there was one already? And the democrats decided they didn't want to risk democracy, so sat it out. Hmmm what's wrong with this picture?

You Think a little bit about the situation. Thailand is at a turning point. They can continue down hill as you are suggesting or they can stop have a honest look (you should try it) and change what needs changing. Then have an election.

There are a lot of Nations far worse than Thailand. Now is the time to look at them and say is that what we want for Thailand.

[hellodolly]

Will the farmers who put Yingluck in power bring her down?

No.

You are absolutely right give them money and they will go home and forget all about it. There unwillingness to join tyhe grass root protestors tells us what they think of the rest of Thailand.

While I am posting this I had asked Snig27 a question earlier.

I have been waiting for him to answer it.

I will repeat it here as I fear he may have missed it.

Would you care to give us a list of all the wrongs done to the farmers by the Democrats and the army. All so include why they were worse than forcing some into bankruptcy starvation no money to replant suicide. You know the situation we have here in the here and now.

[smedly]

What really happened here is pretty easy to follow

The funding sealing for the rice debacle reach it's limit, the government didn't want to admit or disclose the real financial status, they had been pushed by various institutions to disclose the figures and we kept getting lies from the finance minister

Then suddenly we saw the introduction of the 2.2 trillion baht off budget loan (off budget meaning they could spend the money as they saw fit) which they tried to push through the house under the guise of infrastructure projects - all lies

They needed money to pay the farmers, they didn't want to openly apply for loans as that would have exposed the true stated of the rice pledging scheme and the governments exposure which in turn would have raised more questions and investigations

The 2.2 trillion baht loan was successfully challenged in the courts and it was denied, shortly after the government stepped down leaving the rice scheme in tatters and raising more questions that the government was either unwilling to answer or couldn't

So here we are today, one thing is clear the funding is going to require huge loans going forward, an estimation of the current cost approaching 1 trillion baht - that is 500 billion over budget, nobody has any record or admits to records showing the true quantity of rice in storage or it's value - what seems to be clear is that 500 billion baht is unaccounted for, that is a serious amount of money

PTP cannot step down as this would expose them to a full financial audit which I have no doubt would end in court and jail for a number of senior figures

none of this has anything to do with suthep or the PDRC if anything they are hard at work trying to expose it along with a large section of the Thai people who are sick and tired of the lies and theft of their tax money

[moonao]

The fake farmers protesting against Yingluck are literally opportunisitc paid protesters financed by yellow shirt interests.

The real farmers know that the yellow shirts are the real enemy, because they are blocking the loans and the payments.

[ginjag]

The fake farmers protesting against Yingluck are literally opportunisitc paid protesters financed by yellow shirt interests.

The real farmers know that the yellow shirts are the real enemy, because they are blocking the loans and the payments.

Money owed BEFORE ANY Suthep-yellow-red-elite-blue -pink-green-black shirt- why you shifting the blame---blame who did not pay.

Good grief Y the Heck do you carry on with this excuse. get real. you are entitled to your opinion. BUT if I was a PPT lover I wouldn't post this as I would be embarrassed.

[Hulkster]

I think the baht strengthened today. Not bad in a country where the government supposedly can't pay farmers if you were to believe the elite's propagandists.

Yingluck was forced into dissolving parliament and calling elections. Without that a bill would have been passed by now allowing the farmers to be paid. So what? It's not like that money vanishes. It's redistributed to the poorest part of the country fueling more economic growth in the region. Sure, the scheme will have to be revised in future and is not sustainable, but it is in the short term.

Some of you are hysterical.

Thailand is awash with money. The Bangkok Sino-Thais wouldn't buy the rice bonds to stick to Yingluck. Right now her hands are tied because she's caretaker PM. Baht is still strong. The market doesn't think the government is broke.

Edited February 21, 2014 by Hulkster

[ikurauni]

Thaksin and his puppet wanted to please the farmers so that Thaksin and his puppet would become more popular.

They don't really care about the farmers to begin with. They wanted to accomplish their personal agenda instead.

But, they dug their own grave. Evil spirits never last.

I hope that the government will pay the money next week as promised.

Otherwise, the farmers will become more irrational and might shutdown the airports.

The story of this political crisis is more entertaining than any movies I have seen.

However, I feel so sorry for the screwed farmers. I wish them the best of luck.

[Dogmatix]

Will the farmers who put Yingluck in power bring her down?

One can only hope.......The worm is turning!

If they get back into power, they will either have to cancel the rice pledging scheme after paying off its debts or will bankrupt the government with it. I would bet on them doing the latter because they can still make a lot out of that personally and go and live overseas afterwards anyway.

Edited February 21, 2014 by Dogmatix