Thai rice scheme: Another farmer collapses under burden of debt

webfact · March 24, 2014

RICE SCHEME
Another farmer collapses under burden of debt
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The wife of the farmer who was found dead at home in Ratchaburi's Pak Tho district on Saturday believes her husband died due to stress over debts and overdue payment for his pledged rice.

Wares Hangklaiphum, 43, said her husband Samran Hangklaiphum, 49, was owed more than Bt500,000 for two batches of pledged rice, but ended up having to borrow Bt100,000 to fund his next crop.

She said this latest loan increased the family's debts to Bt200,000.

Wares said her husband, father of three, was a family man and did not smoke or drink. She said the family was waiting for autopsy results.

-- The Nation 2014-03-25

doremifasol · March 24, 2014

RIP

MacWalen · March 25, 2014

Hope things improve for farmers soon.

Edited March 25, 2014 by MacWalen

djjamie · March 25, 2014

RIP.

Just as Ahbisit in his capacity as PM was charged with murder for authorizing ammunition yingluck should be charged in her capacity as rice chairman and PM with murder for not authorizing loans for the rice scheme before the PTP dissolved.

Fryslan boppe · March 25, 2014

That bad, bad Govt.

Responsible for people committing suicide due to financial problems.

Good thing we have the PAD-Dem's pointing that out, and showing the rightful cause....And I am very sure they don't do it for political gain.....

They are 'altruism' personified. Especially as it concerns people they like to refer to as 'buffalo's'.

dutchisaan · March 25, 2014

Do you realy have nothing better to do than turn everything around and blame everything on everybody, except the ptp?

Sorry I have answered my own question, you just follow the ptp guidelines.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

chainarong · March 25, 2014

As much as I hate to say it , the PTP certainly wont be worried in hearing this news, the PTP got the votes , so who cares, the farmers where taken for a ride , so at the next elections, farmers, you had better do the right thing with your vote.

worgeordie · March 25, 2014

The Government will still hail the rice scheme as a great success,

not for the farmers, but for the middle men,corrupt officials,with

their noses in the trough,money that could have been put to much

better use.

regards Worgeordie

tim armstrong · March 25, 2014

RIP to him. Borrowing to plant the next crop is probably the norm across the country. It has been that way in our family for the past 2 years, so farmers are now in the same cycle as many of their western counterparts, of 'working for the bank.' - But in thailand's case it could have been avoided, and nothing has changed in terms of farmers ability to control the sale of their product. I hope they vote accordingly whenever/if there is another election.

klauskunkel · March 25, 2014

No, you have it all wrong. This government is not responsible at all. Not responsible for rice payments, not responsible for systemic corruption, not responsible for tablet PCs, not responsible for flood mismanagement, not responsible for Chalerm (hic!),...ad infinitum...

Edited March 25, 2014 by klauskunkel

SoilSpoil · March 25, 2014

Some buffaloes actually beat up a monk yesterday! For the rest, anyone calling any person a buffalo is not very intelligent. Whatever side of the spectrum.

Supporting a corrupt and murderous regime neither by the way. This poor farmer took his life, and you turn it in a political yes-no discussion.

I wonder what motivates you in doing so!

Yunla · March 25, 2014

RIP to this hard-working and honourable gentleman, the world is a far poorer place without him.

My prayers are with his family, I hope that they have many caring friends around them at this terrible time.

Fat Haggis · March 25, 2014

The sad thing here is that without knowing the full details of this mans background or what was the cause of death, many are quick to start pointing fingers.. shame on you

lemonjelly · March 25, 2014

I think you'll find that it was the victim's wife explaining why the death might have occurred.

Edited March 25, 2014 by lemonjelly

Fat Haggis · March 25, 2014

She's only speculating, it could have been from natural causes.

almafudd · March 25, 2014

Rest In Peace and condolences to the grieving family.

When will all this pain and suffering stop...

almafudd · March 25, 2014

What about a bit of sympathy for the poor family.

Your words show where your true morals lie!

Your post is absolutely disgusting!!

soalbundy · March 25, 2014

Does things in three's does he?You've got to admire his stamina. I suppose he posed extra so the locals could film him and shout encouragement,......."No,no!! not the great dane,take the terrier first,he's dying for it

Fat Haggis · March 25, 2014

Why is it disgusting? Because unless you're the coroner who's completed the autopsy, then NOBODY knows what the cause of death was!!!! Speculating is all that most people are doing?

What I do feel sympathy for is the family of this man has to pick up his burden, including his debt..

Why do I need to show sympathy for a man who we knew NOTHING about, who may have died from natural causes, should I feel sympathy for all the chidren who die from cot death? from all the victims of RTA's .. And I sure don't need YOU to tell me where my moral compass points

Instead you don't even bother condoning the finger pointing when the cause of death is still to be determined.. Get off your moral High horse!!

gabruce · March 25, 2014

How about you try to develop empathy for the family. Counseling might help.

Rimmer · March 25, 2014

Off topic troll post removed

gerry123 · March 25, 2014

you knew him well i take it please less of the dramatics

Fat Haggis · March 25, 2014

I just don't get this, a farmer passes away without a cause of death having been established, and here we have the self righteous preaching about morality?

Whist I do have sympathies for the family, I do not need to be told by ANY forum member whom I should extend my sympathies towards, that is a very private thing.

What I'm personally disgusted at is there is till people here using this poor blokes death as a political statement, and yet you have the gall to call my post disgusting?

How about we await the results of the autopsy before finger pointing... that to me is the more disgusting act, as in jumping to conclusions!!

northernjohn · March 25, 2014

When you follow a man with no moral compass honesty and compassion for others is not on the agenda.

I hope the family finds support through this emotionally trying times.

Scamper · March 25, 2014

Red shirt supporters will turn away from this story, because they don't wish to acknowledge that Pheu Thai's rice scheme policy destroyed the lives of farmers, while the administration's own pockets bulged with graft and corruption, and while the country was taken off the top rice exporting tier. Even officials from within Pheu Thai itself this week have dropped hints that the programme will be discontinued even if they remain in power, in itself a tacit admission of its failure. But for many of their hard-core supporters, the rice scheme was only a blessing for the farmers. Time for them to visit a farm, meet with these families and see how far that argument takes them.

Edited March 25, 2014 by Scamper

djjamie · March 25, 2014

So to get this straight on the;

13th of September 2013 - The cabinet approved a total budget of 270 billion baht for the government’s rice pledging scheme and said this will support it to March 2014. The PTP said they had the money. They lied. Rice farmers believed it.

16th of September 2013 – Finance ministry feared the scheme will break budget yet warning was not heeded by the PTP.

8th of October – World bank said the rice scheme is their most costly and would ring up bills 115 to 150 billion per harvest. PTP or more specifically Niwatthamrong Bunsongphaisan categorically dismissed the world bank estimates and went onto say they had secured more funding to meet the costs of the 2013 / 2014 scheme costs. PTP said they had the money. They lied. Rice farmers believed it.

12th November 2013 – IMF called into Thailand to ditch rice scheme. PTP said no. Rice farmers trusted the PTP.

9th of December 2013 - House dissolved.

Now with this oversight by the PTP highlighted we look at post PTP dissolution.

Now apart from the daily protests for payment as well the the 4 broken promises that the farmers would be paid the next week I will focus on the Ratchuburi farmers.

25th of January – Farmers protest on Rama II road in Ratchaburi demanding payments and after negotiations they would be paid the farmers left.

1st of February - The same farmers gathered in Ratchuburi again demanding payments. Conciding with a convoy of tractors heading to Bangkok.

22nd of February – Farmers were going to meet at a muster point on the friendship highway only to change it when red shirts gathered at the point and put up signs. One of which read “Democracy..No Hooligans Blockading Highway”

These are farmers that believed lies for 3 months before PTP dissolved. Farmers that had faith in and voted for the PTP. Post dissolution these are the same farmers that are still being lied too with broken promises and the only way they can have their voice heard is through the democratic right to protest yet the red shirts stopped their only avenue to be heard.

The farmers are in a hopeless situation where they cannot even plead for payments due to red shirt intimidation or be labelled fake farmers This farmer in the OP is owed 500 000 baht and had to borrow 100 000 baht to survive. Not a word on why the poor farmers that have even been put into this predicament. Speculation however is directed on why he has died and thus deflecting the responsibility from the PTP with any excuse possible…. ? Speculate on the death, but no one sees a probem that built up to the death? I don't give a <deleted> if he died from tooth decay. Look at his pre death situation. Look at this guy that was ignored by the PTP, intimidated by the red shirts and denounced by TFV members now all because they do not suit an agenda. Is the pre death situation something to be concerned about?

There have been 9 deaths directly related to financial burden placed on farmers relating to the rice pledging scheme. Directly related. All these suicided have one thing in common. Farmers that owe huge amounts of money to loan sharks and farmers that cannot plant their crops due to money being owed them. So with all the above highlighted. All the lies pre and post dissolution. All the broken promises. All the similarities between the deaths one can still make excuses for the PTP.

When it suits a PTP agenda these are poor rice farmers that need help from the PTP. The PTP are the savors of the poor rice farmer. They have offered a rice subsidy programme that will bring them out of their despair stated before this failure The reality could not be further from the truth and the kicker is when these farmers have out lived their usefulness to the regime they are demonized, belittled and thrown onto the regime’s garbage dump. The 2014 election failures is a litmus test of the voters seeing these failures and they do see the contempt the PTP have towards them when they have out lived there usefulness.

When these farmers to not suit the PTP agenda; They are not real farmers; it is not because of the rice scheme. It is the DEM / PDRC’s fault. They might have died from natural causes. The family must be mistaken and not really known who their husbands were.

The very people that say those things are the very people that are showing the traits of the people they purport to denounce. They are becoming the heartless, undemocratic, unsympathetic, ignorant, tyrants that they think the PDRC are.

If they can cheer and clap upon hearing terrorists killing innocent lives then defending the PTP agenda against this dispensable voter base would be pretty easy.

Unfortunately there is no such thing as a dispensable voter base in a democracy and I hope that no TVF members are ever in a situation where they are financially crippled by a PTP scheme only to be ignored or intimidated when they only respectfully ask for what they were promised.

Edited March 25, 2014 by djjamie

kerrysum · March 25, 2014

I agree,

But such is they way in the LOS, such a sad set of circumstances.... But that is what happens when they buy votes with promises of riches. Get many requests from family now, Hey can you loan me 200,000 BHT? It is responsibility time Farmers..... You need a better way than the Government....

Remember the Rice Exchange? Just remember, Yingluck is eating duck, on your buck......

Just my thought....

Fat Haggis · March 25, 2014

Scamper, you dissapoint me, I don't think there's anyone who thinks the scheme was a great idea, and for most parts, they all agree it was a massive mistake, never to be repeated, and a very harsh lesson to be learnt.

However, this poor guy is being turned into a political slanging match, when it's clearly been stated within the article itself that the cause of death has yet to be determined, and you are one of the people here who keep harping on about facts.. the only fact we have here is that the farmer died, he had massive debts.

Nobody here knows anything about this farmer, other than a few comments that his wife made, nobody knows if there were other contributing factors involved either, but hey, these things don't matter, a farmer is dead, he must have killed himself due to the piss poor rice pledging scheme, after all, he's a farmer, it must be true?? Come on people, why keep jumping to conclusion because it suits your political agenda?

That is my point, and I'm being lambasted for not having a moral compass, well to the good folks with these compases, you do realise that farmers have been taking their own lives since well before the rice scheme came into effect, you do realise that there are farmers who are NOT in the scheme who have also taken their own lives, you do realise that many Thais outwith the farming community also take their own lives all through bad debt and being unable to manage it.

I really do feel sadness for his family, but I'd rather wait for a bit more information as to the cause of death, before making judgments.

dutchisaan · March 25, 2014

Well said. A lot of farmers are desperate and don't know anymore how to make ends meet. Sunday my wife talked with here family up north, they didn't get paid yet for there rice and are having big problems. They are to proud to ask us for help, but we decided that we can not just sit at the sidelines and watch them go under.

So We bought a lot of food and other stuf and Friday we drive up there. I live myself in a small village, and when my neighbours found out what we are planning to do, they keep bringing food to give them. By now my garage is so full, I can not even park my truck in it anymore. One of my neighbours told me he will follow us in his truck, because I can not load everything in mine. This is a 750 km round trip.

Thank god there good people around who feel the needs of others. And if one of the red supporters want to have a look how the life of a rice farmer realy is these days they should come along and see the reality of how this so called government are treating the farmers.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

samran · March 25, 2014

There is a time and a place for everything.

Now is neither the time, nor the place, for you contemptuous and insensitive tripe.

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