'Thai politicians threatening farmers'

[gabruce]

Is this the money that Suthep collected to give the Farmers?

Is this the 30M Baht he said he collected?

Or the 25 M Baht he gave to his friends the lawyers?

Suthep is not interested in helping the Farmers, he just wants to create as many problems for Yinluck and the PTP as possible.

Congratulations Dr. B on being the first one in this thread to attempt to defend these morons...although it was really quite a miserable attempt...!!

1. How does this have anything to do with Suthep, apart from the fact that he raised money to help the farmers through their difficult period?

2. Do you seriously believe that Yinluck (sic) and the PTP need any help in creating problems for themselves...?

You, dear Dr, will need to try a great deal harder than this...!!

The farmers will not get paid fully until after the election. When PTP return to power they will find a way to pay the farmers. It is Suthep and the EC who are using the farmers as pawns in their attempt to overthrow democracy.

Suthep marched for 3 days to collect money to GIVE to the farmers, he then gave it to his friends the lawyers, they have struggled to find any farmers who want to be mired up in a long legal case because the farmers know that they will lose any chance of an earlier payment. As was said in an earlier post nobody ever gets paid halfway through the legal process.

You say that Suthep collected money to help the farmers during a difficult period, do you think that the sheeple who gave that money wanted it paid to lawyers or farmers?

When the Democrats are elected as the government, they will find a way to pay the farmers. It is the PTP who are using the farmers as pawns in their attempt to promote a fascist state.

25 million wouldn't even be noticed in a 90 billion debt. Helping farmers to launch legal cases is self-serving, and perhaps the only way to leverage that small amount of money to good use. It would have made better press (something the PDRC are not good at) to have found a few very needy farmers and helped them out directly. Personally, I don't see that suing the government to pay their debts is helpful in this particular situation other than as PR.

It's also insulting to call people who donated to help the farmers sheeple.

[Piichai]

Is this the money that Suthep collected to give the Farmers?

Is this the 30M Baht he said he collected?

Or the 25 M Baht he gave to his friends the lawyers?

Suthep is not interested in helping the Farmers, he just wants to create as many problems for Yinluck and the PTP as possible.

Sounds good to me. The more time Yingluck and her cronies spend dealing with "problems," the less time they have to rape the country.

[MGP]

The only argument of the Politicians:

"the rice -pledging scheme was a public policy, farmers were not entitled to have any bargaining mechanism with the government."

Well, it is true that the right to Collective Bargaining is at stake all round the world. Specially after the United Nations has abolished the right to bargaining and negotiation of the working and security conditions of their own staff, a right that is protected by the UN's Human Rights, ILO Conventions, and Global Compact - "do as I say but not as I do" - (google if you can't believe that). But this is not about bargaining the conditions, this is about denouncing a non-payment!!!

Edited April 21, 2014 by MGP

[issanaus]

Is this the money that Suthep collected to give the Farmers?

Is this the 30M Baht he said he collected?

Or the 25 M Baht he gave to his friends the lawyers?

Suthep is not interested in helping the Farmers, he just wants to create as many problems for Yinluck and the PTP as possible.

Bruce: I am sick of the nasty Thaksin-supporting spin I hear from you all the time. How can anyone in their right mind come to this conclusion. You have every right to post your opinion here but when people are in serious trouble and you continue to support the people who caused that trouble then ..... well I'd like to meet you over a coffee and discuss this. You know as well as I do and the vast majority of posters here that the problem was created by Thaksin. Suthep (of whom I am not a supporter) has done his best to help and let people know the truth about what happened to the farmers and their money. Everything in Thailand is subject to corruption. The local politicians skim from the millers, then they pay their money up the chain and this has happened to the rice money. The farmers will receive only a small percentage of the pledging price. I would have thought anyone with a sense of caring and with a sense of anger against people who steal from those who have little would come to an entirely different conclusion than your obvious Thaksin-inspired spin. By the way, how is RA?

If you stop the constant personal insults I may let you buy me a coffee.

RA?

True PTP policy - its always some one else who should pay

[chooka]

Bloody Government organisations are like that. My brother in law is a concreter and did some work for the local council and they took time to pay him so he took court action and they refused to pay then until after court.

your brother in law over here i take it...mmmm yet you still support ptp...can they do no wrong...i havnt seen you display your displeasure of this vile regime yet chooka..oh well..

Go back and read the threads on rice pledging and I think you will find I am right up there with the best when it comes to condemning the govt. You may have also missed on a number of threads how I have refered to Mr "T" I also think that Suthep is right up when it comes to being a sleazy lying little grub also. I don't trust either side and they should all be bulldozed and fresh young educated people given a chance.

Oh and my brother in law is an Aussie married to my sister.

[lovetotravel]

Yet another exclusive from the nation.

How come all these beat up stories are hardly ever reported in other median outlets?

Anyway I didn't see the headlines of intimidation and the threating of voters on February 2!

The Nation hub of media beat ups!

The events of February 2nd we well covered by the Nation. Sometimes, a media outlet gets an "exclusive" story. Happens all the time, with media outlets all over the world. It's the holy grail for these guys.

[KIWIBATCH]

...the farmers will NEVER be paid......

[Thait Spot]

Yet another exclusive from the nation.

How come all these beat up stories are hardly ever reported in other median outlets?

Anyway I didn't see the headlines of intimidation and the threating of voters on February 2!

The Nation hub of media beat ups!

You don't like the story - so you shoot the messenger

How transparrent

[zyphodb]

I have to laugh at all the vitriol about Thai Politics on here by people who have no right to vote for either side. The trouble with Politicians & Thai Politicians in particular is all they are interested in is having enough power to line their, & their family & friends pockets at the expense of everyone else. The quote from Machiavelli says it all, " Power corrupts, & absolute power corrupts absolutely" ...

There is another saying, can't remember from where or who that " The person who most wants to be elected into power is the person that is least qualified to use that power"

So all in all whichever Party gets into power here are going to rape & pillage this Country & the poor in particular as they are powerless to stop them. If looked at historically this has been going on for generations & is very unlikely to change.

So maybe it's better to just get on with your lives than getting all hot under the collar about something you are completely powerless to change...

On second thoughts maybe you're arguing just to ease your own ennui...

[coma]

I think the time has come for the democrats to front up to a general election. As soon as possible. If they cannot get the numbers now they never will. And whilst they are in government they can make all these changes they keep on about.

[GuestHouse]

Right out of the PTP Basis of Operation - You want money - are you with us or against us?

Mind, not just the PTP, at least one Foreigner PTP supporter in Nakhon Sawan suggested this the first time the farmers rallied for their money - His suggestion [sic] 'Withhold payment from farmers who are politically motivated' - a man who claims to be a champion of democracy.

[ratcatcher]

I have to laugh at all the vitriol about Thai Politics on here by people who have no right to vote for either side. The trouble with Politicians & Thai Politicians in particular is all they are interested in is having enough power to line their, & their family & friends pockets at the expense of everyone else. The quote from Machiavelli says it all, " Power corrupts, & absolute power corrupts absolutely" ...

There is another saying, can't remember from where or who that " The person who most wants to be elected into power is the person that is least qualified to use that power"

So all in all whichever Party gets into power here are going to rape & pillage this Country & the poor in particular as they are powerless to stop them. If looked at historically this has been going on for generations & is very unlikely to change.

So maybe it's better to just get on with your lives than getting all hot under the collar about something you are completely powerless to change...

On second thoughts maybe you're arguing just to ease your own ennui...

" The quote from Machiavelli says it all, " Power corrupts, & absolute power corrupts absolutely" ...(Great men are almost always bad men.")

Were J.E.E.D. Acton (Lord Acton) alive today, he might take issue with your quote.

However he ought to have said " The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he/she has around him"

But that had already been stated by Niccolo Machiavelli.

Edited April 21, 2014 by ratcatcher

[phutoie2]

I think the time has come for the democrats to front up to a general election. As soon as possible. If they cannot get the numbers now they never will. And whilst they are in government they can make all these changes they keep on about.

Me too, I would like to see Abhisit's plan for campaigning all points north of Pathum Thani.

[metisdead]

Posts with paid to post allegations of have been removed as well as an off topic post.

[MGP]

I think the time has come for the democrats to front up to a general election. As soon as possible. If they cannot get the numbers now they never will. And whilst they are in government they can make all these changes they keep on about.

How is that related to the topic of this thread?

[SICHONSTEVE]

This is where a smart Democrat party would say that they will make it a priority (should they form a government) to ensure that farmers are paid for any crops pledged before a certain date, They should also say that the means of making the payment would be determined after an examination of the real financial position of the government accounts.

You are a rare breed my friend, an Aussie in Isaan seemingly supportive of the Democrats.

[Baerboxer]

Is this the money that Suthep collected to give the Farmers?

Is this the 30M Baht he said he collected?

Or the 25 M Baht he gave to his friends the lawyers?

Suthep is not interested in helping the Farmers, he just wants to create as many problems for Yinluck and the PTP as possible.

Don't try and distract from the real OP.

It would seem PTP's answer to the desperate farmers is to threaten and intimidate them. Protest and we'll get your family, sue us and we'll make sure you are never paid. As their man reminds everyone "you ain't got any rights to do anything against our government".

What a pleasant caring bunch they are!

Wake up Thailand - just imagine what it will be like if PTP ever get their grand wizard back and manipulate the full dictatorial powers they so crave.

[seajae]

so the democratic ptp have told the farmers that if they use their democratic rights they will not be paid the money they are owed. Thats about right for the ptp, do what we say or you get nothing, the fact that they have forced this issue upon the farmers with their corrupt practices mens nothing and the reds in here keep trying to claim they are democratic, this shows that up as a lie pure and simple, what a pathetic bunch of creeps.

[Morch]

The farmers will not get paid fully until after the election. When PTP return to power they will find a way to pay the farmers. It is Suthep and the EC who are using the farmers as pawns in their attempt to overthrow democracy.

Suthep marched for 3 days to collect money to GIVE to the farmers, he then gave it to his friends the lawyers, they have struggled to find any farmers who want to be mired up in a long legal case because the farmers know that they will lose any chance of an earlier payment. As was said in an earlier post nobody ever gets paid halfway through the legal process.

You say that Suthep collected money to help the farmers during a difficult period, do you think that the sheeple who gave that money wanted it paid to lawyers or farmers?

So, the good doctor's remedy is to stop Suthep from collecting money because he doesn't believe that the farmers want or need any help in getting their money out of this corrupt (caretaker) government...!?

Let's just get back to basics, that is, the fact that these debts predate Suthep's arrival on the scene, so stop trying to cloud the issue.

This corrupt regime has siphoned off so much money that they are not in a position to pay the farmers; that has nothing to do with Suthep, the Democrats or the anti-government protesters.

What dear Dr., without shifting the blame elsewhere, is your remedy for the farmers' plight?

My remedy is to have an election so that when PTP win they can get on with paying the farmers.

I agree that the debts were there when Suthep arrived but I believe that they would have been paid by now if the elected government had not stepped down and asked the country to renew it's mandate to rule.

I think that this story is about the lawyers complaining that the farmers will not get mired in years of legal wrangling that will only benifit the lawyers. They know that they will get paid as soon as the government is re-elected.

You "believe" the debts would have been paid if the government had not stepped down.

Well, they could have allocated the funds prior to stepping down, thus saving a lot of grief both for farmers and themselves.

Also, they haven't been very successful selling the rice, most of the rumored deals ended up as unreal. This was the case before Suthep started the protests, and continues to this day. As it seems they can't even get the figures pertaining to the rice scheme right, how could it be believed that they would have been able to pay the debts?

If the government was still in power, they would just go on with the rice scheme - rolling forward the accumulating debts, stifling any criticism, discussion or calls for transparency.

Whether one wants to believe that it's due to mismanagement, or corruption, or just the way subsidies are - one thing is pretty clear, the money is gone.

[ggt]

Everyone involved in the "rice pledge scam" should do prison time...a national disgrace...screwing the poorest of the poor...

[slapout]

Is this the money that Suthep collected to give the Farmers?

Is this the 30M Baht he said he collected?

Or the 25 M Baht he gave to his friends the lawyers?

Suthep is not interested in helping the Farmers, he just wants to create as many problems for Yinluck and the PTP as possible.

Throw out a smoke screen about Suthep, who has nothing to do with the op topic, nor the predicment PTP have gotten themselves into. as well as the rice farmers. Threats, lies, promises based on maybe and if. and then, give us/me time, be patient, I/we are doing the best we can, this government is made up of the most capable people avaliable, etc. When this fails deny responsibility, then publish the number of wannabe rambos you have in training camps, force cancellation of concerts/entertainment by those who support the opposition.

Suthep does not need to waste time creating problems for PTP, they have created more than they, the judical, and the Thai people can handle in a orderly fashion and seem hell bent on adding to their list of screw ups.

[winstonc]

Bloody Government organisations are like that. My brother in law is a concreter and did some work for the local council and they took time to pay him so he took court action and they refused to pay then until after court.

your brother in law over here i take it...mmmm yet you still support ptp...can they do no wrong...i havnt seen you display your displeasure of this vile regime yet chooka..oh well..

Go back and read the threads on rice pledging and I think you will find I am right up there with the best when it comes to condemning the govt. You may have also missed on a number of threads how I have refered to Mr "T" I also think that Suthep is right up when it comes to being a sleazy lying little grub also. I don't trust either side and they should all be bulldozed and fresh young educated people given a chance.

Oh and my brother in law is an Aussie married to my sister.

an aussie in thailand or australia chooks big difference when comparing how councils work.....as for fresh young people coming through you no-doubt would agree to reforms before an election then so these people can promote their values and manafestos ..on a level playing field correct..

[SICHONSTEVE]

The farmers will not get paid fully until after the election. When PTP return to power they will find a way to pay the farmers. It is Suthep and the EC who are using the farmers as pawns in their attempt to overthrow democracy.

Suthep marched for 3 days to collect money to GIVE to the farmers, he then gave it to his friends the lawyers, they have struggled to find any farmers who want to be mired up in a long legal case because the farmers know that they will lose any chance of an earlier payment. As was said in an earlier post nobody ever gets paid halfway through the legal process.

You say that Suthep collected money to help the farmers during a difficult period, do you think that the sheeple who gave that money wanted it paid to lawyers or farmers?

So, the good doctor's remedy is to stop Suthep from collecting money because he doesn't believe that the farmers want or need any help in getting their money out of this corrupt (caretaker) government...!?

Let's just get back to basics, that is, the fact that these debts predate Suthep's arrival on the scene, so stop trying to cloud the issue.

This corrupt regime has siphoned off so much money that they are not in a position to pay the farmers; that has nothing to do with Suthep, the Democrats or the anti-government protesters.

What dear Dr., without shifting the blame elsewhere, is your remedy for the farmers' plight?

My remedy is to have an election so that when PTP win they can get on with paying the farmers.

I agree that the debts were there when Suthep arrived but I believe that they would have been paid by now if the elected government had not stepped down and asked the country to renew it's mandate to rule.

I think that this story is about the lawyers complaining that the farmers will not get mired in years of legal wrangling that will only benifit the lawyers. They know that they will get paid as soon as the government is re-elected.

You "believe" the debts would have been paid if the government had not stepped down.

Well, they could have allocated the funds prior to stepping down, thus saving a lot of grief both for farmers and themselves.

Also, they haven't been very successful selling the rice, most of the rumored deals ended up as unreal. This was the case before Suthep started the protests, and continues to this day. As it seems they can't even get the figures pertaining to the rice scheme right, how could it be believed that they would have been able to pay the debts?

If the government was still in power, they would just go on with the rice scheme - rolling forward the accumulating debts, stifling any criticism, discussion or calls for transparency.

Whether one wants to believe that it's due to mismanagement, or corruption, or just the way subsidies are - one thing is pretty clear, the money is gone.

They COULD get the figures pertaining to the rice scam right, its just that it would be too embarrassing and would inevitably implicate people in high places wrong doings so they choose to hide the true facts as half the cabinet and their mates would be up for a visit to the NACC if this ever got out!!! This is why 'super' Supa was so dangerous to them and had to be stopped.

[bigbamboo]

PTP doing what they do best, putting a bit of stick about to keep the 'peasants' in line.

[sweatalot]

'Thai politicians threatening farmers'

anybody surprised?

I still wonder how they managed the farmers to abruptly stop their protests

and make them so quiet

Edited April 21, 2014 by sweatalot

[djjamie]

This intimidation is to be expected.

It is not dissimilar to the red shirts that intimidated the farmers when they wanted to protest. Very similar in fact to the red shirts that put up signs at farmer muster points that read “Democracy..No Hooligans Blockading Highway”, and “Don't not come to make trouble in this area.”

Similar as well to Chatree Ampoon who broke down in tears which was contagious as other innocent farmers broke down as well upon hearing by phone from his wife that red shirts intimidated her and threatened her with violence if she didn't stop protesting.

Look at the below photo of a women that has not been paid for rice, cannot pay her debts, cannot plant her next crop to allow her and her family to eat, cannot make payments on her tractor, has lost her self respect and pride and her only single democratic avenue she can take to be heard is to simply, respectfully, non violently protest and plead / beg for payments only to be denounced, intimidated, threatened with violence, greeted with signs that say they are hooligans. This OP highlights the stance taken on anyone that goes against the PTP ethos. Now imagine for one minute that you were in this situation this poor lady was in and you had no options left and money was donated by Suthep via the good hearted people in Bangkok to appoint lawyers to fight for you and the lawyers get intimidated and withdraw claims. Now imagine being in that position and someone denounces you or simply overlooks your plight yet still defends the regime by denouncing Suthep for collecting the money and denounces the newspaper for writing the story. This highlights the slip into fundamental fanaticism is slow, but pronounced. People eventually become the very essence of what they purport to denounce.

I look at this lady below and I don't try to think of excuses to justify her treatment, I don't state an agenda driven response to denounce it. If this woman was a victim of a DEM rice scheme I can be assured that as night follows day the fanatics on TVF would not be attacking the newspaper or mentioning Suthep. They would have an appropriate agenda driven response to attack the DEM's.

If she was a victim of a DEM scheme I would state the same thing above lest I become the very hated, heartless demon that uses the guise of democracy to perpetrate acts of violence and intimidation I do so despise.

Edited April 21, 2014 by djjamie

[Lupatria]

You sign a legal sales contract with a government.

The government refuses to pay.

You sue the government, only to learn- in return the government don’t pay you alt all.

I wonder what Mr. Amsterdam, the legal advisor of the dear leader would suggest for the farmers in such a case.

[SICHONSTEVE]

This intimidation is to be expected.

It is not dissimilar to the red shirts that intimidated the farmers when they wanted to protest. Very similar in fact to the red shirts that put up signs at farmer muster points that read “Democracy..No Hooligans Blockading Highway”, and “Don't not come to make trouble in this area.”

Similar as well to Chatree Ampoon who broke down in tears which was contagious as other innocent farmers broke down as well upon hearing by phone from his wife that red shirts intimidated her and threatened her with violence if she didn't stop protesting.

Look at the below photo of a women that has not been paid for rice, cannot pay her debts, cannot plant her next crop to allow her and her family to eat, cannot make payments on her tractor, has lost her self respect and pride and her only single democratic avenue she can take to be heard is to simply, respectfully, non violently protest and plead / beg for payments only to be denounced, intimidated, threatened with violence, greeted with signs that say they are hooligans. This OP highlights the stance taken on anyone that goes against the PTP ethos. Now imagine for one minute that you were in this situation this poor lady was in and you had no options left and money was donated by Suthep via the good hearted people in Bangkok to appoint lawyers to fight for you and the lawyers get intimidated and withdraw claims. Now imagine being in that position and someone denounces you or simply overlooks your plight yet still defends the regime by denouncing Suthep for collecting the money and denounces the newspaper for writing the story. This highlights the slip into fundamental fanaticism is slow, but pronounced. People eventually become the very essence of what they purport to denounce.

I look at this lady below and I don't try to think of excuses to justify her treatment, I don't state an agenda driven response to denounce it. If this woman was a victim of a DEM rice scheme I can be assured that as night follows day the fanatics on TVF would not be attacking the newspaper or mentioning Suthep. They would have an appropriate agenda driven response to attack the DEM's.

If she was a victim of a DEM scheme I would state the same thing above lest I become the very hated, heartless demon that uses the guise of democracy to perpetrate acts of violence and intimidation I do so despise.

Thoughtful piece Jamie - not that the red's would appreciate it as they simply don't care about the 'normal' people's plight, they just rant on in their usual 'motor mouth' way with seamless drivel that gets boring.

Suthep this, Suthep that, fascist dictator, undemocratic, ammart hi-so's etc: Once they get going into this meaningless rubbish I just switch off mid-post leave it behind and search for something more interesting to read!!!

[edgarfriendly]

Hub Of Intimidation!

Chai-Yoooooo!!

[icare999]

Is this the money that Suthep collected to give the Farmers?

Is this the 30M Baht he said he collected?

Or the 25 M Baht he gave to his friends the lawyers?

Suthep is not interested in helping the Farmers, he just wants to create as many problems for Yinluck and the PTP as possible.

Congratulations Dr. B on being the first one in this thread to attempt to defend these morons...although it was really quite a miserable attempt...!!

1. How does this have anything to do with Suthep, apart from the fact that he raised money to help the farmers through their difficult period?

2. Do you seriously believe that Yinluck (sic) and the PTP need any help in creating problems for themselves...?

You, dear Dr, will need to try a great deal harder than this...!!

The farmers will not get paid fully until after the election. When PTP return to power they will find a way to pay the farmers. It is Suthep and the EC who are using the farmers as pawns in their attempt to overthrow democracy.

Suthep marched for 3 days to collect money to GIVE to the farmers, he then gave it to his friends the lawyers, they have struggled to find any farmers who want to be mired up in a long legal case because the farmers know that they will lose any chance of an earlier payment. As was said in an earlier post nobody ever gets paid halfway through the legal process.

You say that Suthep collected money to help the farmers during a difficult period, do you think that the sheeple who gave that money wanted it paid to lawyers or farmers?

good try at defending the indefensible