RICE-PLEDGING SCHEME
Rice farmers thank NCPO for payments
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- RICE FARMERS, happy to receive money overdue for their pledged rice, thanked the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) for taking care of them.

In Kalasin, 1,000 farmers went to City Hall to show their gratitude for the NCPO and its attempt to restore national peace. They submitted further requests for aid to the council via Kalasin Governor Suwit Subongkot.

In Udon Thani, farmers presented flowers to Army officials at Prajak Silpakhom Camp to thank them.

Some 500 farmers in Nakhon Si Thammarat thanked the NCPO via Fourth Army Region chief Lt-General Walit Rojanapakdee, who urged the farmers to regain the world No 1 title for rice export.

A Khon Kaen farmer, Sirinan Srimungkhun, after collecting her Bt92,000 at a Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) branch in Muang district, said she thanked the NCPO for giving importance to rice farmers and helping them.

A Kanchanaburi farmer, Jamnong Madthong, 61, who was given Bt100,000, said he was thankful to NCPO chief, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, for his speedy help to farmers.

In Ang Thong, farmers queued up to receive money for their pledged rice yesterday. One farmer said he was happy to receive Bt150,000 cash as it would help him repay the cash he borrowed to buy fertilisers and pesticides, and leave him some for the next crop.

In Pathum Thani, BAAC Lat Lum Kaew branch paid Bt20 million to 94 farmers yesterday and said the remaining Bt115 million would be paid to farmers by next Monday. June 2.

In Nakhon Ratchasima, provincial Governor Winai Buapradit affirmed that the rice farmers should be paid by June 20.

In Songkhla, farmers in five districts got payments from BAAC branches and said they planned to pay for their children's education and invest in the next crop.


-- The Nation 2014-05-28

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Around here, Lopburi, Singburi area most farmers have been working up paddy and planting in the last couple of weeks.

I note that the CP river is also up a little and the klongs have been opened to give farmers water.

These payments will give a great boost to the local and national economy and hopefully lower household debt.

This is the most welcome and encouraging news directly attributable to the intervention by the Army.

I think that we should all, please, try to accept it for what it is, and not try to spin it either way for political gain...!!

Nice one, a real populist policy.

Nice one, a real populist policy.

Cleaning up Thaksin's mess is a populist policy? I guess it is. It is in everyone's best interests.

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

That is one happy camper in the OP photo.

I note that Thaivisa is understandably being very cautious regards which articles it posts, even when it comes to The Nation etc. So I won't link to it but there was an interesting article in the NYT yesterday regarding this, with some comments from farmers in Issan. I suspect it depends on the political leanings they already held, but I suspect many farmers aren't holding the last govt solely responsible for the lack of payment - which is right, because the lack of payment hiterto now was caused both by PT incompetence and politicking from the PDRC and its allies. Anyway, good they've been paid. I wonder if the junta plans to continue the scheme? Seems like they're caught between a rock and a hard place on that one, given what happened when PT tried to lower the pledging price to 12k.

That is one happy camper in the OP photo.

I'll bet his wife couldn't wait for him to get home but was most likely just out of shot taking no chances.

Kalasin, Udon Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Khnon Kaen, Kachanaburi, Ang Thong, Pathum Thani, Korat, Songkhla...

Good to see farmers from all regions are all getting paid.

Hopefully, it will go a long way in ending the geographic divisions fostered by the last government.

So you see, what happened is not so bad as you thought, a lot of things are getting done in a very short time, instead of waiting for moths before any action is taken.

So now let's see how the West analyzes this one where the nationwide banks are now willing to loan the government money for the bridge loan while under military rule whereas they were previously avoiding the subject like the plague under the previous so-called democratically elected government. Confidence under military rule. Wow.

I note that Thaivisa is understandably being very cautious regards which articles it posts, even when it comes to The Nation etc. So I won't link to it but there was an interesting article in the NYT yesterday regarding this, with some comments from farmers in Issan. I suspect it depends on the political leanings they already held, but I suspect many farmers aren't holding the last govt solely responsible for the lack of payment - which is right, because the lack of payment hiterto now was caused both by PT incompetence and politicking from the PDRC and its allies. Anyway, good they've been paid. I wonder if the junta plans to continue the scheme? Seems like they're caught between a rock and a hard place on that one, given what happened when PT tried to lower the pledging price to 12k.

That is your opinion which of course you are entitled to. But the facts are that the PDRC tried to help the farmers and they also did nothing to block anything apart from one protest against the GSB, which a week later they made the declaration that they were no longer going to stand against anyone loaning money to the government for the farmers payments.

My opinion is a bit different from others concerning the PTP incompetence part.

It is only common speculation that the cabinet completely forgot about sidelining money before they dissolved parliament and calling elections. They are politicians, I am not a politician, and even I myself knew they were not allowed to make extra-budgetary loans during an election run up without permission from the EC.

It is my opinion (not rumour mongering)... That the government knew exactly what they were doing, and that they wanted to create a massive financial pressure on the farmers hoping that if they put all the blame on the PDRC, then the farmers would take to the streets and confront the anti-gov protesters.

I am also a bit suspicious that Suthep was warned on the quiet about this intention and did a big turnaround in attitude on the subject which pushed the farmers against the government instead.

I really believe that this was all designed to use that one million farmers as pawns in the big chess game which failed completely and ended up backfiring leaving many people struggling as a consequence.

People just don't forget little details of a million payments which was one of the hottest topics during December as at that time they dissolved parliament, the farmers were already on their fourth promise of payment.... remember? The finance minister and commerce minister would 100% have reminded the cabinet that they needed that money first... a so a plan was born.

Not rumour mongering here, just looking at facts.

I note that Thaivisa is understandably being very cautious regards which articles it posts, even when it comes to The Nation etc. So I won't link to it but there was an interesting article in the NYT yesterday regarding this, with some comments from farmers in Issan. I suspect it depends on the political leanings they already held, but I suspect many farmers aren't holding the last govt solely responsible for the lack of payment - which is right, because the lack of payment hiterto now was caused both by PT incompetence and politicking from the PDRC and its allies. Anyway, good they've been paid. I wonder if the junta plans to continue the scheme? Seems like they're caught between a rock and a hard place on that one, given what happened when PT tried to lower the pledging price to 12k.

The Government is the Government they showed themselves to be incapapble of pursuing their own policies - I dont care what Thaksin led western papers say - the highest power in the land has sorted out Thaksins mess Again shame on those who would give him even another chance!! People demonstrating has NOT held up any payments to farmers. There is only one place to put the blame. Long live the King!!

Don't know why they have to thank anybody for something that is rightfully there's , they also should be paid on over due payments at commercial interest rates , if the new Administration wants to recoup that, just call to account the PTP benefactors fund ,for that amount , bearing in mind that there was a lot of people behind the scene , that lobbied on their behalf.

So now let's see how the West analyzes this one where the nationwide banks are now willing to loan the government money for the bridge loan while under military rule whereas they were previously avoiding the subject like the plague under the previous so-called democratically elected government. Confidence under military rule. Wow.

Hopefully they will be informed enough to understand that banks are happy to loan to a government, of whatever form, when it is legal for the government to borrow, but are quite reluctant to involve themselves in an illegal transaction.

A new broom sweeps clean. Glad to see the farmers have been paid and recognise General P for his swift resolution of the problem. Seems to be making all the right moves and tackling critical issues head on.

Farmers look very happy. I hope it brings some relief for them.

Don't know why they have to thank anybody for something that is rightfully there's , they also should be paid on over due payments at commercial interest rates , if the new Administration wants to recoup that, just call to account the PTP benefactors fund ,for that amount , bearing in mind that there was a lot of people behind the scene , that lobbied on their behalf.

that'll be gratitude & relief

Farmers look really happy. Picture is worth a 1000 words.

I note that Thaivisa is understandably being very cautious regards which articles it posts, even when it comes to The Nation etc. So I won't link to it but there was an interesting article in the NYT yesterday regarding this, with some comments from farmers in Issan. I suspect it depends on the political leanings they already held, but I suspect many farmers aren't holding the last govt solely responsible for the lack of payment - which is right, because the lack of payment hiterto now was caused both by PT incompetence and politicking from the PDRC and its allies. Anyway, good they've been paid. I wonder if the junta plans to continue the scheme? Seems like they're caught between a rock and a hard place on that one, given what happened when PT tried to lower the pledging price to 12k.

You call PDRC's intervention politicking,

I call it pointing out to caretaker PTP that what they were trying to do was illegal and the banks realised that and didn't let them borrow more money

Well this is certainly a way to win over the hearts of a lot of people. Pay them what they are owed! In the states we had programs like this but we literally were paying farmers not to grow certain crops to keep the sale price high.

I note that Thaivisa is understandably being very cautious regards which articles it posts, even when it comes to The Nation etc. So I won't link to it but there was an interesting article in the NYT yesterday regarding this, with some comments from farmers in Issan. I suspect it depends on the political leanings they already held, but I suspect many farmers aren't holding the last govt solely responsible for the lack of payment - which is right, because the lack of payment hiterto now was caused both by PT incompetence and politicking from the PDRC and its allies. Anyway, good they've been paid. I wonder if the junta plans to continue the scheme? Seems like they're caught between a rock and a hard place on that one, given what happened when PT tried to lower the pledging price to 12k.

PTP would not have had to worry about anything PDRC did in order to pay the farmers, if the money they had received for the rice hadn't mysteriously disappeared.

So are the farmers going to be paid at the above market rate that they were promised in the rice scheme or at a rate more in tune with the market? Are the tax payers then covering the difference? I assume if everyone is flipping the bill for the scheme rate that you can define it as re-allocation of wealth, but is that made bigger by farmers declaring losses and not paying taxes on the year?(I don't know how the taxes work here or with this fiasco)

Is it such a good idea to print names and how much money they received in a paper like this?

They are dong the job what the Yingluck administration should have done. The politicians only cared about themselves but the army has been doing a good job taking care of the issue. Why are the red shorts against the coup? Oh, I almost forgot that the red shorts are the private army of the Thaksin clan.

Don't know why they have to thank anybody for something that is rightfully there's , they also should be paid on over due payments at commercial interest rates , if the new Administration wants to recoup that, just call to account the PTP benefactors fund ,for that amount , bearing in mind that there was a lot of people behind the scene , that lobbied on their behalf.

rightfully there's??

the free market didn't want to but expensive. rice so the army has magiked up some money

there will be consequences for this

It is so nice to see the farmers happy and smiling they have been through a lot. Good on the General he has a good heart, keep it up.

It is good to see ThaiVisa putting these conditions in it is quite boring and annoying reading a lot of the posts from the guys with nothing better to do.

So now let's see how the West analyzes this one where the nationwide banks are now willing to loan the government money for the bridge loan while under military rule whereas they were previously avoiding the subject like the plague under the previous so-called democratically elected government. Confidence under military rule. Wow.

MILITARY PATRIOTS

..... and not that many surprises under this one. It was unavoidable.

Only a matter of time and true to form the Army have shown themselves to be more interested in law and order, and doing the job the police

should have done.

Going one step further into the economic health of the nation, the rice payments are an absolute unforeseen added bonus.

The salt of Thailand's earth were in the process of being "ripped off".

The army have shown time and time over, to be competent referees and called an end to the fight, without expecting to rule indefinitely.

Some countries in the vicinity have a long way to go to match this level of patriotism by the military.

The question is as the powers that be re-group, will the Shinawatra's be able to regain the lead they had when gaining government.

I'd like to think not, but where is a third power in Thai politics?

Its amazing how fast the things are happening since the coup, clearing away all the damage done by the PTP. Wish they could be held personally accountable for interest for the farmers that had to loan money.

Well done, without this intervention of the military the farmers would have to wait for ages.