NCPO urges ministry to scrap useless projects, give plots to the landless
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A member of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) met senior officials from the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry yesterday and advised them either to abolish or review projects that cannot be deemed worthwhile, transparent or fruitful.

The projects that have been implemented should be speeded up and completed by the end of this year, said Admiral Narong Pipatanasai, who is an adviser on social issues serving under the junta. Narong's department has initiated visits with permanent secretaries and senior officials at the ministries.

He also expressed support for the integration of budget management and planning by the ministries of Tourism, Education and Defence with the Natural Resources Ministry.

The ministry briefed the admiral on four immediate issues: land encroachment and illegal logging of sandalwood trees; flood and water management; pollution and waste management; and the lax enforcement of laws on environmental protection.

Permanent secretary Chote Trachu said the ministry's immediate projects would focus on forestation and preservation as well as the protection of sandalwood and teak trees. The ministry also provided details on more than 3,000 badly managed garbage-disposal sites across the country.

Chote said more than 10 million rai (1.6 million hectares) of the country's 140 million rai of forested land was being encroached upon, adding that these areas should be allotted to landless people - a policy that had been agreed upon by the NCPO before Narong's visit yesterday.

He also said a special land deed should be issued to landless people, instead of making them use existing deeds or other land-ownership documents that are easily transferable or saleable.

-- The Nation 2014-05-31

They really go for it ..

Thumbs up

If the Thai military could achieve reforms in these areas noted above, I would have to give them a huge thumbs up.

Can we add TAT to the list of stupid and fruitless projects?

I mean.... come on.

Requiring a 10 million baht budget for a 'honeyteers' idea that would see honeymooners doing voluntary work.

Is it me?

Can we add TAT to the list of stupid and fruitless projects?

I mean.... come on.

Requiring a 10 million baht budget for a 'honeyteers' idea that would see honeymooners doing voluntary work.

Is it me?

No! Your post is right on.

Remind me - how long ago was the "coup" ?

Looking forward to the 100 day report card!

If they are so concerned for the wealth-fare of the poor, how about giving ID cards to the hills tribe people so they can get real jobs

Maybe suthep can arrange the land distribution, he does have experience

Considering the really great progress the military is making, it looks like they're going to have quite a honeymoon.

If they are so concerned for the wealth-fare of the poor, how about giving ID cards to the hills tribe people so they can get real jobs

Maybe they are... no comments on the positive article?

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Stop the deforestation in Northern Thailand

"Requiring a 10 million baht budget for a 'honeyteers' idea that would see honeymooners doing voluntary work."

I might be wrong but I thought without a work permit you are not allowed to work, even volunteer work.

Wonder if they are going to get a temporary W.P.

Thumbs up. Land grants are better than money....and can secure votes just as well.

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Considering the really great progress the military is making, it looks like they're going to have quite a honeymoon.

And a long honeymoon , looking at the list of work to be done

If they are so concerned for the wealth-fare of the poor, how about giving ID cards to the hills tribe people so they can get real jobs

Maybe they are... no comments on the positive article?

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Not much, thanks for asking.

If it were done properly, there would need to be time to evaluate the projects. How do they determine which projects are 'useless'? Yet they want the selected projects completed by the end of the year. Sounds very Thaksin like to me.

If they want to scrap useless projects, there is heaps of military spending that could be cut too.

Stop the deforestation in Northern Thailand

They're working on that. Found a bunch of logs in just the past few days. You'll never believe where they found them!

Talk is cheap. Most of the areas illegally invaded have elites behind it. Remember the park manager that dared to tear down illegal resorts, he was transfered. Proof of the pudding is in the eating.

At this rate the army would probably win an election

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I would suspect that among others the landless people referred to would be the hill tribe people living in the forests of the national parks (AKA Billy family)

These people should be treated as a resource rather than a threat to the forests, they have generations of experience in managing their lives in the forest environment and their knowledge would be of great value in forest management.

They should be given jobs within the forest service as rangers and other positions, with good schools (health care and other facilities also) built for their children and scholarships in forestry management given to the graduates.

This would give the families an income that would reduce or eliminate their reliance on agriculture therefore allowing more reforestation and in time bring forest management under the guidance of people who live in, understand and have an empathy with the forests.

Can we add TAT to the list of stupid and fruitless projects?

I mean.... come on.

Requiring a 10 million baht budget for a 'honeyteers' idea that would see honeymooners doing voluntary work.

Is it me?

No! Your post is right on.

Someone nudge that guy, please!

Will the New Order waive Work Permits for volunteers?

During the last big flood I was nearly arrested in Pathun Tani (I was filling up sand bags) for not having a Work Permit to do so.

The 30 or so Thais with whom I was swarmed around the police men and demanded I would not be arrested. They were vocal and shamed the cops for their actions. The cops replied that they were enforcing the Law. Really? As if.......

Talk is cheap. Most of the areas illegally invaded have elites behind it. Remember the park manager that dared to tear down illegal resorts, he was transfered. Proof of the pudding is in the eating.

True but in all fairness this is what happened.

After the Police officer (in charge of enforcement) retired, he was on his own and none of the officers assigned to the park cared to support him.

He received from threats on his life and family's to offer of millions of Bahts to look the other way. Add to that the daily numerous phone calls advising him to get a good insurance policy and to get bodyguards, etc.

He was the one who asked to be transferred. He had reported those threats to the higher ups but they ignored his pleas.

I would suspect that among others the landless people referred to would be the hill tribe people living in the forests of the national parks (AKA Billy family)

These people should be treated as a resource rather than a threat to the forests, they have generations of experience in managing their lives in the forest environment and their knowledge would be of great value in forest management.

They should be given jobs within the forest service as rangers and other positions, with good schools (health care and other facilities also) built for their children and scholarships in forestry management given to the graduates.

This would give the families an income that would reduce or eliminate their reliance on agriculture therefore allowing more reforestation and in time bring forest management under the guidance of people who live in, understand and have an empathy with the forests.

100% True !

The problem is that to Thais, Karen people are NOT Thais.

It matters not that they have lived there for generations.

Subliminal feeling in Thainess agaisnt the Burmese (Karen people's lineage has been traced to Burma) who raided the 2 previous capitals and made the proud Thais to retreat to the swamp lands on the banks of Chao Praya river.

Useless according to whom? Oh ok, I get it, according to the people now in charge.

You could get 100 people to look at proposed and on-going projects, and get a 100 different opinions, on what is needed and what should be dumped. That's why there are elections. At least with elected officials, the populace gets a slight chance of getting their ideas represented. With self-appointed heads, it's up to those bosses, that's about it. Maybe we'll get lucky, and the current boss will make wise choices. ....or maybe not, but none of us, or even voters will be able to do anything about it, either way. But again, 'wise decisions' are subjective. What I consider 'wise' may be considered stupid and wasteful by the next person, and vice versa, and so it goes in Thailand.

Quote:

"140 million rai of forested land was being encroached upon, adding that these areas should be allotted to landless people"

Noble aim.

As long as dear leader Suthep is nowhere near the pyramid of power as he was in 1995 when, as Minister of Agriculture, he awarded land targeted for poor landless farmers, to 11 "associates" and families of the elite in the South and BKK. That is what brought down the Democrat party from power in the only election they won in the last 20 years.

Can we add TAT to the list of stupid and fruitless projects?

I mean.... come on.

Requiring a 10 million baht budget for a 'honeyteers' idea that would see honeymooners doing voluntary work.

Is it me?

No! Your post is right on.

TAT do not need 6billion approx. a year budget, how many schools could be fitted out with Microsoft/ware with half of this ???

How many schools could have electricity for the first time ??? A library in every school for reference, kids having to pay for biros -pencils-writing books.

All this underwater weddings, Indian style marriages , This is one department that has to be monitored Sure.

Quote:

"140 million rai of forested land was being encroached upon, adding that these areas should be allotted to landless people"

Noble aim.

As long as dear leader Suthep is nowhere near the pyramid of power as he was in 1995 when, as Minister of Agriculture, he awarded land targeted for poor landless farmers, to 11 "associates" and families of the elite in the South and BKK. That is what brought down the Democrat party from power in the only election they won in the last 20 years.

OMG---- yawn

Useless according to whom? Oh ok, I get it, according to the people now in charge.

You could get 100 people to look at proposed and on-going projects, and get a 100 different opinions, on what is needed and what should be dumped. That's why there are elections. At least with elected officials, the populace gets a slight chance of getting their ideas represented. With self-appointed heads, it's up to those bosses, that's about it. Maybe we'll get lucky, and the current boss will make wise choices. ....or maybe not, but none of us, or even voters will be able to do anything about it, either way. But again, 'wise decisions' are subjective. What I consider 'wise' may be considered stupid and wasteful by the next person, and vice versa, and so it goes in Thailand.

Put the populous on the straight and narrow, when we have transparency then elect---you see it's no good speaking like this to have the same brigade upturn again the good created. Elections come after the mega clean up. No matter who cleans up.

Thumbs up. Land grants are better than money....and can secure votes just as well.

That is what I thought too, a great populist- like policy would be to issue deeds and collect money by doing so as people will pay per rai for a real deed thus adding to the wealth of the government while pleasing the poor at the same time, a win win situation. It will also curb corruption of the Forestry department as they will not be able to extort money from folks with deeds.

Quote:

"140 million rai of forested land was being encroached upon, adding that these areas should be allotted to landless people"

Noble aim. As long as dear leader Suthep is nowhere near the pyramid of power as he was in 1995 when, as Minister of Agriculture, he awarded land targeted for poor landless farmers, to 11 "associates" and families of the elite in the South and BKK. That is what brought down the Democrat party from power in the only election they won in the last 20 years.

Giving forestry land to landless people sounds good, but has possible pitfalls. As mentioned above, the land could easily be given to friends of the giver, or simply sold (over or under the radar), as so often happens in Thai provinces.

Even if land is give away, it could be then sold to developers.

Even if forestry land is used, it's often used unwisely. Clearcutting, slash 'n burn, chemical clearing, destruction of natural habitat, bulldozing ....those are very common in Thai forests, whether officially protected or not.

Thais need lessons in sensible land management. They need to realize that not everything has a dollar/baht sign on it. Example: it there's a tree which, if cut down, will sell for Bt.150 ...a person will cut it down and sell it. Another example: if there's a hill with 30% slope which could yield 300 baht of ginger root, then there are plenty of people who will denude that hill and plant it, regardless of subsequent erosion. After one crop, that hill be choked with weeds for the next 5 years, until someone comes along and does the same - each time, tons of soil will get eroded away, and many kilos of toxic chemicals will get applied.

Since overpopulation is the root cause of such problems, the most important aim should be to lessen # of human births.

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If they are so concerned for the wealth-fare of the poor, how about giving ID cards to the hills tribe people so they can get real jobs

Maybe they are... no comments on the positive article?

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Not much, thanks for asking.

If it were done properly, there would need to be time to evaluate the projects. How do they determine which projects are 'useless'? Yet they want the selected projects completed by the end of the year. Sounds very Thaksin like to me.

If they want to scrap useless projects, there is heaps of military spending that could be cut too.

I agree that cuts can be made to military spending, however, while 1 year is ambitious it's a lot more realistic than any Thaksin lackey would be claiming. They normally go for 90 days

Stop the deforestation in Northern Thailand

Who cares... Its Red land....reap what they sow... and have a look at which familys have been caught with illegally cut timbers..