PM warns farmers not to expect too much handouts from the government

[thaiguzzi]

Watching Channel 3 news this morning. 2 suicides in different provinces, both smallholder rubber farmers. People are suffering.

[robblok]

Watching Channel 3 news this morning. 2 suicides in different provinces, both smallholder rubber farmers. People are suffering.

What is the alternative.. taking away money from education to pay for farmers ? Magically create money and give it to farmers.

Money given to farmers has to come from somewhere, its not like others have no problems.

I am all for paying farmers to change or to make things sustainable.

I am all against handouts and guaranteed prices like in the rice scheme that is a recipe for disaster.

I think a big problem with farmers is lack of financial planning, in the fat years (look at rubber prices they were high not that long ago) they did not put enough money away for leaner years.

[RisqEM]

The bourgeoisie strike again

[ClutchClark]

The P.M. is quite right in advising farmers that funds are indeed limited, there are various reasons from poor farming techniques , down to culture pressure , the first instance the younger brigade don't want to work in rice fields, so most have left for the cities and the ipod, the ones that do and go and expand their horizons and try to introduce new systems into the family farm are howled down and the gullible rice farmers would much rather a unworkable pledge scheme that cost the country untold damage in reputation and financially , so that the handouts keep coming, if they vote accordingly , mind you the P.M. leaves the door wide open for another get rich quick scheme to materialize, what the farmers must understand that the day of handouts are past and modern methods are needed. I have actually had young people in the old folks village complain to me , that the old people don't want to listen.

Imagine that. Young people with zero experience in life or farming trying to tell old folks that have several decades of farming experience that they don't know how to farm.

What modern methods? Serious question--in what way are farmers not practicing modern methods? And please include what the cost of those modern methods are to the farmer and suggest where the farmer is supposed to find the money for those costs.

Lastly, it appears that much of the anger towards farmers is the subsidy they received from the past regime. How can you blame that on the farmer? If you are in a business and the PM offers all of you and your competitors money are you going to turn it down? Again, serious questions and I hope for serious answers.

Thanks

One of my close friends from up north of Thailand has diversified on her farm . . . they still grow rice, but are also now farming fish in a big way and 6 x other crops in addition, all in the last 2 years . . . it's not that hard to do when you see rice is just not going to make you enough money year on year and you don't want to rely on being given handouts to survive . . .

Thanks. Not to hard to convert a rice paddy into several fish ponds with a dozer. Seems like a smart transition!

[ClutchClark]

Watching Channel 3 news this morning. 2 suicides in different provinces, both smallholder rubber farmers. People are suffering.

What is the alternative.. taking away money from education to pay for farmers ? Magically create money and give it to farmers.

Money given to farmers has to come from somewhere, its not like others have no problems.

I am all for paying farmers to change or to make things sustainable.

I am all against handouts and guaranteed prices like in the rice scheme that is a recipe for disaster.

I think a big problem with farmers is lack of financial planning, in the fat years (look at rubber prices they were high not that long ago) they did not put enough money away for leaner years.

Or they were using their actual profits from those fat years to pay off all the debts they accumulated in the previous leaner years .

Would like to hear from actual farmers.

Cheers

[ClutchClark]

The P.M. is quite right in advising farmers that funds are indeed limited, there are various reasons from poor farming techniques , down to culture pressure , the first instance the younger brigade don't want to work in rice fields, so most have left for the cities and the ipod, the ones that do and go and expand their horizons and try to introduce new systems into the family farm are howled down and the gullible rice farmers would much rather a unworkable pledge scheme that cost the country untold damage in reputation and financially , so that the handouts keep coming, if they vote accordingly , mind you the P.M. leaves the door wide open for another get rich quick scheme to materialize, what the farmers must understand that the day of handouts are past and modern methods are needed. I have actually had young people in the old folks village complain to me , that the old people don't want to listen.

Imagine that. Young people with zero experience in life or farming trying to tell old folks that have several decades of farming experience that they don't know how to farm.

What modern methods? Serious question--in what way are farmers not practicing modern methods? And please include what the cost of those modern methods are to the farmer and suggest where the farmer is supposed to find the money for those costs.

Lastly, it appears that much of the anger towards farmers is the subsidy they received from the past regime. How can you blame that on the farmer? If you are in a business and the PM offers all of you and your competitors money are you going to turn it down? Again, serious questions and I hope for serious answers.

Thanks

Yes imagine that old fossils learning new tricks... its amazing how rigid older people are how set in their ways they are. Obviously Vietnam is not a good example of an open market however they produce a lot more per rai.

I sometimes wonder about crop rotation here.. doubt its practiced much because of mono crops. Thing is Thais use a lot of fertilizer and inceticides to keep their non crop rotated fields good. Young people know about crop rotation (but its been around for ages) the also know that going more green would help. The kings idea's of different crops and fish is good.

My anger towards farmers is because I grew up among farmers they are always the first to complain and beg for handouts. I have nothing against these small farmers but if you cannot make ends meet then you surely are not doing the right thing. If i was selling old nokia's instead of smartphones or would still be selling desktop computers in a declining market the government would not help me out. Why farmes.. because they are militant and because they are good at selling their votes.

The farmers are not innocent, they would be if they tried changing.. but so far i see little change.

I am not against subsidies to help them change, but I am against the culture of handouts that lives among farmers.

So offer them help and some money while they change but make it clear this money will stop and the aim is for them to be self sufficient.

Thanks for a good solid opinion.

Cheers

[robblok]

Watching Channel 3 news this morning. 2 suicides in different provinces, both smallholder rubber farmers. People are suffering.

What is the alternative.. taking away money from education to pay for farmers ? Magically create money and give it to farmers.

Money given to farmers has to come from somewhere, its not like others have no problems.

I am all for paying farmers to change or to make things sustainable.

I am all against handouts and guaranteed prices like in the rice scheme that is a recipe for disaster.

I think a big problem with farmers is lack of financial planning, in the fat years (look at rubber prices they were high not that long ago) they did not put enough money away for leaner years.

Or they were using their actual profits from those fat years to pay off all the debts they accumulated in the previous leaner years .

Would like to hear from actual farmers.

Cheers

Also a possibility of course but if you look at how people live here in general.. there is not much financial planning. I make nice money but more as half of it i save.

My repulsion with all the handouts comes partly from living in a nanny state with handouts. The whole problem with handouts is that people start to depend on them. I rather have good solid education, plus one has to realize not everyone is equal. Its quite normal for the more gifted among us to make more money. By forcing them to pay too much tax to pay for handouts you kill creativity.

Of course this goes for a level playing field (not so much here). I just hope Thailand wont go the way of all the nanny states where everyone has to make the same amount of money ect.

[Tatsujin]

The P.M. is quite right in advising farmers that funds are indeed limited, there are various reasons from poor farming techniques , down to culture pressure , the first instance the younger brigade don't want to work in rice fields, so most have left for the cities and the ipod, the ones that do and go and expand their horizons and try to introduce new systems into the family farm are howled down and the gullible rice farmers would much rather a unworkable pledge scheme that cost the country untold damage in reputation and financially , so that the handouts keep coming, if they vote accordingly , mind you the P.M. leaves the door wide open for another get rich quick scheme to materialize, what the farmers must understand that the day of handouts are past and modern methods are needed. I have actually had young people in the old folks village complain to me , that the old people don't want to listen.

Imagine that. Young people with zero experience in life or farming trying to tell old folks that have several decades of farming experience that they don't know how to farm.

What modern methods? Serious question--in what way are farmers not practicing modern methods? And please include what the cost of those modern methods are to the farmer and suggest where the farmer is supposed to find the money for those costs.

Lastly, it appears that much of the anger towards farmers is the subsidy they received from the past regime. How can you blame that on the farmer? If you are in a business and the PM offers all of you and your competitors money are you going to turn it down? Again, serious questions and I hope for serious answers.

Thanks

One of my close friends from up north of Thailand has diversified on her farm . . . they still grow rice, but are also now farming fish in a big way and 6 x other crops in addition, all in the last 2 years . . . it's not that hard to do when you see rice is just not going to make you enough money year on year and you don't want to rely on being given handouts to survive . . .

Thanks. Not to hard to convert a rice paddy into several fish ponds with a dozer. Seems like a smart transition!

It seems to be working out very well for them so far ... BUT ... this only happened cos the (30 something) daughter made it happen by telling the parents what needed to be done and then arranged it all.

[Eric Loh]

I doubt the PM will dare ignoren the 20+ million farmers no matter how tough he talks. When push comes to shove, I sure he will relent and bow to the farmers as all previous governments. You just don't antagonize desperate and hungry peasants. Not wise.

The problem is mainly that the farmers just don't have a social safety net and we don't have a welfare system like in the West. By the way, subsidies are no different from the welfare system which is funded by tax. Governments have failed to implement good programs to ensure farmers can fall back on these programs in times of hardship. The social security program don't cover the farmers.

The fact of the matter is that Thailand will continue to subsidies whether it's farm products or fuel or electricity. We just need to see government design better subsidy programs that are prudent, equitable, participative and innovative.

[jdinasia]

I sure like this guy.

As for agricultural subsidies by the Gov't, it is a practice of most every country including the USofA.

The US does. I think some EU countries do. Not sure about "most every country"

[robblok]

I sure like this guy.

As for agricultural subsidies by the Gov't, it is a practice of most every country including the USofA.

The US does. I think some EU countries do. Not sure about "most every country"

Yes EU does it and as an former EU guy I hated it there too. It was a good way for countries like France and Spain claim money from countries that paid like Netherlands. Personally I do believe in food security but not at all cost. Especially not at the cost of normal people.

[Thai at Heart]

The P.M. is quite right in advising farmers that funds are indeed limited, there are various reasons from poor farming techniques , down to culture pressure , the first instance the younger brigade don't want to work in rice fields, so most have left for the cities and the ipod, the ones that do and go and expand their horizons and try to introduce new systems into the family farm are howled down and the gullible rice farmers would much rather a unworkable pledge scheme that cost the country untold damage in reputation and financially , so that the handouts keep coming, if they vote accordingly , mind you the P.M. leaves the door wide open for another get rich quick scheme to materialize, what the farmers must understand that the day of handouts are past and modern methods are needed. I have actually had young people in the old folks village complain to me , that the old people don't want to listen.

Imagine that. Young people with zero experience in life or farming trying to tell old folks that have several decades of farming experience that they don't know how to farm.

What modern methods? Serious question--in what way are farmers not practicing modern methods? And please include what the cost of those modern methods are to the farmer and suggest where the farmer is supposed to find the money for those costs.

Lastly, it appears that much of the anger towards farmers is the subsidy they received from the past regime. How can you blame that on the farmer? If you are in a business and the PM offers all of you and your competitors money are you going to turn it down? Again, serious questions and I hope for serious answers.

Thanks

Yes imagine that old fossils learning new tricks... its amazing how rigid older people are how set in their ways they are. Obviously Vietnam is not a good example of an open market however they produce a lot more per rai.

I sometimes wonder about crop rotation here.. doubt its practiced much because of mono crops. Thing is Thais use a lot of fertilizer and inceticides to keep their non crop rotated fields good. Young people know about crop rotation (but its been around for ages) the also know that going more green would help. The kings idea's of different crops and fish is good.

My anger towards farmers is because I grew up among farmers they are always the first to complain and beg for handouts. I have nothing against these small farmers but if you cannot make ends meet then you surely are not doing the right thing. If i was selling old nokia's instead of smartphones or would still be selling desktop computers in a declining market the government would not help me out. Why farmes.. because they are militant and because they are good at selling their votes.

The farmers are not innocent, they would be if they tried changing.. but so far i see little change.

I am not against subsidies to help them change, but I am against the culture of handouts that lives among farmers.

So offer them help and some money while they change but make it clear this money will stop and the aim is for them to be self sufficient.

They are called subsistence farmers for a reason. They have neither the land, capital or equipment to do more or make more. They are making a hand to mouth living which means that if the price goes against them they lose money.

Have you been to poor villages in isaan. It isn't sukhumvit believe me. So they still do things perfectly and make little or nothing other than have rice to feed themselves.this is the reality for a small hold farmer today.

[Thai at Heart]

Watching Channel 3 news this morning. 2 suicides in different provinces, both smallholder rubber farmers. People are suffering.

What is the alternative.. taking away money from education to pay for farmers ? Magically create money and give it to farmers.

Money given to farmers has to come from somewhere, its not like others have no problems.

I am all for paying farmers to change or to make things sustainable.

I am all against handouts and guaranteed prices like in the rice scheme that is a recipe for disaster.

I think a big problem with farmers is lack of financial planning, in the fat years (look at rubber prices they were high not that long ago) they did not put enough money away for leaner years.

Or they were using their actual profits from those fat years to pay off all the debts they accumulated in the previous leaner years .

Would like to hear from actual farmers.

Cheers

Also a possibility of course but if you look at how people live here in general.. there is not much financial planning. I make nice money but more as half of it i save.

My repulsion with all the handouts comes partly from living in a nanny state with handouts. The whole problem with handouts is that people start to depend on them. I rather have good solid education, plus one has to realize not everyone is equal. Its quite normal for the more gifted among us to make more money. By forcing them to pay too much tax to pay for handouts you kill creativity.

Of course this goes for a level playing field (not so much here). I just hope Thailand wont go the way of all the nanny states where everyone has to make the same amount of money ect.

This is not Arkansas. This is isaan. Where its 45c, no irrigation, a buffalo to plough and pigs living under the house.

[Time Traveller]

...and that was the end of his popularity.

[belg]

rich farmers should not get this money in the first place

[seajae]

The P.M. is quite right in advising farmers that funds are indeed limited, there are various reasons from poor farming techniques , down to culture pressure , the first instance the younger brigade don't want to work in rice fields, so most have left for the cities and the ipod, the ones that do and go and expand their horizons and try to introduce new systems into the family farm are howled down and the gullible rice farmers would much rather a unworkable pledge scheme that cost the country untold damage in reputation and financially , so that the handouts keep coming, if they vote accordingly , mind you the P.M. leaves the door wide open for another get rich quick scheme to materialize, what the farmers must understand that the day of handouts are past and modern methods are needed. I have actually had young people in the old folks village complain to me , that the old people don't want to listen.

Imagine that. Young people with zero experience in life or farming trying to tell old folks that have several decades of farming experience that they don't know how to farm.

What modern methods? Serious question--in what way are farmers not practicing modern methods? And please include what the cost of those modern methods are to the farmer and suggest where the farmer is supposed to find the money for those costs.

Lastly, it appears that much of the anger towards farmers is the subsidy they received from the past regime. How can you blame that on the farmer? If you are in a business and the PM offers all of you and your competitors money are you going to turn it down? Again, serious questions and I hope for serious answers.

Thanks

when the "old folks" are screwing up their farms through pitiful farming practices yes, adding sh*tloads of fertilizer to force crops isnt the answer, if they know what they are doing why arent they using all the natural compost/pig sh*t that is in abundance in these areas instead of chemicals that destroy the soil structure. These farmers are more interested in where their next bottle of alcohol is coming from than doing the right thing on the farms, they are using outdated practices that simply dont work but then anyone that doesnt grow anything wouldnt understand that. A couple of years at uni gives a young person a lot more knowledge than these outdated p*ss heads claiming to be farmers have, there are right and wrong ways to go about it and a lot are doing it wrong. They need to change how they go about their farming, alternating areas of fallow or using "green" mulch to add goodness back to the soil, what they are doing now is simply destroying it.

[billsmart]

I sure like this guy.

As for agricultural subsidies by the Gov't, it is a practice of most every country including the USofA.

I don't like this guy.

Yes, agricultural subsidies are common practice in most Western countries including the USofA...

[billsmart]

I think I am on the same wave length with the General.

I keep saying for a long time, no subsidies to anybody.

No subsidies to the rice farmers, no subsidies to the rubber farmers.

We are living in a free economy and everybody should adjust themselves and be able to cope by their own.

This country has not any money to spare.

The infrastructure is suffering, education is suffering, money have to be spend to remedy those problems.

In the past the money was spend to buy votes, no more need of that.

Make the economy stronger and if after this, there is some money left then initiate some help to the needy.

Thai people have to come out of the habit of opening their hands and begging for help, it's about time they learn to stand on their own feet.

So...if there are no subsidies for anyone I assume that means there will be no tax exemptions or exclusions for new businesses, no low-interest loans for businesses engaging in research, no low-interest loans for students, no favorable import/export customs duties for Thai businesses, no high-profile government contracts, no unchallenged budget for the military, etc...

Is this what you mean by no subsides to anyone?

[Thai at Heart]

The P.M. is quite right in advising farmers that funds are indeed limited, there are various reasons from poor farming techniques , down to culture pressure , the first instance the younger brigade don't want to work in rice fields, so most have left for the cities and the ipod, the ones that do and go and expand their horizons and try to introduce new systems into the family farm are howled down and the gullible rice farmers would much rather a unworkable pledge scheme that cost the country untold damage in reputation and financially , so that the handouts keep coming, if they vote accordingly , mind you the P.M. leaves the door wide open for another get rich quick scheme to materialize, what the farmers must understand that the day of handouts are past and modern methods are needed. I have actually had young people in the old folks village complain to me , that the old people don't want to listen.

Imagine that. Young people with zero experience in life or farming trying to tell old folks that have several decades of farming experience that they don't know how to farm.

What modern methods? Serious question--in what way are farmers not practicing modern methods? And please include what the cost of those modern methods are to the farmer and suggest where the farmer is supposed to find the money for those costs.

Lastly, it appears that much of the anger towards farmers is the subsidy they received from the past regime. How can you blame that on the farmer? If you are in a business and the PM offers all of you and your competitors money are you going to turn it down? Again, serious questions and I hope for serious answers.

Thanks

when the "old folks" are screwing up their farms through pitiful farming practices yes, adding sh*tloads of fertilizer to force crops isnt the answer, if they know what they are doing why arent they using all the natural compost/pig sh*t that is in abundance in these areas instead of chemicals that destroy the soil structure. These farmers are more interested in where their next bottle of alcohol is coming from than doing the right thing on the farms, they are using outdated practices that simply dont work but then anyone that doesnt grow anything wouldnt understand that. A couple of years at uni gives a young person a lot more knowledge than these outdated p*ss heads claiming to be farmers have, there are right and wrong ways to go about it and a lot are doing it wrong. They need to change how they go about their farming, alternating areas of fallow or using "green" mulch to add goodness back to the soil, what they are doing now is simply destroying it.

You are very unwise to criticise the farming community of Thailand.

Thailand exports more rice, more rubber and is in the top 2 for sugar in the world. Thailand is an agicultlural giant, built on the backs of the labour of 20mn farmers. They are not doing everything wrong, they are doing what is the most logical thing to do in order to maximise profit. GROW AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FOR A LITTLE AS POSSIBLE FOR THE LEAST AMOUNT OF WORK.

Thailand exports sugar by the boat load. The exporters don't want green, they don't want ecofriendly, they don't want sustainable, they want VOLUME. The exact same thing goes for rubber and the exact same thing goes for rice. The exporters don't want quality, and they don't want sustainable, they don't check and they don't care. The fault does not sit with farmers, it sits with the structure for the market that encourages the stuff to be a pure commodity with little worry for quality. Just go and see the damage the Thai exporters are doing in Cambodia, they are gutting the environment.

[max72]

There is not enough tax being collected apart from bigger businesses and farang businesses.Nearly all the thais I know don't pay tax at all and vat is only 7%.plus there is likely a degree of creaming off going on so no wonder there is no money for farming as a whole.

Thai agriculture is still in the dark ages in many areas with tiny farms and limited equipment and many have to buy in services ( like ploughing and cropping etc) at rates that cost too much in relation to the returns.Its hardy worth farming as the returns are so low.

Can't fathom why land prices are increasing given the current situation.

The rich people don t pay taxes in Thailand. They are all corrupt. So as Costas says, I am a liberal too and i believe we can;t go against mathematics, any loss will need to be paid later with the interests, BUT the fact is Thailand is absolutely a NOT LIBERAL country, it is a horrible monopoly where few mafiosos control everything and keep most of the population in virtual slavery.

The real liberalism is that everyone needs to be threated equally, than the best , most skilled and hard workers will be rewarded the best.

Corruption, nepotism are ANTI LIBERAL.

So far the best and most liberal government was the one of Thaksin and previously of Chatichai, when the economy was booming, ALL THE DEBT TO IMF WAS PAID, 5 million people were lift from poverty giving them opportunities (not simply subsides, which i believe can be used only during emergencies,like when oil shot to $145 in few months),infrastructure built (after the corrupt previous military government has mismanaged the funds for the new airport for DECADES) and during Chatichai Thai economy actually grew as fast as 13% a year, the fastest in the world.

But the big mafia sponsored a coup against him because he was "corrupt" when they were the real corrupt ones.

The same thing repeated in 2006, when the least corrupt government in history of Thailand (according to Transparency International) was removed and the economy plunged and the corruption index skyrocketed and favoritism and anti liberal policies came back again.

So even if the unfree media paint Thaksin as anti liberal, he was the least corrupt and most liberal PM in history of Thailand. This doesn't mean he was all good, of course. He was a gangster too. But as i have many friends who has big business in Thailand, Thaksin also favoured the businesses a lot, not just simply subsiding the poors.

Edited October 14, 2014 by max72

[max72]

I think the best thing the PM could do is to take out all military from the interim government and place instead University graduates with the best notes. From Agriculture, to Trade and Business, to Economy, Health ,etc...

Look for young, not political affiliate, 30 to 40 y/o talents and they can have better solutions than all those guys in uniform. Come on ! They are soldiers, what do they know about economy, agriculture, health, etc etc ? Even if they are in good faith, they haven't studied in these fields.

Thailand needs a neutral government yes, but made of technicians, experts in their fields.

Edited October 14, 2014 by max72

[keru]

I think I am on the same wave length with the General.

I keep saying for a long time, no subsidies to anybody.

No subsidies to the rice farmers, no subsidies to the rubber farmers.

We are living in a free economy and everybody should adjust themselves and be able to cope by their own.

This country has not any money to spare.

The infrastructure is suffering, education is suffering, money have to be spend to remedy those problems.

In the past the money was spend to buy votes, no more need of that.

Make the economy stronger and if after this, there is some money left then initiate some help to the needy.

Thai people have to come out of the habit of opening their hands and begging for help, it's about time they learn to stand on their own feet.

I think you are thinking of your ownself same like the person making the statement. Let say no subsidies for rice farmers how are they going to provide education and most of all basic needs to their children if harvest is not good due to bad wheather caused the ever changing climate. Why must the government spend billions of bhat on military expenses...when was the last time thailand was at war with it neighbours. Well the answer is if the country is run by military people acting on behalf of the so called national interest then military budget will always be the main priority as a way of enriching the very selected few families that represent the wjole of thailand.

[robblok]

The P.M. is quite right in advising farmers that funds are indeed limited, there are various reasons from poor farming techniques , down to culture pressure , the first instance the younger brigade don't want to work in rice fields, so most have left for the cities and the ipod, the ones that do and go and expand their horizons and try to introduce new systems into the family farm are howled down and the gullible rice farmers would much rather a unworkable pledge scheme that cost the country untold damage in reputation and financially , so that the handouts keep coming, if they vote accordingly , mind you the P.M. leaves the door wide open for another get rich quick scheme to materialize, what the farmers must understand that the day of handouts are past and modern methods are needed. I have actually had young people in the old folks village complain to me , that the old people don't want to listen.

Imagine that. Young people with zero experience in life or farming trying to tell old folks that have several decades of farming experience that they don't know how to farm.

What modern methods? Serious question--in what way are farmers not practicing modern methods? And please include what the cost of those modern methods are to the farmer and suggest where the farmer is supposed to find the money for those costs.

Lastly, it appears that much of the anger towards farmers is the subsidy they received from the past regime. How can you blame that on the farmer? If you are in a business and the PM offers all of you and your competitors money are you going to turn it down? Again, serious questions and I hope for serious answers.

Thanks

when the "old folks" are screwing up their farms through pitiful farming practices yes, adding sh*tloads of fertilizer to force crops isnt the answer, if they know what they are doing why arent they using all the natural compost/pig sh*t that is in abundance in these areas instead of chemicals that destroy the soil structure. These farmers are more interested in where their next bottle of alcohol is coming from than doing the right thing on the farms, they are using outdated practices that simply dont work but then anyone that doesnt grow anything wouldnt understand that. A couple of years at uni gives a young person a lot more knowledge than these outdated p*ss heads claiming to be farmers have, there are right and wrong ways to go about it and a lot are doing it wrong. They need to change how they go about their farming, alternating areas of fallow or using "green" mulch to add goodness back to the soil, what they are doing now is simply destroying it.

You are very unwise to criticise the farming community of Thailand.

Thailand exports more rice, more rubber and is in the top 2 for sugar in the world. Thailand is an agicultlural giant, built on the backs of the labour of 20mn farmers. They are not doing everything wrong, they are doing what is the most logical thing to do in order to maximise profit. GROW AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FOR A LITTLE AS POSSIBLE FOR THE LEAST AMOUNT OF WORK.

Thailand exports sugar by the boat load. The exporters don't want green, they don't want ecofriendly, they don't want sustainable, they want VOLUME. The exact same thing goes for rubber and the exact same thing goes for rice. The exporters don't want quality, and they don't want sustainable, they don't check and they don't care. The fault does not sit with farmers, it sits with the structure for the market that encourages the stuff to be a pure commodity with little worry for quality. Just go and see the damage the Thai exporters are doing in Cambodia, they are gutting the environment.

Maybe for sugar, but there are many pilot projects about organic rice and they make quite nice money. Been on this forum too so there are other ways.

Maybe they should work more and hire less contractors. I have always been told if you can do it yourself do so because you will be saving money. This of course does not appy if your already working a maximum. However if you still have free hours and your not making enough dont hire contractors do it yourself.

[robblok]

I think I am on the same wave length with the General.

I keep saying for a long time, no subsidies to anybody.

No subsidies to the rice farmers, no subsidies to the rubber farmers.

We are living in a free economy and everybody should adjust themselves and be able to cope by their own.

This country has not any money to spare.

The infrastructure is suffering, education is suffering, money have to be spend to remedy those problems.

In the past the money was spend to buy votes, no more need of that.

Make the economy stronger and if after this, there is some money left then initiate some help to the needy.

Thai people have to come out of the habit of opening their hands and begging for help, it's about time they learn to stand on their own feet.

I think you are thinking of your ownself same like the person making the statement. Let say no subsidies for rice farmers how are they going to provide education and most of all basic needs to their children if harvest is not good due to bad wheather caused the ever changing climate. Why must the government spend billions of bhat on military expenses...when was the last time thailand was at war with it neighbours. Well the answer is if the country is run by military people acting on behalf of the so called national interest then military budget will always be the main priority as a way of enriching the very selected few families that represent the wjole of thailand.

Military spending is bad too.. just as handouts to a farmer. Justifying one bad expense to get an other makes no sense at all to me. I feel Thailand should spend less on its military too.