Government to distribute free land to poor farmers for living, farming



BANGKOK: -- Poor and landless families will be given land to farm and lead their lives, Natural Resources and Environment minister said.

Under the scheme, 11 million rais of forest land will be distributed to 450,000 poor families nationwide. The given land cannot be sold but for living and farming.

Natural Resources and Environment minister Gen Dapong Rattanasuwan, who is also the chairman of Land Providing Subcommittee under the Committee of National Land Policy, said after the meeting that the first phase of the free land scheme will begin on February next year.

Up to 9,000 poor farming families in Chiang Mai, Mukdaharn, Nakhon Phannom and Chumphon will receive a total of 53,000 rais of land in national parks and the so-called Sor Por Kor 4-01 areas.

According to a government survey, there are about 450,000 poor and landless farmers in the country.

The ministry is speeding up its survey of the land which will be soon distributed to those farmers.

The minister said more than 80% of them will receive land which will be classified as cooperative land to prevent them from selling land to others.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/government-distribute-free-land-poor-farmers-living-farming


-- Thai PBS 2014-12-25

But there will be no populist programs. Check.

Almost 25 rai per family for free!!

If I was a farmer , who had actually paid for my land, I would feel very cheated!!

Plenty of people needed in the construction sector, but of course it is easier to sit on your backside and wait for free land!!

After recieving the free land, it is just to wait for the governments next populist move to compensate you for low world market prices.

Happy days!!

But there will be no populist programs. Check.

+1...So very true...Paying off the rubber farmers too.

The rice for rails program.

So they are giving away the national parks !!

Similar to the Australian policy where land in country areas were sold for $1 with the condition being you had to live there and could not sell it for a certain time period.

It was a way to stimulate the local economy and it worked.

One can be assured this will not cost the tax payer 700 billion baht...

I wonder how long they have the land before it's mortgaged to the local loan shark?

Edited December 25, 201411 yr by Thailand

I wonder how long they have the land before it's mortgaged to the local loan shark?

A couple of hours!!

Similar to the Australian policy where land in country areas were sold for $1 with the condition being you had to live there and could not sell it for a certain time period.

It was a way to stimulate the local economy and it worked.

One can be assured this will not cost the tax payer 700 billion baht...

That would depend what value you put on the land since it is currently owned by taxpayers but will cease to be if given away.

By my reckoning anything over an average value of 64k per rai puts it over your 700 billion mark for 11m rai.

>>The minister said more than 80% of them will receive land which will be classified as cooperative land to prevent them from selling land to others.<< Quote

But they will sell the right to farm it to already rich farmers!!

maybe some of the wealthiest land owners should just donate parts of their land to the program.

land reform is a good idea, and from what I've seen so far, there seems to be a need for it.

not that this is 'land reform', but ....

>>The minister said more than 80% of them will receive land which will be classified as cooperative land to prevent them from selling land to others.<< Quote

But they will sell the right to farm it to already rich farmers!!

That is quite possible.. but what else.. actually I like this giving people the tools to make their living instead of handing out money. I also like it how they made sure this land cant be resold.

Probably some ways around unfortunately.

Similar to the Australian policy where land in country areas were sold for $1 with the condition being you had to live there and could not sell it for a certain time period.

It was a way to stimulate the local economy and it worked.

One can be assured this will not cost the tax payer 700 billion baht...

That would depend what value you put on the land since it is currently owned by taxpayers but will cease to be if given away.

By my reckoning anything over an average value of 64k per rai puts it over your 700 billion mark for 11m rai.

Owned by taxpayers?

Land that has no claim to it by a private citizen is government land.

If it was a taxpayers land they would have a land title for it in their name.

Like I said, this will not cost the tax payer 700 billion baht. Taxpayers will not be funding this. Taxpayers will not be paying tax to support this.

Edited December 25, 201411 yr by djjamie

I wonder how long they have the land before it's mortgaged to the local loan shark?

The minister said more than 80% of them will receive land which will be classified as cooperative land to prevent them from selling land to others.

Would you loan money to someone using land that can never be sold, as collateral?

Similar to the Australian policy where land in country areas were sold for $1 with the condition being you had to live there and could not sell it for a certain time period.

It was a way to stimulate the local economy and it worked.

One can be assured this will not cost the tax payer 700 billion baht...

That would depend what value you put on the land since it is currently owned by taxpayers but will cease to be if given away.

By my reckoning anything over an average value of 64k per rai puts it over your 700 billion mark for 11m rai.

Owned by taxpayers?

Land that has no claim to it by a private citizen is government land.

If it was a taxpayers land they would have a land title for it in their name.

Like I said, this will not cost the tax payer 700 billion baht. Taxpayers will not be funding this. Taxpayers will not be paying tax to support this.

My apologies. I forgot where i was for a moment and was clinging to my western cultural programming where taxpayers, the people, the state and government all meant the same thing when referring to national property.

You all need to go read the opinion piece in the BKK Post from this morning for a different prospective , search for : 'land gift to poor is anything but'

I think the author is right, read it then tell us what you think.

lol! When Thaksin gave stuff to the poor and uneducated he was "corrupt and buying votes"

lol! When Thaksin gave stuff to the poor and uneducated he was "corrupt and buying votes"

Thaksin never gave land to the poor the only one who ever did that was Suthep and he got pilloried for it because as well as the 450 odd poor families that got land so did 11 others with money.

Thaksin gave some things to the poor but unfortunately he took far more for himself, his downfall in the end.

Go read the item I pointed to and then try for some constructive comment.

Similar to the Australian policy where land in country areas were sold for $1 with the condition being you had to live there and could not sell it for a certain time period.

It was a way to stimulate the local economy and it worked.

One can be assured this will not cost the tax payer 700 billion baht...

That would depend what value you put on the land since it is currently owned by taxpayers but will cease to be if given away.

By my reckoning anything over an average value of 64k per rai puts it over your 700 billion mark for 11m rai.

Owned by taxpayers?

Land that has no claim to it by a private citizen is government land.

If it was a taxpayers land they would have a land title for it in their name.

Like I said, this will not cost the tax payer 700 billion baht. Taxpayers will not be funding this. Taxpayers will not be paying tax to support this.

My apologies. I forgot where i was for a moment and was clinging to my western cultural programming where taxpayers, the people, the state and government all meant the same thing when referring to national property.

Apology accepted.

Like I said

Land that has no claim to it by a private citizen is government land.

If it was a taxpayers land they would have a land title for it in their name.

So will the tax payer be handing over 700 billion baht to fund this policy?

Going by your logic my wife can build a house on beach front government land at Koh Samui!!!

When the police come stating that this is not my wife's land, but in fact government land I will refer them to your post on thaivisa forum and say "Well Orac said it was OK"

If a tax payer wants to buy government land they have to pay the government. Just because the government are elected by the people does not make the land taxpayers land. That is how it works in Australia anyway and if it works differently in your country then tell me where it is. I want to build a house on free "taxpayers" land.

Edited December 25, 201411 yr by djjamie

I am a poor rice farmer where do I apply? Question 2 how long before I can sell?

This beats the car sweetner hands down.

Edited December 25, 201411 yr by nong38

Almost 25 rai per family for free!!

Are you a thai person ?

Do as they like or must do , with a pocket calculator

53,000 : 9,000 = 5,88 not exactly 25 ....

And living on less than 6 rai will be difficult for a family .

In fact these rai continue to belong to the government; a sort of free leasing without possibility of purchasing .

Great, give them land

They will then grow rice and rubber

Then demand government five then 3 times the market price for their produce

Thai people are so good at taking handouts and then demanding more, more and even more

Almost 25 rai per family for free!!

Are you a thai person ?

Do as they like or must do , with a pocket calculator

53,000 : 9,000 = 5,88 not exactly 25 ....

And living on less than 6 rai will be difficult for a family .

In fact these rai continue to belong to the government; a sort of free leasing without possibility of purchasing .

Before you are having a go at me next time, try to read the OP!!

"11 million rai of forest land are going to be distributed to 450.000 families"

11.000.000:450.000=24,44, very close to 25

Happy New Year!!

I am almost convinced that the junta bashers on TVF share the combined mentality of a watermelon.

Keep posting guys, you are almost there !

Owned by taxpayers?

Land that has no claim to it by a private citizen is government land.

If it was a taxpayers land they would have a land title for it in their name.

Like I said, this will not cost the tax payer 700 billion baht. Taxpayers will not be funding this. Taxpayers will not be paying tax to support this.

Are you surprised at the objections by the local clown-posse?

Here's a program aimed at providing self-sustainability to pour farmers, and to potentially invigorating local economies, that essentially costs the tax payers nothing, but potentially saves the tax payers money. Obviously, this would be a good thing - but since it's a program initiated by the current government, the usual suspects *must* find something objectionable about it.

It's just a matter of time until someone will be accused of lining their pockets, right?

"We don't hate Obama because he's black, it's because of his policies, that are identical to the policies of white politicians" - sounds a lot the same...

Same lame scheme than 20 years ago (Sor Por Kor 4-01). Gov land for free and that time "the Monk" from Surat Thani gave the best parts for free to his healthy friends (to ensure their support). Not populism, but populism with a scam

Similar to the Australian policy where land in country areas were sold for $1 with the condition being you had to live there and could not sell it for a certain time period.

It was a way to stimulate the local economy and it worked.

One can be assured this will not cost the tax payer 700 billion baht...

That would depend what value you put on the land since it is currently owned by taxpayers but will cease to be if given away.

By my reckoning anything over an average value of 64k per rai puts it over your 700 billion mark for 11m rai.

Owned by taxpayers?

Land that has no claim to it by a private citizen is government land.

If it was a taxpayers land they would have a land title for it in their name.

Like I said, this will not cost the tax payer 700 billion baht. Taxpayers will not be funding this. Taxpayers will not be paying tax to support this.

My apologies. I forgot where i was for a moment and was clinging to my western cultural programming where taxpayers, the people, the state and government all meant the same thing when referring to national property.

Apology accepted.

Like I said

Land that has no claim to it by a private citizen is government land.

If it was a taxpayers land they would have a land title for it in their name.

So will the tax payer be handing over 700 billion baht to fund this policy?

Going by your logic my wife can build a house on beach front government land at Koh Samui!!!

When the police come stating that this is not my wife's land, but in fact government land I will refer them to your post on thaivisa forum and say "Well Orac said it was OK"

If a tax payer wants to buy government land they have to pay the government. Just because the government are elected by the people does not make the land taxpayers land. That is how it works in Australia anyway and if it works differently in your country then tell me where it is. I want to build a house on free "taxpayers" land.

You appear to be arguing of semantics. As i previously stated, my use of the term taxpayers was equivalent to using the term state land.

Though i do not have an issue with land reform at all, indeed i think it is much needed here if done correctly, your implication that this does not cost anything is smoke and mirrors since this land that is being handed over does have value and as such should be acknowledged.

......................"Before you are having a go at me next time, try to read the OP!!

"11 million rai of forest land are going to be distributed to 450.000 families"

11.000.000:450.000=24,44, very close to 25

Happy New Year!!"...........................

Well I read the OP and I read it like this -

.................."Up to 9,000 poor farming families in Chiang Mai, Mukdaharn, Nakhon Phannom and Chumphon will receive a total of 53,000 rais of land in national parks and the so-called Sor Por Kor 4-01 areas.".................

Seems like these farmers are only getting 5.89 rai each, not quite your 25.

For the benefit of those dumb enough to suggest these farmers will just turn around and sell the land -

"The minister said more than 80% of them will receive land which will be classified as cooperative land to prevent them from selling land to others."

The posters who harp on about populist policies would not be happy unless this present government treated the Thai people with absolute contempt, a-la the Shin regime. And then they would rubbish the government for not looking after the people.

What was that old saying ?......................"Imbeciles, you can't live with them, can't kill them either "

Same lame scheme than 20 years ago (Sor Por Kor 4-01). Gov land for free and that time "the Monk" from Surat Thani gave the best parts for free to his healthy friends (to ensure their support). Not populism, but populism with a scam

More red twist to history, BS to be precise.

Check out the truth and you will see I am correct.