Thai farmer hangs self because he has no money to pay creditor's bank

[greenchair]

These banks have got a lot to answer for. Giving huge loans to poor people, knowing full well it is impossible to pay it back.

Greedy little eyes are on the land. The banks are pushing credit cards and loans on many poor people. Then selling their lands cheaply at auction. Buying it them selves. Then reselling at huge profits. When is this going to stop.

[casualbiker]

There is a great deal of farmers who have been in debt and they didn't qualify to join the Missmanaged and ineptly handled rice scheme, but that doesn't suit many people as its always about politics.

People need to think before they post at times, NOBODY here knows what and how his debts occurred and for how many years he's had those debts.

He couldn't diversify from rice as he still needs water for cultivation of whatever crop was to replace it.

But some crops use a LOT LESS water!

You are clearly ignorant. Paddy land is only suitable for rice. You cannot just switch to a less water intensive crop.

Really! Why?

[JAG]

I give up. Some here are determined to pin the blame for this unfortunate souls suicide on one or other of the sides un Thailands political conflict.

Ir only makes the whole affair more tragic. He was in debt.He despaired. It was neither Thaksin, Yingluck or the Juntas doing.

I often wonder why these type of news articles are even posted here other than to antagonize people. People commit suicide all the time and they are not recognized. IMO threads like this should not be posted if for no other reason than common courtesy and respect for the deceased family.

In the last 2 weeks how many topics has there been about farangs leaping off buildings committing suicide for many various reasons and they never turn into finger pointing political blame sessions?

True, although I have noticed some pretty smug posts. That however may reflect my cynical/jaundiced view of some of my fellow board members!

[hanno]

There is a great deal of farmers who have been in debt and they didn't qualify to join the Missmanaged and ineptly handled rice scheme, but that doesn't suit many people as its always about politics.

People need to think before they post at times, NOBODY here knows what and how his debts occurred and for how many years he's had those debts.

He couldn't diversify from rice as he still needs water for cultivation of whatever crop was to replace it.

But some crops use a LOT LESS water!

You are clearly ignorant. Paddy land is only suitable for rice. You cannot just switch to a less water intensive crop.

Really! Why?

Not so easy. Sure, some crops are a lot more profitable but it takes a long term investment. If you live hand-in-mouth that is just not feasible.

I feel sorry for the guy, yet another person that has lost his livelihood, and life, to a society where agricultural goods have become yet another commodity to make a few people rich and screw over the poor.

[Marcel1]

Anyone knows what happens to the debt?

If the poor wife still has to pay it would be a sad case to loose a husband, having to pay for cremation and the debt. In that case the farmer would have been a major coward imo to leave his family like that.

[Thai at Heart]

Tragically, it proves that subsistence farmers have been commiting suicide irrespective of who is in power.....

[Lunchbob]

I have no reasonable answer to owing so much money. But, there are many simple ways to harvest, save and store water on a property. One cannot do it instantaneously, but 1 season of good practice will yield water for a surprisingly long time. Another tragedy that could so easily be averted, at least in part.

PS: paddy fields can be converted to other crops simply by digging swales about 1 meter high on contour. A hoe is all you need. 2 or 3 people working together can dig them in 5 or 6 days across several rai.

Edited March 19, 2015 by Lunchbob

[Fat Haggis]

I have no reasonable answer to owing so much money. But, there are many simple ways to harvest, save and store water on a property. One cannot do it instantaneously, but 1 season of good practice will yield water for a surprisingly long time. Another tragedy that could so easily be averted, at least in part.

You're looking at this from a farang angle mate, old school Thai farmers have been farming like this for generations they're reluctant to break habits and traditional ways of farming.

[somo]

There is a great deal of farmers who have been in debt and they didn't qualify to join the Missmanaged and ineptly handled rice scheme, but that doesn't suit many people as its always about politics.

People need to think before they post at times, NOBODY here knows what and how his debts occurred and for how many years he's had those debts.

He couldn't diversify from rice as he still needs water for cultivation of whatever crop was to replace it.

But some crops use a LOT LESS water!

You are clearly ignorant. Paddy land is only suitable for rice. You cannot just switch to a less water intensive crop.

Really! Why?

So you really are ignorant. Rice enjoys flooding of the land and paddy is therefore too low to grow anything else. To convert it would be very expensive.

[casualbiker]

There is a great deal of farmers who have been in debt and they didn't qualify to join the Missmanaged and ineptly handled rice scheme, but that doesn't suit many people as its always about politics.

People need to think before they post at times, NOBODY here knows what and how his debts occurred and for how many years he's had those debts.

He couldn't diversify from rice as he still needs water for cultivation of whatever crop was to replace it.

But some crops use a LOT LESS water!

You are clearly ignorant. Paddy land is only suitable for rice. You cannot just switch to a less water intensive crop.

Really! Why?

So you really are ignorant. Rice enjoys flooding of the land and paddy is therefore too low to grow anything else. To convert it would be very expensive.

Hahahaha

[Lunchbob]

I have no reasonable answer to owing so much money. But, there are many simple ways to harvest, save and store water on a property. One cannot do it instantaneously, but 1 season of good practice will yield water for a surprisingly long time. Another tragedy that could so easily be averted, at least in part.

You're looking at this from a farang angle mate, old school Thai farmers have been farming like this for generations they're reluctant to break habits and traditional ways of farming.

Yes, I agree. There is a huge farm here that offers free training to learn how to do it and very few are interested. It seems many farmers do not love the profession and would choose something else if they were able. No fix for lack of passion and will.

[Artisi]

A very sad story and outcome for those left to pick - up the pieces.

Would be interesting to know why he had such a massive debt before making any further comments.

They borrow ahead of harvest time to finance purchase of seed crops, fertilizers, pesticides etc. They also use the future crop to pay past debts. If he's like most farmers, he's still in debt on plantings from a few years ago. It's a never ending cycle of debt.

A reasonable assumption and more than likely the reason, however it is still lacking any definite reason. Was it poor management, over spending, crop losses, money owed by middlemen, rice scam schemes. It is something we don't know and unlikely to know so why is everyone jumping on the usual band wagons - of previous government schemes, Prayut et. al. etc.

The man had a large unpayable debt, no money and no water - that is all we know, other than unfortunately he took his own life because of it.

[Artisi]

But some crops use a LOT LESS water!

You are clearly ignorant. Paddy land is only suitable for rice. You cannot just switch to a less water intensive crop.

Really! Why?

So you really are ignorant. Rice enjoys flooding of the land and paddy is therefore too low to grow anything else. To convert it would be very expensive.

What does "too low to grow anything else" have to do with crop rotation, there are many crops that can be grown in /on rice areas - provided of course there is water available as and when needed.

[ballpoint]

But the rice pledging scheme enriched all the farmers. After all, as we are told ad infinitum, it was designed to lose money and the poor farmers were paid double the market price for all that rice sitting in storage, so how could he have been in debt? Or, just maybe, the whole scheme was a scam from the top down, and the vast majority of the poor farmers received not one sataeng extra from it, but instead had to borrow heavily to pay for the fertiliser and other necessities that mysteriously increased in price the same time the scam scheme began?

And for the tens of thousands of farmers NOT in the scheme what do you say to them

From the Yingluck being taken to court thread: "In a statement on her Facebook page after the ruling she (Yingluck) defended the controversial rice programme as one which "lifted the quality of life for rice farmers"." So I'd suggest to them that they ask her just what happened to all the money spent, just what happened to the raised quality of life, and why she came up with a scheme that clearly benefitted the large land owners, millers, storers, transporters, and assorted other fat cats, while actually lowering the quality of the lives of the landless and small holders. I guess some rice farmers are more equal than others.

[Fat Haggis]

You missed my point, these farmers who opted to get rich quick had to meet certain criteria, many many farmers who didn't meet that criteria have also struggled throughout the drought too, and nobody knows for sure if this farmer was either in, or out of the scheme.

It's quite ironic, here we have a degree of empathy and sympathy for the poor bloke, but it's hardly hugs and cuddles for the ones doing the burning up in the North East!! In that thread they're getting pelters!!

Ah the wonders of the human psyche!!

[djjamie]

RIP to the poor soul.

I hope his family struggle through this tragedy as best as they can.

[scorecard]

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It was Prayuth who ordered them not to plant additional crops.

Your comments get more inappropriate and more dishonest by the day.

[Fat Haggis]

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It was Prayuth who ordered them not to plant additional crops.

Your comments get more inappropriate and more dishonest by the day.

He's not far off the mark, the Junta repeatedly asked and I'm sure they also instructed (told) farmers NOT to plant a second crop, one of the reasons being this years drought has been pretty harsh and the water levels are too low.

[somo]

Really! Why?

So you really are ignorant. Rice enjoys flooding of the land and paddy is therefore too low to grow anything else. To convert it would be very expensive.

What does "too low to grow anything else" have to do with crop rotation, there are many crops that can be grown in /on rice areas - provided of course there is water available as and when needed.

What other "many crops" are you referring to? Rice paddies are designed to flood. Stopping that would need expensive landscaping.

[philw]

Indeed we see yet again the tragic inheritance from the Great Rice pledging Scam Scheme.

The previous administration indeed do have ''blood upon their hands.''

Sod off.

Take your agenda and shove it.

This is a suicide for whatever reason and nothing to do with the " previous administration".

Your propagandist linkage is both ugly and facile.

[recycled]

Such a pity he wasn't lucky enough to marry a woman who inherited big bucks or a rich daddy who sells off assets. Do the PM, his cronies and many members here really give two shites. Don't think so.

[apetley]

Really! Why?

So you really are ignorant. Rice enjoys flooding of the land and paddy is therefore too low to grow anything else. To convert it would be very expensive.

What does "too low to grow anything else" have to do with crop rotation, there are many crops that can be grown in /on rice areas - provided of course there is water available as and when needed.

What other "many crops" are you referring to? Rice paddies are designed to flood. Stopping that would need expensive landscaping.

Right now, in our village, land that was rice paddy last September is now being farmed with sugarcane, egg plant, sweet corn and chillies. All that was required was less than a days tractor work.

[Anthony5]

Indeed we see yet again the tragic inheritance from the Great Rice pledging Scam Scheme.

The previous administration indeed do have ''blood upon their hands.''

Try something new!!

Read the OP before you reply.......................

The debt was incurred when?

Siampolee is spot on.

All farmers had been paid by the 1st week of June 2014 according to prayuth, and additional steps taken to help the debt ridden farmers, again according to Prayuth.

Edited March 19, 2015 by Anthony5

[casualbiker]

Really! Why?

So you really are ignorant. Rice enjoys flooding of the land and paddy is therefore too low to grow anything else. To convert it would be very expensive.

What does "too low to grow anything else" have to do with crop rotation, there are many crops that can be grown in /on rice areas - provided of course there is water available as and when needed.

What other "many crops" are you referring to? Rice paddies are designed to flood. Stopping that would need expensive landscaping.

The water is pumped in!

[somo]

What other "many crops" are you referring to? Rice paddies are designed to flood. Stopping that would need expensive landscaping.

The water is pumped in!

What crops would you plant instead of rice in paddy land then? Come on tell everyone.

You now have the opportunity to revolutionize farming in Thailand.

[wow64]

RIP in peace to this poor farmer.. and condolences to his family.

Was just watching on the news today that although the government had told everyone not to plant rice. They have made jobs for all the affected farmers and 80% of them have taken up the opportunity to work.

If only this guy had taken up one of the millions of imaginary jobs the government had created.

[Ricardo]

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It was Prayuth who ordered them not to plant additional crops.

Your comments get more inappropriate and more dishonest by the day.

The PM ordered many farmers not to plant their second crop of rice, because in many areas there isn't enough water for them all to irrigate it and grow it, through to harvest.

Only an uncaring fool would have encouraged them, to invest in planting an irrigated second-crop, knowing that it won't survive. He was therefore acting responsibly.

And one might well ask how & when the suicide had accumulated this large debt, surely it goes back to before last May, and therefore is still down to Yingluck's government ?

[Johnnie99]

It was Prayuth who ordered them not to plant additional crops.

Delightfully irrelevent.

[Johnnie99]

"He died what he loved doing best."

That's owing money. And blaming anyone - everyone - else.

[apetley]

What other "many crops" are you referring to? Rice paddies are designed to flood. Stopping that would need expensive landscaping.

The water is pumped in!

What crops would you plant instead of rice in paddy land then? Come on tell everyone.

You now have the opportunity to revolutionize farming in Thailand.

I also posted similar above. In our village, land that was paddy last September is now supporting sugarcane, egg plant, sweet corn and chillies. Edited March 20, 2015 by apetley