PM asks farmers to delay or suspend rice farming

[Nobb]

This not a political issue. This is not a matter of the PM being cruel and unsympathetic to farmers or former politicians ruining the rice growing sector with their poorly thought out schemes, this is Thailand having to deal with 3 consecutive years of below average rainfall.

There just isn't enough water in the the reservoirs to support another rice crop. If the farmers plant now, they will just waste their time and the money as most of the crops will simply wither in the field when the irrigation ditches run dry. The farmers should either let their fields lie fallow & recover a bit from years of overuse or try growing a crop that uses less water.

This picture shows the deviation from normal for this year's rainfall from Jan 1 to a few days ago. Red is about 60-70% of normal. The maps for the past 3 years are similar.

Good post, at last some common sense amid a sea of idiotic, lame and anal anti-junta jibes.

[Nobb]

Your mind must be bothered by to much smoke and you are not getting enough oxygen. There is a true draught in Thailand. Get out the house before you condemn any action. You will see the sun and no rain my blind friend!

[DrTuner]

Nothing brings happiness like having your income cut in half.

[halloween]

Nothing brings happiness like having your income cut in half.

The obvious answer is to seek a source of income that doesn't require ridiculous amounts of water to produce a product worth very little. When water is scarce it becomes a valuable commodity. Using 5000 litres to grow a kg of rice currently valued at B70 is ludicrous.

[apetley]

Nothing brings happiness like having your income cut in half.

The obvious answer is to seek a source of income that doesn't require ridiculous amounts of water to produce a product worth very little. When water is scarce it becomes a valuable commodity. Using 5000 litres to grow a kg of rice currently valued at B70 is ludicrous.

Here in the village all the canals are firmly closed so it's impossible to grow anything right now which is strange because here in Kanchanaburi, only last week, there was a news report saying levels at Srinakarin and Vagirilongkorn dams are fine.

[sawadee1947]

Nothing brings happiness like having your income cut in half.

The obvious answer is to seek a source of inc of ome that doesn't require ridiculous amounts water to produce a product worth very little. When water is scarce it becomes a valuable commodity. Using 5000 litres to grow a kg of rice currently valued at B70 is ludicrous.