Spokesman says PM concerned with the health of people working in the open

BANGKOK: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha is concerned with the physical health of the people who have to work in the open and exposed to the hot weather which is affecting many parts of the country, government spokesman Maj-Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Friday.

He said that the prime minister had pleaded with business operators and employers to improve the working conditions for the workers and instructed health officials to advise people who have to work under the hot sun how to take care of themselves.

The spokesman said that the government would like farmers to stop burning their harvested crops after many more hot spots or forest fires were detected in northern provinces.

They should plough the farmland to get rid of the harvested crops in order to prepare the land for the next cultivation instead of doing the easy way by torching the harvested crops.

The prime minister, said Maj-Gen Sansern, gave moral support to officials and volunteers for their efforts to fight forest fires and to seed clouds for rain making.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/158828

-- Thai PBS 2016-04-09

The people have a concern with the juntas lack of working openly.

Prayut we know you care, now leave office

Time was in Thailand when in unusually hot weather, laborers found there was a naturally growing tree, with leaves when chewed relieved the stress of hot weather and relieved the fatigue the workers felt. Unfortunately, it grew wild, and thus there was no economic benefit to hiso Thailand so it was outlawed in favor of taxable opium. Bush and Merkel joined in a program to replant and restock this tree - photos of the 2 of them planting young trees themselves are online, but the junta knows best.

"...pleaded with business operators and employers to improve the working conditions for the workers..."

Here's a novel idea for the government. How about creating, passing, and enforcing laws concerned with safe labor standards.

We are talking about a present government that did not plead for the previous government to step down. Obviously they do have some power to change things.

Please give all the outside workers umbrellas.

and a bottle of sun block lotion,

the concern shown

is surely on the same level as buying rubber

burning off the crop has some benefit for soil condition,

and a cost saving measure for the farmers.

most farmers do start early stop when its so hot

return or restart when the furnace heat has dissipated some what.

Stop just giving lip service for press releases and start passing/enforcing good labor laws.

What does it cost to plough a rai of land? Compare that to the cost of a box of matches.

"They should plough the farmland to get rid of old crops"........this is a ridiculous statement,also impossible as no plough whether disc,or conventional would penetrate the soil,I know as I have tried.......regarding his concern about working outside in the sun,Thais have brown skin(melatonin) and are naturally prepared for the strong sunlight.......as a ex seaman I was expected to work in all conditions......was once in Madras painting the ships hull with rollers...it was 48c in the shade....there was no shade available.......have assisted in engine room changing fuel injectors in Jeddah S.Arabia temp. on top plates where we were working 55c...the tools were too hot to handle without gloves....other extreme...in Raumu Finland in '83 worst winter for 25 yrs. minus 30, touch anything metallic and you stick to steelwork...and so on,These "special" people...Thais...are not up for it.

many are concerned with the mental health of the junta working in the dark

What utter rubbish. Empty words and no concrete steps to do anything about it other than exhort farmers no to clear their fields the easy way.

"... to the hot weather which is affecting many parts of the country"

And of course, for the rest of the year the sun don't shine?

Thais who have need to function in open weather, generally tend to protect themselves accordingly. Most of the people who live in my area, lower north, do as most others do. They cover up and all you can see is their eyes.

If they get too hot, they drink water. If they get too fatigued they rest. If they get too tired, they saleep.

They are not stupid or children, as the good intentioned men in charge sometimes like to think.

Man in armored, air conditioned Mercedes says what?

Because hot weather in Thailand is a new thing.

Maybe he could provide some confiscated red bowls to adorn their heads. They may not keep all the sun out but they sure scare away the military.

Please give all the outside workers umbrellas.

and a bottle of sun block lotion,

the concern shown

is surely on the same level as buying rubber

burning off the crop has some benefit for soil condition,

and a cost saving measure for the farmers.

most farmers do start early stop when its so hot

return or restart when the furnace heat has dissipated some what.

At least he has made mention. Outside workers will cope as they can and do.

Burning off rice stubble actually is very bad for the soil. It contains little nutrient but if was routinely turned back in would increase the depleted humous levels in almost all rice land.Would also save depleting natural nitrogen and micro organisms reducing the need for commercial fertilizers. Unfortunately rice stubble is also as tough as wire rope and attempting to simply plough it under is not actually possible because it clogs the discs which results in lifting the plough out of the ground. A shredder/ mulcher would help but are rare in Thailand yet. Besides which to pay for that extra input instead of free burning at a time when the returns on rice growing are borderline means that for most such a suggestion would be ignored..

The increasing use of machine harvesting has helped in that one respect but at the cost of local labor. At this stage of the drought in the area I stay the ground is so dry that ploughing would create the problem of dust storms and erosion anyway.

As usual primary producers ( Farmers) are at the mercy of the climate. Something that comfortable urban dwellers forget or ignore whilst complaining about the cost of aircon and the unavailablity of truffles! !

I like to take advice from people who have good experience. I wonder where Prayut acquired his farming experience, such that he can give advice on it?

He wasn't concerned that people have to work with asbestos so he reallowed the production and use of it. Hypocrisy at its best.