Over 8,600 landless farmers apply to utilize some 3,000 rai of land under land reform scheme

 

 

KANCHANABURI: -- A total of 8,630 landless farmers have registered with the Kanchanaburi Land Reform Office to apply for the right to utilize some 3,000 rai of land reclaimed by the government from land encroachers.

 

Mr Watcharin Wakamanont, an official of Kanchanaburi Land Reform Office said on Sunday that the confiscated land which was formerly area under land reform programme but was illegally occupied had been divided into three plots: AL8 which covers Wat Pa Luangta Bua or Wat Sua (Tiger Temple) totaling 1,045 rai; No 14 which covers 1,223 rai and No 15 which covers 900 rai.

 

Apart from Wat Sua which does not require land measurement or development with basic infrastructures, Mr Watcharin said the two other land plots would have to be measured and developed before they are to be allocated to the landless farmers who have already registered with the land reform office in Kanchanaburi.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/over-8600-landless-farmers-apply-to-utilize-some-3000-rai-of-land-under-land-reform-scheme/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-12-05

if  its anything like in my Wife s  village many of them sold their  land  out for anything they could  get then pissed  it  all away

About a third of a rai each. What are they going to do with it?

2 hours ago, kannot said:

if  its anything like in my Wife s  village many of them sold their  land  out for anything they could  get then pissed  it  all away

How can you be considered a farmer if you don't farm?  If they used to farm, why is it they no longer have land? gambling debts? sickness?  It matters.

 

59 minutes ago, Leung Falang said:

How can you be considered a farmer if you don't farm?  If they used to farm, why is it they no longer have land? gambling debts? sickness?  It matters.

 

Do you stop being a mechanic when the garage closes down or stop being an author when you are between writing books? Arguably, if your past job required specialised skills/knowledge, it forms part of your identity even if you're currently not working. Would seem to especially apply to professionals and self-employed persons (incl. farmers). 

3 hours ago, kannot said:

if  its anything like in my Wife s  village many of them sold their  land  out for anything they could  get then pissed  it  all away

Registrants get the right to use the land but no mention of getting ownership. So it would be like rent-free land from the government for farming purposes. Albeit no mention is made as to whether other commercial  uses can be made with the land such as livestock, manufacturing.

 

But as Maoro2013 observed, if divided proportionally a farmer can only use 1/3 rai that hardly seems worthwhile even for personal use considering the remote location and lack of infrastructure. If all the registered 8,630 farmers were to operate as a co-op (which may not be an option), there would be major coordination issues as well as needed capital to develop 2,123 rai.

 

The best alternative might be (if allowed) for the registrants to form a co-op and sublease the 3,000 rai to a commercial enterprise or military that can use the entire land mass. Of course the government could do that directly but it wouldn't get PR for doing so and the 8,630 landless farmers would have no sense of gratitude to the Prayut government - perhaps critical for the next elections.

A chance for Prayut to operate a mechanism. He has gone into production of a full line. I sure he can even throw in some organics as well. The old fossil.

A varition of the encroachment theme where you get fairer distribution with more encroachers per rai.

6 hours ago, kannot said:

if  its anything like in my Wife s  village many of them sold their  land  out for anything they could  get then pissed  it  all away

Must be a pretty crap village then.

They have only applied nothing to say all will get any land. From what I hear it will be first come first served and people belive it will be divided into 10 rai plots. I stress this is what the villagers here seem to think.

Should be interesting to see how this plays out because one of Thailand's problems is too many farmers.  In addition to all of the irresponsible ways farmers can lose their land, another big factor is farming isn't especially financially rewarding when there's a glut of rice and other crops that farmers produce.  

 

 

They will only sell the possesory rights to it again loool

5 hours ago, maoro2013 said:

About a third of a rai each. What are they going to do with it?

first theyll start to try steal it from each other then start to sell it to other people..................then in 10  years say they are "poor  farmers" and go with "hands  out"

Youll find someone in the army or  polic e will buy  it off them

2 hours ago, Srikcir said:

Registrants get the right to use the land but no mention of getting ownership. So it would be like rent-free land from the government for farming purposes. Albeit no mention is made as to whether other commercial  uses can be made with the land such as livestock, manufacturing.

 

But as Maoro2013 observed, if divided proportionally a farmer can only use 1/3 rai that hardly seems worthwhile even for personal use considering the remote location and lack of infrastructure. If all the registered 8,630 farmers were to operate as a co-op (which may not be an option), there would be major coordination issues as well as needed capital to develop 2,123 rai.

 

The best alternative might be (if allowed) for the registrants to form a co-op and sublease the 3,000 rai to a commercial enterprise or military that can use the entire land mass. Of course the government could do that directly but it wouldn't get PR for doing so and the 8,630 landless farmers would have no sense of gratitude to the Prayut government - perhaps critical for the next elections.

Theyll totally ignore that, land  round  here " owned by the govt" is already bought and sold regularly, all is "no papers"..............why  just last year and army Colonel bought 15  rai of  hillside off a neighbour  I know............no papers

4 minutes ago, digibum said:

Should be interesting to see how this plays out because one of Thailand's problems is too many farmers.  In addition to all of the irresponsible ways farmers can lose their land, another big factor is farming isn't especially financially rewarding when there's a glut of rice and other crops that farmers produce.  

 

 

neighbour close to me makes 2-3  million a year  just off mangoes...............but they do work very hard

14 hours ago, kannot said:

neighbour close to me makes 2-3  million a year  just off mangoes...............but they do work very hard

 

Obviously some farmers are able to make money.  It's not that nobody is buying rice or mangos.  It's that there are too many people producing specific crops and thus the more you keep producing the lower the prices go.

 

The problem for farmers is that if rice is your livelihood, you don't have the option of not planting this season because it will be unprofitable.  You produce and hope for the best.  Or you hope the government will come and bail you out by buying rice at a price higher than the market price. 

 

Over the long-term, Thailand needs to move a percentage of farmers off the farms and into other areas of the economy.  I'm not sure conceding them free land to continue farming is the right message to send.  

 

Just the economics of it look horrible.  You have a substantial amount of your citizens engaged in a profession where the more of them that do it the lower the price they get.  There really is no surer path to poverty.  In order for some farmers to be able to make a good living farming, you have to have less people farming.  

 

 

Are they going to draw numbers out of a barrel to pick the lucky winners?   Each one would need 20 rai at least to scratch out a living.

 

A lottery is the only fair way to do it.......ha ha ha.......what am I saying!  

On 12/5/2016 at 1:24 PM, kannot said:

neighbour close to me makes 2-3  million a year  just off mangoes...............but they do work very hard

How many rai?  What kind of business case?  Sounds interesting for sure as it seems there is little profit in rice or rubber.