Rice farmers to protest against government

**Norton** · 14-02-2014, 12:09 PM

Originally Posted by Butterfly

and the mood is definitely festive, not political

Just returned from 4 days in Bangkok. Went to a restaurant on Suk Soi 14. The gathering at Asoke was festive. Plenty of singing interrupted by "political" rhetoric. The folks huddled around their tents appeared less than festive. They looked downright miserable.

Side note, the restaurant I went to is called Hemingway's. It sucks. Poor service and bad food. Give it a miss.

**S Landreth** · 14-02-2014, 04:04 PM

It’s started! F that negotiation crap.

First 50 rice farmers file court cases against government

A group of 50 farmers has launched the first civil court lawsuit against the caretaker government to demand a total of 19 million baht in compensation for the rice they submitted to the pledging scheme.

The defendants were named as caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na Ranong, caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong Bunsonphaisan, caretaker Agriculture Minister Yukol Limlaemthong, caretaker deputy commerce ministers Nattawut Saikuea and Yanyong Phuangrach, the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, the Commerce Ministry and the Public Warehouse Organisation (PWO).

Rawee Ruangruang, acting chair of the Network of Thai Farmers for Reclaiming Money under the Rice Pledging Scheme, said farm representativesand lawyers had supplied the court with pledging tickets (bai prathuan) issued by the PWO when the rice was delivered to warehouses.

He said there are more than 100 farmers under the network that been affected by the overdue payment, but 50 had already completed the necessary documentation to file their cases. The highest claim for the group was 300,000 baht. More farmers will file lawsuits later.

Mr Rawee said the network also considered filing criminal lawsuits against the caretaker government for fraud. But they will stage a protest at the Office of the Permanent Secretary of Defence on Monday to ask for details of the progress of the overdue payments.

____________

Yingluck told of “unpredictable and uncontrollable” consequence if farmers lose patience

A farmer leader told caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra last night that if farmers were forced to lose their patience, what they would turn to would be unpredictable and uncontrollable.

The farmer leader who said to represent the Network for Farmers from 77 provinces, Mr Dhaicharn Mata, addressed farmers nationwide through the Blue Sky channel on the protest stage of the anti-government protesters that he is among a victim to the government’s rice-pledging scheme.

He said he sold all his crop to the scheme at about 500,000 baht and received voucher instead of cash despite his wife would warn that he should sell to millers and get cash instead.

However he said he sold to the government just because he would fetch higher price.

But his decision was wrong and until today he was not yet paid. He said he could not return home as every time he went home, his wife kept asking for money from the rice scheme.

He said almost all farmers are voters of the ruling Pheu Thai party but what it did to farmers was unpardonable.

Now they are sitting idly at home with even no rice to eat but wait and wait for money from the government.

He said in many areas the irrigation officials started to release water down from dams for farmers to begin second planting.

But what they could do were to just watch and could not start planting because they have not yet paid rents for farmland, have no money to buy items needed for planting, and fertilizers.

If they did not pay rents, landlords would let other farmers to rent instead, which means they could lose their right to farm again, he said.

He called on all farmers not to just sit and wait at homes but to march into the capital to make their complaints known to the whole country of how they have suffered from delayed payment.

He admitted that he also is a red-shirt farmer and never had hatred on the government and the prime minister.

But what they did to farmers were great and unacceptable and unpardonable.

He said farmers had no political motive but just to demand their money.

“If we get paid, we will return homes immediately,” he said.

He said farmers are people with extreme patience who would not say a word even was bullied.

However cheating their money which is their last money from hardship working in the field amid the heat of the sun, could cause their patience to burst.

He then told caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra that if farmers lose their patience, the consequence would be unpredictable and uncontrollable.

He said all farmers will march to the capital to see the prime minister at the office of the defense permanent secretary on Monday to demand rice payment.

If there is no answer, farmers will turn to overthrowing the government.

He urged all the military top brass and the national police chief to understand farmers and have sympathy on them, adding that if they are not in deep troubles, they will not rise up.
_____________

Suicide watch

ชาวนาศรีสะเกษตายอีก1เครียดไม่ได้เงินข้าว

Another farmer from Srisaket died. Stressed from not being paid from rice scheme.

**Ratchaburi** · 14-02-2014, 09:34 PM

Who the fvck write these storys , so the poor farmer gets 500k for his crop.

**longway** · 14-02-2014, 09:55 PM

^ poor farmers didnt get any money from the scam, right from the start.

**Albert Shagnastier** · 14-02-2014, 10:02 PM

Gas mask - 400bt?

Nah.. fvck it

**Mid** · 17-02-2014, 03:57 PM

Satun people withdraw savings from GSB ahead of reported loans to government
February 17, 2014

Branches of the Government Saving Bank in Satun were crowded on Monday with people seeking to verify reports that the bank will lend money to the government to repay rice farmers in debt under rice-pledging scheme.

The bank's administration hung a banner on the front which read, "The bank will not use customers’ savings to repay the rice-pledging scheme".

nationmultimedia.com

**S Landreth** · 17-02-2014, 03:59 PM

Not paying these farmers not only hurts them and their livelihood it hits their suppliers also. Just imagine the lack of a little over 100 billion baht in one segment of the Thai industry gone. Devastating.

Some news related to the farmers.

Farmers' plight driving up Singer Thailand's NPLs

Lease-to-own instalment provider Singer Thailand has been stung by a rising number of non-performing loans, with most attributed to farmers who are suffering from long-delayed payments under the government's rice-pledging scheme.

The company's managing director, Boonyong Tansakul, said farmers accounted for 25 per cent of its portfolio.

He said the overdue payments were not only pulling down the purchasing power of the agricultural segment, but were also affecting instalment payments.

He said NPLs at Singer had climbed from 5 to 6 per cent of total accounts at the end of last year.

But because of the prolonged political unrest and long-delayed payments under the rice-pledging scheme, the NPL level could increase.

Snip

He believes the serious effect from the delayed payments to farmers will show in the next quarter.

Therefore, he said the company needed to implement measures to tackle the problem including the possibility of carefully selecting customers in the farming segment until the farmers receive their money from the government.

Singer reviewed its business plan monthly, with revising down its annual growth target this year from 20 per cent to 10-15 per cent.

Boonyong said revenue from instalments represented 90 per cent of total revenue.
_____________

Farmers storm into PM’s temporary office at Muangthong Thani

Several hundreds of angry farmers demolished the barbed wire defense line and stormed into the temporary office of the caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra inside Muangthong Thani complex demanding immediate reply from her on the rice payment.

They entered the compound of the office of the permanent secretary of Defense Ministry and launched angry verbal attack from loudspeaker truck on the caretaker prime minister and demanded her to come out to meet them.

But Ms Yingluck who was reported inside her temporary office did not come out to meet them, reportedly busying herself with her cabinet minister to discuss the farmers’ protest situation.

Farmers, who came in from various provinces and in their farming dresses with hats and handkerchiefs which they normally wore while doing farming under the heat of the sun, are now taking shelters under tree shades and waiting to see the caretaker prime minister.

One farmer said normally they would not travel out of their provinces during this season as it is the time they would begin doing the next crops.

One female farmer wept when she was asked by a television channel reporter on live broadcast on why she came and she expected anything from the government.

At noon today, an Army colonel was designated to come out to speak to farmers.

The army officer asked them the purpose of coming here whether they wanted to meet the caretaker prime minister or to get their money.

Farmers insisted on seeing the prime minister and also the commerce minister and clarified them about the payment date.

The officer said that the government wanted farmers to appoint 10 representatives to talk to Commerce Minister Niwatthamlong Boonsongpaisarn instead.

But farmers shouted and booed after hearing such proposal, and demanded to see only the prime minister.

Farmers said they wanted only to meet PM Yingluck reasoning that they did not mind if she could not clarify them and were ready to allow the commerce minister to explain later.

_______________

Suicide Watch

ชาวนาปทุมธานี ผูกคอตายอีก

Farmer from Pathumthani hung himself.

**Butterfly** · 17-02-2014, 05:32 PM

it's obvious those farmers are anti-democratic by trying to embarrass the government while they were freshly elected to victory

Farmers == Anti-Democratic Minority and PAD Royalists

**Ratchaburi** · 17-02-2014, 06:30 PM

most of the real farmers, started to get ready to plant there crops on Sunday

**AsGoodAsItGets** · 17-02-2014, 08:08 PM

Yanyong says farmer leaders at Commerce Ministry are fake | Thai PBS English News

Deputy Commerce Minister Yanyong Puangrat today called farmer leaders protesting at the Commerce Ministry fake farmers , and declared the government would negotiate only with real farmers.

He said if farmers wanted to meet the caretaker prime minister, then they should group with the real farmer association led by Mr Vichien Puanglamchiak, president of the Association of Thai Farmers and Agriculturists.

Mr Yanyong’s comment on fake farmers came as farmers from across the country are coming today to Bangkok and to the temporary office of the caretaker prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra at the defense permanent secretary’s office inside the Muangthong Thani complex.

He said the government would not talk to fake farmers, and reiterated that representatives of farmers rallying at the Commerce Ministry are fake farmers.
He pointed his finger to Rawee Runruang, president of the Thai Farmers Network, and Kittisak Ratanawaraha, representative of the northern farmers.

From investigation of their past criminal records, Yanyong said Rawee was a former local administration official in Phetburi pronivce.

He said Rawee was dismissed from government service for involvement in defense volunteer recruitment fraud.

Yanyong said Rawee applied to run in two local elections and currently faced petition on election disqualification, and therefore he is fake farmer.

For another farmer leader Kittisak, the deputy commerce minister said , he is a member of the Phichit’s Or Bo To local administration council. But his family lives in Kamphaengpet and owns eight rai of farmland.

He did not do farming but instead participated in anti-government protest rallies hosted by the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) in Phichit from the beginning, Yanyong said.

“Therefore they are not real farmers,” Yanyong said, adding that if farmers wanted to see Ms Yingluck Shinawatra, they should better group with the real farmers led by Mr Vichien Puanglamchiak, president of the Thai Farmers and Agriculturists Association.

He made clear that the caretaker prime minister would not meet fake farmer representatives for fear that they would walk out again.

He said all these fake farmers played politics and the government would not speak to them.

For the money to pay farmers today (Feb 17), Mr Yanyong said he would like the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives to pay in accordance with the degree of trouble each farmer is facing.

For those who have committed suicides, Mr Yanyong advised the bank to pay their families first, and those who are less suffered would be paid later.’

He dismissed first-come-first-serve basis because some are not in heavy trouble.
He said all these farmers’ information the BAAC knew well.

The deputy commerce ministers earlier enraged farmers when he called them fake farmers, prompting them to come to Bangkok to show him rice vouchers for the rice they pledged with the government to confirm they are real farmers.

**longway** · 17-02-2014, 09:10 PM

Originally Posted by Ratchaburi

most of the real farmers, started to get ready to plant there crops on Sunday

Obviously not, they cant plant their 2nd crop until they get paid for their first. Of course this will mean a rice shortage and thailand importing rice perhaps.

unless people want to eat moldy old rice from 2 years ago.

**Butterfly** · 17-02-2014, 10:45 PM

Originally Posted by Ratchaburi

most of the real farmers, started to get ready to plant there crops on Sunday

what a dishonest little Thaksinite you make,

how are they going to plant when they have no money to buy the seeds,

those farang Red Thaksin supporters are completely delusional,

**Dandyhole** · 18-02-2014, 01:03 AM

Originally Posted by longway

Originally Posted by Ratchaburi

most of the real farmers, started to get ready to plant there crops on Sunday

Obviously not, they cant plant their 2nd crop until they get paid for their first. Of course this will mean a rice shortage and thailand importing rice perhaps.

unless people want to eat moldy old rice from 2 years ago.

and the price of that imported rice will rocket.

So whoever is blocking the government loan making ought to get out of the way.

**longway** · 18-02-2014, 04:04 AM

^ what's getting in the way is that the PT sucked this scam so dry and ran it so badly they didnt even have crumbs left to throw at the farmers, but have the nerve to try and borrow money to buy those crumbs after they dissolved parliament and ran away from their responsibilities.

they could have set up the borrowing before they dissolved parliament.

**Dandyhole** · 18-02-2014, 04:25 AM

^ That analysis could be right, could be wrong, or somewhere in the middle.

But that has gone now, now requires the caretaker government to get the money to pay out.

Now , someone is preventing the caretaker government from getting the money.

Whoever it is needs taking out.

**Dandyhole** · 18-02-2014, 04:31 AM

Originally Posted by AsGoodAsItGets

Yanyong says farmer leaders at Commerce Ministry are fake | Thai PBS English News

Deputy Commerce Minister Yanyong Puangrat today called farmer leaders protesting at the Commerce Ministry fake farmers , and declared the government would negotiate only with real farmers.

He said if farmers wanted to meet the caretaker prime minister, then they should group with the real farmer association led by Mr Vichien Puanglamchiak, president of the Association of Thai Farmers and Agriculturists.

Mr Yanyong’s comment on fake farmers came as farmers from across the country are coming today to Bangkok and to the temporary office of the caretaker prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra at the defense permanent secretary’s office inside the Muangthong Thani complex.

He said the government would not talk to fake farmers, and reiterated that representatives of farmers rallying at the Commerce Ministry are fake farmers.
He pointed his finger to Rawee Runruang, president of the Thai Farmers Network, and Kittisak Ratanawaraha, representative of the northern farmers.

From investigation of their past criminal records, Yanyong said Rawee was a former local administration official in Phetburi pronivce.

He said Rawee was dismissed from government service for involvement in defense volunteer recruitment fraud.

Yanyong said Rawee applied to run in two local elections and currently faced petition on election disqualification, and therefore he is fake farmer.

For another farmer leader Kittisak, the deputy commerce minister said , he is a member of the Phichit’s Or Bo To local administration council. But his family lives in Kamphaengpet and owns eight rai of farmland.

He did not do farming but instead participated in anti-government protest rallies hosted by the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) in Phichit from the beginning, Yanyong said.

“Therefore they are not real farmers,” Yanyong said, adding that if farmers wanted to see Ms Yingluck Shinawatra, they should better group with the real farmers led by Mr Vichien Puanglamchiak, president of the Thai Farmers and Agriculturists Association.

He made clear that the caretaker prime minister would not meet fake farmer representatives for fear that they would walk out again.

He said all these fake farmers played politics and the government would not speak to them.

For the money to pay farmers today (Feb 17), Mr Yanyong said he would like the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives to pay in accordance with the degree of trouble each farmer is facing.

For those who have committed suicides, Mr Yanyong advised the bank to pay their families first, and those who are less suffered would be paid later.’

He dismissed first-come-first-serve basis because some are not in heavy trouble.
He said all these farmers’ information the BAAC knew well.

The deputy commerce ministers earlier enraged farmers when he called them fake farmers, prompting them to come to Bangkok to show him rice vouchers for the rice they pledged with the government to confirm they are real farmers.

If these farmer type leaders are not fake then it's a perfect opportunity to "put up" , so as to embarrass mr Yangyong.

Be interesting to see if they do

**S Landreth** · 18-02-2014, 04:09 PM

Wonder how far this will go?

Thai corruption body files charges against PM Yingluck Shinawatra over rice scheme

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will be charged with neglect of duty over a rice farm subsidy scheme and could be removed from office if found guilty, an anti-graft panel announced on Tuesday.

Yingluck had ignored warnings that the flagship rice policy was fostering corruption and causing financial losses, the National Anti-Corruption Commission said in a statement.

She will be summoned to hear the charges on February 27.

The scheme, which guarantees farmers above-market rates for rice, has become a lightning rod for anger among anti-government protesters. They say it has encouraged corruption, drained the public coffers and left the country with a mountain of unsold stock.

News of the charges came just hours after violent clashes broke out between riot police and anti-government demonstrators in the capital Bangkok that left at least two people dead, including a policeman, and dozens wounded.

Yingluck’s opponents say she is a puppet for her elder brother Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire tycoon-turned-premier who was ousted by the military in a coup in 2006 and later fled overseas to avoid jail for a corruption conviction.

Thaksin’s critics accuse his family of using taxpayers’ money to buy the support of rural voters through populist policies.

________________

Kittiratt flees angry farmers

Published: 17 Feb 2014

Disgruntled farmers on Monday evening booed and threw objects at caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong, after he failed to give a clear answer on when the authorities would begin paying growers for rice sold under the pledging scheme.

The incident occurred after a one hour meeting to discuss long-overdue rice payments between Mr Kittiratt and farmers' representatives led by Rawee Rungruang at the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Defence.

Mr Rawee, who is acting chairman of Thai Farmers Network, said farmers accepted the government’s offer of paying an average of four billion baht per day to farmers owed cash, but wanted Mr Kittiratt to give assurances on the exact dates of payments.

Mr Rawee asked Mr Kittiratt to address protesting farmers in person outside the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Defence.

He admitted that some farmers support the anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) but asked them to stay calm while listening to Mr Kittiratt’s explanation of when they would be paid.

Mr Kittiratt got off to a bad start when he kept the farmers waiting for more than 10 minutes because he was giving a live telephone interview to Sorayuth Suthassanachinda for the popular Ruang Den Yen Nee news programme on Channel 3.

When he finally addressed rice growers, the minister repeated that the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) would pay an average of four billion baht per day to unpaid farmers but did not say when payments would start, merely insisting that every farmer involved in the rice-pledging scheme would receive the full amount owed to them based on their rice-pledging documents.

At one point, Mr Kittiratt was interrupted by farmers who demanded he say exactly when the payments would be made, as opposed to talking about the procedural side of the scheme. But he could not answer the crucial question, prompting protesters to boo him and throw water bottles, fruits and shoes in his direction.

Some protesters tried to approach him and shouted “get out, get out” as Mr Kittiratt quickly concluded his address. "That is all I have to clarify. Thank you," he said, before fleeing the scene.

Reports said the minister almost broke into a run and looked panicked as he was escorted back into the building by security guards.

**longway** · 18-02-2014, 04:35 PM

Originally Posted by Dandyhole

^ That analysis could be right, could be wrong, or somewhere in the middle.

But that has gone now, now requires the caretaker government to get the money to pay out.

Now , someone is preventing the caretaker government from getting the money.

Whoever it is needs taking out.

the law prevents them from borrowing easily as a caretaker government, so lets get rid of the law?

fcuk everything up and blame the 'amart' SOP for the PT spin doctors.

**Necron99** · 18-02-2014, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by Dandyhole

^ That analysis could be right, could be wrong, or somewhere in the middle.

But that has gone now, now requires the caretaker government to get the money to pay out.

Now , someone is preventing the caretaker government from getting the money.

Whoever it is needs taking out.

They couldn't get the money when they were in power, the bonds failed because the banks quite rightly saw the impending trainwreck that the scheme was.
How do you expect them to get it now?

**Mid** · 18-02-2014, 05:02 PM

GSB president resigns
February 18, 2014

Government Savings Bank president Worawit Chailimpamontri Tuesday announced his resignation to show responsibility over protests by GSB employees and clients.

He said the GSB board of directors would continue to function as a caretaker one following his resignation.

Clients and employees were angry that the GSB had granted a loan to fund the rice-pledging scheme.

nationmultimedia.com

**Mid** · 18-02-2014, 05:11 PM

Thai anti-graft body says PM acted wrongly on rice
THANYARAT DOKSONE

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand's state anti-corruption agency has charged Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra with improperly handling an expensive rice subsidy scheme, putting her in jeopardy of getting impeached.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission said Tuesday that Yingluck's government proceeded with the scheme despite advice from experts that it was potentially wasteful and prone to corruption. The government has been months late in making payments to farmers for the rice they pledged to sell at above-market prices.

The commission said Yingluck has been called to formerly hear the charges on Feb. 27. If it decides to submit the case to the Senate for possible impeachment, Yingluck will immediately be suspended from performing her official duties pending a Senate trial.

uk.news.yahoo.com

..................................

cue one judical coup ......................

.

**Butterfly** · 18-02-2014, 05:50 PM

Originally Posted by Mid

cue one judical coup ......................

cue on Mid and the usual idiots crying about a judicial coup,

PT really fucked up with the rice thing, they need to take responsability

they jumped the gun when they called on the election, they shouldn't have

**longway** · 18-02-2014, 06:06 PM

Originally Posted by Mid

Thai anti-graft body says PM acted wrongly on rice
THANYARAT DOKSONE

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand's state anti-corruption agency has charged Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra with improperly handling an expensive rice subsidy scheme, putting her in jeopardy of getting impeached.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission said Tuesday that Yingluck's government proceeded with the scheme despite advice from experts that it was potentially wasteful and prone to corruption. The government has been months late in making payments to farmers for the rice they pledged to sell at above-market prices.

The commission said Yingluck has been called to formerly hear the charges on Feb. 27. If it decides to submit the case to the Senate for possible impeachment, Yingluck will immediately be suspended from performing her official duties pending a Senate trial.

uk.news.yahoo.com

..................................

cue one judical coup ......................

.

When politicians play games it the electorate that pays, this 'judicial coup' would not be possible without the amnesty attempt topped by the humungous fraud carried out in the rice pledging scam.

This is crucial ammunition by pts's elite opponents. As it gives them legitimacy and support within society.

Get politicians under control and the country wins in all respects.

**Mid** · 18-02-2014, 06:27 PM

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, acting for the chairman of the National Rice Committee, insisted that the price guarantee measures and the pledging program will be used simultaneously, while a new procurement program is being devised for implementation.

Govt to implement rice pledging scheme and price guarantee measures simultaneously.

**Ratchaburi** · 18-02-2014, 07:33 PM

Originally Posted by longway

Originally Posted by Ratchaburi

most of the real farmers, started to get ready to plant there crops on Sunday

Obviously not, they cant plant their 2nd crop until they get paid for their first. Of course this will mean a rice shortage and thailand importing rice perhaps.

unless people want to eat moldy old rice from 2 years ago.

well the real farmer are planting rice there 1st crop for the year, so they plant 3 crops in my area.
Wongway they have been payed in my area,so Wongway you don't know any thing, about the rice farmers do you.

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