Thaksin defends rice programme

News > Politics

Ex-PM rebuffs critics, wants scheme to go on

Published: 25 Sep 2012 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

Deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra says the rice pledging programme should be extended for several more years, rebuffing critics who say the policy has increased government debt and encouraged corruption.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra implemented the price-support policy to boost the incomes of farmers, whose support helped her Pheu Thai Party win elections last year. The government programme buys rice from farmers at above-market rates.

Thaksin said during an interview in Singapore yesterday that the policy reaps economic gains equal to three times the programme's cost.

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mitrapaap
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Discussion 12 : 25 Sep 2012 at 07.1112
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D9: your right, but in other countries the money goes to the farmers, in Thialand only a fraction of it does. If the entire cash really went to the poor, people might not have that much objection. Part of my taxes being used to help the farmers is not a problem, but my tax money going into some corrupt pockets is.
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englishjon
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Discussion 11 : 25 Sep 2012 at 06.5011
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"They are poor. Let them have a chance to survive in this world, to live a better life."

It makes me sick to listen to Thaksin talk like this.

He absoultely does not care one bit about the poor or the red-shirts except to cynically use them in his game to make himself richer and more powerful.

He relies on his supporters being below average intelligence - a fact born out by the comments I see by his supporters on this forum.
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aussie
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Discussion 10 : 25 Sep 2012 at 06.4710
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Using words such as might , may and should , tells us that even he himself has no idea exept for his Red`iculous end game being a possible 3 times the dollars to play with and manipulate , and Thais seemingly believe this dispicable convicted criminal fugitive living his life of opulant luxury abroad in self imposed exile while giving Thai law the middle finger , and who now fires his political shots from behind his little sisters red skirt , banned and all ?
One question , do the shinawatras stand to gain from this and how by how much , besides the obvious joy and support of the farmer ?
Keep your grubby , sticky fingers out of the worlds food bowl and the staple of the poor !
Wake up Thailand your Kingdom is being robbed blind , once again !
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khunbj
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Discussion 9 : 25 Sep 2012 at 06.399
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The US government support their farmers with 600bn THB per year, UK receives 160Bn THB/year from EU to stay in business, Australia have farm support on the agenda as well ... seem to be the way governments go about farming elsewhere in the world....any reason it should not work in Thailand as well ?
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mrsheen
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Discussion 8 : 25 Sep 2012 at 06.148
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Last time he made such a prediction, the oil prices did not listen to him and Thialand lost tens of billions of baht.....
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Aussie John
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Discussion 7 : 25 Sep 2012 at 05.227
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Why does this fugitive think he has any say in what happens in Thailand? When will he stop the interference? Is he that arrogant to assume the country can not survive without him...
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whatajoke
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Discussion 6 : 25 Sep 2012 at 05.026
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Thaksin seems to think Thailand is in the arrogant position of being the rice market king, throttle supply now, forcing up world prices, sell later, bit like stock market manipulation, is that really a way to do business when third world people's hungry bellies are at stake. This article is full of inconsistencies, Thaksin says the price was $400 but now it's $600, yet sales tumbled 45% and the silos are full. Vietnam keeps producing more and more, India is now selling once more, all we're hearing is unsubstantiated reports of pledges, no proof of sales and real revenues. Eventually they will be able to say they got the right price but forget to mention that there was a 20% spoil in the warehouses. And since when did all 67 million of Thailand's people involve themselves in rice growing. I suspect that if this goes on for a couple more years it will severely backfire and leave the economy on the ropes, becoming Thaksin's biggest negative legacy of all, something he will also evade responsibility for. Given the ramifications I'd rather he just handed out cheques to the farmers with 'vote for me' on the back, less destructive.
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isanfarang
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Discussion 5 : 25 Sep 2012 at 04.545
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Buying your way to power is a time honoured political tradition,especially if you can use other peoples money to boost your vote.The Isan powerbrokers will continue to steal from the Thai taxpayer as long as schemes like this and the money going towards "road repairs", ( which fall apart in just a few years)remain in place.
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robins
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Discussion 4 : 25 Sep 2012 at 04.494
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The only benefit I've seen from this Government is incredible spikes in the price of food and most everything else. Tuna has gone from 30 Baht to 46 Baht, milk from 36 Baht to 44 Baht, and restaurant prices among other things are way up. Ironically these higher prices do not hurt me nearly as much as they hurt the low income people who voted these incompetent crooks into office.
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anna
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Discussion 3 : 25 Sep 2012 at 03.093
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Is he still running the country? And in what capacity?
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Thaksin defends rice programme | Bangkok Post: news