Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's relationship and reputation with rural dwellers has waxed and waned. Immediately after the May 22 coup last year, his first political act was to pay rice growers the money owed to them under the Yingluck administration's rice-buying scheme.
Then, just eight months later, he had his first confrontation with southern rubber growers, telling them not to accept any help or benefits. But on Farmers' Day earlier this month, he expressed "shame" for not being able to help them more. Last Saturday, he warned farmers not to protest over the lack of water needed to grow crops - or the military would "enforce the law" against them.
Overall, while the military regime has had its moments of goodwill, relations with farmers have been shaky at best. At times, they have grown downright hostile.
Another recent confrontation occurred when soldiers invaded small farms, destroying crops and plantations in the name of reclaiming illegally occupied state land. Certainly for rural dwellers, and even many urban backers of the government, the programme has lost focus.
Instead of pursuing big developers and corrupt government officials, the military looks to be taking the easy way out by attacking helpless people who, in any case, have historical claims to their land, even if they lack the proper papers. This is a problem that could easily be set right by a word from Gen Prayut but so far there has been no such corrective action.
The government's poor management of the agriculture sector has hit farmers and communities especially hard. Prime Minister Prayut, like every Thai, refers to farmers as "the backbone of the nation". But when it truly matters, meaning now, rural people get less attention when they deserve more. A faltering economy has been made worse.
Farm incomes have dropped dramatically since the coup. There are several reasons, including the end of the rice-buying scheme. This year's extended dry season, combined with massively mismanaged water supplies, have made things much worse. One can sympathise with farmers' desire to protest, but the country already understands their plight, and big demonstrations will not help.
Predictably, reduced farm profits have snowballed to hit the entire economy. From seed purchases to motorcycle sales, farm machinery to clothing and school fees to bank loan repayments — the whole system is under pressure. At the exact moment world rice and commodity prices are set to rise, Thai production is falling. There is plenty wrong with the Thai economy under military care, but most of the trouble can be traced nationwide.
Under the current political situation, there is almost nothing farmers can do. The government could, however, be more attentive. The head of the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) this month admitted the agency made a mistake by releasing too much water in the early days of the dry season.
Gen Prayut should hold the RID accountable for this. It might seem a token action, but farmers would feel the government is taking the right steps to acknowledge their plight.
It is welcome news that the economic ministers will today put in place a policy package to help tackle severe drought. Farmers in all sectors need urgent help.
In the short term, the lack of capital must be addressed. Banks should adjust their loan repayment policies to account for dry-season cash shortage and low commodity prices. Water-saving measures in all sectors, not only for farming, must be put in place. The government risks much by delay