The Democrat Party yesterday launched a major pre-election offensive in the North-east, its weakest area, with pledges to give away farm and, forgive debts and grant special economic privileges.
Deputy party leader Jurin Laksanavisit told voters here that the party was considering setting up a land bank to manage vacant property inside forest reserves.
"Parcels that are no longer forests but suitable for farming will be assembled for redistribution to farmers," he said.
"Special titles will be issued. This will also cover plots inside forest reserve communities so that people can enjoy legal land ownership."
If the party forms the next government it will write off loans extended to villagers by the state, Jurin said.
He was referring to the Bt77-billion village-fund scheme used by the former Thaksin government to woo rural constituents.
"We'll also help northeasterners restructure the other parts of villagers' debt burdens by negotiating with creditors to reschedule principal payments or suspend interest payments.
"We'll also consider setting up a crop insurance scheme as well as a sufficiency economy fund to provide loans to farmers," he said.
Khon Kaen, Nakhon Ratchasima and Ubon Ratchathani will be upgraded into metropolises while Mukdahan and Nong Khai will get special economic development zones with tax exemptions and incentives provided to promote manufacturing and other industries.
Buri Ram, Surin, Maha Sarakham and Yasothon will be grouped together to form an integrated sugar processing zone.
Mukdahan will focus on tapioca, while provinces in Tung Kula Longhai will be promoted as an integrated rice-processing zone.
However Surachai Bao-janya, a would-be Khon Kaen MP candidate for the People Power Party, said that despite the promises it was unlikely that people in Isaan would swing to the Democrats in the upcoming election.
"I believe that most northeastern voters are with us and the People Power Party [backed by ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra] will win 240 or more seats nationwide to form the next government," he said.
Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva vowed to make his party's "People First" platform the core policy for the next coalition government.
"I will not become the next prime minister unless I can implement 'People First' agendas," he told a crowd of cheering supporters here on the second day of stumping in the region.
Some 1,500 Democrats from the Northeast turned up for the rally before joining a party meeting, dubbed the People's Assembly, to map out key policies for the impoverished region.
Abhisit said the December 23 election was crucial to return the country to the path of democratic rule.
"In the upcoming vote, the Democrat Party sees a golden opportunity to guide the country and its economy forward, as well as to seek the people's mandate for the party's platform," he said.
"I'm now 43 years old, so I'm bound to be responsible for my commitments made to gain the public trust," he said.
Abhisit said he and his party had to earn each vote the hard way, unlike "someone who can buy his way into power".
He voiced optimism that his party would see a successful election outcome in the Northeast, considered to be Thaksin's power base.
Kraisak Choonhavan, the Democrats' campaign manager for the Northeast, said his party might contest only some of the 135 House seats in the region in order to focus on candidates with the best potential to win.
In Bangkok, People Power member Chaturon Chaisang said his party would likely sweep 260-270 House seats to lead the next government.
Chaturon claimed that the alliance of Democrat, Chat Thai and Mahachon parties would trail his party.
Former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh said he was assessing public sentiment before finalising his campaign plans.
"If the people call for my re-election bid, I might run under the banner of a small party," he said, revealing that he was in contact with many parties.
He would choose a party willing to adopt his policies if he decided to come out of retirement, he said, adding that his other option was to form a new party.
Two executives of Ruam Jai Thai Chat Pattana Party said their party's negotiations with Chavalit had reached an impasse.
"If Chavalit will lead a new party, that's good for him because my party can move on without him," party executive Pradit Pataraprasith said.
Another executive, Anek Laothamatas, said talks collapsed because Chavalit appeared unable to make up his mind about his terms for joining the party.
Source: The Nation
Thought: Lets hope if the Dems gets elected they don't follow the TRT path of paying off the poor and neglecting the rest of the country.
Sweet election pledges for Isaan
Sweet election pledges for Isaan
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
The bottom line is that the lack of education in the Northeast and their resultant "think of today and not tomorrow" mentality will ensure that they're always an easy target for politicians with a few baht spare who want to jump on the populist wagon.
This is probably why TRT did jackshit about education, keep them stupid and they'll keep voting for us.
This is probably why TRT did jackshit about education, keep them stupid and they'll keep voting for us.
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
i am trying to understand what you are saying buksi
no education keeps them stupid and will still grow rice for a pittance ie. no education
plus 30 baht healthcare keeps them fit longer to work for a pittance longer
so throw him out is ok
and therfore it is ok for the new opposition to offer land for free to some (and i think i know who will get it)
and write of the debts from the peasants to boot is just fine
yours sincerely totally and utterly buggered (2 steps past confused)
no education keeps them stupid and will still grow rice for a pittance ie. no education
plus 30 baht healthcare keeps them fit longer to work for a pittance longer
so throw him out is ok
and therfore it is ok for the new opposition to offer land for free to some (and i think i know who will get it)
and write of the debts from the peasants to boot is just fine
yours sincerely totally and utterly buggered (2 steps past confused)
A Greatfull Guest of Thailand
He wasn't thrown out for what he did - he was ousted for what he didn't do - pay tax on sale of state assets totaling approx $2bn. That and a bunch of dodgy land deals that he swindled for his family. All the recent company clampdowns have been a direct result of that mans actions.
I'm not saying all that Mr T did was bad, he just got greedy and that was his downfall. He knew that farmers in Issan were easy pickings and he milked them, now in the run up to the elections they're all at it.
I'm not saying its good just because the Democrats are playing the same game, I just posted the article from the paper.
I'm not saying all that Mr T did was bad, he just got greedy and that was his downfall. He knew that farmers in Issan were easy pickings and he milked them, now in the run up to the elections they're all at it.
I'm not saying its good just because the Democrats are playing the same game, I just posted the article from the paper.
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
not having a go at you buksi but you have to agree that with the other article steve g posted ref the ministers in this present lot getting sacked plus the present head honcho under a cloud and then this article strikes me they are playing change the deckchairs and one word rules
HYPOCRACY
what is odd is how the rabid anti TRT falangs are so silent over this lots foibles
i felt mr t should go but he wasnt got rid of for the reason i think he should have gone for NO he was got rid of on corruption and vote buying and NOW the people that got rid of him play his cards to the tee as I fully expected this is thailand
yours sincerely slightly rogered
HYPOCRACY
what is odd is how the rabid anti TRT falangs are so silent over this lots foibles
i felt mr t should go but he wasnt got rid of for the reason i think he should have gone for NO he was got rid of on corruption and vote buying and NOW the people that got rid of him play his cards to the tee as I fully expected this is thailand
yours sincerely slightly rogered
A Greatfull Guest of Thailand
Absolutely, but they have far less money than he did so wont be able to buy as many tractors or mobile phonessargeant wrote:NOW the people that got rid of him play his cards to the tee as I fully expected this is thailand
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
Sarge wrote:
However some of the other points made don’t seem so unreasonable, particularly the promotion of other crop types in the Issan region. The area doesn’t have a sufficient amount of annual rainfall to support commercial rice farming, so the people need some help to convert to cash crops such as sugar or tapioca. This would get people away from the grinding poverty cycle of subsistence paddy farming.
As far as the promotion of industry goes, I’ve observed that the construction of new roads has been beneficial in this respect and any further help would quicken the process.
Sarge, this proposed land grab is the part that left me thinking along the same lines; it would be abused massively....and therfore it is ok for the new opposition to offer land for free to some (and i think i know who will get it)
However some of the other points made don’t seem so unreasonable, particularly the promotion of other crop types in the Issan region. The area doesn’t have a sufficient amount of annual rainfall to support commercial rice farming, so the people need some help to convert to cash crops such as sugar or tapioca. This would get people away from the grinding poverty cycle of subsistence paddy farming.
As far as the promotion of industry goes, I’ve observed that the construction of new roads has been beneficial in this respect and any further help would quicken the process.
Steve i agree wholeheartedly so i will make it clear my view is that it was his foreign policy and the sending of thai soldiers to iraq and the problems in the south which followed he should have gone for (never mentioned by the anti TRT farangs)NOT corruption or vote buying that is just business as normal (at least he initially used his own money)
corruption is endemic in virtually all asian countries and all that happens is the snouts in the trough change
It was the rabid falangs that got to me because one cannot equate western politics/democracy with here, and iraq is spelling that out in spades as well
What jerks me is the very vocal farangs are not so vocal about what they have now in its place which shows a lack of consistency which is breathtaking
The saying be ware of what you wish for rings so true
Leave it to the thais they will sort it they understand it better than any farang could
corruption is endemic in virtually all asian countries and all that happens is the snouts in the trough change
It was the rabid falangs that got to me because one cannot equate western politics/democracy with here, and iraq is spelling that out in spades as well
What jerks me is the very vocal farangs are not so vocal about what they have now in its place which shows a lack of consistency which is breathtaking
The saying be ware of what you wish for rings so true
Leave it to the thais they will sort it they understand it better than any farang could
A Greatfull Guest of Thailand
Sarge, I think you'll find most farangs are anti TRT because they themselves were xenophobic and anti-farang, its got bugger all to do with Iraq.
The current junta are even more so and as far as I can see even less popular.
All the regular farangs that I have spoke to that live, work here and support families want is for the government to stop treating them like c**ts and making them jump through more hoops to achieve something that is a given in most other countries, simple as that.
wish I'd never posted the bloody article now, and apologies for the strong language 
The current junta are even more so and as far as I can see even less popular.
All the regular farangs that I have spoke to that live, work here and support families want is for the government to stop treating them like c**ts and making them jump through more hoops to achieve something that is a given in most other countries, simple as that.
wish I'd never posted the bloody article now, and apologies for the strong language Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
sargeant,
I am new to the website and do not live in Hua Hin, though I have in the past. I have read some of your posts with interest and wish to enquire if you are some sort of oracle for both the Thai and fallang communities? You certainly seem to find your own opinion captivating and the only one to be agreed with. Do you have some form of official support in helping the wayward fallang see the true path?
I agree with buksida in his last post, in everything but the latter part. I am glad he posted the thread. It has been most illuminating. Other than that, I think he has been completely "spot on".
I am new to the website and do not live in Hua Hin, though I have in the past. I have read some of your posts with interest and wish to enquire if you are some sort of oracle for both the Thai and fallang communities? You certainly seem to find your own opinion captivating and the only one to be agreed with. Do you have some form of official support in helping the wayward fallang see the true path?
I agree with buksida in his last post, in everything but the latter part. I am glad he posted the thread. It has been most illuminating. Other than that, I think he has been completely "spot on".
Ganymede buksi is showing very well that my opinion is not necessarily agreed with. I have no problem with putting my point of view or anyone disagreeing with it i do have a problem with people that disagree and then accuse me of trying to force my opinion when i fail to agree with their opinion. It is they that are trying to force their opinion on me
this town grew at a horrendous rate far to fast for the infrastructure to keep up under TRT and the number of falangs living here Pattaya Phuket Koh Somui and still getting visas does not IMHO support the xenophobic conclusion as for the "given in other countries" i just wish we had done similar in my home country i would be a hypocrite to disagree with thailand doing it and a hypocrite is something i try exceedingly hard not to be i leave that to others
on another thread running at this moment it was proposed that thailand should vet everyone coming here guess what i agree
I have agreed with buksi there should come a point after a number of years that the visa regulations should be easier for those that have proved that they contribute to thailand but that is up to the thai people
As buksi quite correctly says this new lot seem to be worse
all i am pointing out is the anti TRT got what they wished for
As for visas i will still maintain that was as a direct result of American Xenephobia/pressure after 9/11 hardly fair to blame it solely on TRT after all who do you think supplied and payed for all the computers in immigration
Lastly TRT (good or bad) had and according to the link steve G supplied still have over 50% of the popular vote
i am still a GREAT believer in majority rule/DEMOCRACY or is that umwah forcing an unagreeable opinion again let me say you may all feel free to disagree
I even had to live a good few years under wilson callaghan and john major diabolical when people have the audacity to not agree with me and vote the other side and that was my own country
this town grew at a horrendous rate far to fast for the infrastructure to keep up under TRT and the number of falangs living here Pattaya Phuket Koh Somui and still getting visas does not IMHO support the xenophobic conclusion as for the "given in other countries" i just wish we had done similar in my home country i would be a hypocrite to disagree with thailand doing it and a hypocrite is something i try exceedingly hard not to be i leave that to others
on another thread running at this moment it was proposed that thailand should vet everyone coming here guess what i agree
I have agreed with buksi there should come a point after a number of years that the visa regulations should be easier for those that have proved that they contribute to thailand but that is up to the thai people
As buksi quite correctly says this new lot seem to be worse
all i am pointing out is the anti TRT got what they wished for
As for visas i will still maintain that was as a direct result of American Xenephobia/pressure after 9/11 hardly fair to blame it solely on TRT after all who do you think supplied and payed for all the computers in immigration
Lastly TRT (good or bad) had and according to the link steve G supplied still have over 50% of the popular vote
i am still a GREAT believer in majority rule/DEMOCRACY or is that umwah forcing an unagreeable opinion again let me say you may all feel free to disagree
I even had to live a good few years under wilson callaghan and john major diabolical when people have the audacity to not agree with me and vote the other side and that was my own country
A Greatfull Guest of Thailand