Corn Farmers Block Nan-Phrae Road

[Flashermac]

Corn farmers have set up a blockade at Huay Nam Onn in Wiang Sa district of Nan province, blocking the Nan-Phrae highway, reports said.

 

The farmers set up the blockade of Highway 101 at 5pm on Wednesday after authorities failed to respond to their demands to tackle low corn prices.

 

More than 200 farmers began to rally in Nan yesterday, demanding the government extend its corn price guarantee programme for an extra four months. The programme, which began last month, is due to end in December.

 

The programme guarantees the price of maize with 30% moisture at eight baht per kilogramme and at 10 baht/kg for grain with 14.5% moisture.

 

The blockade made the main road to Nan impassable. Tour bus passengers had to walk past the protesters to board new buses waiting on the other side of the road block. Cargo trucks were forced to park up on the roadside.

 

Farmers vowed to continue to rally until Deputy Commerce Minister Yanyong Puangraj and Pheu Thai MP for Nan Cholanan Srikaew come to meet them with an answer to their requests.

 

Pol Maj Gen Narongchai Wongsami, the Nan police chief, issue an announcement telling motorists to avoid Highway 101 and instead take alternative routes 1091, 1120 and 1154 (Muang Nan - Ban Luang - Chiang Muan - Song - Muang Phrae).

 

 

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/371615/corn-farmers-block-highway-101-demanding-help-from-government

[The_Munchmaster]

Pol Maj Gen Narongchai Wongsami, the Nan police chief, issue an announcement telling motorists to avoid Highway 101 and instead take alternative routes 1091, 1120 and 1154 (Muang Nan - Ban Luang - Chiang Muan - Song - Muang Phrae).

 

Instead of telling people to take other routes why don't the police do their job and clear the blockade? Seems like anyone in LOS who has a grievance thinks its OK to disrupt other peoples lives.

[StoneSoup]

Let's see - we've had - in turn - rice farmers, then pork producers, then rubber farmers, and now corn farmers turn to mob rule, to protest their situation - and in every case the government has responded with placating policies. Thailand is now addicted to mob rule to get any policies changed. That certainly bodes well for smooth commerce in the future (!).

 

Let's see - what will be the next group to take to the streets, to intimidate the government into bribing them to go away? Egg producers? Taxi drivers? Dairy farmers? Gold miners?

[Flashermac]

Many of us in Bangkok are watching in delight, since the Big Boss in Dubai started the whole thing. He had the Pheu Thai government pay rice growers 40% over the market price for their crop to guarantee their votes. So why shouldn't every other farmer demand the same thing? Are rice farmers' votes worth more than any other farmers'? At first it was just the rubber planters in the South, who could be ignored since they vote Democrat. But now the protests are spreading deep into the red shirt provinces. It is fun to work PT squirm and try to make excuses.

[cavanami]

Let's see - we've had - in turn - rice farmers, then pork producers, then rubber farmers, and now corn farmers turn to mob rule, to protest their situation - and in every case the government has responded with placating policies. Thailand is now addicted to mob rule to get any policies changed. That certainly bodes well for smooth commerce in the future (!).

 

Let's see - what will be the next group to take to the streets, to intimidate the government into bribing them to go away? Egg producers? Taxi drivers? Dairy farmers? Gold miners?

 

...people who like to do it doggie style, people who don't like to do it doggie style, go-go ladies, coyote dancers...the list goes on...

[StoneSoup]

Well, if you had "Elephant Mahouts" as the next aggrieved party to threaten mob action, you are the winner:

 

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/371664/mahouts-threaten-protest-march-to-bangkok

 

AYUTTHAYA ― Operators of private elephant shelters on Thursday are preparing to march on Bangkok with their animals to protest a proposed amendment to the Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act which they said was drafted without their participation.

[Coss]

"Farmers vowed to continue to rally until Deputy Commerce Minister Yanyong Puangraj and Pheu Thai MP for Nan Cholanan Srikaew come to meet them with an answer to their requests."

 

Well I don't think that'll happen, they might send a flood instead?