Pheu Thai’s Srettha promises to triple the income of farmers
Property tycoon-turned-politician Srettha Thavisin announced on Friday that a key campaign promise of the main opposition party, Pheu Thai, is tripling the income of Thai farmers.
Srettha is a key adviser to the party and is expected to be one of its candidates for prime minister in the next general election.
When asked whether the controversial rice-pledging scheme implemented by Pheu Thai before it was deposed in the 2014 coup would be revived if it returned to power, he said only that the party was looking at the “net income in farmers’ pockets” while the rice-pledging scheme focused on the price of rice.
“Our policy today is to generally put money in farmers’ pockets so that it is increased by three times,” Srettha said during a visit to Ayutthaya province on Friday.
It was his first visit to a province as the chief adviser to Paetongtarn Shinawatra, head of Pheu Thai Family – a position said to be created for her.
Paetongtarn is the youngest daughter of Pheu Thai patriarch and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who has been living in self-exile since fleeing the country in 2008. Thaksin has since been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for abuse of power and corruption.
Srettha, the former president and chief executive of real-estate developer Sansiri Plc, on Friday met with local residents in Ayutthaya – most of whom were farmers – to hear their concerns, which included high fertiliser prices and low rice prices.
If Pheu Thai candidates win every constituency seat in the province, it will pave the way for the party to return to power, he said, adding that the party has “some innovative” policies to help boost rice prices.
“Pheu Thai’s duty is to make the money in your pockets increase by three times when we are in government – from 1,000 baht to 3,000 baht. We must raise the rice prices while reducing the costs and increasing output at the same time,” he said.
Pheu Thai will promote the use of locally produced organic fertiliser to reduce reliance on expensive fertilisers, Srettha said.
The party will build irrigation canals and reservoirs to store rainwater and prevent flooding, he said. It will also alleviate the debt problem farmers face, Srettha said.
Pheu Thai will focus on stimulating the economy and will announce a “new and big exciting” policy platform to accomplish this goal on March 17, he said.
