The fact that Thailand has enough grains to feed everyone in the country but still has those who do not have enough to eat, is a conflict in the local areas of the country.
the King Bhumibol Adulyadej is aware of the poverty and the troubles of Thai farmers, especially in terms of “rice”.
In 1976, His Majesty the King visited the Karen people in Amphoe Chom Thong, Chiang Mai Province and granted rice paddies to the many village headmen to start a “rice bank” for their communities. His Majesty the King also gave advice to the Karen people, suggesting that a few selected villagers form a committee to oversee the amount of rice given out on loan and received and to manage the “rice bank” account. Local villagers that need rice as food have to sign their names stating how much rice is being borrowed from the bank. When the villagers are able to collect enough rice, they then must return the rice to the rice bank as well as pay a small amount of interest as agreed upon with the committee. The rice that is the interest will be kept in the rice bank and will serve as food for everyone in the village.
The villagers must also help build a silo that is strong enough to store the rice. If the principles of the “rice bank” are followed, then there will be rice in the bank at all times and this amount will increase to the point that there will be enough food for everyone in the village as well as future generations. In the end, the rice bank will be a way of preserving the village’s benefits and will be an alternate food source for the people.
His Majesty the King’s “rice bank” vision became widespread until 1985. More than 4,300 rice banks have been set up around the country covering 57 provinces. And there is over 14.5 million kilograms of rice available in these rice banks. The principles of the “rice bank” can be altered to suit the problems and the different needs of each region or area. For example, how service is provided by the rice bank, which can be offered for nothing or for labor in return, can be determined as needed. And, if funding is required, the village or area can ask for support from the government.
The rice bank is a project set up to help with social welfare. The results of this project are similar to transferring income from the wealthy to the poor. It is a distribution of income that all parties benefit from. The people have a central source of rice that belongs to the village, from which the people can borrow rice for food or to use to cultivate. The villagers must pay interest, which is less than the interest that would have been paid to another merchant or tradesman. And this helps alleviate the troubles of the poor and needy and improves the social status and income of the farmers. This solution is effective and helps build a foundation for improving cooperation among the villagers so that they know how to deal with their problems effectively.