Farmers listen to a speaker as they sit outside the Agriculture Ministry in Bangkok yesterday. They want help to pay their debts and banks stopped from seizing their assets.

"The harder we try [to get help], the more we're laughed at," said a farmer among the group that has been camped outside Government House for more than two weeks.

With nearly 1,000 indebted farmers rallying at the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry yesterday, Minister Thira Sutabutra promised to take their plea for help to today's Cabinet meeting and try to talk banks out of seizing their assets.

The farmers called on the government to prevent banks from seizing and auctioning their land. They demanded help paying their debts with the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives and other financial institutions.

Thira said he would ask the Council of State to rule on who was authorised to approve the transfer of another Bt900 million to the Farmers' Rehabilitation and Development Fund's Bt1.2-billion fund so it could keep buying farmers' debts from moneylenders and pay for the election of a new board.

Meanwhile, the 600 or so members of the People's Network from Four Regions camped outside Government House appeared to be increasingly desperate.

After more than two weeks waiting for help they said they would move to Laos tomorrow if the government does not help them today.

"The government is insincere and still ignores our problems, therefore we have to go [to Laos]," network leader for the Northeast Prapat Ngoksungnern said bitterly.

They have been waiting for two years for help with their debts, member Wanlope Keawpikul said.

They came to Government House hoping Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont would help them, Wanlope said.

"The government seems insincere; we can't wait any more."

Saichai Kirdmongkon,

Jakrapan Seebunruang

The Nation