Rubber planters from four districts of Surat Thani province plan a major rally in front of the city hall on Tuesday to press the government to raise rubber prices to at least 80 baht per kilogramme for rubber sheet.
The announcement was made by on Sunday Pairote Rerkdee, a rubber farmer and lawyer of Ban Song in Surat Thani's Wiang Sa district who is coordinator of the "United Front of Rubber Planters of Ban Song and Allies in Surat Thani".
Mr Pairote said at least 200 planters from Phra Saeng, Wiang Sa, Khiansa and part of Phun Phin districts would gather in front of the provincial hall tomorrow from 9am.
The united front on Sunday also issued a second open letter to Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, leader of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), calling for government intervention by providing subsidies to raise the price paid for rubber.
The planters demanded at least 30 baht per kilogramme for rubber scraps, 70 baht for latex and 80 baht for rubber sheets.
Mr Pairote said growers and rubber tappers were really in trouble and sincerely needed help without any political agenda.
If the demand was not met, rubber planters from other districts would join the gathering, which would be escalated to a higher level, he said.
Mr Pairote said the government's subsidy of 1,000 baht per rai and interest-free loans to various cooperatives were not a solution to the problem at the root cause. What the rubber planters wanted was higher rubber prices, he added.
Gen Udomdej Sitabutr, the army chief and deputy prime minister, on Monday expressed concern over this matter.
He said the government had taken several measures to shore up rubber prices such as by promoting use of rubber inside the country in addition to exports. With these measures, he believed rubber prices would gradually improve.
Gen Udomdej pleaded for understanding from the rubber planters, saying the government needed time to solve the problem, which had festered for a long time.