The issue of rice is once again turning into a political hot potato in Thailand

...typical news reporting: better to note that, in the current situation, those in power have no consequences to fear...and intend to keep it that way...a stone-cold potato, if anything...

You might well be right there Micksaraphee pay farmers not to grow rice. Leave their fields fallow for a while so the soil can recover after crop growing year after year. Many Governments do this. All Governments subsidise their farmers to some extent, some do it to the tune of billions of dollars a year (USA eg). The only Country that I know of that that doesn't subsidise farmers is New Zealand, but it is said that if you need subsidies in that fertile land with it's small population you shouldn't be a farmer.
It's all very well saying that rice farmers should diversify. Diversify into what? Up her on the Khorat plateau the soils are thin and p**s poor, you just can't drop a seed into the ground and expect it to grown. Apart from rice cassava, sugar cane and rubber (if you're prepared to wait 7 years)what are the alternatives. Some years ago there were some successful vegetable growing (garlic for instance) but these were forced out of existence by huge companies like CP Foods importing cheaper vegetables from China.

Every country has some sort of problem when it comes to farming, usually to do with price/income issues.
Thailand is not alone, just has a funny way of dealing with their problems, like the Rice Scam for instance. That was one of the funniest ones I have ever seen. A real "cracker".

            Most rice farmers are up to their eyeballs in debt already - where are they going to get money to purchase or build a resort? They'd be lucky to get a job as a waiter or gardener at one.
            If you want the rice farmers to diversify you can't just say 'grow another crop' it's far more complicated than that. When you have the mindset of doing something for hundreds of years it's very hard to change. Education in the form of re-training is the answer. Imagine if you went to a cotton farmer in America and said 'there's an oversupply of cotton - grow corn'. The farmer at first wouldn't have a clue. What's with growing corn, what type, what fertilisers' how do I market it, what new harvesting equipment do I need and what does it cost? the list is endless.
           The cotton farmer that has been growing cotton for hundreds of years would have to back to school to learn to grow maize. In addition he would need funds to purchase equipment for the change. What happens to the old cotton growing equipment? The same scenario exists here in Thailand. In all the years I've lived here I have never ever seen a Government advisory team actually coming to into the field and and advising on the growing of crops, just year after year of government handouts whether they be for flood, drought, or low prices. It's no wonder that the average rice farmer is unmotivated to change, why should he. If you want them to change they must be educated as to how to do it and be given monetary assistance to help them to make the move.

Who needs Adam Smith, welcome to the King Canute school of economics.
Welcome to globalisation.
Protectionism and self interets.

What was the outcome of Asean?
Welcome to closed shops and monopolies.