Buriram Farmers Guard Rice Harvest Overnight as Thefts Surge
Farmers in Buriram's Satuek district are forced to guard their harvested rice overnight due to a spike in thefts driven by high paddy prices of 14 baht per kilogram. With production costs for fertilizer, fuel, and harvesting already soaring, growers say they cannot afford to lose their crops and are sleeping in tents beside drying piles. They urge thieves to stop targeting their livelihoods.
Farmers' distress: after finishing harvest, they must pitch tents and guard their rice all night as thieves run rampant. They already face soaring costs for fertilizer, fuel, and harvesting – please don't come back to steal again.
November 8, 2026 – Reporters say farmers in several villages in Satuek district, Buriram province, are in the middle of harvesting. They spread paddy rice along roadsides and open fields to dry before storing in silos or selling to mills and rice factories. However, the worry is thieves stealing paddy rice because this year's purchase price is higher than previous years, averaging 14 baht per kilogram (14,000 baht per ton). This has led many farmers to invest in tents, mosquito nets, and bedding to guard their rice all night.
Ms. Paeng Yingram, 65, says her family farms 18 rai and is currently harvesting. During the drying period, her younger brother must pitch a tent and guard every night for fear of thieves, because producing each grain requires immense physical effort and large investment.
Another farmer says this year's early-season paddy prices are quite high, so they must be extra vigilant to prevent thieves from stealing the year's hard work. They want to tell thieves that farmers face rising production costs – fertilizer, plowing, harvesting, fuel – and still have to stay awake guarding rice when they should be resting after a season of toil. Don't steal rice again.
