ISDS Case Map
Thailand
The decision of the interim government to sign the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement (Jtepa) spells doom for most small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which have low competitiveness compared to Japanese high-technology industries, some key Thai industries say.
Critics of tomorrow's signing say the interim Thai government has broken promises and failed to reveal details of the pact, but the biggest question they have is why Surayud is in such a hurry
A group of Thai non-governmental organisations led by FTA Watch yesterday launched a campaign against the Surayud government over its plan to sign a free-trade pact with Japan tomorrow. The Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement will cause tremendous damage to a massive number of farmers and allow a foreign country to take over the country's biological resources, while only a few exporters would benefit, they said.
From our standpoint, upcoming Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Thailand and Japan involves big problems which will bring misery of people in both countries.
Thailand's powerful business groups have thrown their full support behind government plans to sign a free trade agreement with Japan, believing the deal will increase exports to Japan by more than US$1 billion in the first year alone.
The Joint Private-Sector Committee has supported the government's decision to sign the Japan and Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement (JTEPA), saying Thailand would lose a market share in Japan if the signing was cancelled or postponed.
Pakistan and Thailand will establish a joint bank and trade centre to promote bilateral trade and investment, said Punjab Trade & Investment minister here Friday.
The troubled military-appointed government in Thailand has said that it will go ahead with the signing of a free-trade deal with Japan on April 3rd. Although welcomed by some local sectors, the move risks further damaging the interim government's credibility, as concerns have been raised over whether the government has overstepped its authority and also that it has failed to follow up on its promise to hold public hearings on the issue.
The Administrative Court yesterday turned down a petition by a group of Thai non-government groups to block a free-trade deal with Japan, saying the issue was beyond its jurisdiction.
Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont has said Japan and Thailand will sign a free-trade agreement next week during his visit.
