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  1. Negotiations

US-Thailand


The US and Thailand started negotiations on a comprehensive bilateral free trade agreement in June 2004.

Like other recent bilateral free trade agreements with the US, the US-Thailand FTA will cover investment, services, government procurement, intellectual property, as well as agriculture. Many expect it to be modeled on the US-Singapore FTA.

The negotiations have attracted strong opposition and concern among many Thai social movements, farmers to people with HIV/AIDS. A broad civil society coalition, FTA Watch, was formed at the outset to closely monitor the process from a public interest perspective. (Likewise, business interests set up their own US-Thai FTA Coalition.) Under the banner of "sovereignty not for sale!", key issues of popular concern include access to medicine, GMOs in agriculture and patents on life.

The last round of talks took place in Chiang Mai in January 2006 with 10,000 people protesting in the streets and disrupting the meeting. Negotiations have not resumed since.

last update: May 2012

Trade pact with the US 'depends on Thailand'
10-Mar-2010     Bangkok Post
"There is no question that President Obama's efforts to at least start talking to a few countries in Asia about a free trade agreement are the right step. Whether Thailand is ready to engage with the US in a free trade discussion is really a question for the Thais themselves," says the president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand.
Thai PM says not sure when Thai-US FTA talks to resume
24-Sep-2009     Xinhua
It is not yet clear when talks over the free trade agreement (FTA) between Thailand and the US will resume, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said from the US on Wednesday
FTA talks with the US to be revived
5-Feb-2009     The Nation
Thailand and the United States will resume free-trade agreement talks after a three-year suspension of negotiations, as concerns over slumping economic growth affect the two nations' overall trading prospects.
IPR violations high on Bush visit agenda
30-Jul-2008     IPS
Bush's farewell visit to Thailand next week stirs up discussions of the proposed US-Thailand FTA
Thailand, US to resume free trade talks - official
24-Jun-2008     Thompson Financial
Thailand plans to resume free trade talks with the United States, which were put on hold after a military coup in 2006, a Thai government spokesperson said today.
Guardian not put off by FTA woes
29-Apr-2008    
Guardian Industry, one of the world's largest manufacturers of float glass and fabricated glass products, is confident of expanding its investment in Thailand despite the failure of talks on a free-trade pact between Thailand and the United States.
Bid to revive FTA talks with us
4-Apr-2008    
The Commerce Ministry yesterday indicated to the United States that it is ready to resume talks on a free-trade agreement (FTA) as concerns mount that Thailand may lose its competitive edge to export rivals.
Thailand: Private sector urges revival of FTA talks
31-Jan-2008     Bangkok Post
Thai business leaders are urging the new government to press forward with bilateral free trade negotiations with the United States, aiming to receive more preferential treatment than rival countries.
US still interested in Thai free trade deal
24-Jul-2007     The Raw Story
The United States is still interested in a free trade deal with Thailand, the US embassy said Tuesday, adding that a top trade official had been misquoted as saying the deal was off.
End to US FTA talks won't affect trade, says commerce chief
24-Jul-2007    
The current level of trade between the United States and Thailand will not be negatively affected if Washington ends the free trade area (FTA) negotiations with Thailand as previously reported, according to Permanent Secretary for Commerce Karun Kittisathaporn.

Referenced sites

Citizen's Trade Campaign: US-Thailand FTA

A US campaign website on the Thai-US FTA

FTA Watch

A coalition of activists, lawyers, NGOs, social movements and labour groups monitoring the US-Thailand FTA negotiations.