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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

A US Free Trade Agreement could threaten access to medicine in Thailand
26-Apr-2006     Oxfam
New stringent drug patent and marketing rules being negotiated in a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the US and Thailand would limit competition and reduce access to affordable medicines in Thailand.
Americans offer to help with talks
20-Apr-2006     Bangkok Post
American businesses have offered help in lobbying the US Congress to allow talks on the Thai-US free-trade agreement to move forward, according to the Thai Chamber of Commerce.
DPM instructs postponement of US-Thai FTA talks
18-Apr-2006     MCOT
Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak on Monday revealed that he had instructed postponement of negotiations for the proposed free trade area (FTA) agreement between the United States and Thailand until the new government is formed.
Nesac urges caution over US FTA talks
17-Apr-2006     Bangkok Post
Thailand's National Economic and Social Advisory Council has urged the government to delay free trade negotiations with the US on financial services and take intellectual property rights and agriculture liberalisation off the agenda.
Oxfam warns of FTA blow to Thai farmers
12-Apr-2006     Bangkok Post
The livelihoods of Thai farmers might be put into jeopardy if the free trade area agreement (FTA) between the US and Thailand is put in place, warned Oxfam America, a humanitarian organisation.
Shrimp farmers demand Thai lawsuit against US at WTO
30-Mar-2006     Asia Pulse
The shrimpers asked the Commerce Ministry to take the case to the WTO within three days, or breeders from across the country will assemble at the Commerce Ministry to seek justice and to protest against the Thai-US Free Trade Area (FTA) negotiations.
Rural Pharmacists call to oust Thaksin
6-Mar-2006    
The Rural Pharmacists Club issued a statement on Sunday calling for caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to resign and said the prime minister should face an investigation by independent committee over his alleged attempts to amend law to allow foreign companies to take over the country's vital state enterprises.
Thailand suspends US free trade talks due to poll
1-Mar-2006     Reuters
Thailand has suspended free trade talks with the United States and delayed signing a deal with Japan until after an April 2 election called by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, officials said on Wednesday.
Trade negotiations command attention
28-Feb-2006     Bangkok Post
Amidst the promises of positive benefits of FTAs to Thailand, more and more citizens are raising questions, especially in relation to the services and investment sectors.
American Ambassador: It's no secret
24-Feb-2006     Bangkok Post
When the former head of the Thai negotiating team, Nitya Pibulsonggram, was asked why the Thai-US trade deals must be kept confidential, he told journalists that he was asked by the US negotiation team to initial the agreements, but that he refused to do so. We asked US Ambassador to Thailand Ralph Boyce some questions concerning the confidentiality of the Free Trade Agreement.

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.