bilaterals.org logo
bilaterals.org logo
  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

US-Thailand: Talks could slow over plant and drug issues
19-Feb-2006     Bangkok Post
Differences over pharmaceuticals could be overcome, but the countries are far from reaching a common understanding on biodiversity issues.
Thailand-US FTA talks likely to extend beyond April
19-Feb-2006     MCOT
Although the local political situation has become heated, with rumours on dissolving the parliament prevaling in the country, the Thai-US negotiations will continue, Naris Chaiyasoot, Director General of the Ministry of Finance's Fiscal Policy Office, said.
US meets resistance on full access to finance
18-Feb-2006    
A seminar heard yesterday that although US negotiators had asked Thailand to fully deregulate its financial services and allow US investors unrestricted stakes in the brokering and banking sectors, Bangkok was insisting that the sector was not ready to face direct competition.
Free trade could cost plenty
18-Feb-2006     Bangkok Post
Supara Janchitfah looks at the rules of the Thai-US FTA negotiation process and finds them more favourable to the American side.
Govt opens FTA dialogue
14-Feb-2006    
Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak asked academics to keep an open mind on the proposed Thai-US Free Trade Area agreement, saying that the FTA would benefit the two countries equally.
Anti-Thaksin rally: Coalition gains momentum
11-Feb-2006     The Nation
The new Royal Plaza alliance of senators and civic groups has boosted the credibility of the movement to oust Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and produced an array of new issues from free trade to human rights violations and the plight of the rural poor
Don't rush to sign FTA, Nesac warns
9-Feb-2006    
The National Economic and Social Advisory Council yesterday warned the prime minister not to let the immediate gains from opening trades with the US blind him to the latent risks of rushing into an economic partnership.
FTA Watch adamant Thailand-US FTA must be stopped
9-Feb-2006     FTA Watch
On 7 February 2006, the FTA Watch warned about the catastrophe that would arise from the US's FTA proposal to Thailand on Intellectual Property Rights which was submitted in the sixth round of negotiations.
‘Secret' FTA details on the Net
8-Feb-2006    
Details of US proposals in free-trade talks with Thailand - perceived by many Thais as “forbidden information” the government has tried to cover up - were recently posted for all to see in cyberspace. Witoon Leanchamroon, director of BioThai, a non-government organisation working for bio-diversity and community rights, said at a press conference yesterday he had been told a group of Americans involved in public health issues had posted a full text of the patent chapter from the Thai-US free trade talks at www.bilaterals.org.
Draft amendment to patent law a 'sell-out'
8-Feb-2006     Bangkok Post
Opponents of a free trade area (FTA) agreement with the US have lashed out at the government's proposed amendment of Thai patent law to facilitate the United States' patenting of drugs and living organisms in Thailand. They fear it would lead to greater control of the country's resources by American firms.

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.