14-Sep-2005
Bangkok Post
The free trade agreement with the United States threatens Thailand’s ecological biodiversity and cultural uniqueness, researchers warned yesterday. Visut Baimai, director of the Biodiversity Research and Training Programme, said he feared the FTA would accelerate deforestation to grow profitable single-crop plantations. This, he said, could undermine both the ecosystem and sustainable economic development.
14-Sep-2005
MCOT
The Thai government should seek a consensus from the public before signing a free trade area (FTA) agreement with the United States, according to a leading academic.
12-Sep-2005
Bangkok Post
Thailand’s trade deficit with China could be as high as $2 billion in 2018, when the Asean-China free trade area (FTA) agreement becomes fully operational, a study by Chulalongkorn University shows.
10-Sep-2005
Bangkok Post
Thailand should be more aggressive in its response to the US push for environmental and labour protection under the bilateral free trade area (FTA) agreement, a seminar sponsored by the Thailand Research Fund (TRF) was told.
10-Sep-2005
Bangkok Post
On liberalising services and investment, Thailand insists on adopting a "positive list" approach, where only those sectors explicitly outlined in the agreement would be opened. The US insists on a "negative list", under which all sectors are on the table except those listed as sensitive.
9-Sep-2005
Thailand is looking at increasing the number of items under the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and China to 5,000 from the present 82. Besides, due to the existing FTA between the two countries, it also expects the bilateral trade to grow to around $5 billion from the present $3 billion.
6-Sep-2005
This booklet by FTA Watch is aimed at disseminating information to international
civil society for the purpose of sharing the analyses and experience of the
FTA struggle in Thailand.
5-Sep-2005
The political leaders of Thailand and Japan met last week in Tokyo to clear away some hurdles in the important negotiations for a bilateral Free Trade Agreement. This FTA, like others recently signed and vaunted by the government, is slightly misnamed because they do not even aim at actual, laissez-faire commerce.
3-Sep-2005
MOFA
On 1 September 2005, Mr. Junichiro Koizumi, Prime Minister of Japan and Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand met in Tokyo to jointly announce that agreement in principle has been reached between the Japanese side and the Thai side on all major elements of the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement, on the basis of a series of negotiations since February 2004.
2-Sep-2005
Thailand is preparing briefing papers for the technical round of the US-Thailand free trade area (FTA) agreement talks that will make clear the country will not open satellite-based international telecom services or direct broadcasting in the near future.
2-Sep-2005
Japan Times
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and his visiting Thai counterpart, Thaksin Shinawatra, agreed Thursday on a basic accord to lower mutual trade barriers that left key decisions on high tariffs on Japanese cars and Thai rice unresolved.
26-Aug-2005
As part of efforts to promote free trade agreements (FTA) with Asian countries, Japan will step up such industrial aid as technical cooperation and personnel development for their automotive sectors.
23-Aug-2005
The free trade talks between Thailand and Japan are approaching a crucial step, with officials preparing to address the origin of products, the last and thorniest issue on the agenda.
19-Aug-2005
It was meant to be the big breakthrough for Australian exporters — but official statistics show Australia’s exports to the US have fallen by 3 per cent since the start of the US free trade agreement.
14-Aug-2005
NHRC
The National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRC) has expressed its concern over ongoing negotiations on the Thai-US Free Trade Agreement, particularly on the issues of intellectual property rights.
12-Aug-2005
The high-level negotiating team from Thailand that visited New Delhi recently was unable to break the impasse on the India-Thailand free trade agreement.
12-Aug-2005
Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak said yesterday Thailand will definitely gain more than it will lose from a planned free-trade agreement with Japan because of probable greater investments and higher exports in the long term.
12-Aug-2005
There is more than meets the eye in the Thai-Japan free trade agreement. It may spawn benefits for more car models.
12-Aug-2005
Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak - under pressure from local businesses - yesterday assured them that the government would not sign a free-trade pact with Japan unless it is satisfied with terms concerning rules of origin for farm goods.
11-Aug-2005
Asia Times
Thailand intends to focus more on increasing regional trade links since bilateral deals with the US and European nations may take years to complete, according to Thai officials.
