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Japan-Thailand

The Japanese and Thai governments started exploring a possible bilateral FTA in 2001-2002, but official negotiations didn’t start until February 2004. They concluded their talks in April 2007 and the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement (JTEPA) came into force on 1 November 2007.

The FTA is comprehensive, covering trade in goods and services, investment, intellectual property rights, agriculture, competition policy, etc.

It was strongly opposed by social movements both in Thailand and Japan. Thai groups mobilised against the FTA’s provisions on patenting life forms, toxic wastes and investment. One special concern was that the Japanese would take advantage of the deal not to ship Thai healthworkers to Japan (as under Japan’s FTAs with the Philippines and Indonesia) but to operate an exclusive health facility in Thailand, for Japanese people, who would be flown in to avail of the best medical personnel Thailand has to offer — who would then be unavailable to treat poorer Thai citizens. A major row also erupted around the legalities of Thailand’s interim military regime pushing through the ratification and entry into force of the deal during their hold on the country after the September 2006 coup. Japanese groups mobilised particularly on the potential of the deal to increase Japan’s exports of toxic waste to Thailand.

last update: May 2012
Photo: Paul the Seeker / CC BY 2.0


Legal expert warns Thai-Japan trade pact could be invalid
The signing of the Japan-Thailand free trade agreement in Tokyo tomorrow could eventually be proven invalid as the signing process is unconstitutional, a legal expert said yesterday. Thammasat University law lecturer Banjerd Singkhaneti said the interim constitution did not authorise the coup-installed government to sign the bilateral trade pact, also known as the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement (JTEPA).
FTA with Japan seen as a threat to SMEs
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.
What’s the rush to ink FTA with Japan?
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
Signing of FTA is like policy corruption, NGOs tell govt
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.
Letter from Japanese farmers to Prime Minister of Thailand
From our standpoint, upcoming Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Thailand and Japan involves big problems which will bring misery of people in both countries.
Businesses back trade pact
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.
Private sector fully supports signing of Japan-Thailand FTA
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.
Dealing with the generals
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.
Court rejects petition against FTA
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 leader to visit, sign FTA with Abe next week
Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont has said Japan and Thailand will sign a free-trade agreement next week during his visit.