Thailand-Japan FTA off until 2007
Bangkok Post | 17 May 2006
Thailand-Japan FTA off until 2007
The signing of the Thai-Japanese Free Trade Agreement seems unlikely to happen before next year.
Permanent Secretary for Commerce Karun Kittisataporn said the Thai-Japanese FTA will be signed only after the new Thai government takes office.
This almost certainly means that it has to be postponed again to next year, from late this year, as the new general election is likely to be put off until later this year. No date has been set but the Election Commission has suggested Oct 22.
Because of the country’s political turmoil early this year, Mr Karun noted, the signing of the Thai-Japanese FTA was once postponed from April to late this year.
"It’s expected that the Thai-Japanese FTA pact will be inked some time next year," he said.
"However, two-way trade between Thailand and Japan has continued smoothly despite the delayed signing of the bilateral FTA," the permanent secretary said.
Thai and Japanese negotiators have already concluded the bilateral FTA talks. - (TNA)
