Thailand Trade Agreement With Us
Critics of Congress also doubt the wisdom of negotiating a trade deal with Thailand if the current government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra pursues a shocking policy in several areas. Some members of Congress criticized Thaksin`s close relationship with the military dictatorship of neighboring Burma. Thaksin has been the subject of international condemnation by the United Nations and other institutions, governments and human rights monitors for the fight against drugs, which has claimed up to 3,000 lives. Thaksin was also criticized for consolidating a significant part of the media under his control. The U.S. business community founded the FTA American Business Coalition. The role of the coalition will be to work towards a bonus agreement and to ensure that the interests of the U.S. economy are well represented. It will also work to ensure that both parties to the negotiations focus on concluding the agreement in a timely manner and on adopting the agreement through the necessary government processes. The coalition will also be a major source of educational information on the agreement, the importance of U.S.-Thailand relations and the benefits of an agreement for U.S. industry, services and agriculture. The groups that defend the trade and investment agreement are Unocal, General Motors and Nike. US – Thailand Press for Trade Pact Bloomberg, September 20, 2005 Trade pacts may lead to legal changes Bangkok Post, 25 January 2005 Academics have called for the temporary suspension of the free trade agreement with US TNA, 13 November 2004 `FTA offers more risks than profits` The Nation (Thailand), 27 September 2004 FTA on the course with the United States, says Minister Thai The Straits Times, September 2, September 2.
2004 Thailand`s Free Trade Tactics Under Fire Asia Times, July 7, 2004 U.S., Thailand Eye Free Trade Washington Times, July 2, 2004 300 Thais Protest Against FTAs Herald Sun, 28 June 2 Anti-FTA Planning Rally The Nation (Thailand), 28 June 2004 Conclusion of a trade pact with the United States No Simple Task The Nation (Thailand), 28 June 2004 Article – Free Trade Declarations with the United States Will Violate Health Care Inter Press Service, 31 January 2006 Thailand must protect access to Medecins Sans Frontieres 11 medicines. January, 2006 Democrats Join FTA Critics Bangkok Post, 8 January 2005 Thailand provides cheap anti-AIDS drugs Agence France Presse, 4 October 2004 Call to Bar Medicines Pact The Nation (Thailand), 10 September 2004 France accuses the United States of extorting AIDS Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2004 FTA with the United States. Thai Cheap AIDS Drug Threat The Straits Times, 13 July 2004 „Patent holders should set up for the poor” The Nation (Thailand), 9. July 2004 Freer Trade Weakens Access to HIV/AIDS Drugs Inter Press Service, May 21, 2004 Thailand Angers Hollywood P2Pnet, April 5, 2004 Thai and U.S. AIDS Activists Against Bilateral Trade Trade Health GAP, October 19, 2003, Thailand is the 25th largest U.S. export market with the United States.