This was surprising worried about free trade agreements how about we make an even trading field, remove the 200% import fee on large motorcycles, grant ownership rights on a equal basis. Thn there might omethinto talk about. I'm afraid our hosts at times juswant to tke and give very little in return.
"Trade concerns
Web www.bangkokpost.com
By Phusadee Arunmas and Parista Yuthamanop
Thai exporters do not share the worldwide enthusiasm for US presidential hopeful Barack Obama, fearing his US trade policies will hurt Thai exports to the American market.
They believe that a Democratic government could pose more difficulties for Thai exports than a Republican administration.
Mr Obama has been leading his Republican rival John McCain in most opinion polls ahead of the election, although Mr McCain has vowed to fight to the end to win the White House.
Under Republican President George W Bush, the US has been pushing for a free trade agreement with Thailand and strongly criticised Thailand over intellectual property rights violations, which eventually led to Washington's decision to put Thailand on the Priority Watch List (PWL).
Deputy secretary-general of the Thai Chamber of Commerce Pornsil Patchrintanakul expected a tougher stance from Washington if Mr Obama wins the election.
Under Mr Obama, labour standards, environmental issues and the violation of intellectual property rights would be increasingly brought into focus when the US does business with other countries, Mr Pornsil said.
Thailand would remain on the PWL and would stand little chance of upgrading to a better trade status with the US, he added.
He also expected the talks on the Thai-US free trade agreement to have a very bumpy ride ahead, given that Mr Obama appears reluctant to support the free trade idea.
Mr Pornsil pointed to the North America Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) which has been blamed for large numbers of job losses in the US.
Chairman of the Food Processing Industry Club Paiboon Ponsuwanna said that since the US economy was in bad shape, Mr Obama wanted to ensure more exports to boost revenues and, at the same time, try to curb foreign imports into the country.
The US is a major export destination for Thailand, in addition to the European Union, Japan and markets in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
In the food sector alone, Thailand's exports to the US account for 15% of the total food export value of about 600 billion baht.
"Trade concerns
Web www.bangkokpost.com
By Phusadee Arunmas and Parista Yuthamanop
Thai exporters do not share the worldwide enthusiasm for US presidential hopeful Barack Obama, fearing his US trade policies will hurt Thai exports to the American market.
They believe that a Democratic government could pose more difficulties for Thai exports than a Republican administration.
Mr Obama has been leading his Republican rival John McCain in most opinion polls ahead of the election, although Mr McCain has vowed to fight to the end to win the White House.
Under Republican President George W Bush, the US has been pushing for a free trade agreement with Thailand and strongly criticised Thailand over intellectual property rights violations, which eventually led to Washington's decision to put Thailand on the Priority Watch List (PWL).
Deputy secretary-general of the Thai Chamber of Commerce Pornsil Patchrintanakul expected a tougher stance from Washington if Mr Obama wins the election.
Under Mr Obama, labour standards, environmental issues and the violation of intellectual property rights would be increasingly brought into focus when the US does business with other countries, Mr Pornsil said.
Thailand would remain on the PWL and would stand little chance of upgrading to a better trade status with the US, he added.
He also expected the talks on the Thai-US free trade agreement to have a very bumpy ride ahead, given that Mr Obama appears reluctant to support the free trade idea.
Mr Pornsil pointed to the North America Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) which has been blamed for large numbers of job losses in the US.
Chairman of the Food Processing Industry Club Paiboon Ponsuwanna said that since the US economy was in bad shape, Mr Obama wanted to ensure more exports to boost revenues and, at the same time, try to curb foreign imports into the country.
The US is a major export destination for Thailand, in addition to the European Union, Japan and markets in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
In the food sector alone, Thailand's exports to the US account for 15% of the total food export value of about 600 billion baht.
