9-Jan-2006
Bangkok Post
The civic sector joined forces against the ongoing Thai-US free trade agreement (FTA) pact by drawing up a petition stating that it does not approve the mandate of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as being a representative of the Thai people in signing the deal.
8-Jan-2006
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday ignored a call by the Senate committee on foreign affairs to seek help from the Constitution Court to review free trade agreements (FTAs) on grounds that they have contravened the constitution.
8-Jan-2006
The Free Trade Area agreement that Thailand is negotiating with the US has implications on Thailand’s sovereignty and if the government bypasses the Parliament in the processing of finalising the agreement, it could be impeached, a veteran lawyer warned.
8-Jan-2006
A leading academic says there is no reason why Thailand should offer terms of
intellectual property rights (IPR) protection beyond what’s available within the US legal framework.
8-Jan-2006
Members of the opposition Democrat Party Sunday demanded the government to disclose the details of the proposed Thailand-US free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations, charging that Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had intentionally violated the constitution.
8-Jan-2006
3D
in December 2005 3D published a country briefing entitled “International trade, health and children’s rights - Thailand” which raises concerns regarding Thailand’s Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations and their impact on children’s rights.
7-Jan-2006
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday relegated the country’s parliamentary governance system to the back seat by saying that his administration did not have to seek prior parliamentary approval for free-trade agreements with foreign nations.
7-Jan-2006
When United States negotiators fly into Thailand to thrash out a bilateral free trade deal, next week, they will be greeted with jeers rather than this country’s famed smile of welcome.
7-Jan-2006
Services and financial sectors, left aside in early rounds of talks on a US-Thailand free trade agreement, will be put on the table during the sixth round next week, a Thai negotiator said on Friday.
7-Jan-2006
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra defended the transparency of his administration in dealing with ongoing Thai-US free trade area (FTA) negotiations, and said that he was unworried that a group of senators plan to challenge the pact by charging that it violates the country’s constitution.
7-Jan-2006
MCOT
Civil society sector is demanding that the Thai government not give in on reduction of tariffs for US agricultural product, not ratify the treaty on plant varieties protection, and not recognise patenting of biological resources. In addition, they said the Thai government must resist the US demand to extend protection of pharmaceutical patent to more than 20 years or to protect data exclusivity.
6-Jan-2006
An official from Thailand’s bilateral Free Trade Agreement negotiating team today disputed claims by opposition groups that a free trade agreement with the US would adversely affect the country’s prescription drug market.
6-Jan-2006
The Senate committee on foreign affairs will petition the Constitutional Court on Tuesday to seek a review of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) proceedings, claiming they have contravened the constitution.
6-Jan-2006
Opposition to a proposed Thai-US free-trade pact is threatening to escalate into a political time bomb, as a senator yesterday moved to challenge the deal’s constitutional legitimacy and called for Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to step down.
6-Jan-2006
Manager
The heated debate over intellectual property is one of the sticking points in the free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between Thailand and the United States, which are scheduled to resume next week.
5-Jan-2006
Farm workers, HIV/Aids, poverty NGOs vow to disrupt event. The sixth round of free-trade talks with the United States next week in Chiang Mai will face the wrath about 10,000 protesters from 12 special-interest groups which have vowed to rally throughout the five-day meeting.
5-Jan-2006
Eleven civic groups plan demonstrations at the venue where the Thai and US governments will hold the sixth round of FTA negotiation next week, their leaders said Thursday.
5-Jan-2006
The Nation
Thai finance officials will for the first time make an offer to open up the country’s financial services, which should make or break the proposed Thai-US free-trade agreement (FTA) during talks next week, says a Thai finance source.
30-Dec-2005
Asia Pulse
The Thailand-Australia Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA) has benefited Australian companies since it began in January through expanded opportunities and increased market access, Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Mark Vaile, said.
30-Dec-2005
The US-Thailand FTA negotiations are of interest to Congress because (1) an
agreement would require passage of implementing legislation to go into effect; (2)
an agreement could increase U.S. exports of goods, services, and investment, with
particular benefits for agricultural exports; and (3) an agreement could increase
competition for U.S. import-competing industries such as textiles and apparel and
light trucks, thereby raising the issue of job losses.
