Wow! Does this mean I will soon be able to oder a Quarter Pounder with sticky rice from McDonalds in L.A. or New York?!! Oh what a treat that would be....

1 hour ago, brianp0803 said:

"Why  does a calculator sell for $100 in America and $300 in Thailand? Tennis shoes are at least twice as expensive in Thailand than America. Same for Guess and Calvin Klein jeans. Aren’t they already expensive?"

First things first...  The US doesn't actually produce any of the product examples you list.  
Besides, there are not enough Thais capable of buying consumable personal goods at world prices.  So those products aren't ever going to be relevant to an international trade agreement, other than as a purely symbolic device a politician can wave around in their next campaign ad.    

Here's the list of product categories that Thailand DOES import from the US :   

(Number in parenthesis shows US rank compared to other importing countries)

  1. Electronic equipment: $2.4 billion           (US 4th - China $12.8B, Japan $5.9B)
  2. Machinery: $1.7 billion                  (US 4th - China $7.3B,  Japan $6.2B)
  3. Aircraft, spacecraft: $892.8 million       (US 1st)    
  4. Medical, technical equipment: $691.3 million (US 3rd - Japan 1.4B, China $1B)
  5. Plastics: $617.3 million              (US 3rd - China $1.9B,  Japan $1.7B)
  6. Vehicles: $607.5 million             (US 3rd - Japan 3.4B, China $1.1B)
  7. Food waste, animal fodder: $477.3 million    (US 1st)
  8. Oil seed: $376.7 million              (US 1st)
  9. Other chemical goods: $368.9 million      (US 3rd - Japan 0.5B, China $0.8B)    
 10. Pharmaceuticals: $355.7 million          (US 1st)

Note that the US numbers do well in the categories without direct competition (Aircraft, pharmaceuticals, Agriculture related, etc.)    
You have to take them on a case by case basis, but in general, the US does does best in the high-value added product areas.   China and Japan dominate the mass-produced product areas and  reducing import tariffs won't actually help the US's relative position against other international competitors.
 
The reason agricultural products are the highlight of the recent US trade deals is because the US produces surplus food and doesn't face much international competition from China or Japan, both of whom are net food importers.   Politically, it also helps Trump with the optics in the agricultural regions of swing states like Wisconsin, and Ohio which he will need to secure in 2020 in order to be re-elected.  

       

 

Big deal, Ha!  He offers a pittance, to buy about 5.76 million USD of coal with a US trade deficit of 11.451 billion USD just January through July '17!  Lot's of carrots dangling but who knows if any of these deals will come to closing. This meeting was all about perceived legitimacy of the current government back home, nothing else.

I'm happy to see the boys getting along.  Thailand's affordable high quality labor is important for the US. Building a Boeing  maintenance facility in Thailand will be a win for Thailand and US since they need to get their planes safety log standards back into compliance for US travel! I see alot of positive outcomes with this meeting. 

 

Instead of pork which is good here how about getting some decent beef that is poor here.

 

 

8 oz of Best Foods mayo is 90 Bt. I can buy 32 oz for $3. in NYC

6 hours ago, Thechook said:

The Thai pork farmers aren't going to be impressed, they want prayuth to block pork coming from the U.S.

It is a proper pig’s breakfast!!

Even his feet don't know which way he'll turn next.

 

6 hours ago, Thechook said:

The Thai pork farmers aren't going to be impressed, they want prayuth to block pork coming from the U.S.

In a similar way that the Thai rice farmers are the bottom end of the totem pole when it comes to all the money made from rice farming, the pork breeders don't matter as much as the pork processors, namely the Pokphand family (already 2nd largest in the world), who would make an absolute killing in processing America's raw pork surpluses and re-exporting it as bespoke, high-end meat products to a burgeoning, more affluent and fad-following meat eating public.

2 hours ago, wvavin said:

A businessman vs a soldier, who wins? LOL......... 

Nice one, but why do you and so many other posters sign off with Lady of Love . . . some elite clique or other?

As I said the little muppet will get a foot in the ass..A good lecture and strongly advised. Prayut can't help with Nth Korea. He can't even fix Sth Thailand. He can't even speak basic English. A embarrassment. 

Mmm.... so a new hub... aircraft maintenance... that's a worry, given what's happened here regards airlines being grounded, and the general lack of give a f***, prevelant within the work force

 

 

6 hours ago, Dave67 said:

That's not striking a deal, That's a di

By a Dicktator...

 

Damn autocorrect, that's not how I meant to spell it...

No mention of the Human Trafficking problem or the slaves on fishing boats that supply USA with seafood.  What did Thailand do a few years ago with Rohingya refugees who landed on the coast ?  Do you remember ?  They were made to lay on the hot sand for hours with no water or food and then pushed back out to sea with rice and water.  yeah, sure, Thailand cares now !  

seriously the purchase of coal? so Disappointed on so many levels... Thailand should be focusing on ways to clean up the air in the country not make it worse... also disappointed that Trump is one step closer to keeping the coal industry in the States alive.

 

 

Last November I wanted to buy a turkey. What was a $20-30 turkey costed the equivalent of $60 at Villa Market. I said never mind. I will guess $30 to 40 was import duties. 

I also noticed the exchange rate got better for me.  When Prayut left the dollar jumped to ฿33.52 now it it dropping again ฿33.36 at the moment. I suspect it will drop back to ฿33.05 again by the end of the week. 

US products in Thailand are very high in price as many posters pointed out yet Thailand receives favored nation status and can sell its products in the US very cheaply.  The excise tax on American products in Thailand needs to be reduced due to the already favorable market access Thailand has.

 

However, the real money is in the purchase of military hardware ad military planes- all of which Thailand will buy from the US and that will reduce the trade deficit.

 

What the two leaders discussed and was not reported was access to Thai military bases should a war erupt in Korea.  The US would move a huge number of troops and military equipment and aircraft from around the World.  They can't park it all in Japan. They will need an Asian outlet for logistics and Thailand has a history of allowing US forces to use its bases. If this was publicized, it would be most unpopular.

7 hours ago, yellowboat said:

All the things Thailand are buying and selling are commodities.   Buying coal is something they buy anyway, they give more to the Donald to boast about and the Thai government gets to keep their ridiculously high tariffs.   Pork may be where Thailand gives up something. 

Hardly, when that's the one meat that must be on every Thai table most days of the week. On his head, be it.

13 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

US products in Thailand are very high in price as many posters pointed out yet Thailand receives favored nation status and can sell its products in the US very cheaply.  The excise tax on American products in Thailand needs to be reduced due to the already favorable market access Thailand has.

 

However, the real money is in the purchase of military hardware ad military planes- all of which Thailand will buy from the US and that will reduce the trade deficit.

 

What the two leaders discussed and was not reported was access to Thai military bases should a war erupt in Korea.  The US would move a huge number of troops and military equipment and aircraft from around the World.  They can't park it all in Japan. They will need an Asian outlet for logistics and Thailand has a history of allowing US forces to use its bases. If this was publicized, it would be most unpopular.

Shhhhhhhhhh!

 

 

"Trump made clear that the US was looking to improve its trade deficit with Thailand."

 

Going by the  pic, there's only one thing that Donald is looking to improve!

 

8 hours ago, TomJoad said:

TRUMP : America's great, isn't it?  It's Yuge.  And how about where you come from?  I hear it's only about the size of Texas.  But you've got some great golf courses over there, don't you?  That's what people are saying.  People are always saying that.  Maybe you'd like to see ours while you're here?  They're bigger.  Trust me.  They're huge.  Believe me.  And that Tiger Woods.  I hear he's half Thai, isn't he?  Maybe you'd like to meet him?  I have him on twitter.  He's a follower of mine. I'm pretty sure he voted for me, too.  That's what people are saying.  You should also have a look at our Constitution while you're here. It was rigged it a long time ago so that you don't even need to get the most votes to win.  Yeah, it's true.  It's great. No more worrying about those red shirts in the north.  And it's all legal over here too. Believe me. 

So perfect.   But not enough self praise.  

Obama worked with China to get reciprocal 10 year tourist visas. It's a shame these two grumps didn't work out such a deal.

3 hours ago, Grumpy Duck said:

Last November I wanted to buy a turkey. What was a $20-30 turkey costed the equivalent of $60 at Villa Market. I said never mind. I will guess $30 to 40 was import duties. 

Right now at Rimping they are selling 1 kilo of turkey for 999b. Absolutely freaking absurd. I bought some there a few months ago for 120b.

9 hours ago, TomJoad said:

TRUMP : America's great, isn't it?  It's Yuge.  And how about where you come from?  I hear it's only about the size of Texas.  But you've got some great golf courses over there, don't you?  That's what people are saying.  People are always saying that.  Maybe you'd like to see ours while you're here?  They're bigger.  Trust me.  They're huge.  Believe me.  And that Tiger Woods.  I hear he's half Thai, isn't he?  Maybe you'd like to meet him?  I have him on twitter.  He's a follower of mine. I'm pretty sure he voted for me, too.  That's what people are saying.  You should also have a look at our Constitution while you're here. It was rigged it a long time ago so that you don't even need to get the most votes to win.  Yeah, it's true.  It's great. No more worrying about those red shirts in the north.  And it's all legal over here too. Believe me. 

Brilliant! Did Alec Baldwin write this?

37 minutes ago, dcnx said:

Right now at Rimping they are selling 1 kilo of turkey for 999b. Absolutely freaking absurd. I bought some there a few months ago for 120b.

                          

                             Really!

Just don't try to sell rice!

2 hours ago, dcnx said:

Right now at Rimping they are selling 1 kilo of turkey for 999b. Absolutely freaking absurd. I bought some there a few months ago for 120b.

Does anyone actually eat turkey?  I think in Australia you would pay 3 times that.

Edited October 4, 20178 yr by Thechook

This is easily one of the funniest new feeds ever.  Nothing happened of consequence and nothing will.  Trump and Prayut..., a divine comedy.    

11 hours ago, IamNoone88 said:

Good to see equal opportunities are alive and well on both sides of the table .....

 

 

I don't see headphones... can they speak English or just nod to everything?