PM sings praises of 'polite' Trump

By The Nation

 

 

Critics question benefits of prayut’s trip as us failed to assure more investments

 

WHILE Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has said he was impressed by the warm welcome extended to him by US President Donald Trump this week, saying the US was a “true friend”, opposition has been voiced at home over the benefit Thailand obtained from his high-profile visit.

 

Speaking to a dinner talk hosted by US-Asean Business Council and US Chamber of Commerce, Prayut noted that he was the first sitting premier in 12 years who had had the chance to meet the US president in the White House. 

 

“I’m here to mend the ties, fix the problems and move forward the relations with our ally,” Prayut said. “The US is our friend, which has crucial roles in security, trade, business and people-to-people relations.” 

 

The last prime minister to make an official visit the White House was Thaksin Shinawatra in 2005, before he was toppled by a military coup.

 

The relations between Thailand and the US had soured since Prayut led a military coup to oust Thaksin’s sister Yingluck Shinawatra in 2014, prompting a strong reaction from the administration of Barack Obama, who ordered a freeze on some military assistance. 

 

Washington’s stance against the coup and democratic suppression upset the generals in Bangkok, who tilted their foreign and security policies towards Beijing. They also bought military hardware from China.

 

“I met and chit-chatted with President Trump as if we have been familiar with each other for a long time. He is polite and spoke melodiously to me. I feel like I have a friend here. And, it’s true that he was sincere to me,” Prayut told the elite business club on Tuesday evening local time in Washington DC.

 

Prayut also said US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who was in Thailand a few days before Prayut left for the US, was impressed during his visit.

 

“I heard that he now feels good about Thailand. It means he has no doubts about Thailand. Now he is confident in Thailand. That’s sure. I love Thais, I love Americans. Thai people are familiar and close to Americans.

 

Prayut said Thailand and the US would cooperate to take care of regional security, noting that Thailand had fought alongside the US in the Korea and Vietnam wars.

 

“We have helped each other to keep peace under the United Nations flag in many places. We are friends in the field,” he said. 

 

On the issue of economic cooperation, Prayut said many Thai companies had invested in the US and vice versa. “Our investment in the US might be less compared to the US investment in Thailand, but investors should look at Thailand and Asean as a region, and we have a lot of business potential – such as the Eastern Economic Corridor,” he said.

 

In Thailand, observers said the Thai delegation might not benefit as much as the US under the government and private-sector deals struck in Washington.

 

The Siam Cement Group will sign two agreements to buy 155,000 tonnes of coal from the US and the military is about to finalise agreements to buy helicopters and missile, and upgrade jet fighters.

 

Observers noted that the Americans had not promised to buy anything from Thailand or invest more during Prayut’s visit.

 

Thailand ranks 11th of 16 countries on a Trump administration watchlist for having a significant trade surpluses against the US. In the first half of 2017, the US trade balance with Thailand went to negative US$11.45 billion (Bt3.8 trillion).

 

Trump told Prayut during a meeting on Monday that he wanted Thailand to buy more to adjust the trade imbalance. 

 

Pheu Thai Party spokesperson Anusorn Iamsa-ard asked Prayut to disclose the benefits Thailand received from the US visit, and whether it was worth the cost of such a high-profile trip. 

 

“There is nothing to be proud of being a coup leader who was invited to the White House. The US was criticised strongly for the change of its foreign policy. We all know that the US wants to export more to Thailand,” he said.

 

Anusorn was also concerned that Thailand was about to open up the market for pork from the US. Many US pork producers use Ractopamine, a chemical feed additive used to make meat leaner that is banned in Thailand. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30328477

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-10-05

Polite and melodious... hmm

Trump is always polite to those who are polite to him. 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

the US was a “true friend”

No double entendre intended of course. 

 

It pains me to say that Prayut did a remarkable job handling the Donald.  Buying coal diffused a problem and stoked a massive ego.  Now he is heaping flattery on the man with want to be big hands.  

34 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

Trump is always polite to those who are polite to him. 

Are you medicated?

1 minute ago, SpeakeasyThai said:

Are you medicated?

No, but you may well be another victim of TDS we fear...

As Prayut is only able to recognize the world through his pinky glasses and living in his own world he is unable to see that Trump just pull him over the table and just sent some warm words to Prayut : 2 narcissistic guys meet up. What can someone expact from that?!?!?

NOTHING and that's what Prayut and the big bigheads got from Trump!

Good judge of character then.....LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

Can't wait to hear the song he will write about it or read his new poem.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

He is polite and spoke melodiously to me.

Well then.... I'm big enough to admit I may have been wrong to doubt trumps ability as a statesman... sorry Donald.

Edited October 5, 20178 yr by farcanell

Awesome. History has bound the two countries together and this is another step forward. Doesn't hurt USA expats to have good relations between Thai-USA. Donald Trump is a great leader, which will be proven in the next 7 years.

Great,  got a visa for my gf now or is she still a third class world citizen unworthy of being interested in seeing the world she lives in? 

1 hour ago, MeHere said:

Polite and melodious... hmm

To  a guy who is petite and malodorous.. 

1 hour ago, Boon Mee said:

No, but you may well be another victim of TDS we fear...

'we' fear. Split personality disorder as per your fearless leader with the ridiculous hair cut and small hands.

8 minutes ago, dapperdan said:

Awesome. History has bound the two countries together and this is another step forward. Doesn't hurt USA expats to have good relations between Thai-USA. Donald Trump is a great leader, which will be proven in the next 7 years.

Lets hope if the wall is ever build the likes of you and Trump remain behind it indefinate.

They are indeed well matched and fit perfectly together.

46 minutes ago, SpeakeasyThai said:

'we' fear. Split personality disorder as per your fearless leader with the ridiculous hair cut and small hands.

Please clarify which one you are referring to?

42 minutes ago, SpeakeasyThai said:

Lets hope if the wall is ever build the likes of you and Trump remain behind it indefinate.

Purpose of the wall is NOT keep people inside, but to keep "deranged" people like you .... OUT.

 

People with TDS should no longer be allowed to own a firearm, drive a car or fly a plane.

Cringe-making that the man pushing Thailand 4.0, with its emphasis on language and digital literacy, needed an interpreter to converse with the leader of the world's biggest English-speaking democracy.

 

How about leading by example, general?

1 hour ago, dapperdan said:

Awesome. History has bound the two countries together and this is another step forward. Doesn't hurt USA expats to have good relations between Thai-USA. Donald Trump is a great leader, which will be proven in the next 7 years.

Truly awesome.  Everything in the US is, of course 'awesome'.  Including two tin-pot dictators that don't understand a single word each other says having a chat and buying crap off each other neither wants or needs to try and appease each others teeny tiny band of supporters.  Of which you are clearly one.  Lonely?

 

7 years?  Odds on Mr. T. getting re-elected anyone....NAFC

He is hinting that the next song he write will be dedicated to his new bromance. 

41 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

Cringe-making that the man pushing Thailand 4.0, with its emphasis on language and digital literacy, needed an interpreter to converse with the leader of the world's biggest English-speaking democracy.

 

How about leading by example, general?

Quite surprised that the General doesn't have a handle on English but in the end, both these guys are winners and it's clear they have mutual respect for each other 

1 hour ago, SpeakeasyThai said:

Lets hope if the wall is ever build the likes of you and Trump remain behind it indefinate.

You are just being crude and rude to someone on this forum. I see absolutely no need for it. You need to take such childish behavior elsewhere.  

When someone I met only once claims everywhere we are best friends, I usually get suspicious..... 

2 hours ago, dapperdan said:

Awesome. History has bound the two countries together and this is another step forward. Doesn't hurt USA expats to have good relations between Thai-USA. Donald Trump is a great leader, which will be proven in the next 7 years.

7 years !

Only if he leads an NRA sponsored coup , do you think he got some tips from the general ?

1 hour ago, Krataiboy said:

Cringe-making that the man pushing Thailand 4.0, with its emphasis on language and digital literacy, needed an interpreter to converse with the leader of the world's biggest English-speaking democracy.

 

How about leading by example, general?

To be fair , Trump can barely speak English either.

35 minutes ago, habanero said:

You are just being crude and rude to someone on this forum. I see absolutely no need for it. You need to take such childish behavior elsewhere.  

Pretty much how most people think about Trump !

There is one factor that you need to consider:  Trump's word is worth NOTHING!!  He lies much more than he tells the truth.  He says what he thinks you want to hear.  He is willing to attack on twitter where he doesn't have to face the victim.

40 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

Quite surprised that the General doesn't have a handle on English but in the end, both these guys are winners and it's clear they have mutual respect for each other 

Can't abide the man - well, both of them, actually - but his English is quite good.

1 hour ago, Krataiboy said:

Cringe-making that the man pushing Thailand 4.0, with its emphasis on language and digital literacy, needed an interpreter to converse with the leader of the world's biggest English-speaking democracy.

 

How about leading by example, general?

No need for Prayut to learn English. He has announced to anyone who will listen (or made to listen) that the Thai language will soon be the world's international language. Hope he gave Trump a head's up on that.