Thailand’s anti-CPTPP civil society organizations, claiming to represent 400,000 citizens, issued an open letter today (Thursday), addressed to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, urging the government immediately to cease plans to join the 11-member Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade bloc.

 

Among the member countries are fellow ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, with applications for membership filed by China and Taiwan.

 

The Thai civil society organisations claim that joining the trade agreement would put Thailand in a disadvantageous position, by jeopardising Thailand’s food security and access to universal health care and biological diversity, in favour of big Thai companies with connections to multinational corporations.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thai-civil-society-urges-government-to-end-plans-to-join-cptpp/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-12-03

 

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The PEOPLE have spoken ! I'm sure the response will be somewhere along the lines of  'Meh !'

The CPTPP comes with a lot of small print, I hope Prayut can read and understand everything before he signs this one.

Lots of do's & don'ts and must-not's... could be legally challenging and costly for Thailand to abide by all the rules.

In the Western world 40 years ago it was small-to-medium enterprises that resisted opening up to the world. Here it's 'civil society'.

 

Yes, let's stay small and shut off from all those evil foreign influences. Thailand can go it alone for ever.  We don't need to compete or learn anything new.

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand’s anti-CPTPP civil society organizations, claiming to represent 400,000 citizens, issued an open letter today (Thursday), addressed to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, urging the government immediately to cease plans to join the 11-member Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade bloc.

Of course, it's much better to become another small part of the MKTE (that's the Middle Kingdom Trading Empire, lol). I wonder how many of those 400,000 citizens are of ethnic Chinese origin?

"put Thailand in a disadvantage position"

Otherwise known as "in an equal footing."

Many of Thai economists have urged Prayut to join but likely as he perceives it as a challenge to China's economic Asian Silk Road trade project, that includes Thailand-China dual rail system being financed by China, Prayut has little political motivation to join which has little to fo with the people of Thailand.

However, recently China seems interested in joining given the US during the Trump regime pulled out which would mean China could dominate the CPTPP. Such would then motivate Prayut to "wag his tail" and join.

The USA is losing out to China all over East Asia.

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

However, recently China seems interested in joining given the US during the Trump regime pulled out which would mean China could dominate the CPTPP

Japan & Oz will veto China joining up, as its behaviour is far from meeting the minimal trading rules of the TPP.

I have a certain sympathy with concerns that membership of the TPP could have repercussions on access to universal healthcare.

5 hours ago, mfd101 said:

Japan & Oz will veto China joining up, as its behaviour is far from meeting the minimal trading rules of the TPP.

Likely so. The CPTPP request on Free Trade Agreements that are typically supervised by a mandatory arbitration committee and enforced by the World Trade Organization.

However, as China rejects The World Court ruling regarding its claim to sole possession of the South China Sea, it's likely it would also ignore any kind of world judicial appeal that might be stipulated in the CPTPP FTA regarding any trade practices that violate the CPTPP trading rules.

Just as Thailand under the Prayut regime has violated FTA rules with the Philippines (cigarettes), Australia (gold mining) and Singapore (transit system), ignored not only a WTO ruling (Australia) but even Thailand's own Court decision (Singapore).

14 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

The PEOPLE have spoken ! I'm sure the response will be somewhere along the lines of  'Meh !'

Yeah. 

The people.

Two dozen carries a lot of weight and influence.