Popular Post webfact Posted March 15, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted March 15, 2023 by Miabell Mallikka Negotiations on a free trade agreement between EU and Thailand are to be resumed, after almost ten years. “I warmly welcome the restart of our negotiations on a trade agreement with Thailand. A modern and dynamic agreement will lead to benefits for both sides and strengthen the EU’s trade contacts with the region,” writes the European Commission’s executive vice-president, Valdis Dombrovskis, in a press release. Full story: https://scandasia.com/eu-negotiates-free-trade-agreement-with-thailand/ -- © Copyright ScandAsia 2023-03-16 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ukrules Posted March 15, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted March 15, 2023 The headline got my attention 'EU negotiates free trade agreement with Thailand' - reads lke they have completed it but no, they're just starting negotiations. Here's how I think it will proceed : The list of demands which will be many and varied with plenty of them political in nature and will be unrelated to trade but restrictions on what Thailand can and can't do both at home and internationally will be delivered. Thailand will tell them where to stick their list of demands and that will be the end of it for another 10 years. 5 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post hotchilli Posted March 15, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted March 15, 2023 (edited) 3 hours ago, webfact said: Negotiations on a free trade agreement between EU and Thailand are to be resumed, after almost ten years. Does that mean the "luxury tax" heaped onto imported goods will be dropped in future when the agreement is implemented? Edited March 15, 2023 by hotchilli 1 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzaa09 Posted March 15, 2023 Share Posted March 15, 2023 How about a real free market before we consider this free trade agreement [whatever that is] 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacko45k Posted March 15, 2023 Share Posted March 15, 2023 1 hour ago, ukrules said: The headline got my attention 'EU negotiates free trade agreement with Thailand' - reads lke they have completed it but no, they're just starting negotiations. Here's how I think it will proceed : The list of demands which will be many and varied with plenty of them political in nature and will be unrelated to trade but restrictions on what Thailand can and can't do both at home and internationally will be delivered. Thailand will tell them where to stick their list of demands and that will be the end of it for another 10 years. If they get onto the sticky subject of sausages the negotiations will go nowhere! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzaa09 Posted March 15, 2023 Share Posted March 15, 2023 31 minutes ago, jacko45k said: If they get onto the sticky subject of sausages the negotiations will go nowhere! Personally, I give an edge to the Chiang Mai variety over the Isaan type. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisY1 Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 (edited) An FTA" will never eventuate while Thailand continues with the exorbitant import tax rates. How can any business compete with duties up to and above 105% on so many goods? Edited March 16, 2023 by ChrisY1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Henryford Posted March 16, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted March 16, 2023 Does that mean the 300% tax on wine will be abolished? thought not. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhunLA Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 NO THANKS ... FTA will make things more expensive. Besides, there is nothing I want or need from EU. Or the USA, for that matter. FTA = more rules & regulations BRICS & ASEAN rock ???? 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolf81 Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 (edited) 3 hours ago, ukrules said: The headline got my attention 'EU negotiates free trade agreement with Thailand' - reads lke they have completed it but no, they're just starting negotiations. Here's how I think it will proceed : The list of demands which will be many and varied with plenty of them political in nature and will be unrelated to trade but restrictions on what Thailand can and can't do both at home and internationally will be delivered. Thailand will tell them where to stick their list of demands and that will be the end of it for another 10 years. To be honest, I kinda hope so. I am originally from The Netherlands and I despise the EU. Want as little to do with them as possible. I suspect EU (Germany) would very much like to sell car brands like Mercedes and BMW in Thailand without the huge import duty, to increase sales. Because it seems it's harder to grow sales in EU now: https://tradingeconomics.com/european-union/car-registrations This would likely be one of the main points of negotiation, since the car industry is of huge importance to Germany. Edited March 16, 2023 by wolf81 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangon04 Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 Lucky that the EU is an institution with such high principles. It deserves the utmost respect from all Juntas in the world. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realfunster Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 2 hours ago, ChrisY1 said: An FTA" will never eventuate while Thailand continues with the exorbitant import tax rates. How can any business compete with duties up to and above 105% on so many goods? Maybe I am misunderstanding your comment, but isn't that one of the objectives of any FTA - to reduce the import duties ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackGats Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 If it means I can buy yogourt and cheese at twice, instead of five times the EU price, I'm all for it. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realfunster Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 27 minutes ago, bangon04 said: Lucky that the EU is an institution with such high principles. It deserves the utmost respect from all Juntas in the world. Objectively, you could quite rightly say that it has been a wasted 10 years, with the EU taking the moral high ground at some stage and now changing their position whilst nothing, zero, nil has changed of substance in Thailand. So, pretty much a lost decade of negotiations for no reason... The timing is interesting with the elections coming up and what may be a convoluted power-broking process after the results are in. Further political upheaval and potential unrest is not impossible. At which stage, the EU might then be forced to suspend negotiations yet again... The UK has had no such qualms (I offer no opinion on this..) and has been continuing with it's own negotiations in various trade areas, that might have provoked the EU into reviewing their position. They may have also sensed a slight attitude change from the Thai side, as in other areas, with a generally unimpressive economy and rebound post-COVID, they do now seem quite keen on exploring new economic growth opportunities. Anyhow, sure we will all be delighted when we are finally able to buy sensibly priced french cheese in 2034. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Bangkok Barry Posted March 16, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted March 16, 2023 4 hours ago, hotchilli said: Does that mean the "luxury tax" heaped onto imported goods will be dropped in future when the agreement is implemented? Thailand only operates trade agreements in one direction, to benefit Thailand. Isn't there supposed to be free trade between ASEAN countries, yet Thailand still imposes huge taxes on imports from Laos and Vietnam, and probably elsewhere. One example is Beer Lao, where I have to pay around 74 baht for a small bottle of their IPA whereas a Thai beer is one half to third of that. A large bottle of regular Beer Lao is 93, Leo around half of that. And let's not get started about tax on wine which could be imported from Laos where it costs a fraction of what it does in Thailand. 2 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhunLA Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 (edited) 10 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said: One example is Beer Lao, where I have to pay around 74 baht for a small bottle of their IPA whereas a Thai beer is one half to third of that. A large bottle of regular Beer Lao is 93, Leo around half of that. And let's not get started about tax on wine which could be imported from Laos where it costs a fraction of what it does in Thailand. Is that a tax, or just price gouging ? Though suspect a tax also, as imported TH craft beer is silly priced. Big 2 controlling the market. At least my liver is happy ???? Edited March 16, 2023 by KhunLA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChaiyaTH Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 2 hours ago, KhunLA said: NO THANKS ... FTA will make things more expensive. Besides, there is nothing I want or need from EU. Or the USA, for that matter. FTA = more rules & regulations BRICS & ASEAN rock ???? You are aware that Vietnam has the FTA with EU already? They are ASEAN too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Bangkok Barry Posted March 16, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted March 16, 2023 16 minutes ago, KhunLA said: Is that a tax, or just price gouging ? Though suspect a tax also, as imported TH craft beer is silly priced. Big 2 controlling the market. At least my liver is happy ???? TH beer having to be brewed outside of TH, and then heavily taxed as it (Thai beer not brewed by the monopolies) is imported into TH. So yes, the big two controlling the market by dictating to the government what it can and can't do. It is no coincidence that two of the richest men in Thailand own the breweries. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammieuk1 Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 I would settle for just something different and nice to buy at any price in the clone supermarkets here ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drumbuie Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 5 hours ago, hotchilli said: Does that mean the "luxury tax" heaped onto imported goods will be dropped in future when the agreement is implemented? Generally a free trade agreement means that both parties agree to drop tariffs on goods imported and exported between them. The EU is Thailand's fourth largest trading partner but Thailand is the EU's 26th largest trading partner. Full details can be found, if you're interested in facts rather than speculation, on the Europa website https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_1628 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzian Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 3 hours ago, ChrisY1 said: An FTA" will never eventuate while Thailand continues with the exorbitant import tax rates. I have a thing for high end whiskey and whisky but I've stopped buying it here. I just buy the lower cost blends and mix them because I refuse to continue funding this crowd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhunLA Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 3 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said: You are aware that Vietnam has the FTA with EU already? They are ASEAN too. Free trade agreement between Vietnam and the EU ... that's about as irrelevant to my life as you can get ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzaa09 Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 7 hours ago, sammieuk1 said: I would settle for just something different and nice to buy at any price in the clone supermarkets here ???? As opposed to the replicant supermarkets of the West that serve the expected market. You'll be remembering that Western-style supermarkets here were originally placed serve a niche foreign market - some circle of Thais have just been conditioned to this style of shopping and why most from this type of marketeering stock "local" goods, less foreign specialty and overpriced goods [that Thais don't want or buy]. Most Thais still are content with their local markets as they have been for ages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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