"Thailand might be compelled to concede to achieve a deferral or reduction of the punitive tariff" (maybe as in "The power of Christ compels Thee) Now -  Is this the Monkey talking or the Organ Grinder? Does Thailand believe that it is running the show with the Tariffs? It would seem that they are in for one hell of a rude awakening.

As soon as the tariffs is in place, it would be the perfect moment to devaluate the Thai Baht.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Firstly, what will Thailand offer in return for tariff mitigation?

Thailand offer ?

How about stop helping China with trans-shipping, stop the tariffs and luxury taxes on imports etc etc

and reduce the actual trade deficit.

7 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

And your point would be?

You still don't understand how tariffs work ,do you?

 

13 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

It's Time magazine.  They're trying to explain it to people with a 4th grade reading level who catch up on their news sitting on the crapper.  But you go ahead and keep parroting it if you want.  That makes you one of the "many others"

 

Edit:  And I didn't even mention Time's tendency to indoctrinate readers as opposed to educating them.

 

 

Well-educated people avoid ad hominem arguments. Try evaluation... that way, you learn things, and avoid dogma prejudice.

 

Meanwhile, as i said, many high-end, professional economists have used the "groceries" analogy to show how ignorant Trump is. Look this up. Review and evaluate the facts. Change your mind. You will be a better person for doing so.

23 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said:

I have lived here for over 30 years, and cannot remember one time when the public where consulted on anything. Even their election votes are ignored, so what chance they will be informed about trade tariffs, thanks to the education system how many even know what a trade tariff is, and where America is, let alone who is their president. The top rich 1% run this country for their own benefits, they will continue to leech of the system, keep the Baht at a false high, all in order to grab more.

Yes, I arrived in Krung Thep 1999 as a US Defense Contractor.

 

I have witnessed more than one brown envelope pass hand to hand in the upper echelons.

1 hour ago, Card said:

Jeez. What real people said wasn't that it couldn't happen, but it wouldn't be the Chinese exporters who pay for it but the American consumer. That HAS happened.

Stop hitting people with the truth. You know how they hate that. Lol

1 hour ago, technoronin said:

Whenever an academic criticizes President Trump I just remember they are an academic.  The entire "ivory tower" crowd hates Trump and will say anything to tear him down,  It's part of their culture.

Or maybe it's true and they have a reason to determine what a buffoon he really is. 

Thailand has no sign of boycotting US goods in retaliation?

Unlike these nations?

 

https://tribune.net.ph/2025/04/16/global-backlash-five-countries-boycott-us-goods-over-trumps-tariffs

 

Where are  Thai nationalists?

 

 

Thai exporters better turn around any cargo ships heading to USA that departed in the last week.

 

Trump wants a tariff to correct perceived past injustices, so even offering no tariffs won't work.

 

Leaving BRICS will help, in any event, IMHO you can't achieve anything better than what Vietnam got.

 

 

 

29 minutes ago, jaywalker-2 said:

 

Funny how us USA Patriots saw Donald Trump for what he was in 2016 & everybody else HATED him becaise of the media.

 

Funny how EVERYBODY on this forumm HATED Trump & wanted Hillary. Morons. Now that it's cool to like Tump the conversation goes the other way.

 

ANY body with a half-functioning brain shoould have seen that, "Huh? He's a pretty smart guy".

.reat

I grew up as the son of a timber contractor in the swamps of Florida in the 1970's & here's a New Yorker talking some sense.Funny how EVERYBODY on this forum HATED Trump a few years back, & now EVERYBODY still hates him...but he has done some good things.

 

I DO NOT LIKE the Man! He's an arrogant prick! Yet he is The POTUS.

 

Likiing a great Commander-in-Chief of my military???

 

I HATED MANY of my officers in the US Army....but I followed orders, under the US Constitution.

 

The guy is an A**hole but I swore to folow his orders. Be it the Commander in Chief or some 2nd Lieutenant.

 

I HATED my Lt's in the Army. I kept many of them alive. "Sir don't do that".

 

In the end it comes down to Communist vs. Capitalism.

 

Either go thu Mao's GREAT LEAP FORWARD, Stalin's PURGE, or Pol Pot's experimemt.

 

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!.........for the Contitution on the United States of America

 

. It's just a few pages long. I think it's 4 pages?

 

Guess what? IT'S THE LAW.

Yeah, it is the law and Trump should try following it since he swore an oath to do just that and stop all his crazy bs.

29 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

And your point would be?

I think he already made it. Its costing American citizens more and will be increasing inflation, more than it already was. Try to keep up

One thing may work with DJT. Send a handful of young massage girls over to WH. It worked with Epstein. 

5 minutes ago, Dan O said:

I think he already made it. Its costing American citizens more and will be increasing inflation, more than it already was. Try to keep up

 

And I think most Americans are willing to pay more for imported crap if it means more American jobs, a lower trade deficit and more revenue from tariffs.  Or buy less imported crap that we don't need.  That'll easily offset any price increases (for those who understand that inflation and price increases are not the same thing).

 

1 hour ago, Card said:

Jeez. What real people said wasn't that it couldn't happen, but it wouldn't be the Chinese exporters who pay for it but the American consumer. That HAS happened.

That actually has not happened, at least not yet. 

1 hour ago, koolkarl said:

Thailand imposes tariffs on imports from US, far higher than 35%.  Now you have an idea why Thailand joined OECD and along with that the

CRS which eventually will drive the wealthy foreigners out of Thailand for good.

This is misleading statement.  The current average tariff is only 9% that is imposed on imported US products.  You may have quoted only a specific item that is at this rate.  Also the US already impose a 9% VAT they pay and now the orange baboon wants to add 36%, idiot.

48 minutes ago, SanSaiExPat said:

The professor knows damn well that any agreements that must meet with public approval will never be made in time to meet the August deadline.  These types of agreements, have always been carried out by each country's diplomatic corps and trade bureaucrats.

 

What I read from his comments (and I may be misinterpreting) is that he wants any deal to be presented openly and honestly to the people, regardless of whether they approve of it. All too often, Thailand negotiates agreements with other countries and then totally misrepresents them in public presentations, so as to make them sound better and to portray Thailand as a big winner, even when it isn't. 

 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

In a dramatic development

 

I'm not sure how one academic's opinion piece is either "dramatic" or a "development"...

45 minutes ago, novanova said:

Well-educated people avoid ad hominem arguments.

 

Let me quote your own words:

 

Trump is an oaf who doesn't understand high school-level economics

 

DT has a bizarre obsession with trade deficits. This has no basis in reality

 

The stupidity of DT's position can be seen in the Botswana tariffs

 

This is flat-out irrational, and everybody should stop pretending there is any sense behind DT's actions.

 

Here’s a novel idea for dealing with a 36% tariff:  devalue the Baht 36%.  Devaluation—isn’t that kinda like what Vietnam has done?

7 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Let me quote your own words:

 

Trump is an oaf who doesn't understand high school-level economics

 

DT has a bizarre obsession with trade deficits. This has no basis in reality

 

The stupidity of DT's position can be seen in the Botswana tariffs

 

This is flat-out irrational, and everybody should stop pretending there is any sense behind DT's actions.

 

 

By all means quote me. 

 

In what sense is this ad hominem? DT is being laughed at by high-end economists around the world. Read what the Economist magazine has to say. Check economic journals. DT is ignorant of the basics, and that is a hard. demonstrable fact, no two ways about it.

 

Read up on this. Review the facts, Evaluate the information.Change your mind. You will be a better person for it.

2 hours ago, Card said:

Jeez. What real people said wasn't that it couldn't happen, but it wouldn't be the Chinese exporters who pay for it but the American consumer. That HAS happened.

As opposed to a federal deficit of 316 the previous month. Next year's deficit is projected to be about 1.3 trillion. 

7 hours ago, webfact said:

PIcture courtesy of Thai Rath

 

In a dramatic development, a leading Thai academic is urging citizens to pay close attention to the unfolding negotiations regarding President Donald Trump's aggressive 36% tariff, which is set to hit Thai exports.

 

The imminent deadline of August 1st puts the country in a precarious position, demanding transparency and public scrutiny. Dr. Suriyasai Katasila, dean of Rangsit University’s College of Social Innovation, has issued a stark warning about the potential economic and sovereign repercussions for Thailand.

 

Dr. Suriyasai highlights three key areas that demand public attention. Firstly, what will Thailand offer in return for tariff mitigation? There are concerns about whether an opening of the domestic market for goods and services could occur, potentially impacting local economies.

The nation’s ability to confront these challenges with openness and integrity will determine whether it can maintain its dignity and independence on the world stage.

The coming days are crucial, and the outcome of these negotiations may set a precedent for how Thailand navigates international economic challenges in the future. The drive for transparency and public engagement is essential to safeguard the country's interests and ensure that its policies reflect the collective will and benefit of its people.

 

 

 

 

 

Step #1 .   get rid of the elephant(s) in the room   anything with Shin in the name has to be completely gone from Thailand 

23 minutes ago, ThaiBob said:

As opposed to a federal deficit of 316 the previous month. Next year's deficit is projected to be about 1.3 trillion. 

 

$1.3T would be an improvement from the average $2.02 T annual from Q1 2021 to Q1 2025.

 

Q1 2021: $28,132 B

Q1 2025: $36,214 B

Delta = $8,082 B = $2,020 B per year.

 

 

Federal Debt: Total Public Debt (GFDEBTN) | FRED | St. Louis Fed

 

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/

 

 

5 hours ago, impulse said:

I guess the biggest question is whether Thailand will actually make stuff, or just repackage stuff.

 

Have you ever been in Chonburi (Chonburi, Bowin, Laemchabang) or Rayong for example?

There are lots of industrial estates hosting factories producing goods for export, amongst which we can see lots of US companies. I'm not sure that the investors will appreciate the erratic decisions of Orange Donald Duck Trump...

Mid-Term is going to be an interesting time.

2 hours ago, novanova said:

Trump is an oaf who doesn't understand high school-level economics. That's why every economist in the world (who is not a paid DT shill) is laughing at him.

 

DT has a bizarre obsession with trade deficits. This has no basis in reality. If I shop at the supermarket, there is a trade deficit - they have my money. But I have the goods... where is the unfairness? It doesn't exist.

 

The stupidity of DT's position can be seen in the Botswana tariffs. Their big export is diamonds. The big buyer is the US. Somehow, DT sees this as a great injustice, so he hit then with a 37% tariff. This is flat-out irrational, and everybody should stop pretending there is any sense behind DT's actions.

You’re right to point out that trade deficits, in and of themselves, aren’t necessarily harmful — especially when viewed through the lens of individual transactions, like shopping at a supermarket. You exchange money for goods, and both sides benefit. That’s how trade is supposed to work.

 

However, Donald Trump’s focus on trade deficits reflects a different, more strategic or macroeconomic concern — not just a simple misunderstanding of economics.

 

From Trump’s perspective (and that of some economic nationalists), persistent and large trade deficits can indicate structural problems in an economy: over-reliance on imports, underdeveloped domestic manufacturing, or even exploitative trade practices by other countries (like currency manipulation, state subsidies, or unfair barriers to U.S. exports). In that context, the deficit isn’t the root problem — it’s a symptom.

 

His critics are right to say that reducing trade deficits shouldn’t be a goal in itself, but Trump uses the deficit as a shorthand for broader issues, like job loss in certain sectors or the decline of American manufacturing. The problem is that his rhetoric often simplifies complex global trade dynamics into a win-lose framework — which can be misleading.

 

So, while the supermarket analogy works well on a micro level, Trump’s focus is more about national competitiveness and long-term economic resilience — albeit often communicated in a blunt, populist way that can distort the underlying economics.

10 minutes ago, Garouda said:

Have you ever been in Chonburi (Chonburi, Bowin, Laemchabang) or Rayong for example?

There are lots of industrial estates hosting factories producing goods for export, amongst which we can see lots of US companies. I'm not sure that the investors will appreciate the erratic decisions of Orange Donald Duck Trump...

Mid-Term is going to be an interesting time.

 

How many of them are zero dollar factories?  Which is a misnomer.  It does cost something to set up a factory to put stuff in boxes.

 

I'm a trade show junkie so I attend a lot of the shows at BITEC and I'm familiar with a lot of Thai businesses.  I'm not denying their capabilities.  But I'm also aware of a lot of trans shipping entities.  And, like Forrest Gump...  That's all I have to say about that.

 

2 hours ago, WEBBYB808 said:

He's just old school American.  He's just being true to who he is.  He is an Alpha male, true.  The thing is, he's a modern cowboy.   If he does something not in compliance with his office, he will be thrown under the bus by the Dems, and sassy people, he always is an open book.  He plays by elite rules.  He is American!

Nah. I disagree. I can think of a lot of old school Americans that were tough, but they were decent, they may have been harsh, they may have been very direct, but they had some respect, they had some dignity. This man is a scam artist and a circus clown, he doesn't have a nanogram of dignity, he has respect for no one but himself, and he would throw his own family members under the bus if he could profit from it. 

2 hours ago, Aussie999 said:

300% on motor vehicle/motor bikes

Slight exaggeration I believe its 80% .

 

2 hours ago, Aussie999 said:

But it's the Americans that paid the tariffs...no-one else

Sure, but at the same time USA consumers will buy less goods coming from Thailand, since the price they have to pay has been jacked up, so Thailand sees its exports to the USA shrinking.

 

Tariffs = pain on both sides

 

At least in the near-medium term (ie several years) for the USA, if they manage to eventually replace the goods with home-manufactured / produced goods. Which leads to one caveat: imposing tariffs only make sense if there is concurrently a well-thought plan to build up one's manufacturing / producing base. Which I doubt very much is the case with Trump.

 

And certainly, no plan can ever replace coffee or diamonds!

1 hour ago, bstafford214 said:

This is misleading statement.  The current average tariff is only 9% that is imposed on imported US products.  You may have quoted only a specific item that is at this rate.  Also the US already impose a 9% VAT they pay and now the orange baboon wants to add 36%, idiot.

 

First, a question.  Then a comment.

 

The question:  Do you have a source for that 9% number?

 

The comment:  Maybe the average effective tariff rate is so low because nobody in Thailand can afford to buy the stuff with a higher rate.  Like cars with an 80% tariff (plus other taxes that add up to about 200% on top of the selling price)