7 hours ago, webfact said:

Deputy Finance Minister Julaphan Amornwiwat affirmed the country’s firm stance, stating the 0% tax proposal is untenable due to international obligations and the vulnerable nature of the domestic agriculture sector.

 

By "international obligations" he means China.

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Julaphan urged local industries to diversify their markets and closely follow global trends, viewing crises as possible opportunities for growth.

 

What utter tripe....how on Earth are small local industries to address any of that?

The spoiled brat of SE Asia is facing at last retribution to its outrageous foreign trade policy. For decades Thailand was imposing exorbitant duties to imports but on the same time it was exporting with favorable duties to other countries.

I’m not an expert on its agricultural sector thus I don’t have an opinion on what should be done. I’m more interested in the exchange rate of the Baht which I wish to collapse, lol.

53 minutes ago, smedly said:

the farmers do all the hard work earning very little for it, the big prophets go to those that supply the farmers and those that buy their produce, it is set up that way by big money 

Agree with connda cooperatives would be an effective way to cut out middlemen, and increase profits for poor farmers.  Also need to look at high value crops.

And Japan just did what is being called a "massive deal."  Thailand is being left in the dust. Just edited this to add the new Indonesia and unconfirmed Philippines deal too.

Thailand just an isolated southern province of China, now.

 https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/23/trump-announces-massive-trade-deal-with-japan-with-15percent-tariffs.html

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/indonesia-cut-tariffs-non-tariff-barriers-us-trade-deal-2025-07-22/

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/22/trump-philippines-trade-tariffs-military.html

22 minutes ago, MarkBR said:

Agree with connda cooperatives would be an effective way to cut out middlemen, and increase profits for poor farmers.  Also need to look at high value crops.

I agree too but ultimately impossible in Thailand because big money holds all the power, do you know how much farmers pay for fertilizer, I remember reading about it a few years back and it is a ridiculous amount of money, what little money they make on their crops it is something like 80% - 90% of that, of course if they make anything at all, it really is a racket

5 hours ago, KhaoHom said:

 

I'm extremely interested as to which agricultural products he believes threatened. I'm guessing none.

 

Good news ... With more subsidy like 200M + tarrifs looking at much better X rates for us

 

Do you mean Thai Baht will be lower as a result, like THB 40.00 for 1 USD?

Just give Trump and airplane.  

3 minutes ago, Hakuna Matata said:

 

Do you mean Thai Baht will be lower as a result, like THB 25.00 for 1 USD?

More like 35 B for 1 US.

Lowering the currency can offset the tariffs.

7 hours ago, watchcat said:

 

Do they really care about the poor farmers?

 

 

 

Only their votes, after that, they are nothing more than serfs.

7 minutes ago, Hakuna Matata said:

 

Do you mean Thai Baht will be lower as a result, like THB 40.00 for 1 USD?

 

We can only hope! 👍

5 hours ago, connda said:

Loans will just destroy Thai business by over-extending them until they go bankrupt.  Deficit spending is untenable.  Eventually you have to pay the piper his due.

Yeah, and guess who will be snapping up the land at a discount from bankrupt farmers?

 

Wealthy Thais just keep getting wealthier.

Difficult situation for Thailand,  beeing in the middle of USA and Cina and not beeing a competitive country ... 

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand has decisively rejected a 0% tax agreement with the US, citing significant potential impacts on its agriculture sector. The government is instead launching a 200 billion baht (£4.5 billion) soft loan scheme to support private sectors and farmers.

So Thai subsidies are the way to go... good luck with future trade talks.

5 hours ago, stubuzz said:

If farmers need loans to continue, their business models cannot be sustainable.

There is hardly a country in the world that does not subsidise their Farmers in one way or another

Thailand is just following what 99% of the countries in world have done so far, and that is giving Donald the middle finger.

The US is overplaying its hand and that world wide i must add. The US still thinks its the '90..its not. Though in economic terms the % ratio of GDP and exports to the US is relatively big (10-11% of Thailands GDP is from exports to the US) the Geopolitical game that is played ATM has a different outlook and goal.

 

I would prefer Thailand to reduce tariffs for imports of specific products ..however I do understand the need for it. Spoiler its not only greed.

 

Brazil just the other day said what many "global south" countries say and think..and that is "F the bully". This will end badly for the US and due to its setup and general influence the US will take down many other economies.

 

With that said it will be the EU that looses the most and long term..Asia will have a slump but recover short term. The USA will recover mid term as they have no infrastructure/supply chains that can compete ..and that will take around 10-15 years to build up...

 

Trump had his chance to turn it around buy boy has he fkd-up..sad really.

16 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

 

We can only hope! 👍

I doubt it, Thai government has propped up the baht for a long time and will continue to do so

1 hour ago, Redacce said:

The spoiled brat of SE Asia is facing at last retribution to its outrageous foreign trade policy. For decades Thailand was imposing exorbitant duties to imports but on the same time it was exporting with favorable duties to other countries.

I’m not an expert on its agricultural sector thus I don’t have an opinion on what should be done. I’m more interested in the exchange rate of the Baht which I wish to collapse, lol.

 

And on top of that, a lot of Thai exports to USA are re-packed products from China. USA wants that stopped and me thinks Thailand's elite Thainese business families do not. Thailand is nailing shut its own economic coffin for short term gains that have serious long term consequences. But since when did Thais think and plan ahead much.  

 

The Baht will collapse (soon I hope) - they have been propping it up for a long time now and the decline is inevitable. They dont give a rat's rear about farmers or tourists - if they did they would lower the Baht. The Thainese wealthy elite want the Baht to remain high.  It might even collapse as much as in the 90s when the same greed and corruption caused the collapse when it was massively over-valued. They are smarter now at keeping it high 'legally' - but the never ending Thainese greed is going to make them come undone again. 

5 hours ago, stubuzz said:

If farmers need loans to continue, their business models cannot be sustainable.

Are you aware of the massive farm subsidies that the USA pays its farmers, on top of all kinds of barriers to entry that prevent real competition??? About one-third of the nation's two million farms receive regular subsidies, although that ratio is higher for larger farms (READ: Corporate welfare for the largest "well connected" agricultural companies)  It is hilarious that farmers in Red Hats cry about "Socialism" while they accept government handouts and farm welfare.

4 minutes ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

Thainese

Well said.

The US does grow a lot of rice they export about half of it.

Haven't quite grasped the meaning of a fair trade agreement, now coming to bite them in the arse

11 hours ago, webfact said:

the private sector must adapt to new market realities

Here it's more like market fantasies, especially considering the ever-changing political whims of the government, because once you adapt, prepare to counter-adapt straightaway, see the cannabis industry...

6 hours ago, connda said:

What is stupid is the why Thai farmers grow crops.  Somchai grows lamyai and makes money.  So all the farmers in Somchai region grow Lamyai driving the price to Lamyai bought by middlemen to absurdly low levels.  Small farmers need to really begin to get smart.  Grow what other are not growing. Work with other farmers in cooperatives to cut out the middlemen and sell directly to corporate buyers and leverage the power of the cooperative. If regional farmers all bail in to the same freaking crops - move to a different crop. Control supply and distribution or die. 

same same ..  walk down any half busy soi ..

 2 dozen food stalls all selling the same grilled/burnt squid on a stik, or chicken satay that's been sitting in the sun all day

 8 massage shops with a herd of corn fed hefers sitting out front and they all complain biz is slow

but there's the lady in a revealing tank top selling smoothies and she's busy .....   hmmmmmmmm?

Wasn't Thailand the one that made to offer?

6 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

The future here is Chocolate they should concentrate on that.

Yeah; i remember Prayut telling distressd Rubber Famers they should use their 'savings' to grow Coconuts instead as they were more lucrative !

7 minutes ago, Luuk Chaai said:

same same ..  walk down any half busy soi ..

 2 dozen food stalls all selling the same grilled/burnt squid on a stik, or chicken satay that's been sitting in the sun all day

 8 massage shops with a herd of corn fed hefers sitting out front and they all complain biz is slow

but there's the lady in a revealing tank top selling smoothies and she's busy .....   hmmmmmmmm?

With the type of National Educaton System this Country has, nobody n the Farming Community, or the Local Market Community is ever going to 'Get Smart'.    The so called 'Elite' will make sure of that !

47 minutes ago, trainman34014 said:

Yeah; i remember Prayut telling distressd Rubber Famers they should use their 'savings' to grow Coconuts instead as they were more lucrative !

All politicians have no idea, but they also need to have well-informed advisers & policy writers, so that when they make decisions they are good ones that benefit the country.   The lack of good advisors probably links into the inadequacy in terms of education of those that influence most political parties in Thailand (I exclude one specific party from this - who seem to full of intelligent young politicians).

I don't think Thailand gives a damn about its farmers.  If they cared at all they would work toward providing them with proper equipment and education to eliminate/minimize all this burning that goes on every year and thus cut down on all the pollution.  It won't eliminate the pollution due to other countries, but it would be better than the current nothing being done.