Thailand - Free Trade And Import/Exports

[hansum]

It seems (according to several senior politicians ive recently heard speaking) that all major economies are looking at exporting more goods to narrow huge trade deficits, and in Britains case theyre looking to create a notable manufacturing base to get themselves out the current mess and to have a more balanced economy.

My thinking is the only way to do this is for such nations to pressure/tell so called emerging economies such as Thailand China etc.. into more equal trade agreements, at the moment its pretty much a case of these nations sell to us with no or minimal tarrifs whereas everything western made imported by Asian nations is taxed to the hilt.

So if western economies are to succeed in exporting more, and creating larger manufacting bases as their politicians are imminently about to try and implement (refering to the UK), wont this shift the balance of economic power thats shifted east,move back to the west, thus affecting jobs in a major way in Thailand, and we'll go back to the status quo.

It seems as if this is the only way western economies can go as its now widely accepted we cant just rely on the service sector and finance alone to create jobs.

[nakachalet]

It seems (according to several senior politicians ive recently heard speaking) that all major economies are looking at exporting more goods to narrow huge trade deficits, and in Britains case theyre looking to create a notable manufacturing base to get themselves out the current mess and to have a more balanced economy.

My thinking is the only way to do this is for such nations to pressure/tell so called emerging economies such as Thailand China etc.. into more equal trade agreements, at the moment its pretty much a case of these nations sell to us with no or minimal tarrifs whereas everything western made imported by Asian nations is taxed to the hilt.

So if western economies are to succeed in exporting more, and creating larger manufacting bases as their politicians are imminently about to try and implement (refering to the UK), wont this shift the balance of economic power thats shifted east,move back to the west, thus affecting jobs in a major way in Thailand, and we'll go back to the status quo.

It seems as if this is the only way western economies can go as its now widely accepted we cant just rely on the service sector and finance alone to create jobs.

ALL IS BUT A PIPE-DREAM, i am afraid....

just how do the advanced industrailization nations compete with the eastern countries in terms of low cost labour among several other imminent life style and ways of living difference factors....?

we all and our countries are just too expensive to maintain....

the gwai-low--yes that means farangs.... imho, other than advanced skills and technologies.... what can we offer to the east....?

who in the right mind set would be willing to pay 450 usd per hour, yes you read it right.... 450.00 usd per hour, in the eastern countries....?

imho.... the only way that we could maintain any edge is to.... own and operate the various kind of businesses in different localities and countries....

which means.... going out of our ways.... to invest in the selected future of some of these countries....

imho.... there is just NO WAY under the present mindset and economic condition.... that we can profitably compete with the productivity and low labour cost, among other factors, of these emerging countries....

at present.... what we can do best is.... to dream on fellow gwai-low....

on the other side of the coin.... would i like to see these emerging countries becoming even more productive and efficient.... thus improving their living conditions and standards of living.... ABSOLUTELY AND RESOUNDINGLY AFFIRMATIVE....

[Dakhar]

U can't force a society to buy something they can make on their own in a cheaper fashion. Further, what does the west offer that the east needs, and can produce it chearper than the east can?

I agree the west in trouble, but i do not think that a mandated equal trade is going to accomplish anything.

[hansum]

U can't force a society to buy something they can make on their own in a cheaper fashion. Further, what does the west offer that the east needs, and can produce it chearper than the east can?

I agree the west in trouble, but i do not think that a mandated equal trade is going to accomplish anything.

Thailand is forcing its people to buy its own goods by making imported goods unaffordable.

If the east can do things so much better and cheaper then the west then surely there isnt a need for keeping currency pegged at a weak level to the dollar (China) and they shouldnt need to impose taxes of 100% on items such as vehicles.

This is the tarrifs Thailand imposes on western goods ,,, Thailand would go out of business tomorrow if the west done the same under the guise of a luxury goods tax.

THAILAND · Duties 0-45%

· VAT 7%

· Excise Tax 25-80% (luxury goods)

Value-Added Taxes (VAT)

A more balanced trade agreement is the only way the west can get out of this mess imho and it'll happen in the coming years as we cant keep on exporting jobs to countries that dont wish to play the game with fairer trade.