Thailand Mulls Barter Trade With Sanctioned Iran

[webfact]

Thailand mulls barter trade with sanctioned Iran

Supalak Ganjanakhundee

The Nation

Tehran

BANGKOK: -- Thailand mulled barter trade with Iran to avoid the consequence of the United States economic sanction against Tehran's nuclear ambition, Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said.

"Trade between Thailand and Iran could not increase for long time because of the sanction," he said, "so we have to try other alternative ways to boost our economic relations."

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi agreed in a bilateral meeting with Surapong on the idea and would study possibility to have barter trade with Thailand.

Surapong said Thailand would exchange rice with Iran's oil and gas since Tehran demanded more than a million ton of rice annually while Thailand was seeking cheap petroleum for domestic energy consumption.

"I think, such trade arrangement would have no problem with the US sanction since we don't conduct money transaction through any American entity," he said.

"The American should have sympathy on this issue. Iranian needs rice for consumption while Thailand, which has no sufficient petroleum resource, wants energy," Surapong said.

Thailand and Iran would intensively discuss the issue during the next Joint Commission meeting in Tehran soon, he said.

Iran consumes some 3.5 million ton of long grain rice annually but could produce only 2.5 million ton per annum, Surapong said.

-- The Nation 2012-08-28

[Mosha]

"The American should have sympathy on this issue. Iranian needs rice for consumption while Thailand, which has no sufficient petroleum resource, wants energy," Surapong said.

I wouldn't bet on it.

[belg]

this is just a way to evade the embargo... rice for oil and gas

mhhhh

hope they can sell it at premium 15000 baht per ton and not a transaction where thai will sell at only 10.000 or less, and so use tax payers money to sponsor this illegal deal

[Soutpeel]

how much would 1 million ton of rice cost ?

[AleG]

Would Iran be nice enough to include in the deal not sending terrorists to carry out bombings in Thailand never, ever again?

[Payboy]

"The American should have sympathy on this issue. Iranian needs rice for consumption while Thailand, which has no sufficient petroleum resource, wants energy," Surapong said.

I doubt this guy understands the meaning of trade sanctions.

[CosmicSurfer]

Surely Thailand deserves to be an exception to US policy!

NOT!!!!!

CS

[OzMick]

Would Iran be nice enough to include in the deal not sending terrorists to carry out bombings in Thailand never, ever again?

I'd ask for a restriction on drug mules too.

[tomross46]

The price can not be 15,000 Baht per ton. This is the amount to be paid to the farmer. It does not include the transportation, warehousing, processing, the profit % paid to each level of the process + the 7% VAT at each stage.

[Soutpeel]

this is just a way to evade the embargo... rice for oil and gas

mhhhh

hope they can sell it at premium 15000 baht per ton and not a transaction where thai will sell at only 10.000 or less, and so use tax payers money to sponsor this illegal deal

Just a minor little problem with the FM's "mulling"....first off the sanctions are not just US sanctions but UN and EU sanctions, a further little problem with the FM's cunning plan.....

who is going to ship the petroleum products ? (one assumes here oil) as there is a ban on insurance for tanker companies dealing with Iran O&G products, now seeing as the major shipping companies fall under either US or EU jurisdiction, they will not touch Iranian oil

[Soutpeel]

The price can not be 15,000 Baht per ton. This is the amount to be paid to the farmer. It does not include the transportation, warehousing, processing, the profit % paid to each level of the process + the 7% VAT at each stage.

After a bit of research on the open market currently around US$ 550/ton...

[jonclark]

One would hope that the oil or electricity produced using the oil (if this goes ahead) be free or heavily discounted, because the tax payer has already paid for the rice which the government holds. Using the taxpayers money to but rice which they trade for oil and then sell back to the taxpayer seems a tad unfair on the Thai taxpayer.

In essence your buying X for us which we swap for Y and you buy back. Brilliant - What a scam!!

[Soutpeel]

Would Iran be nice enough to include in the deal not sending terrorists to carry out bombings in Thailand never, ever again?

I'd ask for a restriction on drug mules too.

Maybe Thailand Thailand could barter some bomb detectors for oil....they have a few of those around doing absolutely nothing

[ttelise]

Haha, really. Can somebody be that stupid. He states America should not mind vioatiin of US sanction if no money changes hands.

[Baerboxer]

One would hope that the oil or electricity produced using the oil (if this goes ahead) be free or heavily discounted, because the tax payer has already paid for the rice which the government holds. Using the taxpayers money to but rice which they trade for oil and then sell back to the taxpayer seems a tad unfair on the Thai taxpayer.

In essence your buying X for us which we swap for Y and you buy back. Brilliant - What a scam!!

Nice one! Your're right with your shrewd observation. But what a wheeze of a scam for the gang in control!

[bkkjames]

I call your rice and raise you 1 million chickens....

[Soutpeel]

I call your rice and raise you 1 million chickens....

I call your chickens and raise you 2 million tons of Somtam

[duncanm]

Just a minor little problem with the FM's "mulling"....first off the sanctions are not just US sanctions but UN and EU sanctions, a further little problem with the FM's cunning plan.....

who is going to ship the petroleum products ? (one assumes here oil) as there is a ban on insurance for tanker companies dealing with Iran O&G products, now seeing as the major shipping companies fall under either US or EU jurisdiction, they will not touch Iranian oil

The Iranians can ship it themselves. They've recently greatly increased their fleet.

Pricing isn't going to be particularly tricky because the Iranians probably want to do the swap as desperately as the Thais.

Whether this will be ignored by the international community due to the fact that it could be argued that just rice is vaguely humanitarian is another matter.

I do think if they can get away with it then it'll be helpful... After all they're facilitating the swap of something that's in excess for something that's in shortage and have found the people that will give them the best deal.

Edited August 28, 2012 by duncanm

[bigbamboo]

Just when you thought Kittiratt was the dumbest member of the government along comes Surapong to prove us all wrong!

[softgeorge]

"The American should have sympathy on this issue. Iranian needs rice for consumption while Thailand, which has no sufficient petroleum resource, wants energy," Surapong said.

I doubt this guy understands the meaning of trade sanctions.

Because the U.S have trade sanctions, does that mean that Thailand should also? What trade agreements Thailand and Iran come up with has absolutely nothing what so ever to do with the U.S. They should butt out and mind thier own business, if Thailand wants to trade with Iran then they are free to do so. The U.S has absolutely no authority in Thailand.

[FOODLOVER]

I call your rice and raise you 1 million chickens....

http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2004/s1031506.h

Chckens?!

[Payboy]

"The American should have sympathy on this issue. Iranian needs rice for consumption while Thailand, which has no sufficient petroleum resource, wants energy," Surapong said.

I doubt this guy understands the meaning of trade sanctions.

Because the U.S have trade sanctions, does that mean that Thailand should also? What trade agreements Thailand and Iran come up with has absolutely nothing what so ever to do with the U.S. They should butt out and mind thier own business, if Thailand wants to trade with Iran then they are free to do so. The U.S has absolutely no authority in Thailand.

Thought the sanctions were approved in the UN.

[vicram]

"The American should have sympathy on this issue. Iranian needs rice for consumption while Thailand, which has no sufficient petroleum resource, wants energy," Surapong said.

I doubt this guy understands the meaning of trade sanctions.

Because the U.S have trade sanctions, does that mean that Thailand should also? What trade agreements Thailand and Iran come up with has absolutely nothing what so ever to do with the U.S. They should butt out and mind thier own business, if Thailand wants to trade with Iran then they are free to do so. The U.S has absolutely no authority in Thailand.

Yes, Thailand is free to do so but also US is free to retaliate Thailand.

[thaimat]

Would Iran be nice enough to include in the deal not sending terrorists to carry out bombings in Thailand never, ever again?

Wasn't the Thai government saying that the recent "failed" Iranian bombers, one of whom who blew off his own leg, were Iranian government trained? So what was that, just the first step (sorry for the bad pun) in trade negotiations?

[chainarong]

Trade sanctions are the domain of the UN, if you are a member, you vote,end of story.Why do these people want to go to bed with this country, I'll never know.

[bkkjames]

I call your rice and raise you 1 million chickens....

http://www.abc.net.a...2004/s1031506.h

Chckens?!

Well didnt stop us getting some Swedish Fighter Aircraft no? or was it firetrucks , cant really remember....

[TomTao]

First the NASA debacle, now Thailand wants to sidestep internationally recognised trade sanctions to do trade with Iran, perhaps the minister in question is looking for ways to isolate Thailand from the rest of the world. what next?

[Soutpeel]

"The American should have sympathy on this issue. Iranian needs rice for consumption while Thailand, which has no sufficient petroleum resource, wants energy," Surapong said.

I doubt this guy understands the meaning of trade sanctions.

Because the U.S have trade sanctions, does that mean that Thailand should also? What trade agreements Thailand and Iran come up with has absolutely nothing what so ever to do with the U.S. They should butt out and mind thier own business, if Thailand wants to trade with Iran then they are free to do so. The U.S has absolutely no authority in Thailand.

Thought the sanctions were approved in the UN.

There are various sanctions by various entities against Iran.... US, UN and EU, so Thailand is running the risk of miffing a whole of people off not just the colonial cousins, now seeing as Thai goverment departments are eyeing up "cheap properties" in europe per the other article on TV, they should be prevented from doing so because they intend to openly trade with terrorists

[h90]

Would Iran be nice enough to include in the deal not sending terrorists to carry out bombings in Thailand never, ever again?

Saudi Arabia is the country that sponsors the terrorists, not Iran.

Iran is the country with the uranium enrichment.

[bkkjames]

Would Iran be nice enough to include in the deal not sending terrorists to carry out bombings in Thailand never, ever again?

Saudi Arabia is the country that sponsors the terrorists, not Iran.

Iran is the country with the uranium enrichment.

Dont bait JT pleasssssse!