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Economy Thailand and EU Advance Free Trade Agreement Talks, Focus on Sustainability and SME Support
Picture courtesy of InsideThailand. The Ministry of Commerce has announced significant progress in the sixth round of negotiations for the Thailand-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which took place in Bangkok from 23 to 27 June 2025. Commerce Minister Phichai Naripthaphan revealed that the talks, hosted by Thailand, saw fruitful discussions and led to preliminary agreements on three key chapters: 1. Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) – Focused on enhancing standards related to the environment, labour, and social issues connected to trade, aligning with global trends and the European Green Deal. 2. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) – Aimed at improving access to regulatory and trade-related information for SMEs to help them better utilise opportunities from the FTA. 3. Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) – Designed to streamline trade by reducing unnecessary regulatory obstacles and facilitating smoother market access. Negotiators also discussed significant areas such as market access for goods, services and investment. Both sides agreed on a clear roadmap for work between now and the next round of negotiations, which is scheduled to be held in Brussels from 29 September to 3 October 2025. Minister Phichai expressed satisfaction with the progress made, especially on the TSD chapter, a topic of mutual priority for both Thailand and the EU. He noted that the agreement supports Thailand’s commitment to raising environmental, labour and social standards not as trade barriers, but as essential elements of sustainable development. The talks also reinforced the shared goal of empowering SMEs by improving transparency and information accessibility. The two parties underscored the importance of building a reliable, predictable and long-term trade partnership, particularly against the backdrop of current geopolitical and economic uncertainties. This latest progress follows earlier discussions in June between Minister Phichai and Mr Maroš Šefčovič, EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, during the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting in Paris. Both sides reaffirmed their intention to fast-track the FTA talks, in line with the Thai government’s trade expansion and foreign investment attraction policies. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has prioritised securing new export markets and increasing foreign direct investment as key elements of economic growth strategy. From January to May 2025, the EU ranked as Thailand’s fourth-largest trading partner after China, the United States, and Japan. Bilateral trade reached USD 18.09 billion, a year-on-year increase of 0.57%. Thai exports to the EU rose by 8.86% to USD 10.7 billion, while imports from the EU fell by 9.4% to USD 7.4 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of over USD 3.3 billion in Thailand’s favour. The next round of FTA negotiations in Brussels is expected to build on this momentum and further solidify the Thailand-EU trade partnership. Adapted by Asean Now from InsideThailand 2025-06-29 -
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Donald Trump Seems A Sure Thing For a Nobel Peace Prize!
I think trump was pretty smart when he said the Mullah regime Iran is incapable -
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Report Thailand Tightens Alcohol Sales: New Rules Take Effect
All true alkis will body swerve any laws in order to get their daily fix. No big deal. -
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THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Sunday 29 June 2025
Death at Phatthalung School: 5-Year-Old Boy Drowns in Abandoned Fish Pond Picture courtesy of Amarin. A five-year-old kindergarten pupil drowned after falling into an abandoned fish pond at a school in Moo 6, Nong Thong Subdistrict, Pa Bon District, prompting serious concerns from his grieving family about the school’s safety measures and teacher supervision. Full story:https://aseannow.com/topic/1365118-death-at-phatthalung-school-5-year-old-boy-drowns-in-abandoned-fish-pond/ -
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Accident Death at Phatthalung School: 5-Year-Old Boy Drowns in Abandoned Fish Pond
Picture courtesy of Amarin. A five-year-old kindergarten pupil drowned after falling into an abandoned fish pond at a school in Moo 6, Nong Thong Subdistrict, Pa Bon District, prompting serious concerns from his grieving family about the school’s safety measures and teacher supervision. The incident occurred on 27 June at a local primary school where young “Title”, a K2 pupil, had asked permission to use the toilet. The boy never returned. Teachers began searching for him, eventually discovering one of his shoes near an overgrown pond behind the school’s old toilet block. The other shoe was spotted floating in the water. Male staff members jumped into the pond, recovered the boy’s lifeless body and rushed him to Pa Bon Hospital. Despite attempts to resuscitate him, the child was pronounced dead. The pond, once used for raising fish, is approximately 30 metres long, 2 metres wide and 1.5 metres deep. It had long been abandoned and left without any fencing or signage. Thick vegetation and water weeds obscured the water’s surface, making it appear as part of the ground, which investigators believe may have confused the young child. A teacher’s aide who was in charge of the boy explained that she had helped him unfasten his trousers and allowed him to go ahead to the toilet, saying she would follow shortly after finishing giving instructions to the class. When she did go to check on him moments later, he had vanished. The school dismissed students early and the boy’s relatives performed a Buddhist ceremony to call his spirit before transferring his body to Lak Sip Temple for funeral rites. The child’s mother, overcome with grief, said through tears: “My son must be the last. No child should die like this. Where were the safety measures? Where was the supervision?” It has since emerged that the boy was a special needs child with a congenital heart condition. According to a cousin, he had previously undergone heart surgery and was physically weaker than his peers. He had recently transferred from a local early childhood development centre to this school. The family had reportedly informed the school of his condition and requested closer monitoring. Ordinarily, when the boy needed to defecate, his elder sister, a primary school student at the same school, would be summoned to assist. However, as this occasion only involved urination, no one was assigned to accompany him. Attempts to contact the school administration and the local education authority were met with a refusal to comment, with officials stating they were “not ready to provide information.” The family is now calling for an investigation into the incident, with demands for stronger safety protocols and clear accountability for the lapse in supervision. Adapted by Asean Now from Amarin 2025-06-29 -
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Time is running out for civilians in Gaza.
Sucks to be them. Surrender and release the hostages or keep dying.
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