FTA gets Thai junta backing

[webfact]

FREE TRADE
FTA gets junta backing
Petchanet Pratruangkrai
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The National Council for Peace and Order has given the green light to the signing of an agreement to establish the Asean-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement next month.

Somkiat Triratpan, deputy director-general of the Trade Negotiations Department, said last week that Thailand can now join Asean in amending the AANZFTA, which will help facilitate more trade and each country's businessmen.

The amendment will be inked during the Asean-Australia-New Zealand economic ministers meeting in Myanmar.

The members signed the FTA in 2010 and agreed to gradually amend the liberalisation of trade in goods.

The amendment includes new rules of origin to bring the pact in accordance with the latest customs procedure so that companies can retrieve information and trade under the rules.

The amendment also allows enterprises to ask for lower duties under the new rules of origin.

Companies no longer need to state the FOB price of goods if they are not from different origins.

The new rules will help protect trade secrets and will conform to current international trade rules.

Under the pact, trade between Thailand and the members has risen by 66.2 per cent from US$70.44 million in 2009 to $117.06 million last year.

Thailand's trade surplus increased 22.8 per cent to $20.22 million last year.

Exporters reaped benefits from this agreement worth $384.88 million last year, up by 65.9 per cent from 2012, while importers reaped benefits valued at $71.16 million, up by 184 per cent.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/FTA-gets-junta-backing-30238386.html


-- The Nation 2014-07-14

[lostsoul49]

These free trade agreements don't mean a damned thing when you have a thoroughly corrupt customs regime.

No matter what duty exemption forms you have on the table, you still have to pay the man, or you will not hand over the goods.

Trust me... I have imported from China and Malaysia and both times they totally ignored the Forms E & D respectively, you threaten to report it to their boss and they just laugh at you... The money is going to the boss anyway.

You have nobody to complain to, police etc.... they are all corrupt and none are on your side.

[terryp]

the first stage of the TPP ...be very careful Thailand

[chooka]

Maybe the Australian products will now be cheaper.

[chainarong]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Maybe the Australian products will now be cheaper.

All I see on our shelves is sub-standard stuff made in China , I don't think Thailand's protectionist policy's will let to much into Thailand, regardless of the word free trade, import duty's will remain.

[Tatsujin]

Customs is THE most corrupt, disgusting body within Thailand . . . and they should be the first to receive a thorough overhaul, involving sacking the whole thieving bunch of them and starting all over again.

[wandasloan]

the first stage of the TPP ...be very careful Thailand

Really! And another segment of coup fans gets buyers' remorse. The thing about alienating your supporters with stuff like this is that the alienated ones get *really* angry, much worse than the original anti-coup people and groups. In history, it's always these groups with buyers remorse that wind up the most militant opponents - like all the Bangkok people who voted for Thaksin are now the true Shinawatra haters.

.

[chooka]

the first stage of the TPP ...be very careful Thailand

Really! And another segment of coup fans gets buyers' remorse. The thing about alienating your supporters with stuff like this is that the alienated ones get *really* angry, much worse than the original anti-coup people and groups. In history, it's always these groups with buyers remorse that wind up the most militant opponents - like all the Bangkok people who voted for Thaksin are now the true Shinawatra haters.

.

I'm a little lost here, what has Thaksin got to do with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs? He is not part of the Australian Government and has no say in who Australia makes deals with.

[Prbkk]

Maybe the Australian products will now be cheaper.

One would hope so. It would be good to see some Australian dairy products in the markets rather than the crappy Euro and NZ stuff. Not to mention the pathetic excuse for smoked salmon from Alaska being flogged as a "gourmet product" .

[Cuchulainn]

Give me good French cheese over the Australian excuses any day!

[Benmart]

These free trade agreements don't mean a damned thing when you have a thoroughly corrupt customs regime.

No matter what duty exemption forms you have on the table, you still have to pay the man, or you will not hand over the goods.

Trust me... I have imported from China and Malaysia and both times they totally ignored the Forms E & D respectively, you threaten to report it to their boss and they just laugh at you... The money is going to the boss anyway.

You have nobody to complain to, police etc.... they are all corrupt and none are on your side.

Let us see if the past practices continue. For every instance of corruption, there are likely multitudes of honest transactions that have taken place.

[Benmart]

Give me good French cheese over the Australian excuses any day!

While I delight in eating cheese, there seems to be more to this story than excellent French cheeses.

Franch produces many excellent foods, wine included, as do many other countries. It also boasts open minded, forward thinking stewards of the public good. Let's hope this applies to others populations as well.

[Baerboxer]

Maybe the Australian products will now be cheaper.

One would hope so. It would be good to see some Australian dairy products in the markets rather than the crappy Euro and NZ stuff. Not to mention the pathetic excuse for smoked salmon from Alaska being flogged as a "gourmet product" .

Dutch, Danish, Irish and NZ dairy products crappy? Australian dairy products wonderful?

Australian salmon - unfortunately not actually salmon and certainly nowhere near comparable to Scottish or Norwegian salmon.

Sill each to there own.

[Baerboxer]

Give me good French cheese over the Australian excuses any day!

I like French cheese but I also like Irish and English Cheddar, Red Leicester, Stilton, Blue Stilton, Lancashire, Double Gloucester etc. Then there are the Dutch, Swiss, Greek and Italian offerings - yummy. NZ and Aussie do some good cheeses as they do wines.

All depends what you fancy at the time.

[aussieinthailand]

These free trade agreements don't mean a damned thing when you have a thoroughly corrupt customs regime.

No matter what duty exemption forms you have on the table, you still have to pay the man, or you will not hand over the goods.

Trust me... I have imported from China and Malaysia and both times they totally ignored the Forms E & D respectively, you threaten to report it to their boss and they just laugh at you... The money is going to the boss anyway.

You have nobody to complain to, police etc.... they are all corrupt and none are on your side.

Get to be good friends with a high ranking cop and you'll do just fine, and when you call on his help give him a bottle of J/W Black label

[Prbkk]

Maybe the Australian products will now be cheaper.

One would hope so. It would be good to see some Australian dairy products in the markets rather than the crappy Euro and NZ stuff. Not to mention the pathetic excuse for smoked salmon from Alaska being flogged as a "gourmet product" .

Dutch, Danish, Irish and NZ dairy products crappy? Australian dairy products wonderful?

Australian salmon - unfortunately not actually salmon and certainly nowhere near comparable to Scottish or Norwegian salmon.

Sill each to there own.

It is salmon ( atlantic salmon produced in Tasmania in the purest water in the world).. The best seafood restaurants in Bangkok have Tasmanian salmon but the supermarkets do not ( except Tops, sometimes).

[seajae]

aussie cheeses are certainly highly ranked, King Island Brie is one of the best in the world, their dairy products are superior to a lot that are here in Thailand. Tassie salmon is also highly ranked world wide, Australia has some of the cleanest waters in the world, both salt and fresh so their seafood is second to none. As for the FTA, customs will never drop their required payment policy so I doubt we will see a lot of difference really in aussie goods on the shelves, everything is already twice or triple the price it is in Australia so I am not holding my breath.

Edited July 14, 2014 by seajae

[Krataiboy]

These free trade agreements don't mean a damned thing when you have a thoroughly corrupt customs regime.

No matter what duty exemption forms you have on the table, you still have to pay the man, or you will not hand over the goods.

Trust me... I have imported from China and Malaysia and both times they totally ignored the Forms E & D respectively, you threaten to report it to their boss and they just laugh at you... The money is going to the boss anyway.

You have nobody to complain to, police etc.... they are all corrupt and none are on your side.

Get on to the new Corruption Line and shop the beggars.

[GrantSmith]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

These free trade agreements don't mean a damned thing when you have a thoroughly corrupt customs regime.

No matter what duty exemption forms you have on the table, you still have to pay the man, or you will not hand over the goods.

Trust me... I have imported from China and Malaysia and both times they totally ignored the Forms E & D respectively, you threaten to report it to their boss and they just laugh at you... The money is going to the boss anyway.

You have nobody to complain to, police etc.... they are all corrupt and none are on your side.

I import products from Australia on a regular basis, provided my paperwork (Certificates of Origin and associated shipping documentation) is correct - i's dotted and t's crossed (literally) - there's nothing going in a little brown envelope under the table.

Maybe the Australian products will now be cheaper.

Why would they become cheaper? The TAFTA has been in action since 2010 and supercedes the AANZFTA.

As for the FTA, customs will never drop their required payment policy so I doubt we will see a lot of difference really in aussie goods on the shelves, everything is already twice or triple the price it is in Australia so I am not holding my breath.

What payment policy are you talking about?

Edited July 24, 2014 by GrantSmith