Thailand Tipping Toward TPP

[webfact]

Thailand Tipping Toward TPP
Steve Herman

BANGKOK—Thailand's military-led cabinet could formally agree as soon as next week to pursue Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) membership after clear signals from cabinet members in favor of joining history's most expansive trade agreement.

Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak told Japanese business leaders in Tokyo that Thailand would ask Japan for its support in joining the U.S.-led trade pact when it considers additional members in 2018.

Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn, who leads a TPP preparation committee, also said Tuesday the kingdom needs to improve its competitiveness to prepare to join the trade pact. After a visit to Washington in April, Apiradi said the U.S. government had encouraged Bangkok to modify rules and regulations in numerous sectors if it wants to become a signatory.

Full story: http://www.voanews.com/content/thailand-tipping-towards-tpp/3356750.html

-- Voice of America 2016-06-02

[yawg]

TPP is a neocon trap. I hope the Thais will wake up and oppose it. That is, if they are allowed to look at it in the first place. Like the TTIP in Europe it's all hush-hush because it's simply unacceptable. Imagine corporations controlling governments ...

[gandalf12]

TPP is a neocon trap. I hope the Thais will wake up and oppose it. That is, if they are allowed to look at it in the first place. Like the TTIP in Europe it's all hush-hush because it's simply unacceptable. Imagine corporations controlling governments ...

Thailand believes it can smell money and lots of it. What they don't realise is that once they sign Thailand will belong to the major American corporations who will dictate everything

[shirtless]

Thailand wont know what hit them if they join the tpp, free trade is not what it seems

[sharecropper]

Thailand would have to slash tariffs and import duties on so many items currently protected to favour Elite-cartel controlled businesses - I'd love to see that happening.

[bark]

99 % of all countries in the world have Free Trade agreements.

TPP has already started, with Vietnam being a member.

The Thai have two years to watch what happens in Vietnam.

[Junkyarddog]

Medicine prices will go up probably fifty times

[chainarong]

There has been much discussion in OZ over this and a lot of anti TPP sentiment from both the unions and the farming block , it more or less was pushed so that the retiring trade Minister Robb could be said to have done something, apart from sitting 10 years in parliament picking his nose , from what I could gather the majors have all the say and everyone else just stumbles along, and I don't think the issue is finished if labour win this July elections , Thailand would be very wise to shop around on this one....................................

[bassman]

TPP may well be dead before two years. Has yet to be ratified by the US congress and both Donald and Bernie oppose it. With "feel the Bern" pressure, sure Hillary will oppose it also.

Actually I think the agreement would be good for Thailand, as well as other cheap labor markets, but bad for the working people of developed nations.

[Pib]

Every trade agreement the U.S. is part of has many non-supporters (politicians and regular people) before its ratification, especially during elections. But when the dust settles the Senate ratifies the agreement...usually ratified in a off election year which will be next year in this case.

[gandalf12]

99 % of all countries in the world have Free Trade agreements.

TPP has already started, with Vietnam being a member.

The Thai have two years to watch what happens in Vietnam.

But they wont as that would imply they don't fully understand the TTIP so they will blindly go ahead thinking of how much money they will make. What they are failing to understand is that being a member of this trade agreement serves the conglomerates not the countries and Thailand does not have the organisations of sufficient size to take on these people

[wabothai]

Military man making decisions about stuff they know nothing about.

They don't have the slightest idea about the fact that their beloved power will be taken away by US corporations.

[fxe1200]

TPP is not a free trade agreement

Thailand be warned.

[Shaunduhpostman]

Never too late too colonize Thailand, it would seem.

[bangkapi]

Globalist scam designed to further enslave labor worldwide.

[inaktive]

to be honest it would most likely bring a lot of money to thailand and would break lots of the old powerstructures.

it would level the playing field that is now stacked for the local rich families and give foreign investors a lot of rights that they can have enforced not only in thai court (as if that will ever happen !) but also in foreign courts.

it would regulate many of the import taxes and make access to the thai market withour a local "partner" much easier

if you ask me i am strongly agains europe signing TTIP but in the case of thailand i am not sure it would be bad ;-)

it would be worst for the elite and will not affect the little people as much as in western countries.

[Pib]

Never too late too colonize Thailand, it would seem.

I think only China is interested in doing that and then promptly rename it the Province of Thailand.

[Redline]

TPP is a neocon trap. I hope the Thais will wake up and oppose it. That is, if they are allowed to look at it in the first place. Like the TTIP in Europe it's all hush-hush because it's simply unacceptable. Imagine corporations controlling governments ...

But, corporations run all governments

[connda]

TPP is a neocon trap. I hope the Thais will wake up and oppose it. That is, if they are allowed to look at it in the first place. Like the TTIP in Europe it's all hush-hush because it's simply unacceptable. Imagine corporations controlling governments ...

It's a really fascist piece of legislation that puts sovereign nations under the control of corporations. Signatories agree to be bound to the judgements of a corporate tribunal. For instance, if Thailand chooses not to plant GMO crops, a GMO producers such as Monsanto can sue the Thai government for loss of revenue, and the proceeding are arbitrated by the aforementioned 'tribunal' made up of corporate entities. So the governments of signatory nations are handing the sovereignty of their countries over the the whims of corporations, which is essentially the classic definition of fascism. Governments who choose to go this route are essentially selling out their countries. The only long-term winners are corporate interests. It will be a sad day for Thailand if this is allowed to happen. But ya'll know the power of greed over the human will.

[elgordo38]

TPP may well be dead before two years. Has yet to be ratified by the US congress and both Donald and Bernie oppose it. With "feel the Bern" pressure, sure Hillary will oppose it also.

Actually I think the agreement would be good for Thailand, as well as other cheap labor markets, but bad for the working people of developed nations.

Yes it all boils down to cheap labor and poor environmental and labor laws. I think there are some token references to this in the TPP but like all other trade pacts its all about profits and not people. The rich countries will let the poorer ones get away with murder as long as the drug companies get their pound of flesh. Its capitalism at its rottenest

[Thaidream]

The TPP is akin to modern slavery- it places corporations in a further position of power and the average person at a further loss when they cannot afford essential products such as pharmaceuticals. These corporations also include the banks that provide funding for their products and expansion and neither will ever be responsible for the utter misery they cause among the poor of the World. They are greedy and without any morals. Thailand would be foolish to accept TPP and my hope is that it is never ratified in the US and dies forever.

[retarius]

Thailand is exactly the wrong country for TTP. Giving away sovereignty to US corporations is a bad idea for almost any nation, but Thai leaders do not like being told what to do by outsiders, and they will be unable to make many changes to local laws if such changes impact on US corporations' profits. The recent closing of the gold mines, for example, for public safety would not be allowed unless the companies involved were reimbursed for their lost profits.

[wabothai]

TPP is a neocon trap. I hope the Thais will wake up and oppose it. That is, if they are allowed to look at it in the first place. Like the TTIP in Europe it's all hush-hush because it's simply unacceptable. Imagine corporations controlling governments ...

But, corporations run all governments

Eventually they will tell you what toothpaste to use.