Tariff and away! Thailand backs ASEAN in showdown with Trump
Thailand is saddling up with its ASEAN friends for a tariff tussle with the US, as Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra vows to stand firm against Washington’s trade muscle-flexing and back a united front in talks with Donald Trump’s White House.
Thailand PM Paetongtarn has thrown her weight behind ASEAN’s united stand against a hike in US import tariffs, declaring the region’s voice must be heard as a single economic powerhouse.
Speaking after a high-level huddle with Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim at Government House on April 6, the Thai premier said Thailand is ready to support the bloc’s collective stance during crunch talks with the US.
“We have a set of decent proposals to present to the US during the talks. It would be a win-win situation for both sides.”
The meeting marked the latest in a string of diplomatic chats between the two leaders, following PM Paetongtarn’s December visit to Malaysia and a phone call just a day before the sit-down.
With ASEAN representing a combined population of around 670 million, the Thai prime minister stressed its growing clout in global trade and hinted that unity will be key in talks with Washington.
The upcoming ASEAN meeting is expected to tackle the US tariff issue head-on, with Thailand pledging full backing for any regional consensus.
Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira is already packing his bags, set to lead a Thai delegation to Washington next Wednesday for a fresh round of discussions.
This follows a bombshell announcement by US President Donald Trump on April 9, who revealed a suspension of reciprocal tariffs, including a punishing 36% levy on Thai goods, as countries scrambled for negotiation talks. However, a flat 10% tariff remains across nearly all US trading partners, keeping tensions simmering.
Thailand, which enjoyed a hefty US$45.6 billion trade surplus with the US last year, currently ranks as America’s 11th largest trade partner.
But it wasn’t all trade and tariffs. The leaders also shook on plans for a new bridge across the Golok River, linking Thailand’s Narathiwat province with Malaysia’s Kelantan state. Construction is expected to wrap up by 2027.
Rubber farmers
The 38 year old Thai PM also called for closer ties between Kedah Rubber City in Malaysia and Songkhla Rubber City in Thailand to boost support for rubber farmers and small businesses on both sides of the border.
On the thornier subject of peace talks in Thailand’s insurgency-hit southern border provinces, PM Paetongtarn confirmed her government’s support for a new negotiation team, with Malaysia continuing to play mediator in the long-running conflict with separatist group BRN.
And while official talks were under way, the real political drama may have played out later that evening.
At the plush Rosewood Bangkok Hotel, owned by Paetongtarn’s sister Pintongta, former PM Thaksin Shinawatra rolled out the red carpet for Anwar at a private dinner under tight security, reported Bangkok Post.
Thaksin, who now acts as an informal ASEAN adviser to Anwar, was joined by a surprise guest, Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing. The trio were rumoured to be reviving talks on ASEAN’s stalled five-point consensus, aimed at resolving Myanmar’s post-coup crisis.
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