Thaksin Joins Thai Ministers in Fine-tuning Response to Trump Tariff Threat
Thaksin, father of suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, participated in a high-level meeting in Bangkok on Friday that included senior economic advisers and the ministers of finance and commerce. The agenda included finalizing additional concessions to offer Washington in a bid to reduce the proposed tariff and formulating measures to shield domestic industries and farmers from the potential economic impact, according to local media reports.
Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira, who heads the task force negotiating with the US, said after the meeting the government plans to make slight adjustments to its proposal framework in hopes of securing a more 'competitive' tariff rate compared to neighboring nations. Pichai said he's ready to travel to the US for talks if needed.
Read: Humbled Thai Billionaire Is a Warning to Trump-Era Populists
Thai officials remain optimistic about reaching a deal before the Aug. 31 deadline set by Trump. Their current offer includes eliminating import taxes on 90% of US goods and removing various non-tariff barriers. Thailand has also pledged to increase bilateral trade and slash its $46 billion trade surplus with the US by 70% within five years.
Thaksin's direct involvement underscores the seriousness with which the Pheu Thai Party-led government is approaching the tariff challenge, particularly its potential effects on small businesses and farmers. Following Paetongtarn's suspension last month over an alleged ethics violation, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has taken over the leadership of the administration.
Since returning to Thailand in 2023 after 15 years in self-imposed exile, Thaksin has remained a dominant figure in Thai politics. He has frequently voiced his views on economic strategy and has promoted policies that have since been adopted by the government.
Read: Thaksin Confident Thai Court Will Clear Premier in Ethics Case
In an interview with Nation TV on Wednesday, Thaksin said Thailand could still secure a better deal from the Trump administration if it negotiates wisely. He warned that the country must also have an 'exit strategy' and be cautious of any US demands involving China in exchange for tariff relief.
'If we rush and give-in to everything — essentially stripping ourselves naked — we'd just get exploited,' the billionaire politician said. 'If granting them everything brings war to our soil, then no — we won't do it.'
The US was Thailand's largest export market in 2024, accounting for about 18% of total shipments. Thai exports have risen approximately 15% in the first five months of this year, fueled by accelerated ordering in anticipation of the proposed tariff.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
32 minutes ago
- First Post
Rubio vs Grenell: Is a ‘loose cannon' blowing Trump diplomacy to pieces?
Richard Grenell, US President Donald Trump's Envoy for Special Missions, has been running around on high-profile assignments without any oversight or coordination with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The result is that he has compromised the US-Venezuela talks for the release of jailed Americans and embarrassed the White House repeatedly. Read more about the 'loose cannon' Grenell. read more The photograph shows Richard Grenell, currently the Presidential Envoy for Special Missions, visiting the stage ahead of the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US, July 14, 2024. (Photo: Reuters/Mike Segar) Just like Elbridge Colby in the Department of Defense, US President Donald Trump has got a loose cannon in his foreign policy team as well. He is Richard Grenell. As the President's Envoy for Special Missions, Grenell has a portfolio that stretches from tasks in Venezuela to North Korea. His working has, however, not just frustrated senior figures in the Trump administration and has raised ethical questions, but has also compromised foreign policy priorities. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD For example, Grenell's handling of negotiations with Venezuela about the release of jailed Americans led to the failure of talks. Last week, The New York Times reported that Grenell held talks with the same Venezuelan official without coordinating with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was also holding talks at the same time, and offered Venezuela terms that had not been approved by White House. The result was that talks collapsed and efforts to secure the release of Americans jailed by Venezuelan ruler Nicolas Maduro failed. The Venezuela debacle is just one of the occasions when Grenell has embarrassed the Trump administration. His 'freelance' way of working is part of the broader pattern in the Trump administration where there is little clarity about who calls the shots. Grenell — a freelancer with little checks and balances While supporters have lauded Grenell for being one of the foremost champions of Trump, critics have said that he has been 'freelancing' in the administration and has not worked as per the mandate. 'It just says that the administration, part of it doesn't know what the other's doing, and that can put Americans at risk,' Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen told The Hill about the Venezuela debacle. Grenell has operated outside of the purview of Department of State and even the White House. Consider these instances: In addition to compromising Venezuela talks, Grenell embarrassed the White House by telling Romania to release internet personalities Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan Tate, who have been charged with a host of crimes like rape, human trafficking, and assault, and subsequently bring them to the United States. Grenell also blindsided the administration by using a private aeroplane without authorisation to bring Americans released by Venezuela to the United States. Moreover, Rubio was publicly forced to reject Grenell's push for Trump to overturn the decision of stopping Chevron's operations in Venezuela. A source familiar with the thinking of the White House described Grenell to The Hill as 'a little untethered'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I would describe Ric as kind of a little bit of — maybe not even a little bit — a loose cannon. He's involved in a million things. He's running around. The president likes him and it's a classic thing, like, the president likes him, these guys feel empowered. There's no checks, no balances,' the source said. Considering that Rubio is stretched thin because he is doing two jobs of Secretary of State and National Security Adviser, he needs more authority to keep Grenell in check, Michael Rubin, a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told The Hill. Chaos in Trump's foreign, defence teams Grenell represents the larger chaos in Trump's foreign and defence policies. While Grenell has sought to operate without any guardrails out of his loyalty to Trump, Elbridge Colby, who is the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, has driven some of the most controversial decisions at the Department of Defense without approval from Trump. For example, neither Trump nor Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were the driving force behind the suspension of weapons to Ukraine this month. It was Colby. Trump later reversed the suspension. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Similarly, Colby unilaterally ordered the review of Aukus, the agreement between the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia to develop maritime capabilities in the Indo-Pacific that involves the sale of nuclear submarines to Australia. He has also asked Japan and Australia about their plans in case China invades Taiwan. The Taiwan diktat particularly rattled US allies as even the United States does not have a clear policy in the matter — the United States follows 'strategic ambiguity' regarding the defence of Taiwan. As Trump has little interest in policy matters and instead indulges in populist agenda like the crackdown on immigrants, and his secretaries appear inefficient to run their departments, relatively junior officials like Grenell and Colby appear to be running the show without any supervision. In an article for The Atlantic, Tom Nichos noted that no one appears to be in charge of the US government. As Trump's secretaries are 'either incompetent or detached from most of the policy making, and so decisions are being made at lower levels without much guidance from above', noted Nichols. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He further noted, 'The Trump White House's policy process—insofar as it can be called a 'process'—is the type found in many authoritarian states, where the top levels of government tackle the one or two big things the leader wants done and everything else tumbles down to other functionaries, who can then drive certain issues according to their own preferences (which seems to be what Colby is doing), or who will do just enough to stay under the boss's radar and out of trouble (which seems to be what most other Trump appointees are doing). In such a system, no one is really in charge except Trump—which means that on most days, and regarding many issues, no one is in charge.'
Hindustan Times
32 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
‘God saved me for righteous purpose:' Trump marks a year since failed assassination bid
It has been one year since a failed attempt to kill Donald Trump, and reflecting on it, the US President on Monday said he believes God saved him "for a righteous purpose". Donald Trump gestures with a bloodied face while he is assisted by US Secret Service personnel after he was shot in the right ear during a campaign rally.(REUTERS) The attempt on Trump's life in Butler, Pennsylvania during a rally on this day last year was the first of two such moves against the then US presidential candidate. Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire and wounded Donald Trump before being fatally shot by Secret Service snipers. Months later, Trump later survived a second assassination attempt on September 15 at his Florida golf course, and the suspect was apprehended before he could act. Reflecting on what happened on July 13, Trump said, 'It remains my firm conviction that God alone saved me that day for a righteous purpose: to restore our beloved Republic to greatness and to rescue our Nation from those who seek its ruin,". He marked the one-year anniversary of the failed assassination attempt at the FIFA Club World Cup final, in which Chelsea won over Paris Saint-Germain. 'It was an upset today I guess... But it was a great match,' Trump said after he flew back to Washington. Alongside talking about why God saved him from getting assassinated, the US President also hailed doctors, first responders and rallygoers who helped guide other attendees to safety. 'These men and women arrived at the rally grounds as ordinary Americans, but left as heroes," Trump said. What happened on July 13, 2024? Donald Trump, who was running for US President last year, arrived to deliver a speech in Butler, Pennsylvania. He was greeted among loud cheers and began his address, which may have lasted around six minutes, when chaos ensued. A gunshot was heard as the shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks fired from the rooftop. Trump's bloody ear was seen as he crouched for safety., and immediately after the suspected was shot dead by the Secret Service. Trump later confirmed getting injured in his ear, and said that he 'felt the bullet rip through the skin.' Corey Comperatore, a firefighter who was visiting the rally with his family, had died. He also found mention in Trump's remarks on Monday. "The world will never forget the tragic loss of Corey Comperatore, a firefighter, veteran, and devoted husband and father," the US President was quoted as saying by Fox News.
Time of India
34 minutes ago
- Time of India
Vinfast VF6 and VF7 bookings to open from tomorrow: Deliveries, battery, features and more
VinFast is gearing up to launch the VF 6 and VF 7 electric SUVs in the Indian market. Ahead of the official launch, the company has announced that bookings for both models will open tomorrow, July 15, 2025. In preparation for its entry, VinFast has signed agreements with 13 dealer groups to establish 32 dealerships across 27 cities. The company aims to expand this network to 35 dealerships by the end of 2025, strengthening its presence in the Indian EV landscape. Range Rover Electric First Look & Feel Review: Still Authentic? | TOI Auto VinFast plans to roll out its first phase of dealerships across a mix of major metro areas and fast-growing EV hubs. Locations include cities such as Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Kochi, Bhubaneswar, Thiruvananthapuram, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Coimbatore, Surat, Kozhikode, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Shimla, Agra, Jhansi, Gwalior, Vapi, Vadodara, and Goa. Vinfast VF 6 by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The Vinfast VF 6 features a closed-off grille, vertically stacked triangular projector headlights with LED DRLs that curve downward on both sides and body cladding throughout. Other design highlights include flush-mounted roof rails, a shark-fin antenna, an integrated rear spoiler, wraparound LED taillights connected by an LED light bar, and a rear skid plate for added flair. Inside, it gets a dual-tone brown and black colour scheme and a three-spoke steering wheel. Features include a panoramic sunroof, a 12.9-inch freestanding touchscreen infotainment system, a driver-oriented centre console, a head-up display (HUD), and a Level 2 advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) suite. The Vinfast VF6 is powered by a 59.6kWh battery pack paired with an electric motor which puts out 201bhp of power and 309Nm of torque. It has a claimed range of up to 400km on a full charge. Vinfast VF7 The Vinfast VF7 is a compact 5-seater electric SUV offered in two variants -Plus and Plus AWD. In terms of design, it features a shark-fin antenna, split LED headlights, wraparound LED taillights, a full-width LED light bar, and a roof spoiler. Additional highlights include flush-mounted door handles and two wheel size options - 19 inches for the Eco variant and 20 inches for the Plus variant. Moving inside, the VF7 features a dual-tone theme with brown and black accents. The Eco variant gets a 12.9-inch infotainment screen, whereas the Plus variant features a larger 15-inch display. Both variants get features such as a head-up display, over-the-air update capability, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and a panoramic sunroof. In terms of powertrain, the Eco version is equipped with a single electric motor that delivers 201 bhp and 310 Nm of torque. The Plus variant, on the other hand, uses a dual-motor setup producing 349 bhp and 500 Nm. Both versions are powered by a 70.8 kWh battery pack. On a full charge, the Eco is claimed to offer a driving range of up to 450 km, while the Plus version is rated for up to 431 km. Discover everything about the automotive world at Times of India .
