Thailand will sign a free trade agreement with Japan when Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont visits the East Asian country next week. The Thai Cabinet gave approval during its weekly meeting for the deal to go ahead, paving the way for Surayud to sign the accord Monday at the start of a four-day trip to Japan. The pact involves the reduction or removal of tariffs between the two countries on a wide variety of goods, including agricultural products. Activists previously raised concerns that the trade agreement would allow Japan to dump toxic waste in Thailand and also patent its micro-organisms, stripping Thailand of the right to develop them at a later date. The two sides compromised by forbidding Japan from bringing toxic waste into Thailand without consent, and by giving Thailand the right to reject requests from Japan to register micro-organisms.
AP
AP