Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has expressed confidence that trade negotiations between Thailand and the United States are progressing positively, citing his personal discussion with US President Donald Trump as a key turning point.
Speaking after a post-dinner meeting with Mr Trump following the Apec Economic Leaders’ gala dinner in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Wednesday, Mr Anutin said he had reiterated his appreciation to the US leader for helping to mediate the peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia.
“[We also] discussed the ongoing negotiations to reduce US import tariffs on Thai goods. The talks have now reached the final stage before the signing of an agreement,” he said.
Mr Anutin said he asked Mr Trump to support Thailand in securing more favourable conditions, reflecting the long-standing friendship between the two nations. Mr Trump responded positively and pledged to speak with the US trade representative to explore ways of ensuring that Thailand receives the maximum possible benefit from any agreement.
When asked whether the outlook appeared promising, Mr Anutin replied that he had met Mr Trump twice so far — first during the Asean Summit in Malaysia and then at the Apec Summit in South Korea.
“President Trump has many matters to attend to, but he remembered our discussions,” Mr Anutin said. “After we had finished our talk and he went on to greet other leaders, he even walked back to emphasise that he would speak with the US trade representative. That shows he truly remembered — so the prospects are very good.”
Mr Anutin said he had observed that international interest in the country has grown significantly, as seen during the Asean Summit in Malaysia, where he held bilateral meetings with nearly all member states.
During the Apec Summit in South Korea, today and tomorrow, Mr Anutin said he would also hold bilateral discussions with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.
Mr Anutin also held discussions with representatives of the US-Apec Business Coalition, joined by executives from a range of major American companies, including Amazon, Boeing, Citi, Johnson and Johnson, Mastercard, Merck, PayPal, and Organon.
He underscored the vital role of the American private sector in driving economic growth and development both across the Asia-Pacific region and within Thailand.
“The Thai government attaches great importance to the participation of the US private sector and remains open to their suggestions to further improve the business environment and enhance investment facilitation,” he said.
Mr Anutin said that Thai-US economic cooperation forms a cornerstone of the two nations’ relationship. In 2024, the US was Thailand’s largest export market and its second-largest trading partner. Thailand last year recorded foreign direct investment totalling US$34 billion, most of it coming from US technology companies.