PM sings praises of ‘polite’ Trump

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Critics question benefits of prayut’s trip as us failed to assure more investments

WHILE Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has said he was impressed by the warm welcome extended to him by US President Donald Trump this week, saying the US was a “true friend”, opposition has been voiced at home over the benefit Thailand obtained from his high-profile visit.

Speaking to a dinner talk hosted by US-Asean Business Council and US Chamber of Commerce, Prayut noted that he was the first sitting premier in 12 years who had had the chance to meet the US president in the White House. 

“I’m here to mend the ties, fix the problems and move forward the relations with our ally,” Prayut said. “The US is our friend, which has crucial roles in security, trade, business and people-to-people relations.” 

The last prime minister to make an official visit the White House was Thaksin Shinawatra in 2005, before he was toppled by a military coup.

The relations between Thailand and the US had soured since Prayut led a military coup to oust Thaksin’s sister Yingluck Shinawatra in 2014, prompting a strong reaction from the administration of Barack Obama, who ordered a freeze on some military assistance. 

Washington’s stance against the coup and democratic suppression upset the generals in Bangkok, who tilted their foreign and security policies towards Beijing. They also bought military hardware from China.

“I met and chit-chatted with President Trump as if we have been familiar with each other for a long time. He is polite and spoke melodiously to me. I feel like I have a friend here. And, it’s true that he was sincere to me,” Prayut told the elite business club on Tuesday evening local time in Washington DC.

Prayut also said US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who was in Thailand a few days before Prayut left for the US, was impressed during his visit.

“I heard that he now feels good about Thailand. It means he has no doubts about Thailand. Now he is confident in Thailand. That’s sure. I love Thais, I love Americans. Thai people are familiar and close to Americans.

Prayut said Thailand and the US would cooperate to take care of regional security, noting that Thailand had fought alongside the US in the Korea and Vietnam wars.

“We have helped each other to keep peace under the United Nations flag in many places. We are friends in the field,” he said. 

On the issue of economic cooperation, Prayut said many Thai companies had invested in the US and vice versa. “Our investment in the US might be less compared to the US investment in Thailand, but investors should look at Thailand and Asean as a region, and we have a lot of business potential – such as the Eastern Economic Corridor,” he said.

In Thailand, observers said the Thai delegation might not benefit as much as the US under the government and private-sector deals struck in Washington.

The Siam Cement Group will sign two agreements to buy 155,000 tonnes of coal from the US and the military is about to finalise agreements to buy helicopters and missile, and upgrade jet fighters.

Observers noted that the Americans had not promised to buy anything from Thailand or invest more during Prayut’s visit.

Thailand ranks 11th of 16 countries on a Trump administration watchlist for having a significant trade surpluses against the US. In the first half of 2017, the US trade balance with Thailand went to negative US$11.45 billion (Bt3.8 trillion).

Trump told Prayut during a meeting on Monday that he wanted Thailand to buy more to adjust the trade imbalance. 

Pheu Thai Party spokesperson Anusorn Iamsa-ard asked Prayut to disclose the benefits Thailand received from the US visit, and whether it was worth the cost of such a high-profile trip. 

“There is nothing to be proud of being a coup leader who was invited to the White House. The US was criticised strongly for the change of its foreign policy. We all know that the US wants to export more to Thailand,” he said.

Anusorn was also concerned that Thailand was about to open up the market for pork from the US. Many US pork producers use Ractopamine, a chemical feed additive used to make meat leaner that is banned in Thailand. 

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