Thaksin's role in tariff talks raises questions

Veera Prateepchaikul

- Veera Prateepchaikul

"I have to do something for the country. Regarding the economic situation today, if I do not poke my nose in, then who will?" so said former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Thursday during a forum held at the National Office.

Then, the following day, Thaksin was seen entering the Ban Phitsanuloke guest house to attend a meeting of “Team Thailand” for talks about Thailand's latest tariff proposal to the United States after the first round of tariff talks in Washington DC, which was a complete failure as the US did not cut the 36% reciprocal tariff rate originally imposed on Thai products imported to US market.

Even Cambodia had the rare chance of taunting Thailand, claiming it managed to outsmart Thailand by convincing the US to cut the tariff rate for Cambodian products from 49% to 36%, which is on par with the rate imposed on Thailand by the US.

Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira, who headed Team Thailand in the first round of the tariff talks, admitted he invited Thaksin to the meeting at Ban Phitsanuloke because the former prime minister was well-versed in the issue at stake and he might provide some valuable advice to the team. He is now under fire for a supposed ethics breach in extending the invitation.