Prayut’s US visit to focus on trade ties, IP issues
Premier Prayut Chan-o-cha will make an official visit to the United States in July, which will focus on bilateral trade and intellectual property management.
According to an internal document circulated by the Secretariat of Cabinet, Prayut has ordered the Commerce and Foreign ministries and other agencies to prepare information for the visit to the US next month. Dates are yet to be decided.
The information will span trade and investment, solutions to copyright woes and Thailand’s status in the Special 301 Report. The latter is the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR)’s annual report that rates countries based on their protection of intellectual property rights.
Thailand has been put on the report’s “Priority Watch List” since 2007, as one of the countries with “serious intellectual property rights deficiencies”, requiring increased USTR attention.
Cabinet secretary-general Teerapong Wongsiwawilas said Prayut’s order came during the Cabinet meeting and it stressed copyright issues. The PM’s plan to visit Washington follows US President Donald Trump’s introductory phone call in April.