Thailand Eyes US Tax Deal, UAE FTA Signing This November
Thailand aims to seal a tax agreement with the United States this November and is poised to sign its first free‑trade deal with the United Arab Emirates. The UAE FTA could raise bilateral trade by 10‑12 billion baht, boosting agricultural, food and SME exports to the Middle East. Legal steps remain, with signing possible early next year or at the ASEAN summit in the Philippines if leaders meet again.
Supachai Sutthamphon said the United Arab Emirates is set to become the first Middle Eastern country with which Thailand signs a free‑trade agreement. She added that while Thailand already trades with the UAE, mainly in energy, Thai exports remain modest; the FTA could lift bilateral trade by 10‑12 billion baht, benefiting farmers and small‑ and medium‑sized enterprises. The UAE has also expressed interest in expanding investment in Thailand, particularly in energy, data centres and food processing, and plans to launch a platform linking Thai SMEs to the Emirati market. Regarding the United States tax negotiations, Supachai noted that after the US president sent a letter to the prime minister, the two sides have reached an agreement in principle; outstanding details and legal procedures are now being handled by the working group. She said that if the leaders meet again during the ASEAN Leaders Summit in the Philippines in November, they hope to finalize the tax deal then, with any remaining matters to be discussed further by the team.
