Trump Urges Thailand to Seal Tax Deal During Asia Visit
US President Donald Trump has pressed Thailand to finalize a tax agreement during his upcoming Asia visit, with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul assigning officials to accelerate the negotiations. At the same cabinet meeting, the government approved the fiscal year 2028 budget framework, introducing a more inclusive process that begins with a pre‑budget consultation in late October and moves toward zero‑based budgeting.
On October 6, 2026, government spokesperson Ekkapop Piapiset said that Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul disclosed receipt of a letter from US President Donald Trump expressing hope for a swift signing of a tax agreement with Thailand. Anutin has instructed the deputy prime minister and commerce minister to continue pushing the negotiations, which have reached their final stage, aiming to have everything ready for a possible signing during Trump’s Asia trip. In the same cabinet meeting, the government approved the budget framework for fiscal year 2028, as proposed by the Bureau of the Budget, introducing a more open and participatory process. This includes adding a pre‑budget consultation phase in late October, allowing government, coalition parties, opposition, relevant agencies, the joint private‑sector committee of three institutions, academics, and the public to help set spending priorities. The budget calendar also gives spending units an extra two to three months to prepare detailed requests, aiming to reduce duplication and improve allocation efficiency. Officials said the changes are part of a move toward zero‑based budgeting, where expenditures are justified from scratch each year rather than based on prior allocations.
