The
Treaty of Amity and Economic Relations
Between Thailand and the United States of America
The
Amity Treaty between Thailand and the United States was entered
into during the Vietnam conflict era. At the time, there were
close relations between the US and Thailand. The U.S. and Thailand
ratified the Amity Treaty in 1968. This treaty was negotiated to be
in effect for a period of ten years. After the expiration of
10 years, both parties had the option to terminate the treaty
but did not and as a result the Amity Treaty is still in effect.
The
period in which the Amity Treaty became active offered little in
the way of gains to Americans. This is because at that time
there were no restrictions regarding foreigners entering into
business in Thailand. However, subsequent legislation has made
it more difficult for foreigners to do business in Thailand
and, as a result, the Amity Treaty, at the present time, provides
a relative advantage to Americans as opposed to other foreign
nationals doing business in Thailand. However, it is important
to be aware that the Amity Treaty does not grant the right to immigrate,
the right to own land, the right to a visa nor the right to
work.
Benefits:
Excluding the seven stated exceptions enumerated in the Amity Treaty,
Americans have rights the same as any Thai national with regards
to owning and operating businesses in Thailand. These same rights
are reserved for Thai nationals in the United States. However,
because the U.S., unlike Thailand, has no restrictions regarding
foreigners doing business in the U.S., benefits are rarely claimed
by Thai nationals under this treaty. It should be noted however,
that they do retain the right of applying for Treaty Trader
and Treaty Investor visas under the US immigration laws as a
result of the Treaty.
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