Chiang Mai: Criminal investigations against certain Americans in Thailand were one of the factors behind the postponement of tariff talks between the Thai and US governments, says former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The de facto leader of the ruling Pheu Thai Party had previously offered to assist the negotiations by conducting informal talks with close associates of US President Donald Trump.
And asked on Saturday about his previous pledge, Thaksin said: "We have talked. But unfortunately, they [the US] are now acting on information supplied by various organisations about lawsuits against a number of American citizens."
Although Thaksin did not disclose details about these cases, one is likely to be the charges filed recently filed against an American academic.
On April 8, Paul Chambers, a lecturer and special adviser on international affairs at Naresuan University in Phitsanulok, reported to police to acknowledge a charge of royal defamation after a complaint was filed over an online lecture Mr Chambers gave in October last year about the military reshuffle.
Mr Chambers has been granted bail while he awaits trial but still faces the threat of having his visa to remain in Thailand revoked.
The Court of Appeal Region 6 approved Mr Chambers' release late on April 9 on a surety of 300,000 baht, says the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.
Mr Chambers, whose visa was revoked by the Immigration Bureau after he was charged earlier this week, had a chance to appeal the order, the legal-aid group said.
One of the bail conditions is that if he succeeds in having his permit reinstated while he fights the case, he must report to Thai officials every 30 days.
The US State Department has previously said it was "alarmed" by the arrest and detention of the 58-year-old academic, who has lived in Thailand since 1993.
Human rights groups joined the general expression of disquiet which accompanied news of his arrest.
The government postponed negotiations with the United States over a tariff hike after Thai officials based in the US informed the PM that the US wanted Thailand to review some particular issues that would be raised in the negotiations.
The Thai delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira, cancelled its trip to Washington with a new date to be scheduled, the prime minister said.
Thailand's trade surplus with the United States was estimated at US$45.6 billion last year.
The 36% tariff on Thai goods was initially set to take effect on April 9, but President Donald Trump decided to delay enforcement for 90 days, allowing countries that did not retaliate against US tariffs to negotiate on trade matters.
Thaksin said on Saturday the US would possibly take into consideration other countries' ties with China, in addition to other factors which are directly related to the tariffs.
"As such, we should calm down and focus on preparing the information [required for future tariff talks to come]," said Thaksin, while visiting constituents canvassing votes for Pheu Thai's candidates in the Chiang Mai municipal election.
He also adopted Trump's signature motto and rephrased it into "Make Thailand Great Again".
Thaksin added he would wait and assess the situation before deciding whether to seek court permission to travel to the US to join the talks.
The approval is necessary because he faces lese-majeste and computer crime charges based on an interview he gave in South Korea in 2015 with a court date set for July.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra need not be actively involved in these talks as they are designated as a discussion between the US Trade Representative (USTR), US Department of Commerce and Thailand's Ministry of Commerce, said Thaksin.
The US tariff matter should be taken as a timely reminder of the need for the government to take time to review its overall trade standing on the international stage and adjust its strategies where necessary, said Thaksin.
