Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira plans to hold talks with the Bank of Thailand governor about the United States' reciprocal tariff measures before his upcoming trip to the US.
He said he expects to have a formal meeting with the central bank governor on Wednesday or Thursday to assess impacts of the US trade policy, global economic trends and the US tendency to adopt protectionist measures and attract investors back to its market.
The talks will cover the implications for the Thai baht, foreign reserves and the country's monetary and capital markets, said Mr Pichai, who also serves as a deputy prime minister.
He added the planned discussion will also cover steps the central bank could take to relax restrictions on commercial banks and provide support for businesses likely to be affected by the US tariff policy.
Monetary easing and liquidity measures will also be on the table.
Mr Pichai said the Finance Ministry is also preparing to discuss Thailand's holdings in US government bonds and how the country should manage its investments in US assets to avoid long-term risks as global interest rates are expected to change.
The discussion with the central bank is to ensure state agencies are prepared to cope with uncertainty and have a proactive strategy for the second half of the year, he said.
Government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub said Mr Pichai, together with Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan, will lead a Thai negotiating team at the talks expected with the US side in Washington, DC, on Monday.
The finance minister plans to travel first to Seattle, where he will meet business operators in the agricultural, industrial, and other investment sectors from Thursday.
The commerce minister will later join the finance minister on Sunday and then travel to Washington, DC, for the talks with the Trump administration the following day. The White House has lined up talks with various nations threatened with higher tariffs.
