The signing of the Thai-Japanese Free Trade Area (FTA) Agreement is now likely to be put off until next year.

Karun Kittisataporn, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Commerce, was quoted by the Thai News Agency as saying on Wednesday that the Thai-Japanese FTA pact will be signed after the new Thai government takes office.

This means that it has to be postponed again to next year, from late this year, as the new general election is likely to be put off until later this year.

Because of Thailand's political turmoil early this year, the signing of the Thai-Japanese FTA Agreement was once postponed from April to late this year, Karun said.

"It's expected that the Thai-Japanese FTA pact will be inked some time next year," he said.

Source: Xinhua