The US-Thailand Business Council (USTBC) in Washington, DC, together with its counterpart, the Thailand-US Business Council (TUSBC), located in Bangkok, was inaugurated in October of 1994 as a non-profit and non-partisan organization. The creation of the two Councils is the first bilateral business-to-business dedicated to strengthening the US and Thailand bilateral relations through commercial and economic ties by emphasizing the responsible role of the private sector.  The two Councils maintain their own management and budget but work in tandem to achieve their common objectives, which are:

• To promote face-to-face interaction between American and Thai business executives in order to advance the expansion of trade and investment cooperation between the two countries;

• To facilitate open and frank dialogues between public and private sectors of US and Thailand in order to reach a mutually satisfactory solution to commercial and economics concerns;

• To promote free and fair trade between the United States and Thailand by eliminating all forms of barriers to expansion;

• To encourage private sector participation in public/private sector partnership in support of free trade policies, technology cooperation and good governance.

By virtue of the close working relationship between the two Councils, USTBC provides a viable and mutually beneficial linkage for improving business environment for American businesses in Thailand and enhancing the competitiveness of American companies in the country with which the United States has had it longest treaty relationship in Asia. In endeavoring to enhance mutual understanding of the commercial and business communities between the two countries, USTBC seeks to promote mutual respect for each nation’s unique history and traditions. The two Councils meet regularly in Bangkok and Washington, DC to exchange ideas, discuss bilateral issues and develop relationship to effectively impact upon US-Thai collaborative business ventures. The two Councils have received strong endorsement from the government of their respective countries.