Thailand has suspended free trade talks with the United States and delayed signing a deal with Japan until after an April 2 election called by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, officials said on Wednesday.
"There will be no negotiating or consulting rounds until we have a new government," Karoon Kittisathaporn, Thailand's chief negotiator in the US talks, told reporters.
The talks were already in trouble after Washington threatened last month to walk away unless Bangkok agreed to reach a deal by spring. Thaksin said at the time his government was in no hurry.
The Thai leader called a snap election last Friday to defuse a political crisis marked by growing protests demanding he resign over allegations of corruption and abuses of power.
The two sides made some progress during their last round of talks in January, but failed to agree on intellectual property issues and the liberalisation of financial services. No date had been set for a seventh round of talks.
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