Thailand is pursuing a free trade agreement with the EU. The goal is a comprehensive FTA covering tariffs, non-tariff barriers and other trade-related issues such as services, investment, procurement, intellectual property, regulatory issues, competition and sustainable development.

Thailand and the EU have also discussed how to attain progress in the Doha Round negotiations, especially on fisheries subsidy rules, the role and the participation of small and medium-scale enterprises in world trade and e-commerce. Thailand also has concerns about the EU’s trade measures to phase out food-based biofuels like palm oil by 2030, data privacy laws and a digital services tax, saying such measures may affect the Thai private sector's dealings with the EU.

The EU is Thailand’s third-largest trade partner, with two-way trade in 2017 up 10.4 per cent from 2016. Thai exports to EU increased 7.5 per cent last year. Key exports include computers and parts, automobiles, gems and jewelry, electrical circuits, rubber products, air-conditioners and processed chicken.

Thailand has teamed up with the EU to push the World Trade Organization into greater engagement for handling protectionist and retaliatory issues to curb a possible trade war. Both sides have agreed to ask the WTO to play a more active role in promoting the multilateral trade system.