The Thai military government plans to hire an unnamed US public relations firm for a three-month ad campaign in hopes of deflecting international criticism of its policies, Radio Singapore International reports. In particular, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont wants to counteract ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who hired US law firms to examine his ouster and has been trying to rattle Bangkok.

The Thai government has been criticized by foreign observers for drafting flawed nationalistic policies and for hijacking American-owned assets. Last week, Innovation for USA, a conservative group, ran ads calling for sanctions against Bangkok. The group is headed by Ken Adelman, a member of the Defense Policy Board and a senior advisor to Edelman Public Relations, which reps Abbott and other drugmakers.

Meanwhile, the Thai health minister (that’s him in the photo) vowed to continue with plans to issue compulsory licenses on prescription drugs, and slammed the US Trade Rep report that places Bangkok on a watch list for not providing “an adequate level of intellectual property rights protection or enforcement, or market access for persons relying on intellectual property protection.”

The report charged Thailand’s decision to issue compulsory licenses was as indication of “a weakening of respect for patents.” The move is causing a high-profile row, particularly with Abbott, which is threatening not to sell new meds there. Abbott’s Kaletra AIDS drugs is one of three meds for which Bangkok will allow lower-cost generics to be made.

But Health Minister Mongkol Na Songkhla accused drugmakers of trying to hurt the country’s reputation. “It is likely that the drug companies have lobbied the US Trade Representative’s office in a bid to damage Thailand’s credibility as it downgraded (Thailand) to the priority watch list. We need cheap drugs to allow the poor to have access to medications,” says. “I insist that Thailand will continue with it for the benefits of the public.”

The Radio Singapore report.
Associated Press report.
[tags]Abbott Laboratories, Generics, Kaletra, Patents, Thailand, US Trade Representative[/tags]