“We will trade prawns for planes.”

Turn Thailand’s shrimp into commercial airliners, says Commerce Minister Watana Muangsook. The Thai government plans to begin negotiations with Airbus, the European aircraft manufacturing giant, to obtain new planes for Thai Airways International and the Royal Thai Air Force.

“We will raise this (barter) issue in talks with the European Union,” Watana declared. “If the EU and Airbus are not interested, we may turn to negotiations with Boeing in the United States.”