Table 2.

Philip Morris (PM) action plan for the Thai market’s opening, 1990–1992³⁸

Objective	Action plan
1. Achieve market access	1. Implement media relations plan (briefing the media, developing contacts, releasing information and inviting journalists to sponsorships throughout the region).
	2. Partner with Thailand’s Generalized System of Preferences beneficiaries such as jewellery and furniture associations to pressure the Thai government on opening the market (to avoid the US trade sanctions).
	3. Support Thai government officials (on legalising imports) where appropriate and possible.
	4. Support the US Trade Representative’s efforts in negotiating market access.
	5. Promote the US Cigarette Export Association’s activities on regional and local publications.
	6. Arrange reporters to visit PM’s headquarters in Richmond, Virginia.
	7. Publicise (the PM poll of December 1989) on public attitude towards allowing cigarette imports on ‘freedom of choice’ and benefits of free trade to economic development.
	8. Publicise evidence that TTM’s brands had higher tar than foreign brands.
2. Counter advertising ban	1. Collect data and publicise benefits of advertising and sponsorship, covering the number of sponsorship events held in Thailand.
	2. Identify, develop and nurture local sports, arts or community organisations.
	3. Continue and increase invitations to journalists and other relevant parties to PM sponsored regional events.
	4. Hold at least one corporate sponsorship each year (if necessary though Kraft/General Foods (KGF) International, PM’s food subsidiary).
	5. Develop PM’s corporate image in the Thai financial community.
	6. Identify farmers’ groups and encourage membership in the International Tobacco Growers’ Association (a tobacco industry front group).90 91
	7. Develop and implement PM’s plan through KGF to become involved in Green E-Sarn (the Northeastern region of Thailand) development plan (because this plan had received priority attention from the Thai government).
3. Counter public smoking restriction	1. Extend the Asia ETS (Environmental Tobacco Smoke or secondhand smoke) consultants’ programme, which aimed to influence policymakers, media and the public on secondhand smoke and was supervised by the Covington & Burling law firm in support of PM, RJR, BAT and JTI48 to Thailand and recruit local scientists.
	2. Arrange for an ETS study to be conducted in Thailand.
	3. Support pollution studies on indoor air quality in Bangkok.
	4. Release information supportive to the industry to press.
	5. Monitor the antismoking activists’ activities.
	6. Maintain social acceptability of smoking by publicising the benefits of accommodation (creation of smoking and non-smoking sections)92 and courtesy.

BAT, British American Tobacco; JTI, Japan Tobacco International; PM, Philip Morris; RJR, RJ Reynolds; TTM, Thai Tobacco Monopoly.