Trump hopes to expand trade with Thailand after receiving general coup

US President Donald Trump welcomed Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha to the Oval Office of the White House, who visits Washington for the first time since the military coup he staged in May 2014. to strengthen the commercial relationship between the two countries.

"Our business relationship is becoming more and more important, and (Thailand) is a great country to negotiate with. I think we're going to try to sell you a little more," Trump joked to the prime minister during the meeting.

Thailand is the twenty-eighth destination of US exports. Last year, the United States exported the country to the value of 10.5 billion dollars, while the value of imports was 29.5 billion dollars.

Prayut, who first expressed his condolences over the shooting in Las Vegas in which at least 58 people died, called the visit "a good opportunity" for the Thai government to "strengthen cooperation between the two countries."

Prayut's is the first official visit of an Asian leader to Washington since 2005.

The Thai PM took power in a military raid in May 2014, after months of anti-government demonstrations by conservative groups close to the military establishment that had boycotted the holding of the elections.

In 2015, US exports to Thailand contracted by 6.5%, while the flow to the opposite direction grew by 3.1%.