Demonstrators Protest U.S./Thailand Free Trade Agreement

While Thai and U.S. officials met Tuesday to discuss a proposed free-trade agreement, 1,000 protesters gathered outside a hotel in southeastern Thailand where the discussions were taking place.

Wire reports say the activists are concerned with U.S. demands for intellectual property rights restrictions.

The talks are the second round of discussions to forge a trade pact that would lower and eventually eliminate high tariffs. Thailand is among the world's top rice exporters and sells an array of agricultural products to the U.S. including fish, shrimp and chicken.