31-10-2024 (BANGKOK) A heated political debate has erupted over Thailand’s sovereignty of Koh Kut island, with Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai strongly refuting claims that the government risks ceding territory to Cambodia through a controversial maritime agreement.
The opposition Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) has raised alarm over a 2001 memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Cambodia, suggesting it could compromise Thailand’s territorial integrity in the Gulf of Thailand. The agreement, signed during Thaksin Shinawatra’s administration, has become a focal point of criticism against the current Pheu Thai-led government headed by his daughter, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
Former Finance Minister Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala, who chairs PPRP’s academic committee, argues that the MoU effectively acknowledges Cambodia’s 1972 territorial claim to half of Koh Kut island in Trat province. He contends this contradicts the 1907 French-Siamese treaty, which explicitly granted Thailand sovereignty over all islands south of Laem Ling, including Koh Kut.
PPRP executive member ML Kornkasiwat Kasemsri highlighted that the disputed area encompasses 26,000 square kilometres of maritime territory. He emphasised that unlike Thailand’s overlapping claim areas with Malaysia and Vietnam, which align with the 1958 Geneva Convention on the Law of the Sea, Cambodia’s 1972 territorial declaration lacks international legal foundation.
The opposition party has announced plans to petition Prime Minister Paetongtarn directly, urging immediate revocation of the 2001 MoU. They argue that the agreement’s attached Cambodian maps inappropriately include Thai territorial waters off Trat province and Koh Kut island.
Defence Minister Phumtham dismissed these concerns, questioning the timing of the controversy and asserting that no recent governmental actions have been taken regarding Koh Kut. He reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to protecting national sovereignty, whilst suggesting the opposition’s claims may be politically motivated.
The dispute traces back to failed maritime demarcation talks in 1970, when Thailand based its boundary claims on international law while Cambodia unilaterally declared its territorial waters in 1972. Thailand responded with a royal command in 1973 to establish its continental shelf boundary in the Gulf of Thailand.
