New Thai Government Asserts Control over Coastal Waters
The newly-elected Thai government, still led by the previous prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul but now with a strengthened parliamentary majority, is still forming up after its election victory on February 8.
But in the immediate wake of his election victory, former general Anutin Charnvirakul announced enhancement to the defense and border security budget to better defend Thailand’s interests, but also undertook to resolve border issues with Cambodia through diplomatic channels and joint border liaison committees. He also suspended border negotiations in progress and concessions previously made relating to Thai territorial control of waters in the Gulf of Thailand off Khong Yai, in Trat Province.
General Anutin’s election victory appears to have prompted a reaction from the Cambodian government.
Both on February 9 and 12, about 25 Cambodian fishing boats intruded about one nautical mile into Thai waters off the island of Koh Kut, at the southern end of the Khong Yai panhandle of Thai territory in Trat Province. On both occasions the Krabi Class patrol boat HTMS Thepha (P525) intercepted the fishing boats, who appear to have been making a collective attempt to assert their right to fish in these Thai waters. The fishing boats heeded warnings issued by HTMS Thepha and were escorted out of Thai waters, according to a statement issued by the Royal Thai First Naval Area Command.
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The area of fishing and territorial water disputes off the Khong Yai panhandle (Google Earth/CJRC)
Previous Thai governments have taken a relaxed approach to Cambodian encroachments, both in the waters off Trat Province, but also in border areas of Sa Kaeo, Ubon Ratchathani and Si Sa Ket provinces on the country’s southeastern border, with the focus of attention being the ownership of the Preah Vihear temple complex. After years of lax border enforcement, Cambodia is now claiming squatters’ rights and a de facto territorial accretion.
As part of the Franco-Siam Treaty of 1907, Thailand took control of the Koh Kut and Koh Klang islands and the Khong Yai coastal strip in Trat province to the east of the islands in the Gulf of Thailand, in exchange for surrendering the populous province of Battambong to France. The Hun Sen family had reportedly been seeking to develop Koh Kut as a tourist resort, part of a secretive business arrangement with the Shinawatra family, exposure of which was largely responsible for General Anutin’s sweeping election victory.
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The Cambodian government has been seeking to mobilize support for its cause, without much luck so far. Vietnam was approached and asked to mediate, but is not inclined to do so, as it has its own dispute with Cambodia; the Funan Techo canal being built from the Mekong to Kep on the Gulf of Thailand serves Cambodian and Chinese interests, but at the expense of Vietnamese transit traffic. Cambodia is hurting because the continued closure of the border with Thailand is having severe economic consequences and is inhibiting the money-spinning operations of scam call-centers located in Cambodian border areas.
In recent days there have been a number of incidents on the border in Sa Kaeo Province, none of which has so far escalated, but suggesting that border tensions are far from over. Thai authorities last week announced the clearance of 246 recently-laid landmines in Thai territory within Ubon Ratchathani province.