Thailand Stands Firm on Koh Kut Sovereignty at UN Talks

Thailand has reaffirmed its position that Koh Kut is part of its territory as Thailand and Cambodia begin United Nations-backed talks over their long-running maritime boundary dispute.

Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow stressed Thailand’s position during the opening of a compulsory conciliation process under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in Singapore.

The maritime dispute involves overlapping claims in the Gulf of Thailand, an area believed to contain potentially significant oil and natural gas resources. The issue has remained unresolved for decades.

Thailand and Cambodia previously relied on a 2001 memorandum of understanding as a framework for discussing their overlapping maritime claims. Thailand later terminated the agreement, arguing that it had failed to produce concrete progress after many years.

The decision to pursue the UNCLOS process followed a deterioration in relations between the two countries and armed clashes along their land border. A fragile ceasefire remains in place as both sides continue diplomatic efforts.

Thailand has traditionally preferred bilateral negotiations to resolve territorial and maritime disputes. At the UN talks, Sihasak said Bangkok remained committed to international law and was prepared to engage constructively in the conciliation process.

Cambodia has also said it wants the dispute resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law. Its decision to initiate the UNCLOS proceedings followed Thailand’s withdrawal from the earlier maritime framework.

The dispute over the maritime area is separate from the question of sovereignty over Koh Kut. Thailand maintains that the island is unquestionably Thai territory and that its sovereignty over the island is not part of the negotiations.

The three-day conciliation meeting is being conducted with the participation of a five-member commission established under UNCLOS. The process is intended to help the two countries work towards a negotiated settlement.

Any outcome from the UNCLOS conciliation process will not automatically impose a binding territorial settlement on either side. The talks instead provide another diplomatic channel for addressing the countries’ overlapping maritime claims.

For Thailand, protecting its stated position on Koh Kut while participating in the international process remains a key part of its approach as negotiations over the Gulf of Thailand maritime boundary continue.