Members of both Thai and international media have been provided with information and a better understanding of the issue of the Overlapping Claims Area (OCA) to the Continental Shelf between Thailand and Cambodia.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and The Standard news agency, co-organized a roundtable seminar “OCA Thailand-Cambodia: Facts and Choices” on 28 January 2025 in Bangkok.

Apart from the media, over 100 participants also came from government agencies, Parliament, and academia, and the seminar was also open for public participation through Facebook Live. They were briefed on different aspects of the OCA issue, including background and details of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Royal Thai Government and the Royal Government of Cambodia regarding the Area of their Overlapping Maritime Claims to the Continental Shelf, often referred to as 2001 MOU.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, since the early stage, Thailand involved in the drafting process of international law of the sea, which led to the adoption of the 1958 Geneva Conventions on the Law of the Sea, and the successful negotiations to delimit maritime zones with five neighboring countries, except with Cambodia which has yet to commence.

 Discussions at the seminar touched on the issue of the difference between sovereignty and sovereign rights over maritime zones, and the importance of the 2001 MOU for maritime delimitation with Cambodia, especially the adequate maritime zones for Ko Kut, Thailand, in accordance with international law.

It is possible that the 2001 MOU may be interpreted as acknowledging the existence of maritime claims to the continental shelf of both Thailand and Cambodia, although without formal acceptance of such claims by either side, as well as the challenges related to negotiating concurrently, both maritime delimitation and joint development.

Thailand is facing energy challenges, particularly the steady decline of natural gas reserves and the absence of new resource discoveries since 2005, which makes the country more reliant on energy imports and raises electricity costs, while the 2001 MOU would provide a framework for negotiations with a view to concluding an agreement for the exploration of new natural gas fields, thus increasing energy reserves and stimulating investment and economy.

The seminar stressed the importance of peaceful resolution of disputes through mutual agreement, such as the 2001 MOU, which provides a negotiation framework on the OCA issue for Thailand and Cambodia.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs underlined its commitment to negotiating the OCA on the basis of Thai law and Thailand’s obligations under international law, in line with the public’s expectations and Parliament’s approval, as it has consistently done in cases concerning other countries. All of this will be undertaken with the highest level of transparency and professionalism, based firmly on the best interest of the country and its people.