Guidelines for Coastal Provinces Delimitation in Sovereignty of Thailand

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Thailand has claimed maritime zones starting from coastal line to the sea orderly. There are historic water, sea province for internal the Gulf of Thai, straight baselines, the width of territorial sea, the width of contiguous zone, continental shelf and exclusive economic zone (EEZ). These maritime zones can be recognized by sovereignty and sovereign right. Sovereignties are internal water and territorial sea while sovereign rights are contiguous zone, continental shelf and exclusive economic zone. Internal water is from straight baseline toward the mainland, the territorial sea is from baseline toward the sea not exceeding 12 nautical miles. Law enforcement in internal water and territorial sea is as same as law enforcement on the mainland of the coastal States. Presently, only provinces around the historic water have been designated to have own sea area. The reason for designating the sea provinces is to be manageable. Lacking of sea province for other coastal provinces causes the unfulfilled law enforcement in the sovereignty sea area such as the government officer not sure about the maritime zone in which the suspects breach the law. The most important circumstance is the method to delineate sea province different from the method to demark land demarcation. Land demarcation practically is defined by river channel or valley which cannot be used in the sea. For sea province delimitation guideline, the method will be from case studies from judgement. Already sea area will be reserved, but the lines between sea provinces will be extended to territorial sea. The objective for the delimitation line will be equitable solution as definition in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS 1982). The sea provinces will not only ensure the law enforcement in Thai Water but also can be single base map for other purposes such as search & rescue and fishery.