Thailand's plan to cooperate with Cambodia on joint petroleum production in the overlapping claims area (OCA) that lies between the two countries in the Gulf of Thailand has become a highly contentious issue as opponents have voiced concerns regarding the impact on Thai sovereignty.
If Thai-Cambodian talks on the OCA are based on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in 2001 by Bangkok and Phnom Penh during the Thaksin Shinawatra administration, Thailand will risk losing sovereignty over Koh Kut, an island it currently administers as part of Koh Kut district in Trat province.
It remains unclear whether the Thai government will commence the negotiations as the OCA issue is drawing fierce opposition, particularly from media firebrand Sondhi Limthongkul, who led the yellow-shirt protests against the Thaksin government which ended with a coup in 2006.
Thaksin, widely seen as the de facto leader of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, has played down the sovereignty concern, arguing that the MoU only serves as a framework for the talks, not an agreement.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said the Thai government welcomed feedback from the public and would take everything into consideration before proceeding to the next step.
Energy experts want the government to step up efforts to push for the OCA talks, but stressed that the process must be carried out carefully for the national interest.
Thailand needs to explore a new petroleum source as gas production from existing blocks in the Gulf of Thailand is declining.
The fall in domestic gas supply means Thailand needs to import more costly liquefied natural gas in order to serve the country's power generation requirements.
The OCA has the potential to be a new source of natural gas because it is located near the Bongkot and Erawan gas blocks in the Gulf.
