Thailand will oppose any move by Cambodia to submit a management plan for the Preah Vihear temple to the World Heritage Committee's (WHC) consideration for the time being.
The Thai World Heritage Committee said it will oppose moves for a plan until the two countries finish determining the size of the temple's vicinity in the wake of the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) ruling on Monday.
Pithaya Pookaman, the committee's chairman, said the temple management plan must be taken off the WHC's agenda until the transposition of the temple's vicinity area is completed.
His comment followed the ICJ's ruling that Cambodia has sovereignty over the entire Preah Vihear promontory. However, the two nations will have to determine the size of the area ruled on by the court.
"Now, both countries will have to hold negotiations over the temple's vicinity and I don't know how long it will it take. So, Cambodia should not submit any management plan to Unesco," Mr Pithaya told the Bangkok Post.
"If [Phnom Penh] does so, we will absolutely oppose it, just as we have done before."
Cambodia successfully inscribed the Preah Vihear temple as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2008. However, the WHC stipulated that Phnom Penh submit the temple's management plan for its approval.
Cambodia submitted the plan for the WHC's consideration in Paris in 2011, leading to fierce opposition from Thailand for fear that the plan, if approved, would put Thailand at risk of losing territory.
Then Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti, who headed the Thai delegation, walked out of the meeting room to protest against the WHC for listing the Cambodian-proposed management plan on the agenda despite protests from Thailand.
The WHC later agreed to suspend considering the plan.
However, following the incident, the then Abhisit Vejjajiva government announced Thailand's withdrawal as a Unesco member before the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra reinstated Thai membership.
Mr Pithaya said the Thai World Heritage Committee will closely monitor any moves by Cambodia to resubmit its plan during the 38th session of the WHC, to be held in Qatar between June 15-25 next year.
Foreign Ministry permanent secretary Sihasak Phuangketkeow yesterday said Thailand will study the ICJ's judgement thoroughly before negotiating with Cambodia in order to tackle the problems peacefully and to protect Thailand's sovereignty.
Mr Sihasak said he would hold a meeting with representatives from relevant agencies, including military and legal officials on Tuesday to analyse Monday's judgement. The discussion will focus on paragraphs 98 and 99 of the judgement which gives details about the scope of the Preah Vihear promontory.
Regarding confusion over the exact area of the temple's vicinity under the court's ruling, Mr Sihasak said authorities could not determine it right now.
"But we can say that the promontory of the temple and the vicinity are not the 4.6 sq km as claimed [by Cambodia]," he said.
Ms Yingluck yesterday urged the public to refrain from interpreting the ICJ ruling, saying it was sensitive.
"Recommendations are welcome but please don't interpret any information regarding territory that is deemed sensitive," she said.
She said that any interpretation concerning territorial losses could affect future negotiations.
Ms Yingluck said the public was being asked to go by the information presented at the government's press conference. An official translation of the verdict would take some time.
She said the Foreign Ministry, the legal team and related committees will analyse the verdict and guidelines for negotiations with Cambodia.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Phongthep Thepkanchana yesterday insisted it would be impossible for the prime minister to stop the enforcement of the amendment to Section 190, which concerns treaties which need ratification from parliament.
"The amendment draft has been passed by parliament and the procedure will carry on as required by the charter," he said. Ms Yingluck was unlikely to proceed with the call from opposition leader Mr Abhisit for her to withhold the amendment to Section 190 following the ICJ Preah Vihear ruling.