PM urged to not compromise over Koh Kood island

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

PRIME MINISTER PAETONGTARN Shinawatra is being advised by the Palang Pracharath to never compromise Thailand’s territorial integrity in favour of Cambodia over Koh Kood island off Trat.

The Palang Pracharath, headed by former deputy prime minister Prawit Songsuwan, plans to submit a formal petition to the woman prime minister today (Oct. 30) advising the Pheu Thai-led government to not compromise the principles of the 1958 Geneva Convention which unambiguously stipulates Koh Kood island in the Gulf of Thailand is of Thailand’s territorial integrity, according to Kornkasivat Kasemsri, an executive member of the opposition party.

Given the internationally-recognized covenant, Kornkasivat pointed out, Thailand needs not co-invest with Cambodia or share any future profits with the neighbouring country over plans to explore and produce natural gas and other undersea resources around Koh Kood island.

The opposition party’s latest move has been launched amidst criticism that Paetongtarn’s father/de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra had planned to implement a joint Thai-Cambodian development project around Koh Kood island with intent for both countries to cooperate in exploring, producing and sharing undersea natural resources under a debatable MoU reached between Bangkok and Phnom Penh in 2001.

Under the MoU signed in the time of Thaksin as former prime minister, Thailand’s territorial waters around Koh Kood island overlap with those of Cambodia.

Bones of contention around the joint Thai-Cambodian undersea development scheme in the Gulf of Thailand have emerged since de facto Pheu Thai boss received former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen as his first guest at home shortly after he had been released on parole earlier this year.

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Above, below and Front Page: Koh Kood island on a sunny day. Photos: Sanook.com

Second below: A map showing Koh Kood’s tourist attractions. Credit: Ontheworldmap.com