Time right for talks on sea boundary

6 September 2011
Bangkok Post
Energy / Land
Adm Thanom Charoenlarp / Cambodia / Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister / Concession Law / energy reserves / gas reserves / Gulf of Thailand / Malaysian aid / MOU / Oil reserves / Overlapping Maritime Boundaries / Pheu Thai Party / Royal Thai Navy / Sok An / Surakiart Sathirathai / Suthep Thaugsuban / Thailand / Thaksin Government / Thaksin Shinawatra / Thanida Tansubhapol

In 2009, the Democrat-led government and the People’s Alliance for Democracy accused ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra of holding secret talks with Cambodia about exploiting oil and gas reserves in the Gulf of Thailand. The government threatened to revoke a memorandum of understanding on overlapping maritime boundaries as it sought to protect its interests and show its displeasure at the alleged secret talks. The memorandum was signed by then-foreign minister Surakiart Sathirathai and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An in 2001 during the first Thaksin government. Now the Pheu Thai Party-led government has hit back, accusing former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban of holding secret discussions with Sok An for the same purpose.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/255142/time-right-for-talks-on-sea-boundary