Bangkok: Big Dul, Thailand's Prime Minister, has acknowledged that Cambodia's sediment trapping dam is affecting the coastline of Ban Hat Lek and impacting Thailand's maritime sovereignty. He emphasized the need to use the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) mechanism to negotiate a solution, revealing that the problem has been ongoing since 1998. Regarding Hun Sen's order prohibiting the demolition, he responded briefly, "I don't know."
According to Thai News Agency, Lieutenant General Adul Boonthamcharoen, Minister of Defence, addressed his visit to the Chanthaburi and Trat Border Protection Command of the Royal Thai Navy. During his visit, he inspected a sediment trapping dam at Ban Hat Lek, Khlong Yai District, Trat Province, which was constructed by a Cambodian private company encroaching into the sea. He stated that the sediment trap is located in Cambodian territory and was built with a pier to accommodate tourist boats entering Cambodia. However, the dam has caused problems because all the sediment falls into Cambodian territory, leading to coastal erosion at Ban Hat Lek. He emphasized that this issue, which has existed since 1998, requires discussion, and he has already visited the area to understand the problem. He added that they are currently waiting for the situation to improve.
When asked whether it was necessary to use the channels of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the 1982 UNCLOS, Lieutenant General Adul said that it was correct because the dam in question is outside Thailand, and boundary marker 71 is clearly visible, located only about 300 meters away.
When asked about concerns from various parties that the sediment trap dam would affect Thailand's maritime sovereignty, Lieutenant General Adul said that these concerns were also valid, while emphasizing that if the situation improves, they would need to discuss how to resolve the issue.
Regarding the case where Hun Sen, President of the Cambodian Senate, ordered that the sediment trap dam not be dismantled, Lieutenant General Adul said he didn't know.