The Royal Thai Navy points out that after the policy warning against "Thai ships" reflagging to transport oil into "Cambodia" was issued, various statistics show a declining trend, with two vessels cooperating by providing explanations.
On 17 Dec 2025 GMT+7, Rear Admiral Joompol Nakbua, spokesman for the Center for the Protection of National Maritime Interests (Royal Thai Navy), announced that the National Security Council (NSC) resolved to oversee waters, especially regarding the transport of energy goods and military supplies to Cambodia, dividing the approach into four aspects.
1. Enhancing maritime surveillance and warning systems, particularly overseeing commercial activities and energy transport. This includes systematic monitoring of transshipment mechanisms from land to sea or sea to land.
2. Integrating efforts among relevant agencies to regulate oil exports and military supplies collectively, involving the Department of Fisheries, Customs Department, Royal Thai Navy, Excise Department, and Marine Department. This integration will use Section 27, Paragraph 2 of the law to focus on all 23 coastal provinces’ ports, tightening area controls to prevent smuggling or transporting military supplies to Cambodia.
3. In cases where maritime transport of energy goods and military supplies violates conditions of innocent passage rights of Thailand’s coastal state, and regarding port control measures, authorities will intensify actions to reject or prohibit Cambodian vessels violating these rules from using Thai ports.
4. Enhancing safety for maritime operators and limiting the scope of commercial maritime transport actors not involved in armed conflicts between Thailand and Cambodia at sea.
Therefore, it is necessary to declare and warn about risk areas to protect cargo and fishing vessels operating legitimately, preventing them from becoming targets or facing risks to their personnel and vessels.
Regarding these four measures, the Royal Thai Navy confirms they are implemented under the sovereign authority of the coastal state and in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, aiming to ensure the safety of maritime operators.
When asked about the form of these four aspects, Rear Admiral Joompol explained that actions involve government agencies and operators integrating and elevating ship inspections at ports in cooperation with the Marine Department, Customs Department, and Excise Department. Suspicious maritime vehicles engaged in questionable activities will be scrutinized, while ships without suspicious behavior or supporting announced measures will not be affected.
However, general operators are requested to comply with warnings, and if any vessels show abnormal behavior at sea, they should notify the Royal Thai Navy. The plan includes inspecting ports in all 23 provinces and randomly checking suspicious vessels. Ships passing near Cambodia’s maritime borders must identify themselves; reflagging as another nationality or misrepresenting registry details in the International Maritime Organization system constitutes violating the coastal state's innocent passage rights. Such suspicious vessels will face strict inspections at sea and ports through the Navy’s mechanisms, currently under planning.
Regarding the two vessels in the news, inspections and summons for explanations have been conducted with good cooperation from energy operators. Currently, the number of operators entering Cambodian waters is declining, and ships coming from energy-exporting countries via the Malacca Strait and South China Sea heading to Cambodia are also decreasing. Some vessels remain under compliance measures, with further regulations to be established.
Concerning smuggling oil into Cambodia, it was found that some Thai operators receive oil from abroad to Cambodia. However, since the policy announcement, statistics have shown a downward trend. If Thai ships are found smuggling oil to Cambodia, it is illegal under smuggling and export laws. Following the NSC resolution, the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Commerce will specify additional military goods related to energy, enabling authorities to prosecute and impose penalties through state mechanisms.
Currently, whether cooperating with the Navy or not, vessels transporting oil either passing through or entering Cambodia and Thailand are required to comply with identification laws and strictly follow reporting measures. Using ships that do not display nationality or show another nationality during operations falls under Thai law, permitting arrest and legal action.