*This is an unofficial English translation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)which was retrieved from the Centre for International Law (http://www.cil.nus.edu.sg/) 

• Summary

This legal document contains the English version of the 1979 Memorandum of Understanding between Malaysia and the Kingdom of Thailand on the Establishment of the Joint Authority for the Exploitation of the Resources of the Sea Bed in a Defined Area of the Continental Shelf of the two Countries in the Gulf of Thailand. The “defined area” in the name of the MoU refers to the overlapping area on both parties’ adjacent continental shelves, which is bounded by straight lines connecting 7 coordinates agreed in the document. The MoU also concludes a Malaysia-Thailand Joint Authority which shall “assume all rights and responsibilities on behalf of both Parties for the exploration and exploitation of the non-living natural resources of the sea-bed and subsoil in the overlapping area”. Notably, Article III clarifies that the established Joint Authority will operate for a period of 50 years commencing from the date this Memorandum comes into force.

Notably, Article VI states that if both parties can come to an agreement on the delimitation of the continental shelves boundary in the overlapping area, the Joint Authority shall be wound up. Otherwise, the existing arrangement shall continue after the expiry of the said fifty-year period.

• Document: 1979 Memorandum of Understanding between Malaysia and the Kingdom of Thailand on the Establishment of the Joint Authority for the Exploitation of the Resources of the Sea Bed in a Defined Area of the Continental Shelf of the two Countries in the Gulf of Thailand