Malaysia-Thailand border

The Malaysia-Thailand border consist of both a land boundary across the Malay Peninsula and maritime boundaries in the Straits of Malacca and the Gulf of Thailand/South China Sea. Malaysia lies to the south of the border while Thailand lies to the north. The Golok River forms the easternmost 95km stretch of the land border.

The land border is based on the one agreed to in the 1909 treaty between Thailand, then known as Siam, and the British which started to exert its influence over the northern Malay states of Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Terengganu. The four states had earlier been under Siamese control. Four Malaysian states abutt the border. They are (from west to east) Perlis, Kedah, Perak and Kelantan. The four Thai provinces which abutt the border are (again from west to east) are Satun, Songkhla, Yala and Narathiwat.

Malaysia and Thailand have a territorial sea and continental shelf boundary agreements for the Straits of Malacca which was signed in 1979 and 1971 respectively. The 1979 agreement also included Indonesia as a signatory as it also determined the common maritime tripoint for the three countries. The 1979 agreement also established the territorial sea boundary in the Gulf of Thailand while a separate memorandum of understanding signed in 1979 established a short continental shelf boundary. The boundary beyond that agreed is subject to dispute because of overlapping claims over the seabed. The overlapping claims led to the establishment of a joint development area in 1990 where both countries agreed to share mineral resources in a 7,250 square km wedge-shaped area.

The border

Land border

From west to east, the 646.5km Malaysia-Thailand border begins at a point which lies just north of the Perlis River estuary as defined in the schedule of the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 where the western most land boundary terminus was to be at "the most seaward point of the northern bank of the estuary of the Perlis River".

The treaty then states that the border moves northward from this point to the Sayun Range, an extension of the Si Thammarat Mountains of Thailand, for about 15 miles (24km) before heading eastward along the watershed of Thailand's Lam Yai River and Malaysia's Perlis River towards the ridge of the Kedah-Singgora mountains where it moves soutwards along the ridgeline till it reaches the watershed for the Perak and Pattani Rivers.

The border then moves eastward across the northern part of Peninsula Malaysia's Main Range (Malay: "Banjaran Titiwangsa") along the watershed of Malaysia's Perak River and Pergau River (in Kelantan) and Thailand's Pattani and Sai Buri Rivers until it reaches Bukit Jeli. An 8km stretch of the border around Bukit Jeli is being disputed by both countries (see below).

From Bukit Jeli, the boundary follows the Golok River until the river mouth at Kuala Tabar, a distance of 95km. The border follows the deepest part or thalweg of the river. [Citation | last = | first = | author-link = | last2 = | first2 = | author2-link = | title = Malaysia-Thailand Boundary | journal = International Boundary Study | volume = 57 | issue = | pages = | date = 15 November 1965 | year = 1965 | url = http://www.law.fsu.edu/library/collection/limitsinseas/ibs057.pdf | doi = | id = ]

Maritime border

Malaysia and Thailand share maritime borders in two segments - in the Straits of Malacca and in the Gulf of Thailand/South China Sea.

traits of Malacca

At the western terminus of the land boundary, the 1909 Anglo-Siamese treaty determines the start of the maritime boundary as::With regard to the islands close to the west coast, those lying to the north of the parallel of latitude where the most seaward point of the north bank of the estuary of the Perlis River (the western terminus of the Malaysia-Thailand land boundary) touches the sea shall remain to Siam, and those lying to the south of the parallel shall become British.":The island known as Pule Langkawi, together with all the islets south of the mid-channel between Terutau and Langkawi, and all the islands south of Langkawi shall become British. Terutau and the islets to the north of mid-channel shall remain to Siam.

The territorial sea boundary agreement between the two countries signed on 24 October 1979 [Citation | last = | first = | author-link = | last2 = | first2 = | author2-link = | title = Treaty between the Kingdom of Thailand and Malaysia relating to the Delimitation of the Territorial Seas of the two Countries | date = 24 October 1979 | year = 1979 | url =http://www.un.org/Depts/los/LEGISLATIONANDTREATIES/PDFFILES/TREATIES/THA-MYS1979TS.PDF | accessdate = 2008-06-28] determined the mid-channel point between Langkawi and Tarutao to be at coord|6|28|30|N|99|39|12|E which was made the eastern starting point of the territorial sea boundary. Both countries also have a continental shelf boundary agreement for this segment of their maritime boundary. The agreement, signed 21 December 1978, included Indonesia as a signatory to enable the establishment of the common tripoint at coord|5|57|0|N|98|1|30|E [Citation | last = | first = | author-link = | last2 = | first2 = | author2-link = | title = Maritime Boundaries: Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand | journal = Limits in the Seas | volume = 81 | issue = | pages = | date = 27 December 1978 | year = 1978 | url = http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/59574.pdf | doi = | id = ]

Malaysia's continental shelf limit claim is from Point A to Point C via Point B and thence to Point G while Thailand's Exclusive Economic Zone claim limit is from Point A to Point G through Points D, E, and F. It has not delimited its continental shelf limits beyond Point G.

See the Malaysia-Thailand joint development area page for more details.

Barrier

In the 1970s, both Malaysia and Thailand constructed walls along their common border, mostly in Perlis/Satun and Perlis/Songkhla as well as Kedah/Songkhla portions of the border to curb smuggling. The walls were of concrete, steel and topped barbed wire as well as iron fencing at other stretches. As both countries constructed their own walls a little into their own territory, a strip of "no-man's-land" about 10m wide was created and this strip of land became a convenient refuge for smugglers (not all smuggling was deterred by the wall) and drug runners.

In 2001, the two countries agreed to construct just one wall along the border which would be located just inside Thai territory. The new border wall is 2.5m high and made up of a concrete lower half and steel fencing on the upper half. At the base, barbed wire running along the length of the wall. [Citation | last = | first = | author-link = | title = "No man's land" in M'sia-Thai border to be scrapped | newspaper = Utusan Malaysia Internet Edition | pages = | year = 2001 | date = 2001-08-03 | url = ]

While the stated reason for the construction of the wall has been to curb smuggling and encroachment, security reasons - earlier in the 1970s and 1980s resulting from Malaysian communist groups and groups involved in the South Thailand insurgency in the late 1990s and early 2000s - have also been a major push for the barrier to be constructed.

Border crossings

Road crossings

The following list names the Malaysian town/immigration post followed the Thai town or post.
*Wang Kelian - Wang Prachan
*Padang Besar - Padang Besar (Songkhla)
*Bukit Kayu Hitam - Sadao (the border post is located in Dannok village)
*Pengkalan Hulu (previously known as Keroh) - Betong
*Bukit Bunga - Ban Buketa
*Rantau Panjang - Sungai Golok

Railway crossings

There are two rail crossings along the Malaysian-Thai border.
*Padang Besar-Padang Besar (Songkhla): Both the Malaysian and Thai towns where the crossing is located are known by the same name. This crossing connects to Malaysia's West Coast trunk line and Thailand's main southern line to Bangkok via Hat Yai. Both Malaysian and Thai customs, immigration and quarantine formalities are conducted at Malaysia's Padang Besar railway station.
*Rantau Panjang-Sungai Golok: On the Malaysian side, this bridge crossing is on a branch line which is connected to Malaysia's East Coast line. In Thailand, the crossing is connected to the Sungai Golok branch line which links up with the main southern line at Hat Yai.

Ferry crossing

*Pengkalan Kubur - Tak Bai
*Langkawi - Satun
*Langkawi - koh lipei

Gallery

ee also

*Brunei-Malaysia Border
*Indonesia-Malaysia Border
*Malaysia-Singapore Border
*Malaysia-Vietnam Border

References

External links

* [http://www.thailandhotelforums.com/index.php?option=com_icvideo&task=showcategory&id=39 See Clip videos Thailand Border]
* [http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/18697 Thailand proposes security fence along border with M'sia]
* [http://www.abcasiapacific.com/news/stories/asiapacific_stories_1089281.htm Thailand to erect security fence along border with Malaysia]