THAILAND: MARITIME SECURITY RULES AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 001676

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER MARR SCNV TH
SUBJECT: THAILAND: MARITIME SECURITY RULES AND
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

Classified By: Political Counselor Susan M. Sutton, Reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).


1.
(C) SUMMARY
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1. (C) With the growing interest in maritime governance and
security in the Malacca Strait and Thailand's Port
Facilities, the Thai Director of Harbor, Somnuck Sukavanich,
outlines the policies, procedures and structures currently
providing safety and security to shipping activities. End
Summary.

THAILANDS MARITIME SECURITY ORGANIZATION
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2. (C) The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is the
United Nations' specialized agency responsible for improving
maritime safety, security, and preventing pollution from
ships. It appoints Recognized Security Organizations (RSO)
to act on behalf of the IMO and work directly with
contracting governments. Somnuck Sukavanich--Director of
Thailand's Harbor, Maritime Safety and Environment
Bureau--works with the RSO and oversees the government's role
to enforce international law, set security levels and provide
guidance for protections of own ports from security threats.
The Maritime Bureau also carries out port facility security
assessments and reviews and approves security plans. Ship
companies interested in doing business in Thailand are
required to implement and maintain a Ship Security Plan.
This security plan is then reviewed and coordinated with the
Port Facilities to ensure appropriate security levels are
established based on the Ship and Port Facility Security
Plans.

SOLAS XI-1: MARITIME SAFETY
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3. (C) Enhancing maritime safety is ensuring that each link
in the chain of responsibility fully meets its obligations.
In order to enhance global maritime security, amendments to
Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) were introduced establishing
the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code.
Flag, port and coastal states, ship-owners, classification
societies and other stakeholders all have an important role
to play in collectively implementing, maintaining and raising
the standards of shipping. Access to information,
transparency, and an inclusive approach in developing
measures for the uniform and effective implementation of IMO
instruments are critical tools that aid the Thai Director of
Harbor to successfully enhance maritime safety in Bangkok's
harbors.

Some of the key changes to the SOLAS 2004 Safety Amendment
include:

- Regulation 3: Ship Identification Number--all vessels must
have a 7 digit IMO number permanently marked on the ships
hull externally and internally. This applies to passenger
ships 100GRT (gross tonnage) or greater and cargo ships
300GRT or greater.
- Regulation 5: Continuous Synopsis Record (CSR)--a
documentary record of ship's history to be variable on board
for verification purposes. The flag state is responsible for
issuing the CSR for all ships entitled to fly its flag.
- Modifications to Chapter 5: Safety of Navigation--ships,
other than passenger ships and tankers, of 300GRT or greater
but less than 500GRT will be required to be fitted for the
Automatic Information Systems (AIS). Ships with AIS will be
required for it to be in operation at all times to aid in
identification, location, speed, and navigation except where
international agreements provide for the protection of
navigational information.

Ships are restricted from entering Thailand's harbors if they
do not have proper identification, CSR or AIS equipment.

SOLAS XI-2: MARITIME SECURITY
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4. (C) The amendments to the 1974 SOLAS were adopted by IMO
and Thailand to enhance maritime security on board ships and
at ship/port interface areas. This new security amendment

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XI-1 contains the mandatory requirement for ships to comply
with the new International Ship and Port Facility Security
Code (ISPS Code). This Code contains detailed
security-related requirements for governments, port
authorities and shipping companies together with a series of
guidelines about how to meet these requirements. This
amendment chapter applies to passenger ships and cargo ships
of greater than 500 GRT, including high speed craft, mobile
offshore drilling units and port facilities serving such
ships engaged on international voyages

Highlighted security regulations in this brand-new include:

- Regulation XI-2/2: ISPS Code--requires administrations to
set security levels and ensure the provision of security
level information to ships entitled to fly their flag. Prior
to entering a port, or within the territory of a Contracting
Government, a ship shall comply with the requirements for the
security level set by the Contracting Government, if that
security level is higher than the security level set by the
administration for that ship.

- Regulation XI-2/6: Ship Security Alert System--requires
all ships to be provided with a ship security alert system.
When activated the ship security alert system shall initiate
and transmit and ship-to-shore security alert to a competent
authority designated by the administration, identifying the
ship, its location and indicating that the security of the
ship is under threat or it has been compromised. The system
will not raise any alarm on-board the ship. The ship
security alert system shall be capable of being activated
from the navigation bridge and in at least one other location.

- Regulation XI-2/10: Port Facilities--requires port
facility assessments are carried out and that port facility
security plans are developed, implemented and reviewed in
accordance with the ISPS Code.

Other regulations in this chapter cover the provision of
information to IMO, the control of ships in port, and the
specific responsibility of Companies.

HEIGHTENED ENVIRONMENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS
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5. (C) Somnuck expressed Thailand's growing awareness and
intolerance of environmental pollution from shipping
incidents. Ensuring the preservation of aquatic systems and
preventing the introduction of harmful substances from ships
into the marine environment are a major focus of the
Department of Thai Maritime. Some of the challenges facing
Somnuck include being proactive in identifying and addressing
shipping activies that could have an adverse impact on the
environment and developing effective responses to shipping
incidents in order to mitigate their environmental impact.
BOYCE