1. International Shipping
International shipping in Thailand is open to both Thai and foreign
maritime transport operators. To oper
ate a vessel internationally under a
Thai flag, one has to fulfil specific op
erational requirements imposed by the
following laws:
(1)
The Thai Vessels Act B.E. 2481
(as amended by the Act B.E.2540).
The operator must be a juristic person
incorporated under
Thai law with at
least 51% of Thai equity. His vessel must also be registered for flying the
national flag at the Marine Department.
(2)
The Navigation in Thai Waters Act B.E. 2456
(as amended by the
Act B.E. 2540). The operation of such vessels when plying in Thailand’s
territorial water is under the superv
ision of the Marine Department for
safety and marine environmental aspects.
(3)
The Mercantile Marine Pr
omotion Act B.E. 2521
. The operator
referred to in (1) is also required to register as a maritime transport operator
at the Marine Department.
The competent authority responsi
ble for the above-mentioned laws is the
Marine Department, which is responsible for navigational safety, control of
waterborne traffic, ship registration and inspection, maintenance of
navigation channels, installation of aids to navigation, providing pilot
services for seagoing vessels, training and monitoring the quality of
seamen, minimizing environmental impact caused by navigation and ports,
promotion and development of maritime transport and related business as
well as enforcing the above-mentioned laws.