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Chapter 4

Thai Version

CONVENTION
ON THE TERRITORIAL SEA AND
THE CONTIGUOUS ZONE¹

. . .

PART I
TERRITORIAL SEA

SECTION I — GENERAL

Article 1

            1. The sovereignty of a State extends, beyond its land territory and its internal waters, to a belt of sea adjacent to its coast, described as the territorial sea.

            2. This sovereignty is exercised subject to the provisions of these articles and to other rules of international law.

Article 2

            The sovereignty of a coastal State extends to the air space over the territorial sea as well as to its bed and subsoil.

. . .
 

SECTION III — RIGHT OF INNOCENT PASSAGE

SUB-SECTION A — RULES APPLICABLE TO ALL SHIPS

Article 14

            1. Subject to the provisions of these articles, ships of all States, whether coastal or not, shall enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea.

            2. Passage means navigation through the territorial sea for the purpose either of traversing that sea without  entering  internal  waters, or of proceeding to internal waters, or of making for the high seas from internal waters.

            3. Passage includes stopping and anchoring, but only in so far as the same are incidental to ordinary navigation or are rendered necessary by force majeure or by distress.

            4. Passage is innocent so long as it is not prejudicial to the peace, good order or security of the coastal State. Such passage shall take place in conformity with these articles and with other rules of international law.

            5. Passage of foreign fishing vessels shall not be considered innocent if they do not observe such laws and regulations as the coastal State may make and publish in order to prevent these vessels from fishing in the territorial sea.

            6. Submarines are required to navigate on the surface and to show their flag.

. . .

PART II
CONTIGUOUS ZONE

Article 24

            1. In a zone of the high seas contiguous to its territorial sea, the coastal State may exercise the control necessary to:

                    (a) Prevent infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary regulations within its territory or territorial sea;

                    (b) Punish infringement of the above regulations committed within its territory or territorial sea.

            2. The contiguous zone may not extend beyond twelve miles from the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.

            3. Where the coasts of two States are opposite or adjacent to each other, neither of the two States is entitled, failing agreement between them to the contrary, to extend its contiguous zone beyond the median line every point of which is equidistant from the nearest points on the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial seas of the two States is measured.

PART III
FINAL ARTICLES

Article 25

            The provisions of this Convention shall not affect conventions or other international agreements already in force, as between States Parties to them.

. . .

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¹  United Nations — Treaty Series, vol.516 at 205. This Convention was done at Geneva, 29  April 1958 and in force on 10 September 1964. Thailand deposited the instrument of ratification on 2 July 1968; thus, according to Article 29, for Thailand, the Convention entered in force on 1 August  1968. Back