Thailand

A member of the Association of ASEAN, the UN, and the IMO, Thailand is a constitutional monarchy located on the Indochinese and the East Peninsulas in Southeast Asia. It borders Myanmar to the west, Laos to the north, Cambodia to the east and Malaysia to the south. The official language is Thai, and the capital city is Bangkok. The King is the chief of state, the Prime Minister is the head of government, and it has a bicameral national assembly. The legal system is based on civil law with influences of common law.

As one of the more advanced developing countries in Asia, Thailand depends on exports of manufactured products and the development of the service sector. Machinery, computers and parts, and manufactured products along with agricultural products and fisheries are the chief exports. Its major trading partners are Japan and the United States and tourism is the largest source of foreign income. The unit of currency is the baht, and the chief ports are Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Sattahip, Songkhla, and Phuket.

The Thai Vessel Act B.E. 2481 (1938), administered by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, regulates the qualification of merchant shipping operators. Other laws governing water transport include the Collision Prevention Act B.E. 2522 (1979), the Navigation in Thai Waters Act B.E. 2455 (1913), the Arrest of Ships Act B.E. 2534 (1991), the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act B.E. 2534 (1991), the Ship Mortgages and Maritime Preferential Rights Act B.E. 2537 (1994), the General Average Relating to Sea Peril in the Navigation Act B.E. 2547 (2004) and the Civil Liabilities and Damages Relating to the Vessel Collision Act B.E. 2548 (2005).