Laos and Thailand set joint Mekong safety and pollution rules
A Bangkok MOU sets a framework for safer Mekong navigation, pollution controls and phased joint regulations between Laos and Thailand.
- Laos and Thailand have signed a memorandum of understanding to standardize navigation rules on the Mekong River, focusing on vessel safety and preventing pollution.
- The agreement's goals are to raise safety standards for vessels, passengers, and cargo, and to reduce pollution from shipping to protect the river's ecosystem.
- The initial phase will implement five new regulations covering waterway traffic management, vessel safety standards and inspections, emergency response, search-and-rescue, and crew certification.
- A joint Bilateral Steering Committee will be formed within six months to oversee the implementation of the new rules, with more regulations planned by 2035.
Laos and Thailand have agreed to standardise key Mekong River navigation rules after their waterway authorities signed a memorandum of understanding on vessel safety and pollution prevention.
The agreement was signed in Bangkok by Khamla Phommavanh, Director General of the Department of Waterways under Laos’ Ministry of Public Works and Transport, and Kritphet Chaichuay, Director-General of the Marine Department under Thailand’s Ministry of Transport.
Officials said the signing marked an important advance in regional cooperation on sustainable river transport and environmental protection.
The MOU is also seen as a milestone in strengthening bilateral cooperation and bringing navigation regulations into line with the principles of the 1995 Mekong Agreement.
The arrangement is intended to protect freedom of navigation along the Mekong while raising safety standards for vessels, passengers and cargo.
It also seeks to reduce and prevent pollution from shipping activities to safeguard the river’s fragile ecosystem and support sustainable development across the region.
The pact further supports Laos’ long-term plan to transform itself from a landlocked country into a land-linked regional logistics hub.
In the first phase of implementation, the two countries will introduce five core regulations developed through joint studies and consultation.
These cover waterway traffic management; vessel safety technical standards and inspections; coordination of emergency responses during maritime accidents; search-and-rescue operations, including wreck removal; and the issuance of certificates of competency for crew members in both Laos and Thailand.
Under the MOU, Laos and Thailand will set up a Bilateral Steering Committee within six months to supervise and advance implementation.
Officials also plan to introduce eight additional regulations by 2035 as part of wider efforts to update and standardise Mekong River governance.
During the Lao delegation’s visit to Thailand, its members also toured Thailand’s waterway traffic control centre, maritime training facilities and modern port infrastructure to study how they operate.
Vientiane Times
