East Asia: Stop Squabbling, Start Drilling
Large oilfields often don’t fall neatly within national boundaries. Intent on securing underground or undersea reserves, nations contest territorial claims.

Large oilfields often don’t fall neatly within national boundaries. Intent on securing underground or undersea reserves, nations contest territorial claims.
China battles Japan for the Diaoyu/Senkakku Islands and ASEAN members for large sections of the South China Sea. Settling disputes quickly is in the interest of all claimants, particularly those with less technological expertise, suggests Will Hickey of SolBridge University. Rapid drilling can cause oil to migrate within a reserve, and horizontal drilling for several kilometers is also possible.
Countries with sophisticated technology collect product more quickly. Hickey urges countries to rely on unitization – devising agreements to divide shares, map boundaries, administer operations and collect revenues. “Unitization is usually undertaken to achieve the most efficient and economical exploitation of reserves to benefit all parties,” he explains. Surface boundaries are left intact, thus eliminating the contentious issue of sovereignty. Hickey lists several models of unitization, including a partnerships between the US and Mexico. Of course, the devil is in details, and the stronger contestants have least incentive to compromise or share. – YaleGlobal

Tourism
Thai Government imposes ban on gatherings over New Year 2021 holidays
TAT would like to remind all that New Year 2021 activities have been cancelled or gone virtual nationwide to avoid large gatherings according to the Royal Thai Government’s guidelines.

Bangkok, 31 December, 2020 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) would like to provide the latest update regarding the Royal Thai Government’s latest announcement on the ban of gatherings nationwide.
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Thai cabinet allows illegal migrant workers to sign up for 2-year work permit
Migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, who are in Thailand illegally, will be able to obtain a 2-year work permit under a special arrangement offered to help contain the spread of COVID-19.

BANGKOK (NNT) – Cabinet has approved a special arrangement for illegal migrant workers from neighboring countries, allowing them to register for 2-year legal work status in Thailand, following the case of a new COVID-19 outbreak among the migrant workers’ community.
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Thailand Saw $1.7 billion Applications in Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Investments in 2020, BOI Says
The BCG model, as defined by the Thai Government, encompasses industries that allow inclusive, sustainable growth while reducing waste, pollution and dependence on finite resources.

In the first nine months of 2020, local and international companies applied to invest as much as $1.7 billion in Thailand in more than 300 projects in the sectors listed as “BCG”, or Bio-Circular-Green economic activities focused on environmental protection and sustainability, according to data collected by the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI).
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