Second Thomas Shoal

Second Thomas Shoal
Disputed atoll;
	Second Thomas Shoal
	Second Thomas Shoal
Other names	Ayungin Shoal (Philippine English); Bãi Cỏ Mây (Vietnamese); Buhanginan ng Ayungin (Filipino); Rén'ài Jiāo 仁爱礁/仁愛礁 (Chinese)
Geography
Location	South China Sea
Coordinates	9°44′N 115°52′E / 9.733°N 115.867°E
Archipelago	Spratly Islands
Administration
	Philippines
Region	Southwestern Tagalog Region
Province	Palawan
Municipality	Kalayaan
Claimed by
	China
	Philippines
	Taiwan
	Vietnam

Second Thomas Shoal, also known as Ayungin Shoal (Filipino: Buhanginan ng Ayungin, lit. 'sandbank of silver perch'), Bãi Cỏ Mây (Vietnamese) and Rén'ài Jiāo (Chinese: 仁爱礁/仁愛礁),^[1] is a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea, 105 nautical miles (194 km; 121 mi) west of Palawan, Philippines.^[2] It is a disputed territory and claimed by multiple nations.^[3]

The reef is occupied by Philippine Navy personnel aboard a ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, that was intentionally grounded on the reef in 1999 and has been periodically replenished since then.

^ Sailing Directions – South China Sea. Taunton: UK Hydrographic Office.
^ Sailing Directions Enroute : Publication 158 – Philippine Islands. Springfield, Virginia: US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). 2013.
^ "TOPIC: Sierra Madre, Second Thomas Shoal, and the U.S. Commitment to Defense of the Philippines" (PDF). pacom.mil. February 23, 2023.

[1] Sailing Directions – South China Sea. Taunton: UK Hydrographic Office.

[2] Sailing Directions Enroute : Publication 158 – Philippine Islands. Springfield, Virginia: US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). 2013.

[3] "TOPIC: Sierra Madre, Second Thomas Shoal, and the U.S. Commitment to Defense of the Philippines" (PDF). pacom.mil. February 23, 2023.

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