Bangkok (VNA) – Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has declared in his policy statement to the parliament that suppressing transnational criminal networks and scammer operations is a national agenda, said spokesperson for the Thai PM’s Office Rachada Dhnadirek.
A major result was the prosecution, seizure and freezing of assets worth more than 20 billion THB (620 million USD) linked to Ben Smith, Yim Leak and their associates, with the investigation also expanded to other groups involved in offences using Thailand as a base for money laundering.
A large call-centre network along the Thailand – Cambodia border had also been dismantled, with more than 10,000 forced labour victims of several nationalities were found. They had been deceived and forced to work in romance scams and investment scams.
Dhnadirek added that the Thai government is expanding cooperation with the US to combat transnational call-centre gangs, human trafficking and online crime. This move is also aimed at upgrading Thailand’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) status from Tier 2—where it has remained for four consecutive years—to Tier 1, helping improve the country’s image and strengthen confidence in its economy, investment climate, and tourism sector.
From April 21 to 25, Thailand and the US held discussions in Washington, D.C., agreeing to enhance cooperation in suppressing transnational call-centre gangs, human trafficking, and cybercrime.
The Thai Police is preparing to launch the “SHIELD” system in June 2026 as a hub for information exchange among more than 10 member countries to prevent and suppress call-centre gangs and human-trafficking networks in the region more effectively.
According to Deputy Spokesperson of the Thai PM’s Office Ploytale Laksmisangchan, the Thai government also prioritises protecting consumers in the digital era, where rapid growth in online shopping carries risks such as exaggerated advertising, false efficacy claims, unlicensed products, or the illegal use of hazardous substances. It has instructed stricter measures to address unsafe health products and misleading advertisements./.
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