BANGKOK, Thailand – Thailand is moving to connect financial information held by different government agencies and financial institutions to improve the detection of suspicious transactions while creating opportunities for people to gain greater access to credit. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas chaired the second 2026 meeting of the subcommittee on financial data integration, known as the “Connect The Dots” committee, on Sept. 14.
The meeting brought together relevant agencies to review progress on developing the country’s financial data infrastructure and a system for sharing information more efficiently.
Ekniti said financial information is currently scattered among different agencies, with banks holding financial institution data, the Stock Exchange of Thailand holding securities information and the Customs Department maintaining data on imports and exports, including gold.
When suspicious transactions or other financial issues arise, authorities often have to request information separately from each organization. The government therefore launched the Connect The Dots initiative in November 2025 to bring relevant information together. The system is designed to integrate information covering customer identification and know-your-customer (KYC) checks, behavioral analysis and other financial data, allowing authorities to build a more complete picture of transactions and financial activity.
The latest meeting reviewed progress and considered the development of a central data-sharing system, or “Data Bureau”, involving the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), investigative and enforcement agencies, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, financial institutions and the Ministry of Finance.
The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society would oversee the necessary digital infrastructure, while the Finance Ministry would coordinate the overall framework.
Ekniti said the system is intended to provide a clear structure for using technology to monitor financial information and support efforts to prevent and investigate suspicious transactions.
The initiative was established primarily in response to the government’s objective of improving the monitoring of suspicious financial activity.
However, Ekniti said the same integrated data infrastructure could eventually be used for other purposes, including helping people gain greater access to legitimate sources of credit. By connecting information from different sources within an appropriate data-use framework, authorities could potentially develop a clearer picture of borrowers and their financial behaviour, creating opportunities for wider access to financing while maintaining safeguards for the use of financial data. (TNA)
