PATTAYA, Thailand – Minister of Justice Pol. Lt. Gen. Rutthaphon Naowarat opened the Senior Officials Committee (SOC) meeting of the Signatories to the Memorandum of Understanding on Drug Control in the Greater Mekong Subregion (Mekong MOU) on October 19, 2026, at the Dusit Thani Pattaya Hotel, Chonburi province.
Chonburi Governor Naris Niramaiwong welcomed the minister, delegates from Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, and representatives from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to the meeting, held October 19–20.
The meeting focused on enhancing cooperation against transnational drug trafficking, particularly in the Golden Triangle, where illicit drug production and trafficking remain connected to money laundering and human trafficking.
The Minister highlighted the need for international cooperation to dismantle production networks, disrupt trafficking routes, and target criminal financial operations. He reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to the 13th Subregional Action Plan on Drug Control, which includes collaboration on drug prevention education, precursor chemical control, and forensic drug analysis. China has contributed US$1 million to support these efforts.
Participants will also discuss the proposed 14th Subregional Action Plan, which aims to strengthen coordinated enforcement and address emerging drug-related challenges.
The minister noted that cooperation under the Mekong MOU framework, established in 1993, has continued for over three decades. The meeting aims to eliminate illicit production facilities, dismantle smuggling routes, and draft the 14th Subregional Action Plan to enhance long-term regional security and public safety. (NNT)
