BANGKOK, Thailand – The Thai government is strengthening cooperation with the United States to combat call center scams and human trafficking, with the goal of achieving Tier 1 status in the U.S. Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report.
On May 3, Government Spokesperson Rachada Dhanadirek announced that Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has made suppressing transnational crime networks and scam syndicates a national priority. Key achievements include seizing and freezing assets worth over 20 billion baht from the Ben Smith and Yim Leak networks, with ongoing investigations into related money-laundering operations in Thailand.
Recent operations dismantled a large call center network along the Thai-Cambodian border, uncovering over 10,000 forced laborers of various nationalities. These individuals were coerced into romance scams and fraudulent investment schemes. The Prime Minister emphasized that Thailand will not serve as a transit point for such organizations and has ordered a comprehensive crackdown on trafficking networks along the borders.
A high-level Thai delegation, including the Royal Thai Police and key ministries, met with U.S. authorities in Washington, D.C., from April 21 to 25. Both countries agreed to strengthen intelligence sharing to address transnational call centers and online crimes. In the past year, American citizens lost over 6 billion USD (approximately 190 billion baht) to these scams.
The spokesperson added that these enforcement measures aim to move Thailand from its current Tier 2 status, held for four consecutive years, to Tier 1. This upgrade is expected to strengthen the national image and boost confidence in the economy, investment, and tourism. To support this goal, the Royal Thai Police will launch the “SHIELD” system in June 2026 as an international information-sharing hub for over 10 member nations.
U.S. authorities also commended Thailand for establishing the Intelligence Analysis Center (IAC) Warroom. The center integrates data from financial institutions and mobile service providers to quickly freeze accounts and recover assets. Collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has resulted in significant arrests and asset seizures. These achievements demonstrate the government’s commitment to public protection and international security standards. (NNT)
