Bangkok: Prasert Chantarawongthong, Secretary-General of the Pheu Thai Party, has urged Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to prioritize national security over political maneuvering in addressing the issue of transnational scammers. Prasert asserted that the government can effectively tackle the problem within 30 days, contrary to the four-month timeline proposed by Anutin. He emphasized that gaining political mileage should not come at the expense of substantive action against scammers.
According to Thai News Agency, Prasert criticized the government’s response to scams, particularly in international forums like the ASEAN Summit and APEC meetings. He highlighted that the Pheu Thai Party disagrees with the praise some political parties have bestowed upon Anutin’s international engagements. Prasert pointed out that past achievements in combating scams during the Pheu Thai government resulted in a 40% reduction in losses, amounting to 14.5 billion baht annually.
Prasert noted that despite Thailand’s previous leadership in tackling scams, the country now lags behind its neighbors. He cited Singapore’s successful seizure of assets worth S$150 million related to transnational scams and Malaysia’s arrest of over 2,000 programmers as examples. Additionally, he mentioned Cambodia’s collaboration with the United States to enhance security measures against transnational crime during the APEC meeting. Prasert questioned why Thailand failed to address the issue at the same meeting and during the signing of the MOU on rare earths with the United States.
The Pheu Thai Party has proposed a set of measures to expedite the crackdown on scammers. These include releasing a statement on the investigation into Minister Chaichanok Chidchob’s bribery allegations, taking legal action against those involved with the Prince Group, and focusing on recovering stolen funds. Additionally, Prasert urged for enhanced cooperation between Thailand, China, and Cambodia, and the resumption of the “3 Cuts” measure to disrupt scam operations along the border.
Prasert concluded by advocating for the continuation of the Pheu Thai government’s policy to establish a regional center to manage incidents of call center scams and international human trafficking, aiming to restore Thailand’s leadership role in this domain.