VIENTIANE: Laos and Thailand are strengthening cooperation to combat online scams, money laundering and transnational criminal networks through closer coordination between law enforcement agencies, financial institutions and judicial authorities in both countries.
The joint effort aims to disrupt cross-border scam operations, strengthen mechanisms for freezing and recovering criminal assets, and prevent financial systems from being exploited by organised crime groups.
These priorities were highlighted at the “Seminar on Countering Money Laundering linked to Scam Network Financial Ecosystem” held in Vientiane on September 21.
The event was jointly organised by the Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane, the Institute for Legal Assistance and Technical Advice (ILSTA), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), bringing together law enforcement officials, financial institutions and experts from both countries.
The seminar provided a platform for sharing experiences, identifying legal and operational challenges, and exploring practical measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation against technology-enabled crime.
Addressing the opening ceremony, the Thai Ambassador to Laos, Krongkanit Rakcharoen, reaffirmed the Thai government’s commitment to tackling online scams and other technology-related crimes, which have threatened economic security and caused substantial financial losses across the region.
She expressed the Thai Embassy’s readiness to facilitate closer cooperation with Lao authorities in dismantling scam networks and combating associated money laundering activities.
ILSTA President Richard Phillippart underlined the need for Laos to improve its anti-money laundering framework.
The Head of Office and Coordinator for Transnational Organised Crime at the UNODC Programme Office in Laos, Sung Ho Hwang, warned that scam operations were not only responsible for substantial financial losses but were also closely linked to human trafficking and forced labour.
Addressing the panel discussion, the Deputy Attorney General of Thailand, Mongkol Chirachaisakul, outlined the growing challenges posed by transnational criminal networks, including their operations across national borders, the rapid development of artificial intelligence, and difficulties in identifying victims of human trafficking within scam operations.
He highlighted the importance of international legal cooperation, including mutual legal assistance mechanisms, the Asean Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, and cooperation under the Memorandum of Understanding between the attorney general’s offices of Laos and Thailand.
The discussions focused on Thailand’s experience in tracing illicit financial flows, freezing suspicious transactions, and recovering assets linked to online fraud.
According to Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau, the country’s Anti Cyber Scam Centre handles an average of 952 cases daily, involving financial losses of approximately 51.8 million baht (US$1.55 million) per day.
Thailand has established a 24-hour coordination mechanism, known as the “War Room”, between police and banks, enabling financial institutions to rapidly freeze suspicious transactions and alert investigators.
Thai officials shared their experience in using civil asset forfeiture procedures to seize criminal proceeds and prevent scam networks from accessing funds.
The exchange is particularly relevant to Laos, which is strengthening its legal and institutional framework to combat money laundering and improve the recovery of assets linked to criminal activities.
The Deputy Director of the Legal and International Cooperation Division at the Lao Anti-Money Laundering Intelligence Office, Naphukham Khamphounseng, said Lao authorities are prioritising raids on scam operations and the arrest of those involved.
He revealed plans to submit a draft decree on provisional measures for asset recovery in November 2026. The proposed decree will empower financial institutions and private businesses to suspend suspicious transactions immediately, even before receiving a police order.
Laos is also accelerating the drafting of a new cybercrime law to introduce tougher penalties for offences involving mule accounts and nominee arrangements. The country is simultaneously strengthening customer due diligence procedures and improving mechanisms for reporting suspicious financial activities.
The seminar also highlighted the rapidly expanding scale of online scam operations across Southeast Asia
UNODC expert, Inshik Sim, reported that financial losses from scams in the region reached an estimated US$88 billion to US$114 billion in 2025.
Participants also discussed emerging threats involving cryptocurrencies, underground banking networks, and mule accounts used to conceal and transfer criminal proceeds. Officials from both countries exchanged experiences in regulating digital assets and using advanced technology to identify suspicious transactions.
Representatives of the Lao judiciary and banking sector called for faster prosecution procedures, stronger legal powers to freeze suspicious accounts and greater public awareness of online fraud.
The seminar underscored the importance of sustained cooperation between Laos and Thailand, particularly in information-sharing, legal assistance, financial investigations and asset recovery.
Such cooperation is expected to strengthen the ability of both countries to disrupt transnational scam networks, protect victims and safeguard the integrity of their financial systems. - Vientiane Times/ANN
