Minister of Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow has underscored the threat posed by online scams to Southeast Asia, where a large number of scam centers are located, causing countries in the region, including Thailand, to become front-line states, which are significantly affected by these criminal activities.

The Foreign Minister on 16 March 2026 delivered opening remarks at a side event, organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), titled “Intelligent Threats with a Global Reach: The Evolution of Scam Centers and Cybercrime in Southeast Asia. on the sidelines of the Global Fraud Summit at the Vienna International Center.

He reiterated that online scams are increasingly complex and rapidly evolving, and cause damage not only to the economy and security, but also violate human rights in multiple dimensions. In this regard, different nations must come together to effectively address this problem. 

The Foreign Minister further stated that Thailand has declared combating online scams and related crimes a national agenda and underscored that to effectively address these problems, international cooperation is needed. 

Hence, Thailand and the UNODC co-hosted the International Conference on the Global Partnership against Online Scams on 17-18 December 2025 in Bangkok, to create global awareness on the threat of online scams and move forward the global agenda against these crimes. Outcomes of the International Conference highlighted that effective coordination and alignment of efforts among all stakeholders are central to addressing the issue, and that this side event will help advance such efforts.

Thailand’s participation in the Summit reflects its continued role in advancing the issue of combating fraud, particularly online scams, as a key global priority and underscores the importance of upholding the rule of law, as well as raising public awareness and strengthening resilience against this serious crime.