The Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane, in collaboration with the Institute for Legal Support and Technical Assistance (ILSTA) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), convened a seminar on “Countering Money Laundering linked to Scam Network Financial Ecosystem”on 21 September 2026 at the Crowne Plaza Vientiane.

 

The opening ceremony featured welcoming remarks by H.E. Mrs. Krongkanit Rakcharoen, Ambassador of Thailand to Lao PDR, Mr. Richard Philippart, President of ILSTA, and Mr. Sung Ho Hwang, Country Director of UNODC Lao PDR. It was followed by a keynote address by Mr. Mongkol Chirachaisakul, Deputy Attorney General of Thailand, outlining strategic prosecutorial priorities, policy frameworks, and judicial challenges in addressing the regional threat of scam networks.

 

Key sessions throughout the day addressed critical dimensions of the scam ecosystem, including (1) The Modern Scam Centre Ecosystem (2) Rapid Freezing & Asset Recovery (3) Counter-Financing Strategies & Mule Accounts and (4) Crypto-Bridging & Underground OTC Brokers. The seminar concluded with a collaborative workshop session, "Way Forward: Towards better coordination", where participants formulated operational priorities, financial sector synergies, legal recommendations to effectively dismantle scam network financial infrastructures.

 

The seminar reflects Thailand’s commitment to enhancing cooperation with the Lao PDR and the global community in combatting money laundering and online scam centers, as these two issues are closely linked and represent a grave threat to countries and their citizens around the world.