Speaking to reporters in Bangkok on Tuesday, Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stated that he had asked Deputy Finance Minister Vorapak Tanyawong to “clarify in writing” reports suggesting his involvement in financial operations connected to regional scam centers.
Anutin rejected claims that Vorapak had been appointed to head the country’s anti-scam committee, saying that “There’s no such appointment.”
News outlets had written that Anutin had appointed Vorapak the previous day.
“His name isn’t on the list — never was, never will be. I’m the chairman,” he added, while stating that oversight of financial matters remains under Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas, while investigations fall to the Justice Ministry.
Project Brazen’s Whale Hunting newsletter alleged that Vorapak’s wife received $3 million in cryptocurrency payments tied to a cross-border criminal network linked to South African Benjamin Mauerberger, who is considered a fugitive. The report, citing corporate filings in Singapore, suggested the transactions could be linked to illicit online operations that have proliferated across the Mekong region. Vorapak has strongly denied the allegations.
Government under pressure to distance itself
Anutin’s comments are seen by some as an attempt to draw a line between the deputy minister and Thailand’s anti-scam campaign. Finance Minister Ekniti had previously told reporters that Vorapak would lead a task force to trace “grey money” flows connected to the syndicates, a remark that fueled speculation about his role in the committee.
That group, known as the Connect the Dots task force, was created to map financial and identity data tied to online scams and illegal remittances. Ekniti said the task force aims to complete coordination work by December, in partnership with key agencies including the Bank of Thailand, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Anti-Money Laundering Office.
However, the revelation that Vorapak was linked to the task force, coupled with the Whale Hunting report, has raised concerns of potential conflicts of interest within the Finance Ministry.
Expanding threat of regional scam syndicates
The controversy speaks to Thailand’s mounting challenge in combating online scam operations that have become industrial in scale across Southeast Asia. Many of the syndicates are based in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, often near the Thai and Chinese borders, and are known to traffic victims who are forced to carry out online fraud, including investment and romance scams.
Earlier this month, some South Korean citizens allegedly working for such syndicates were repatriated from Cambodia, while Myanmar’s junta raided a major scam compound, detaining over 2,000 workers and seizing Starlink satellite equipment.
The United Nations has warned that these networks continue to expand, and they highlight the role the rise of cryptocurrency payments and the use of satellite internet to evade detection play in all of these.
Political and economic implications
Anutin’s administration, while still new, has positioned the anti-scam drive as a cornerstone of its digital policy, both to safeguard Thai citizens and to restore investor confidence. Thailand’s partnership with the United States on cybersecurity enforcement also signals a commitment to international cooperation.
“If anyone is found guilty, the law will take care of them,” Anutin told reporters. However, questions still remain over how the government will pursue investigations if senior officials are implicated.
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