Dr. Mana Nimit mongkol - President of the Anti-Corruption Agency of Thailand (ACT) - has just issued a serious warning: Thailand is failing to suppress fraud gangs, online gambling networks and money laundering. The root cause is that the country's powerful figures are believed to be bribing and providing protection to criminal groups.
In a social media post on November 19, Mr. Mana pointed out the dark forces and the relationships behind these networks that make the authorities only capture petty operatives, while the real plotters are still "rigid".
He cited a long list of scandals involving the elite, including ministers, lawmakers, a former national police commander and more than 200 police officers involved in online gambling, drug trafficking and underground business activities.
Notable cases mentioned include the Tu Hao crime ring, an illegal visa ring that brought 7,000 Chinese to Thailand, and large-scale gambling networks.
According to estimates, Thailand spends more than 100 billion baht (nearly 2.9 billion USD) per year on fraud networks. However, Mr. Mana said that the country is still relying on outdated laws on drugs and computer crimes, making it difficult to trace cash flow to protection officials.
He specifically criticized a "deadly loophole" that appeared in 2020, when the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) amended regulations, eliminating banks' obligation to report suspicious transactions - despite the fact that banks are the main money transfer channel for criminal groups.
He said that Thailand has actually had a strong money laundering law since 2013 allowing financial supervision of political figures, but this system has not been implemented effectively.
"Stop corruption, stop protection for corrupts, and you will stop criminal organizations," Mr. Mana wrote, emphasizing "the cash flow never lies". He called on agencies such as the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and the Tax Department to integrate technology to audit the assets and taxes of politicians more closely.
