In message released today, Sunday, July 13, Senate president Hun Sen called on world leaders, especially ASEAN leaders, to recognise the concerns raised by Thaksin Shinawatra regarding the issue of online scam syndicates operating in Thailand.
He stated that, as he pointed out on June 27 in Preah Vihear province, major online scam criminals are spread across Thailand, with Bangkok being a nest for illegal scammers and money laundering groups. These groups, he said, have been spreading from Thailand into Cambodia.
“Thaksin admitted in a July 9 Thai television interview that the top-tier online scammers are living in luxury apartments worth billions of baht in Bangkok and are freely traveling to neighbouring countries,” he said.
On July 9, Thai immigration police arrested a major online gambling and money laundering ringleader, involved in illicit transactions worth 11.52 billion baht ($355,000), at Don Mueang International Airport. This comes amid a report from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which highlighted a concerning rise in drug production and trafficking in the Golden Triangle region — where the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet — identifying Thailand as a key transit point and distribution hub for large quantities of narcotics from the region.
“Therefore, I urge world and ASEAN leaders to recognize Thaksin’s statement, and I also urge Thai politicians to stop irresponsibly blaming Cambodia, while turning a blind eye to the fact that their own country has become a peaceful haven for scam syndicates, drug cartels and money launderers,” he added.
He added that the suspended Thai Prime Minister had previously said that closing the border with Cambodia to combat online gambling was a serious political misstep in relations with neighbouring countries. He stressed that such a situation requires regional cooperation among states to effectively combat all forms of transnational crime.
In addition, Hun Sen said he had read recent reports quoting Thaksin as saying there would be no war between the two nations’ armed forces, but rather, “a breath-holding contest—whoever can hold their breath the longest will win”.
“Thaksin is referring to the border closure — who can endure it longer? If that’s the case, then Thaksin himself is the mastermind behind the closure. Cambodia is playing this game without knowing when it will end, but I worry that the one who provoked this game might collapse before it’s over,” he noted.
He added that there may come a time when he spends more than three hours talking about Thaksin, whom he helped from 2006 up until 2025. The last instance was on the evening of June 15, when Thaksin sent a message through Khlang Huot asking for the removal of Anutin, the leader of the Bhumjaithai Party and then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, so that Pheu Thai could control the Interior Ministry. Hun Sen replied that if Anutin were removed, he would simply resign.
Hun Sen remarked that it was not surprising Thaksin betrayed him, since “Thaksin has even betrayed his own nation. So it’s no surprise he would betray me, a foreigner”.
“But Thaksin should not forget all the times he asked for my opinion and support — including the time he wanted the defence minister removed within 24 hours, and even when he mocked both the former and current Kings of Thailand,” he said.
He added that some Thai intellectuals have remarked that he understands the Thai situation very well.
“How could I not understand the Thai situation when Thaksin is constantly giving me updates and asking for advice — almost daily, weekly or monthly? But it’s not about Cambodian affairs—it’s about Thailand,” he said.
