The commitment was formalized in a new Joint Statement on Transnational Crime signed during a meeting between Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul at Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday. It was Anutin’s first official visit to Australia as prime minister and the first by a Thai leader in 14 years.

Key Commitments

The leaders expressed “grave concern” over the growing sophistication and spread of online scam operations that use emerging technologies for cybercrime, financial fraud, money laundering, and trafficking in persons. These activities, they said, undermine governance, economic resilience, and regional security.

They agreed to strengthen operational cooperation among Australian and Thai law enforcement, customs, immigration, and financial intelligence agencies. The goal is to disrupt criminal networks, financial flows, and supply chains that enable cyber-enabled fraud as well as the trafficking of illicit commodities, including narcotics and illicit tobacco.

The statement highlights existing collaboration, including Australia’s support for Thailand’s Anti Cyber Scam Centre (ACSC) under the Royal Thai Police Cyber Taskforce. Backed by Australian Federal Police (AFP) Operation Firestorm, this partnership has already led to significant arrests and the disruption of numerous scam centres across Southeast Asia.

Leaders also reaffirmed support for the ASEAN Border Management Cooperation Roadmap and committed to closer work on tracing and recovering criminal proceeds, combating money laundering, and addressing the misuse of virtual assets. They will continue cooperation through mechanisms such as ASEAN-led frameworks, the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime, and the Thailand-Australia Security Dialogue.

“The AFP and Royal Thai Police already work closely on intercepting narcotics and dismantling scam syndicates — this statement expands that partnership to target increasingly sophisticated global criminal networks.”

Broader Context

Prime Minister Albanese noted that the AFP and Royal Thai Police already work closely on intercepting narcotics and dismantling scam syndicates. The new joint statement expands that long-standing partnership to better target increasingly sophisticated global criminal networks.

Thailand has faced challenges with online scam centres that have targeted victims in Australia and elsewhere, often involving forced labour. The agreement forms part of a wider elevation of the Australia-Thailand strategic partnership, which also included a separate joint statement on deepening economic engagement in areas such as agriculture, clean energy, healthcare, and resources.

The leaders also discussed defence ties, science and innovation, and Australia’s support for Thailand’s OECD accession bid. Diplomatic relations between the two countries will mark their 75th anniversary in 2027.