Australian minister visits Bangkok, vows closer cooperation on scams and crime

Bangkok — Assistant Minister for Immigration and Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia, Matt Thistlethwaite, arrived in Thailand on Wednesday to enhance bilateral relations. The focus of his visit encompassed education, trade, security, and collaboration on countering transnational crime. Thistlethwaite aimed to amplify ties between Australia and Thailand across economic, security, and personal relations.

During his morning meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Yodchanan Wongsawat, Thistlethwaite deliberated educational linkages between the two nations, emphasizing collaboration in research and development. This collaboration is critical as they confront the challenges of climate change, which could impact food security and local communities.

Thistlethwaite also visited the launch of "Australia on a Plate," a campaign to promote Australian food and products at Tops Food Hall in Central Park, Bangkok. His visit is set to deepen the longstanding partnership between Australia and Thailand, following Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s recent trip to Australia.

A critical focus of the visit was the joint endeavor to combat transnational crime and promote trade between the two countries. Thistlethwaite highlighted the growing concern over scam centers sprouting in the region, which could inflict significant damage on citizens across all nations. Australia has been actively collaborating with Southeast Asian nations under its cyber strategy to combat online scams.

Drug trafficking, another major issue, was also a prime concern for the communities in both countries. On Thursday, Thistlethwaite planned to visit the Thai Tourist Police to assess the measures taken to combat transnational crime and an anti-scam center to underscore the importance of cooperation between Thailand and Australia in tackling online fraud.

He reiterated that these issues are at the forefront of their governments' efforts to safeguard the citizens of Thailand and Australia from being defrauded or falling into difficult situations due to online scams.