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Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has denied appointing Deputy Finance Minister Vorapak Tanyawong to lead the government’s anti-scam committee. Speaking to reporters in Bangkok on Tuesday, Anutin said he had asked Vorapak to “clarify in writing” reports of his alleged connection to regional scam networks.
Anutin stated, “There’s no such appointment,” directly rejecting claims published by several local outlets. “His name isn’t on the list - never was, never will be. I’m the chairman,” he added. Oversight of financial matters remains under Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas, while the Justice Ministry handles investigations.
The clarification followed media speculation that Anutin had appointed Vorapak a day earlier. Reports emerged after Finance Minister Ekniti told journalists that Vorapak would lead a new task force to trace “grey money” linked to scam syndicates. The remarks fueled confusion over Vorapak’s role in Thailand’s broader anti-scam campaign.
The controversy deepened after Project Brazen’s Whale Hunting newsletter alleged that Vorapak’s wife received $3 million in cryptocurrency payments. The payments were reportedly tied to a cross-border criminal network led by South African fugitive Benjamin Mauerberger. According to corporate filings in Singapore, the transactions may be connected to illicit online operations spreading across the Mekong region.
Vorapak has strongly denied all allegations, calling them false and baseless. He has reiterated that neither he nor his family has any links to regional scam centers. Observers viewed Anutin’s remarks as an attempt to separate the deputy minister from the scandal engulfing the Finance Ministry.
Meanwhile, the Bangkok Post reported that the Thai government had rejected claims from South Korea suggesting that seven Thai politicians were linked to Cambodian scam hubs. Authorities continue to deny any political involvement in cross-border criminal operations.
The Finance Ministry’s “Connect the Dots” task force, created to track financial and identity data from online scams, now faces public scrutiny. The initiative involves collaboration between the Bank of Thailand, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Anti-Money Laundering Office. It aims to complete coordination work by December 2025.
However, Vorapak’s reported association with the task force and the crypto allegations have sparked concerns of potential conflicts of interest. The controversy raises a critical question: how will Thailand ensure integrity within its anti-scam institutions if senior officials are implicated?
Finance Minister Ekniti had earlier explained that the task force would trace “grey money” flows and coordinate enforcement efforts across multiple agencies. Yet, the fallout from the Whale Hunting report has overshadowed those objectives.
Thailand’s government continues to battle a surge in industrial-scale scam operations spreading from neighboring Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. Many scam centers operate near the Thai and Chinese border regions, making enforcement complex and cross-jurisdictional.
Criminal syndicates have been forcing trafficked victims to lure people through social media and dating platforms. The Business Times reported that dozens of South Koreans working in scam rings were recently repatriated from Cambodia. In Myanmar, the junta raided a large compound, detaining over 2,000 workers and seizing Starlink receivers.
Anutin’s administration, still in its early months, has made digital crime prevention a top priority. Thailand’s collaboration with the United States on cybersecurity enforcement underscores its determination to restore trust in financial systems. “If anyone is found guilty, the law will take care of them,” Anutin told reporters.
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Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul firmly dismissed claims tying Deputy Finance Minister Vorapak Tanyawong to a $3M cryptocurrency scam. The government’s anti-scam task force remains under scrutiny as Thailand intensifies efforts to dismantle cross-border digital crime networks across the Mekong region.
