THAILAND – The government announced a sweeping, proactive campaign to tackle online fraud, unveiling a three-point plan, a new cyber taskforce and proposed legal changes that would give authorities broader powers to disrupt scammers.
Three-point plan to take the fight online
The Digital Economy and Society Ministry (DES) said it had drawn up an action plan on the instruction of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. The centrepiece was a three-point programme that combined proactive operations, data integration and legal reform.
Under the plan, authorities said they would move beyond simply responding to complaints. Where there was clear evidence of fraud, internet and mobile connections could be cut off immediately and penalties for cybercrime would be increased. DES Minister Chaichanok Chidchob said the change was urgent: ‘We can no longer wait. We must strike back — but legally and thoughtfully.’
New taskforce modelled on international agencies
Officials said they planned to amend the 2023 Royal Decree on prevention and suppression of technology crime within the next one to two months to create a specialist taskforce modelled on international cyber crime agencies.
The proposed unit was designed to improve coordination between government and the private sector and to mount more effective operations against organised online fraud. DES officials said the taskforce would be able to lead large-scale investigations and co-ordinate technical responses across multiple platforms.
White-hat tactics and targeted digital measures
As part of the shift to a more proactive stance, authorities said they were considering the controlled use of ‘white-hat’ hackers to disrupt fraud networks abroad. Officials described such measures as strictly sensitive and cautioned they would be used only with legal safeguards.
When evidence of illicit activity was confirmed, the taskforce would be empowered to take digital countermeasures, including shutting down fraudulent online infrastructure. DES said it intended to match operator and bank records with IP addresses tied to criminal activity to speed identification of perpetrators.
Expanded access to data and tougher penalties
The planned legislative changes would give authorities easier access to telecommunication operator data and banking information for the purposes of investigations. Officials said this would allow faster tracing of money flows and quicker action against the online infrastructures used by scammers.
DES stressed that any expansion of powers would be framed by legal procedures. Chaichanok acknowledged the sensitivity of such operations, saying ‘Cyber operations know no borders, but they are highly sensitive.’
International cooperation and treaty plans
Thailand said it would join an anti-fraud convention in Vietnam at the end of October 2025, where it planned to present the proposed legal reforms and seek international partners. Officials said further domestic legal changes would follow once the convention had been ratified by at least 40 member countries.
Authorities described the move as part of a wider effort to build cross-border cooperation to combat increasingly transnational online fraud networks.
Legal risks and calls for oversight
Legal experts warned that proactive cross-border hacking and aggressive digital countermeasures risked infringing the sovereignty of other states and could raise complex legal questions. They urged that all measures include clear limits, accountability and external oversight to prevent misuse.
Observers also said rules of engagement and judicial controls would be crucial if authorities were to exercise broader powers over private data and digital infrastructure.
Economic stakes and public protections
Officials argued the offensive was about more than law enforcement: cybercrime was eroding consumer trust, threatening digital payments and imposing significant costs on businesses. A stronger cybersecurity posture was cast as essential to Thailand’s digital economic growth.
DES said the new approach would bring practical benefits for citizens, including a public cybersecurity dashboard to report fraud trends in real time, tools to block illicit financial transaction routes, and measures to speed compensation for victims.
This report was based on reporting by The Nation.