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

Australian Assistant Minister for Immigration and Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Matt Thistlethwaite, visited Thailand on Wednesday to strengthen bilateral ties, with discussions focusing on education, trade, security, and cooperation against transnational crime. Thistlethwaite stated that his visit aimed to bolster relations between Australia and Thailand across economic, security, and people-to-people connections. He highlighted discussions with the Deputy Prime Minister regarding educational linkages and collaboration on research and development, particularly in addressing the challenges posed by climate change on food security and local communities. The meeting took place with Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, Yodchanan Wongsawat, followed by his attendance at the launch of "Australia on a Plate," an event promoting Australian food and products at Tops Food Hall at Central Park in Bangkok. He noted that his visit builds upon the long-standing partnership between the two nations, following Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's visit to Australia last month. Thistlethwaite also discussed ways to enhance cooperation in combating transnational crime and promoting trade between the two countries. "Australia and ASEAN nations are deeply concerned about the scam centres that are being set up in the region," he said, adding that "They have the potential to cause great damage and harm to citizens of all of our nations." He mentioned that Australia has been collaborating with Southeast Asian countries through its cyber strategy to help combat online scams. The transnational drug trade was also identified as a major concern for communities in both countries. On Thursday, Thistlethwaite is scheduled to visit the Thai Tourist Police to observe efforts against transnational crime. He will also visit an anti-scam centre to underscore the importance of cooperation between Thailand and Australia in tackling online fraud. "These are the key issues that our governments are working on to try and combat, and to make sure that the citizens of Thailand and Australia aren’t fleeced out of their personal savings, aren’t put in difficult situations because of online scams and other scams that people have faced in our region," the minister concluded.