Recently, the Thai Minister of Culture, Pei Tongtan, made a surprising statement at a press conference, saying that Thailand's recent crackdown on telecommunications fraud has unexpectedly provoked dissatisfaction from neighboring Cambodia, which surprised him.
Pei Tongtan reviewed that he has led a series of actions against transnational fraud and the dark industry in recent months, which have been effective, but unexpectedly encountered a diplomatic cold shoulder. He said, "I was wondering why I suddenly couldn't contact the Cambodian side? Later, the translator told me that they were angry because we were too harsh."
He further stated, "Maybe we touched their interests. We are firm in drug eradication, anti-fraud, and cracking down on online gambling, which are the government's established policies. But it seems that Cambodia only wants to talk bilaterally, not seeing us join hands with Laos and Myanmar to deliver a heavy blow."
Pei Tongtan candidly said that looking back at that period of silence, he now understands that it was Cambodia's way of expressing protest through a 'cold treatment'.
His remarks have attracted high attention both within Thailand and internationally. Some analysts point out that the divergence in attitudes towards border dark industries between Thailand and Cambodia could become a stumbling block for regional security cooperation in Southeast Asia; others question whether Cambodia's displeasure with the crackdown on telecom fraud implies a tacit approval of the grey chains.
As of now, the Thai government has not yet clarified whether it has communicated diplomatically with Cambodia about this issue, and the future of cross-border law enforcement cooperation is facing a real test.
