Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul insisted that no member of his Cabinet is involved in grey or illegal businesses during a visit to Japan.
Anutin chaired a Team Thailand meeting at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo on Monday, September 21, to discuss foreign policy priorities and plans to strengthen ties between Thailand and Japan.
Current government information confirms that the meeting was part of his diplomatic and economic mission to Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom, from September 20 to 27.
During his speech, Anutin said his government was serious about tackling scam networks, illegal businesses and drugs.
The PM said his government had seized more than US$1.5 billion from scam networks. He said the figure covered three months under his previous government and seven months under the current administration.
Anutin also said measures targeting suspicious financial transactions had made it much harder for illegal funds to be transferred.
On drugs, Anutin said the remaining step was to target the factories producing illegal drugs. He claimed that drugs were being manufactured in a neighbouring country before being sold in Thailand.
Anutin said Thai officials could face life-threatening risks if they attempted to target the drug manufacturers directly, so he had discussed the issue with the neighbouring country.
The prime minister also pointed to assessments by Fitch Ratings, S&P and Moody’s, saying Thailand’s stable outlook demonstrated the government’s success in tackling criminal activities.
Current reporting confirms that Fitch revised Thailand’s sovereign outlook from negative to stable on September 18 while maintaining its BBB+ rating. The government has also said that all three major rating agencies now have a stable outlook for Thailand.
Anutin said the results showed other countries that Thailand was serious about tackling all forms of crime. He insisted that nobody in his government profited from illegal activities.
“No Cabinet member has any relationship with grey or illegal businesses. There is no one like that in this government,” he said.
Anutin added that there was no reason for the government to compromise with anyone who breaks the law.
He also acknowledged concerns about Thai nationals overstaying their permitted periods in Japan. Anutin said Thailand was ready to cooperate with Japanese authorities and had instructed the Royal Thai Police to take further action to prevent such violations.
Anutin arrived in Tokyo on September 20 for the Japan leg of his overseas trip before travelling to New York for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. He was also scheduled to meet Thai athletes competing at the Asian Games in Japan.
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