The Prime Minister emphasized there is no favoritism, ordering a thorough crackdown on transnational crime. He cited the yacht auction case as a lesson, pursuing nominee networks and coordinating asset seizures. He pointed out that no matter how famous the lawyer is, if the law is broken, there is no way to win the case.
On 9 Apr 2026 GMT+7, following a press conference, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul responded to media questions regarding scammers entering Thailand by setting up nominee companies owned by Thais to hold assets, exploiting legal loopholes. He said that now there are more regulations on financial transactions. So even if nominee companies are established, any suspicious financial transactions—not related to normal business operations—will be presumed questionable and investigated. For example, in the case of Ms. Tangthai, authorities had to suspect why she bid on tens of yachts despite her position being inconsistent with such activity. This led officials to expand investigations. There are also international networks and cooperation between states to trace the money flow. With technology and officials’ investigative abilities, those breaking the law have slim chances of escaping.
When asked about some nominee companies becoming ghost or dormant firms, Anutin said that based on today's briefing, these companies are not ghost entities; the people involved are real and identifiable individuals with normal names. This deserves praise for the authorities. Previously, people could enter and exit Thailand easily. Since the government tightened controls, several Chinese nationals have been sent back to China, and their faces clearly show the situation is less convenient than before. In the past, without strict enforcement, influential people blocked officials from acting fully. Those under warrants abroad would come to Thailand, and when pressured here, they would return abroad, frequently flying back and forth, trying hard to obtain Thai nationality, which was denied. From now on, there are standards to manage these matters.
"I want to confirm that since I became Prime Minister, as head of government, I have summoned relevant leaders involved in crackdowns and told them to carry out their duties fully without hesitation. Every official is willing and satisfied to perform these tasks. This enables us to proceed thoroughly. Please be assured that today’s government can fully administer the country as I have followed the constitution and presented policies to Parliament. The Anti-Money Laundering Office and the Royal Thai Police are crucial agencies fighting these crimes, and I personally oversee them. Therefore, anyone claiming to use connections to clear cases will not succeed. Officials work with peace of mind and can fully act against those breaking the law."
When asked about the issuance of a red notice for Mr. Ben Smith, Lieutenant General Natsak Chawanasai, Commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, said that there is still an ongoing fraud case at the bureau. Once sufficient evidence is gathered, summons will be issued, followed by an arrest warrant, and subsequently a red notice will be requested.
When asked about plans to return assets to the public, Thepsu Bawornchotidara, Secretary-General of the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), said the case is currently in the process of preparing an announcement to allow victims who were scammed to file claims to recover their assets soon. Coordination is underway with the Royal Thai Police to open rights protection centers at AMLO and provincial police stations to facilitate the public, so they do not need to travel to AMLO headquarters in Bangkok.
Additionally, online channels will be opened for the public to submit asset recovery claims, and submissions can also be made via postal mail.
Once the announcement is made, victims can submit claims within 90 days from the date of publication in the Government Gazette. Victims must prepare documents such as transfer slips, bank account statements, and police reports.
AMLO will collaborate with the Royal Thai Police to form a working group to investigate and compile total damages, submit to the Transaction Committee, then forward the case to the Office of the Attorney General, and file with the civil court to order asset transfers back to the victims.
When asked whether the state is concerned about suspects hiring famous lawyers to fight cases, the Prime Minister said the state is the one returning money to victims. No matter how skilled the lawyer is, if suspects clearly violate the law and cause public harm, they will never win their cases.
Regarding the yacht Atlas, which belongs to Mr. Ben Smith, AMLO has already seized it. It is currently under the care of the Navy’s Maritime Enforcement Command Center. AMLO is preparing to auction it online.