BANGKOK — Thailand’s National Police Chief has launched an investigation after Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra revealed she was nearly targeted by a sophisticated AI-powered scam, with the involvement of Chinese nationals like Shaodong, arrested in a related fraud operation.
On January 15, at a budget meeting at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, Prime Minister Paetongtarn shared her experience of being approached by scammers who used AI technology to clone a foreign leader’s voice in an attempt to solicit donations.
“They sent a voice message saying ‘Good Morning Prime Minister Thailand,’ and showed interest in collaboration,” Paetongtarn recalled. “They claimed Thailand was the only ASEAN country that hadn’t donated to their cause and sent a donation link. But the account details came from a completely different country, which raised my suspicion.”
The Prime Minister warned that scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated. “I almost believed it myself because they perfectly replicated the voice of the foreign leader, whom I’ve heard speak before,” Paetongtarn stated. “These scams are becoming more advanced and subtle.”
To investigate further, Prime Minister Paetongtarn assigned Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Economy Minister Prasert Chanruangthong to lead the probe. The scammers reportedly contacted her via a foreign messaging app, bypassing traditional Thai communication platforms like Line.
In response, National Police Chief Pol. Gen. Kittirat Panphetch instructed Pol. Gen. Tatchai Pitaneelaboot, National Police Inspector General, to oversee a detailed investigation into the incident. The Royal Thai Police are collaborating with telecom operators to track these scammers.
A meeting on January 20 at the Royal Thai Police Headquarters will focus on tackling fraud by foreign scammers, including the increasing involvement of Chinese criminals in Thailand.
In a related case, cybercrime police arrested Shaodong, a 49-year-old Chinese national, in Bangkok on January 14. He is the third suspect arrested in connection with a mobile phone scam involving false base stations used to send fraudulent SMS messages. Previous arrests in the case include Chuyuan, 49, and Xiangwu, 47.
Authorities emphasized that these incidents highlight the growing sophistication of scams targeting Thai citizens and officials and urged the public to stay vigilant.
