Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister has proposed an amendment to an executive decree aimed at combating cybercrime and protecting its victims. The decree is expected to be enacted this month.

DES Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong announced on Monday that efforts to combat technology crime have been stepped up in response to the Senate’s concerns about rising online fraud and related financial damage in Thailand.

He stated that the Council of State is currently reviewing a draft amendment to the executive that will provide authorities with measures to combat crime and assist victims.

According to the proposed amendment, banks, phone companies, and social media owners would be liable for damage caused by call centre scams if found negligent or reckless.

Telecom operators and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission of Thailand (NBTC) would also be required to suspend SIM cards used by scammers.

The committee assessing money transactions under the Anti-Money Laundering Act could return stolen funds to victims without waiting for cases to be resolved in court. If they reveal personal data without consent, offenders face up to five years in prison or fines of up to five million baht.

According to Mr Prasert, the DES Ministry is investigating SIM card ownership to find irregularities in proxy or mule bank accounts.

The NBTC has been instructed to contact individuals with multiple SIM cards and make more than 100 daily calls for explanations. He said SIM cards will be suspended if the owners do not provide valid reasons.

At a press conference, Mr Prasert stated that by the end of December last year, more than 1.6 million bank accounts had been suspended for suspected links to fraudsters due to the government’s crackdown on mule accounts.

He urged individuals with these accounts to contact their banks and close them to avoid prosecution. Banks have tightened customer checks to prevent using proxy accounts for fraudulent transactions.

Those found guilty of opening accounts for criminals will face harsh penalties.