Kuala Lumpur — Thailand is pushing for regional cooperation to combat online scams and to further strengthen economic cooperation, said Bolbongse Vangphaen, Director-General of the Department of ASEAN Affairs.
He told the Thai media that the 47th summit, which will take place on October 26–28, is particularly significant as it occurs amid a period of global uncertainty, marked by great-power rivalry and competing political agendas. This situation has disrupted the balance of international political and economic relations.
He said that at the summits, the ASEAN leaders, including Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, would reaffirm their commitment to international cooperation, particularly regional and external partnerships.
Key world leaders attending the Kuala Lumpur event will include US President Donald Trump, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, and Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Furthermore, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will also attend the summits as guests of the ASEAN Chair.
“When our Prime Minister meets with leaders from outside the region, it will show Thailand’s firm commitment to the multilateral system and to cooperation within the regional framework. It also reflects ASEAN’s determination to maintain its unity and centrality amid today’s profound global uncertainty,” he said.
Bolbongse reiterated that Thailand will focus on promoting peace and stability, driving regional economic integration, and enhancing capacity building among ASEAN member states to support sustainable development.
On the digital economy, Thailand has played an important role, he said, adding that the country chairs the ASEAN negotiation framework on the Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), which will be concluded next year. It will be one of the region’s first comprehensive agreements on digital economic cooperation, which could increase the bloc’s digital economy to US$1 trillion by 2030.
“The digital economy is the foundation for future growth and a driver of innovation,” he added.
Energy cooperation is also high on the ASEAN agenda as the bloc moves toward clean and renewable energy targets.
“ASEAN aims to increase renewable energy use to 43% by 2030 as part of its carbon reduction efforts and push toward net-zero emissions. Thailand fully supports this transition toward a low-carbon future,” he said.
Closer to home, Thailand is tackling transnational crime, particularly online scams and cybercrime, which have caused serious economic and social damage throughout the region. “Cybercrime not only harms our citizens but also undermines the digital economy we are trying to build,” he said.
“ASEAN has been working on this issue for several years, but now the problem has grown so severe that even countries outside the region are affected.”
Thailand wants to boost further cooperation through ASEAN mechanisms. Earlier this year, ASEAN digital ministers adopted the “Bangkok Declaration Against Online Scams and Cybercrime,” and a working group on cybercrime has been established under Thailand’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Society.
“Cybercrime is a cross-border, cross-pillar issue that affects ASEAN’s three community pillars — political-security, economic, and socio-cultural.
Thailand has actively pushed for joint action across all three. Thailand is also advancing an ASEAN Border Management Roadmap to enhance law enforcement capacity in detecting transnational and online crimes,” he said.
Bolbongse confirmed that ASEAN leaders will issue a joint declaration at the summit on regional cooperation to combat online scams, with assistance from dialogue partners.
The US has also proposed, within the East Asia Summit framework, a joint ASEAN+3 statement on cybercrime, underscoring the global scale of the problem. “Major powers like the US are showing genuine commitment to addressing this issue because it doesn’t only affect ordinary people; it also damages the global financial system,” he noted.
Bolbongse said that Timor-Leste will join ASEAN as its 11th member in Kuala Lumpur on October 26, marking progress toward a unified ASEAN Community and the ASEAN Vision 2045.
