Anti-Money Laundering Office (Thailand)

Kingdom of Thailand
Anti-Money Laundering Office
สำนักงานป้องกันและปราบปรามการฟอกเงิน

AMLO headquarters on Phaya Thai Road in 2016
Agency overview
Formed19 August 1999
JurisdictionKingdom of Thailand
HeadquartersPathum Wan, Bangkok, Thailand
Employees399
Annual budget374.1 million baht (FY2017)
Agency executive
  • Niwatchai Kasemmongkol, Secretary-General
Parent AgencyOffice of the Prime Minister
WebsiteOfficial website

The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) is Thailand's "key agency responsible for enforcement of the anti-money laundering and the counter-terrorism financing law."[1]: 7  It was founded in 1999 upon the adoption of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, B.E. 2542 (1999) (AMLA).[2] AMLO is an independent governmental agency. It has the status of a department functioning independently and neutrally under the supervision of the minister of justice, but is not part of the justice ministry.[1][3] In 2016, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered by the cabinet resolution change the command to under the supervision of the Prime Minister directly.[4]

The AMLO 2016 Annual Report reported 369 AMLO positions allocated, with 49 positions vacant, plus 30 government employee positions, with two vacancies.[3]: 26  Its budget for FY2017 (1 October 2016 to 30 September 2017) is 374.1 million baht.[5]: 89 

As of 30 September 2016, the AMLO had custody of seized and/or frozen assets valued at 6,176,029,774.12 baht.[3]: 50  It conducted 12 asset auctions during FY2016, selling 910 items of assets for 57,893,949 baht.[3]: 51 

From 29 June to 14 August 2018 AMLO was headed by Secretary-General Police Major General Romsit Viriyasan. He was moved to an "inactive post" in the prime minister's office for failing to expedite politically sensitive cases.[6] Pol Maj Gen Preecha Chareonsahayanon was named acting secretary-general.[7]

Panama Papers

In April 2016, AMLO began investigating Thai nationals whose names surfaced in the Panama Papers.[8][9]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Annual Report 2014 (PDF). Bangkok: Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO). 2015. ISBN 978-616-91467-7-3. Retrieved 13 April 2016.[permanent dead link‍]
  2. ^ "Anti-Money Laundering Act, B.E. 2542 (1999)" (PDF). Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO). Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d Annual Report 2016 (PDF). Bangkok: Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO). 2017. ISBN 978-616-8111-01-7. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  4. ^ "โอนย้าย "สำนักงาน ปปง." ขึ้นตรง "นายกรัฐมนตรี"". 17 March 2015.
  5. ^ Thailand's Budget in Brief, Fiscal Year 2017 (PDF). Bureau of the Budget (Thailand). 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  6. ^ Bootsripoom, Attayuth (16 August 2018). "Romsit loses AMLO post for failure to expedite politically sensitive cases". The Nation. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  7. ^ Laohong, King-Oua (18 August 2018). "Amlo steps up efforts as it turns 20". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  8. ^ "'Many' Thais implicated in global scandal". Bangkok Post. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  9. ^ Taptim, Tulsathit (13 April 2016). "Panama Papers and weary regulators in Thailand". Editorial. The Nation. Retrieved 13 April 2016.