Representatives of Lao Development Bank (LDB) travelled to Thailand to pursue legal action against three Thai social media accounts accused of spreading false claims linking the bank to money laundering for call centre scam networks.
LDB representatives, accompanied by officials from the Lao government, met Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) Commissioner Police Lieutenant General Nattasak Chaowanasai on Sunday, August 2, to discuss the complaint and the legal process.
According to DailyNews, the bank said the three social media accounts alleged that Lao Development Bank was providing payment gateway services used to launder money for call centre scam gangs, online gambling operators and other illegal businesses.
LDB rejected the allegations, stating that the claims had damaged the reputation of both the bank and Laos while undermining confidence among the public, investors and international financial partners.
The bank said it operates in compliance with Lao law and follows anti-money laundering regulations, including strict Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures.
The CIB commissioner acknowledged the complaint and assigned investigators to gather evidence and continue the inquiry before any further legal action.
During the meeting, Lao representatives also requested an update on a separate investment fraud case in which a Lao business operator was among the victims. Authorities said the case caused losses exceeding one billion baht.
Police said several suspects had already been arrested and assets believed to have been obtained through the fraud had been seized. Investigators are continuing efforts to identify and arrest other people connected to the case.
Thailand has previously investigated financial institutions and banking staff over links to money laundering. In May, three Thai bank employees were arrested after police alleged they helped Chinese scam operators launder about 2.2 billion baht.
Investigators said the employees allowed 15 Chinese nationals, who had entered Thailand as tourists, to open bank accounts that were later used to receive millions of baht before the account holders allegedly left the country.
In September 2020, four Thai banks also came under scrutiny following the release of leaked documents from the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), which identified 92 suspicious financial transactions connected to Thailand.
Thailand’s Anti-Money Laundering Office launched an investigation into those transactions, but the outcome has not been made public.
The story Lao bank denies money laundering accusation made by Thai social media accounts as seen on Thaiger News.
