15-1-2025 (BANGKOK) Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has disclosed her narrow escape from an artificial intelligence-powered voice scam that attempted to impersonate a foreign dignitary.
The 38-year-old premier, who recently declared personal assets exceeding $400 million, revealed she received convincing voice messages purportedly from a prominent international leader. The scammers employed advanced AI technology to create a remarkably authentic vocal reproduction.
“The initial message expressed anticipation about future collaboration,” the Prime Minister explained, though she declined to identify the leader whose voice was mimicked. The fraudsters’ scheme began to unravel when a follow-up message made suspicious claims about Thailand’s supposed failure to contribute to an ASEAN initiative.
The scam reached its crescendo with a brazen request for funds to be transferred to an overseas bank account, a move that confirmed the Prime Minister’s growing suspicions about the authenticity of the communications.
This incident highlights an alarming evolution in Thailand’s persistent problem with “call centre scams”, where criminals traditionally pose as authority figures using robocall technology. The deployment of AI voice cloning represents a significant escalation in criminal sophistication.
The Prime Minister’s wealth and family connections may have made her a particularly attractive target. She is the daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, the telecommunications tycoon and former prime minister, whose Forbes-estimated $2.1 billion fortune places him among Thailand’s wealthiest individuals.
