Mekong Matters

Cyber scam operations in Myanmar and Cambodia have made headlines, but they are no less an issue in Laos and they are spreading across the country. In this episode of Mekong Matters, Phetmany Khemmana, Laos Field Coordinator at the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, explains how criminal networks are evolving: dispersing across provinces, recruiting local workers, using crypt...

Thailand's cannabis decriminalization in 2022 opened the door to a booming industry — but without a clear legal framework, it also turned the country into a hotspot for cannabis trafficking. In this episode of Mekong Matters, independent Thai journalist Nathaphob Sungkate unpacks how cannabis is being smuggled out of Thailand by air, by courier, and by sea — often using unwitting travellers as mul...

Vietnam’s rapid fintech growth and high crypto adoption have created new vulnerabilities for money laundering—placing the country on the FATF Grey List in 2023. In this episode of Mekong Matters Chat Le Nguyen, Senior Lecturer at the University of Canterbury’s Faculty of Law talks about Vietnam’s AML challenges and reforms, from peer-to-peer lending and predatory loan practices to crypto-related f...

In this episode of Mekong Matters, we examine how popular online games and adjacent platforms are being weaponized to target and exploit young people in Thailand. Our guest Wirawan “Boom” Mosby, founder and director of the Hug Project Thailand, shares on-the-ground insights into how trust is built and abused online, how perpetrators profit from live-streamed content, and what families, schools, te...

In this episode of Mekong Matters, we turn to Laos, where girls and young women are being lured across borders by false promises of jobs, security, and marriage. Once separated from their families, many face forced labor, sexual exploitation, surrogacy, and coerced criminal activity. Our guest, Madame Intana, Director of the Association for Development of Women and Legal Education (ADWLE), explain...

In this end-of-year episode of Mekong Matters, we unpack how organized crime across the Mekong evolved in 2025, shedding light on the alarming developments that have taken place throughout the year. From industrial-scale cyber scam compounds and widening human trafficking networks to booming synthetic drug markets and sophisticated money laundering operations, we explore the multifaceted nature of...

Border tensions between Cambodia and Thailand have pushed thousands of Cambodian migrant workers to return home. They face debt, unemployment, and heightened risk of labour trafficking. In this Mekong Matters episode, Trang Nguyen speaks with Moeun Tola, the Executive Director of the Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (CENTRAL) , about: - How 2 million Cambodians working in Thailand are...

Thailand is grappling with a wave of financial crimes linked to Buddhist temples—embezzlement, money laundering, misuse of donations, and blackmail scandals involving senior abbots. Despite public scandals , donations remain high and systemic issues persist. In this episode of Mekong Matters by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, Trang Nguyen speaks with legal scholar Khem...

Covering everything from illegal casinos to the synthetic drug trade. Our newest podcast focuses on how organized crime shapes the Mekong region and beyond. Brought to you by the Observatory of Illicit Economies in Asia-Pacific and the award-winning GITOC Podcast Network . Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime