Anti-money laundering law: a comparison between Thailand and Australia

Submission note: A thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Juridical Science to the School of Law, Faculty of Business, Economics and Law, La Trobe University, Bundoora.

This thesis studies Anti-Money Laundering Law and Counter Terrorist Financing (AML/CTF). The thesis is organised into two parts. The first part provides background information on the subject of money laundering (ML) and terrorism financing (TF), including important related issues, international initiatives aimed at combating ML/TF, international standards and the elements of an effective AML/CTF framework. The second part focuses on comparing Thailand’s AML/CTF framework with the framework that exists in Australia. The thesis shows how domestic law enforcement institutions, structures, laws, policies and programs have changed since the notorious 9/11 attacks that took place in the USA. The fundamental premise is that a developing country can learn from the experiences of a developed country such as Thailand. The substance of this thesis, therefore, examines how Thailand may deal with and adapt its laws in order to tackle the threats posed by modern terrorism against the Thai nation state. The ultimate goal of this thesis is not just to compare and contrast the AML/CTF practices of Thailand with those of Australia as a standard setter, but also to make meaningful suggestions on how both countries can improve their AML/CTF practices and laws.