Google Cloud Asia-Pacific head meets Paetongtarn to strengthen cybersecurity

Karan Bajwa, President of Google Cloud Asia-Pacific, met with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra at Government House on Monday, January 6.

Both leaders expressed satisfaction with the strong and ongoing collaboration between Google and the Thai government on digital initiatives, which began with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Google and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society in 2023.

The meeting provided an excellent opportunity to strengthen their partnership, particularly in addressing urgent priorities such as cybersecurity and combating online scams. The Prime Minister welcomed Google’s active role in tackling these challenges alongside the government.

Google praised the government’s dedication to addressing the rising threats of cyberattacks and online scams, which frequently target public sector agencies and significantly affect Thai citizens.

To support these efforts, Google announced plans to collaborate with the government by establishing a dedicated unit to safeguard Thailand’s critical information infrastructure. This unit will monitor, analyze cyber threats, and provide real-time responses to cybersecurity incidents.

Google also pledged to work with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society to prevent fraud and online scams in Thailand by utilizing advanced technologies to detect and block malicious applications.

The Prime Minister expressed appreciation for Google’s commitment to cybersecurity, highlighting its importance as a government priority. She directed the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society to work closely with Google to enhance Thailand’s cybersecurity capabilities, protect citizens from scams, and develop policies to empower Thai agencies to address complex cyber threats. Proactive measures will also be taken to prevent online fraud and safeguard the interests of the Thai people.