CHIANG MAI, Thailand – January 23, 2026 — The United States officially dedicated its new U.S. Consulate General building in Chiang Mai, reaffirming America’s commitment to protecting and advancing U.S. interests, and its enduring commitment to northern Thailand. 

Led by Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Michael J. Rigas and U.S. Ambassador Sean K. O’Neill, the ceremony highlighted the new consulate building’s role as a secure, modern hub for serving over 21,000 American citizens across northern Thailand and working with our Thai partners to make our countries safer, stronger, and more prosperous. 

“This year we celebrate America’s 250th birthday and it is an honor to start the year by joining Deputy Secretary Rigas to dedicate this beautiful new building,” said Ambassador O’Neill. “America has had a consulate in Chiang Mai for over 75 years, and this new building is a visible and lasting symbol of the friendship between America and Thailand. We have a proud past and a bright future, and the best is yet to come!”  

The new consulate building features state-of-the-art facilities that streamline services for Americans and support U.S. diplomatic engagement across the 15 provinces of northern Thailand. The new consulate building will help us continue to strengthen cooperation with our Thai partners to protect our citizens by countering transnational crime, and increase prosperity by fostering economic growth in both nations.

Located east of Chiang Mai’s historic Old City, the complex is a model of architectural diplomacy, blending modern American innovation with the rich heritage of northern Thailand. The design team utilized three primary Lanna architectural concepts to root the compound in its local context:

• Lanna: The buildings utilize an elevated ground plane to separate public spaces and provide natural ventilation.
• Chaan: Inspired by traditional northern Thai homes that are arranged as a series of separate cabins around the chaan—a central terrace—the new consulate building adapts this by creating a series of smaller buildings around a shared central space. 
• Kuti: The facility’s needs are broken down into four smaller, linked volumes, an adaptation of the kuti concept found in traditional temple compounds.

The U.S. Consulate General in Chiang Mai opened in 1950 and is the oldest foreign consular post in northern Thailand. After 75 years operating out of a group of historic homes near the Ping River, the consulate has now moved into dedicated modern office space. As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary and moves into its third century of partnership with Thailand, the new U.S. Consulate General building ensures that the “perpetual peace” established in the 1833 Treaty of Amity and Commerce between America and Thailand will continue to flourish for generations to come. 

For more information about the new U.S. Consulate General building in Chiang Mai, please see the U.S. Mission website: https://th.usembassy.gov/new-consulate-general-building/

To download images from the dedication ceremony, please click here.

For Immediate Release

Office of Public Affairs

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

Department of Justice Files Largest Ever Forfeiture Action Against Approximately $15B in Bitcoin Currently in U.S. Custody

An indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, charging UK and Cambodian national Chen Zhi, also known as Vincent, 37, the founder and chairman of Prince Holding Group (Prince Group), a multinational business conglomerate based in Cambodia, with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy for directing Prince Group’s operation of forced-labor scam compounds across Cambodia. Individuals held against their will in the compounds engaged in cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes, known as “pig butchering” scams, that stole billions of dollars from victims in the United States and around the world. The defendant is at large.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Justice Department’s National Security Division also filed today a civil forfeiture complaint against approximately 127,271 Bitcoin, currently worth approximately $15 billion, that are proceeds and instrumentalities of the defendant’s fraud and money laundering schemes, and were previously stored in unhosted cryptocurrency wallets whose private keys the defendant had in his possession. Those funds (the Defendant Cryptocurrency) are presently in the custody of the U.S. government. The complaint is the largest forfeiture action in the history of the Department of Justice.

As alleged in the indictment and forfeiture complaint, since approximately 2015, the defendant has been the founder and chairman of Prince Group, a Cambodian corporate conglomerate that operates dozens of business entities in more than 30 countries. Prince Group is ostensibly focused on real estate development, financial services, and consumer services. However, in secret, the defendant and his top executives grew Prince Group into one of Asia’s largest transnational criminal organizations. Under the defendant’s direction, Prince Group made enormous profits operating scam compounds across Cambodia that perpetrated fraudulent cryptocurrency investment schemes.

Please see the full release on the Department of Justice’s website.

New York, United States (September 19, 2025): Qingzhou Wang, the Company’s Principal Executive, and Yiyi Chen, the Company’s Marketing Manager, Conspired to Import Ton Quantities of Fentanyl Precursors from China to the United States in Exchange for Payment in Cryptocurrency

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Terrance C. Cole, announced that QINGZHOU WANG, a/k/a “Bruce,” and YIYI CHEN, a/k/a “Chiron,” were sentenced to 25 and 15 years in prison, respectively, for fentanyl precursor importation and money laundering offenses.  WANG and CHEN, both nationals of China, were found guilty on February 3, 2025, following a two-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe, who imposed the sentences.  WANG, who was also convicted of importing a methamphetamine precursor, was sentenced today, September 18, 2025, and CHEN was sentenced on August 22, 2025.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit.  Mr. Clayton also thanked the DEA Bangkok Country Office, DEA Wellington Country Office, DEA Beijing Country Office, DEA Honolulu District Office, DEA New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Strike Force, DEA Riverside District Office, DEA Special Testing Laboratory, the DEA Southwest Laboratory, the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, the Royal Thai Police Narcotics Suppression Bureau, the Fiji Police Force Narcotic Bureau, the Fiji Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii for their assistance.

Please see the full release from the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

Nong Khai, Thailand (September 25, 2025): The U.S. Embassy Vientiane, in partnership with U.S. Embassy Bangkok, coordinated a trilateral information exchange, bringing together law enforcement representatives from Laos, Thailand, and the United States from September 23-24, 2025.  The exchange is part of a series of activities held by U.S. security and law enforcement representatives, the Thai Immigration Bureau, and Lao Immigration authorities to stop transnational crime that negatively impacts lives, communities, and economies along the borders and beyond.

The meeting brought together approximately 30 immigration police officials in leadership roles—15 from Laos and 15 from Thailand—with representatives from the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane, the Office of Overseas Criminal Investigations units from the U.S. Embassies in Bangkok and Vientiane, and the regional Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection offices at U.S. Embassy Bangkok.  Topics discussed included strategic approaches to improving law enforcement collaboration in order to effectively combat illicit activity such as human trafficking, child exploitation, narcotics trafficking, weapons smuggling, and cyberscam activities.

Participants also shared information that will lead to streamlined communication and consolidated lines of effort relative to enhanced border security.  All countries agreed on the importance of such regional cooperation to stop criminals whose predatory enterprises do not respect laws or borders.  This cooperative law enforcement approach is one of the many initiatives the U.S. State Department is undertaking to support similar efforts throughout ASEAN.  Enhanced cross-border cooperation among ASEAN member states to combat transnational organized crime will be a top agenda item at next month’s ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

This initiative underscores the shared commitment of the United States, Laos, and Thailand to fostering regional security and advancing cooperation in law enforcement.  By facilitating dialogue and collaboration, the exchange represents a significant step toward addressing complex cross-border challenges and ensuring the safety and security of Americans and communities in the region.

Photos from the meeting are available here.

For further information, please contact U.S. Embassy Vientiane at VientianeMedia@state.gov or U.S. Embassy Bangkok at PressBKK@state.gov.

After three impactful years, we bid farewell to Consul General Lisa Buzenas. We’re grateful for her leadership and dedication to strengthening ties between the United States and northern Thailand across many fields that have left both of our countries safer, more secure, and more prosperous. We wish her all the best in her next chapter!

BANGKOK, Thailand – June 30, 2025 – The U.S. Embassy Bangkok, in partnership with the MIT ASEAN Initiative and the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), today hosted the inaugural “Disaster Management Conference: Technology, Innovation, and Research for Effective Disaster Response and Prevention” at One Bangkok Forum. This half-day event aimed to foster open dialogue on disaster management policy, highlight American expertise in disaster management research and practice, and create opportunities for American private sector companies with various disaster management solutions to engage with policymakers, academics, non-governmental organizations, and thought leaders in Thailand and ASEAN countries.

The conference featured opening remarks from U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Robert F. Godec, Dr. Sorapop Kiatpongsan, Director of the MIT ASEAN Initiative, and Mr. Chatit Huayhongtong, President of AmCham and Chevron Thailand.

In his opening remarks, Ambassador Godec highlighted the long history of U.S. assistance to Thailand during times of need. He noted the conference’s timeliness following the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that affected Thailand on March 28, causing damage in 18 provinces. Following the incident, the Ambassador noted the immediate deployment of U.S. support, including the U.S. military’s state-of-the-art remote sensing device to help Thai-led search and rescue teams at the collapsed State Audit Office (SAO) building at Chatuchak. This device assisted the teams by detecting 70 potential spots for victims deep within the SAO building rubble, a “tangible difference this new technology was making on the ground.” Ambassador Godec stressed that America is leading in innovation and technology in disaster management, with scientists unlocking AI’s potential for predictive modeling, designing technology to increase community resilience, and creating solutions for disaster mitigation. He also highlighted the crucial role of preparedness, achieved through platforms like the annual Cobra Gold Exercises. This exercise brings together 30 nations for joint training, which for the last twenty years specifically addressed responding to disasters and life-threatening crises through training such as Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations, training that participants have implemented to save countless lives. He concluded by quoting Benjamin Franklin: “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail,” underscoring the collective effort to build a “stronger, safer and more prosperous future” for all.

The conference’s primary goal was to promote cutting-edge U.S. technology, innovation, and research to enhance disaster management capabilities. It aimed to expand understanding of contemporary technology and trends in disaster management, to include artificial intelligence and machine learning for predictive modeling, remote sensing and satellite monitoring, robotics and augmented reality, crisis mapping, and blockchain for aid distribution.

The conference agenda included a range of insightful presentations and interactive discussions. Dr. Chadchart Sittipunt, Governor of Bangkok, presented a “Disaster Management Showcase” on the “Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.” The conference also featured two distinguished keynote speakers from MIT:

• The “Risk Reduction through Technology and Design” talk by Prof. Miho Mazereeuw, Director of MIT Climate Mission and Director of Urban Risk Lab, showcased how communities can leverage design and technology to increase resilience against climate risks like flooding, cyclones, heat stress, and seismic disasters. Prof. Mazereeuw leads the Urban Risk Lab which engages in action research through fieldwork and community workshops to embed preparedness in a rapidly urbanizing world. Her forthcoming book, “Design Before Disaster: Japan’s Culture of Preparedness,” is expected in late 2025.
• Dr. Sai Ravela, Principal Research Scientist at MIT’s Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences (EAPS), addressed in his keynote, “Emerging MIT Tech Frontiers of Risk-based Resilience to Extremes in a Changing Climate”, the innovative work in simulation and algorithms for mitigating risks from natural and climate disasters, including AI-driven exposure and vulnerability mapping. Dr. Ravela directs the Earth Signals and Systems Group and his research centers on computational sustainability and climate risk, with a particular emphasis on extreme events. He is recognized for his contributions to coastal risk quantification and advances a new Co-Active Systems Theory to couple models, data, and human insight for environmental stewardship.The conference concluded with two industry panel discussions, featuring representatives from One Bangkok, Honeywell, SCG, McKinsey & Co. and Western Digital.

About MIT ASEAN Initiative

The MIT ASEAN Initiative played a crucial role in co-hosting this inaugural conference. Officially opened on October 30, 2024, the initiative serves as a bridge for action learning, convening activities, and faculty engagement from across MIT to drive economic and social impact throughout the ASEAN region. The idea for this disaster management conference specifically arose after a major earthquake hit Thailand and Myanmar on March 28, 2025, making disaster management a policy priority for Thailand. This partnership brought MIT subject experts together with the U.S. Embassy Bangkok, Bangkok local government, and American companies in Thailand to address this critical need.

Contact: U.S. Embassy Bangkok Press Office Email: pressbkk@state.gov

Download Press Materials:
Press release, photos, the Ambassador’s speech and other press materials from the conference are available here.