The WCO conducted a Risk Management Workshop for the benefit of the Thai Customs Department in Bangkok, Thailand from 21 to 25 January 2019.  The Workshop was made possible through funding provided by the Customs Cooperation Fund of Japan (CCF/Japan).

Mr. Boonthiem Chokevivat, Deputy Director General, Thai Customs Department, and Ms. Eva Suen, Programme Manager, Asia/Pacific Regional Office for Capacity Building (ROCB), graced the opening ceremony.  In his remarks, Mr. Chokevivat thanked the WCO Secretariat for organizing the Workshop and for making this event possible through the facilitators.  He also thanked the Government of Japan for its sponsorship.  In his speech, he stressed the importance of intelligence-led risk management as well as holistic risk-based compliance management in the current unpredictable, dynamic business environment and global supply chain.

The Workshop was attended by some 16 participants who are the core officers managing risk profiles in the Thai Customs Department’s headquarters and local offices.  During the five-day Workshop, participants were exposed to Customs risk management from both a theoretical and practical perspective, with the main focus on risk profiling for cargo selectivity, intelligence support and compliance management.

The participants showed a high level of commitment to the subject and were fully engaged in the discussions.  This motivated them to successfully formulate their final report and recommendations for the way forward, aimed at further enhancing Thai Customs’ overall national risk management system.  The participants were highly appreciative of the extremely productive deliberations and exchanges of views with the facilitators and between themselves over the whole week.

Thai Customs Management and the participants expressed their sincere gratitude to the WCO for its continued support in risk management and other programmes, and for holding the Workshop at the appropriate juncture.