PRESS RELEASE

On 27 March 2014, H.E. Dr. Surapong Tovichakchaikul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, held a press conference to update the media about the release of Thailand’s 2013 Trafficking in Persons Country Report.  This Report will in part provide facts and necessary information to the U.S. Department of State for its preparation of the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report of 2014 in which the U.S. ranks countries around the globe in accordance with how it sees each respective government has done in combating human trafficking.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs gave background on the TIP ranking, saying that Thailand has been placed at Tier 2 Watch List for the past four years (since 2010) and according to the TIP ranking methodology, Thailand’s place can no longer be the same this year. The country will either be promoted to Tier 2 or downgraded to Tier 3 in 2014. 

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs added that Thailand’s geographical location as well as its developed infrastructure and transportation facilities make the country a transit hub for massive movements of peoples.  Human traffickers have taken advantage of the sheer volume of migration that passes through Thailand.  Thanks to Thailand’s commitment as well as the determination and cooperation among Thai agencies concerned to combat human trafficking, significant progress has been made on several fronts throughout 2013, including :-

1.     Prosecution and Law Enforcement: Human trafficking investigations have been carried on 674 cases in 2013.  Out of this number, 483 defendants (approximately an eight-fold increase from 56 in 2012) have been brought to court, of which 225 perpetrators (as compared to 49 in 2012) were sentenced to serve their penalties on human trafficking charges.  Furthermore, 15 employment companies were brought to justice, of which the licenses of 2 were withdrawn and 4 suspended. Among these 15 employment companies, 9 are undergoing criminal proceedings.

2.     Protection and Rehabilitation: Over 600 victims of human trafficking have been rescued and over 6 million Baht was provided for rehabilitation.

3.     Prevention: Labor inspections have been expanded to cover more areas and industrial sectors. Especially in the sector of fishery industry, Labor Coordination Centers have been set up in 7 provinces to enforce labor laws and regulations.

4.     Policy: The Royal Thai Government has allocated a central budget of over 190 million Baht for various activities to prevent and combat human trafficking.

5.     Partnership between involved agencies, other countries, and international organizations: Relevant governmental agencies have signed MoU’s with the private sector, civil society groups, and neighboring countries especially in the Mekong Sub-region to work closely together to prevent and combat human trafficking. Furthermore, Thailand is currently in the process of negotiation to develop MoU on cooperation in tackling human trafficking with additional countries such as China, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Between 23-28 March 2014, Thailand’s Ambassador to the United States of America, along with Team Thailand members of the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C., have visited Thailand with a view to meeting and discussing with representatives from agencies responsible about latest developments, including actions taken to combat trafficking in persons.  The purpose of this trip is to gather facts and to gain an understanding of the situation on the grounds, so that the team could convey accurate information to interested parties in the U.S.

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