5 panels set up to tackle trafficking .

The subcommittees will be led by deputy PM General Pravit Wongsuwan to tackle human trafficking suppression; the Labour Minister to handle child labour, migrant workers; the Social Development and Human Security Minister to oversee women’s affairs; the Agriculture Minister to handle fishery workers, and Deputy Foreign Minister Don Pramud-winai to oversee laws and public relations. They will have their first meeting on January 7.
Prayut said the trafficking problem could not be solved in a couple of days, as it needed many things, including registering workers make them part of the system and labour protection, cooperation of employers and punishment of offenders.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister General Anupong Paochinda yesterday warned that Thailand would remain at Tier 3 if government officials continued being involved in trafficking. He said police and law enforcement agencies are required to clamp down on human trafficking activities because the TIP report
 can have serious repercussions on the economy. He was speaking at a meeting of kamnans and district chiefs as well as local authorities to underline policies and follow up on actions against human trafficking.
“If officials continue being involved in human trafficking-related activities, we will remain in Tier 3 despite the presence of good infrastructure and tools,” he said.
Thailand was ranked the lowest in the TIP report released this year, which means the Kingdom does little to nothing to protect people from being trafficked or in prosecuting traffickers. The report is the US government’s key tool to engage foreign governments on the issue of human trafficking and modern-day slavery.