Parents warned to closely watch children during National Children’s Day events

The Royal Thai Police (RTP) and the Mirror Foundation on Thursday urged parents to keep a close watch on their children while attending National Children’s Day celebrations at fairs nationwide on Saturday.

The warning was issued at a joint press conference held ahead of National Children’s Day, which falls on the second Saturday of January.

Concern over call-centre lures and trafficking risks

The RTP and the foundation said many children and youths had been lured over the past year by call-centre gangs. They warned that trafficking networks could attempt to target children during Children’s Day events to sell them into such operations.

Safety advice for parents and children

Parents were advised to:

• Use smartphones to take a recent photo of their child before leaving home.
• Have children wear a name tag showing the parents’ names and mobile phone numbers.
• Teach children to shout for help if they become separated.

Parents were also urged to call the 191 emergency hotline immediately if they lose sight of their child.

Mirror Foundation cites 256 missing-child reports in 2025

The Mirror Foundation said it received complaints from parents involving 256 missing children and youths in 2025, comprising 96 boys and 169 girls. Most have since been located, while 47 remained unaccounted for.

The cases were categorised as:

• 176 who left home voluntarily
• 24 taken away by separated spouses
• 19 deceived into working for online scam gangs
• 8 kidnapped

Mother describes son’s disappearance after alleged Cambodia scam job

The foundation highlighted the case of a 16-year-old ninth-grade student who has been missing since April last year.

His mother, Somporn, said her son tried to find work after finishing ninth grade but later called her asking for help, saying he had been deceived into working in Cambodia. She filed a complaint at Si Racha Police Station in Chonburi but lost contact with him until November, when he called again and said he had been beaten and forced to work for a call-centre gang.

She said Thai authorities later coordinated with Cambodian officials to rescue him, but he was moved from the location he provided. His current whereabouts remain unknown.

Police: 279 trafficking cases handled in 2025

RTP spokesman Pol Lt Gen Trairong Phiewphan said the force’s anti-human trafficking centre handled and coordinated 279 trafficking cases in 2025, arresting 366 suspects and rescuing 317 victims.

He said the cases included:

• 246 involving forced sex workers
• 33 involving forced labour, including 15 cases of forced child labour

Trairong added that 213 trafficking victims were children and youths.