Thailand, US discuss progress in combatting human trafficking

Following the meeting, Pol General Surachate noted that this was the first time the US ambassador and US anti-human trafficking representatives had met Thai authorities in person to assess Thailand's anti-human trafficking measures. These evaluations will determine Thailand's tier ranking in the TIP report, which is set to be released in April next year.

Over the past two years, Thailand has significantly enhanced its law enforcement and anti-human trafficking efforts, resulting in higher arrest rates, better victim care, and increased prosecution, as well as more effective measures against money laundering. Law enforcement actions against service providers have also been more stringent for more than nine years.

However, the problem of human trafficking cannot be solved by one country alone. It requires regional cooperation, and Thailand has been actively working on this. Surachate emphasised the issue of so-called ‘coyotes’ who deceive Thais and others into forced labour and human trafficking in neighbouring countries. He emphasized that while progress has been made, there is still much work to be done to combat human trafficking effectively.

Surachate also noted that the Child, Woman Protection and Anti-Human Trafficking Centre has organised training seminars to enhance efficiency at various levels, including investigators, and provincial-level labour office officials, social welfare officers, public prosecutors, public attorney officers, and fisheries officers, among others. These training sessions have increased their understanding of human trafficking issues, leading to a 33% improvement in law enforcement efficiency, thus enabling faster implementation of legal measures.

The centre has set a goal to provide comprehensive training to all relevant personnel within the next five years, aiming for 100% coverage.