A lack of education or understanding of their legal rights, also makes children more vulnerable. 2551 / 2008). The Department of Consular Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) reported that 403 Thai nationals were classified as trafficking victims abroad and repatriated from a number of countries including Bahrain (368 victims), Singapore (14 victims) and Malaysia (12 victims). Thailand is in the center of Southeast Asia, a convenient location for traffickers to transport victims to other countries. 11 Facts About Human Trafficking. For traffickers in Southeast Asia, Thailand is a land of opportunity. "If you are...neglecting, or involved with, or supporting or benefiting from human-trafficking networks — your heads will roll," Somyot said. That's because neither side of the political isle has addressed the main barrier that inhibits efforts to end the problem: corruption. Four of the “67 migrant worker recruitment agencies” that the government reviewed were still violating the law in 2018. [5] At the local level, advocacy organizations must be included in the development of informational programs and awareness campaigns about the rights of trafficked persons, and how they can obtain help and services to meet their physical and mental health needs. According to him the report relies on information from 2016 and cited references as old as 2012 that no longer reflect the current situation. Sex trafficking in Thailand is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the Kingdom of Thailand.Thailand is a country of origin, destination, and transit for sex trafficking. Human trafficking, also called modern slavery or trafficking in persons, has no place in our world. [35], The Bank of Thailand estimates that, as of 2016[update], 1,120,837 Thais worked overseas, but the number of Thais officially registered as working overseas is only 117,291. The new law authorises the death penalty and fines of up to 400,000 baht for human traffickers if their "customers" die. The human trafficking facts in 2021 we will be tracking are largely consistent with what we’ve been carefully observing for years. Their prevention strategy can be applied to any country. Thailand's fishing industry is worth 4,326 Million USD so many ships and boats go out to sea to fish, sometimes not coming back for up to 3 years at a time. Due to the rise in human trafficking in Thailand in recent years, the Government of Thailand is making significant efforts to meet the standards for eliminating human trafficking. Educational empowerment can lead to increase in individual incomes, which prevents the women from being forced into trafficking. Media reports of dehumanizing practices such as slavery, abduction, child prostitution, and … "Don't...blame me for being cruel. HUMANTRAFFICKING Are they for trade? Thailand is bedeviled by widespread corruption on both sides of the political isle. Thailand became the first country in Asia to ratify the law, reflecting the organization’s belief that people can accomplish universal and lasting peace only if it is based on social justice. Thai nationals are subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking in Thailand and in countries in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. It is mainly used as a way to combat trafficking in countries that do not have an adequate criminal justice system. Thailand has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol. Human trafficking, a $150 billion plus industry, impacts lives regardless of race, gender or economic status. 9. An October 2015 amendment to the Anti-Money Laundering Act enables the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) to freeze assets with a court order during trafficking investigations and to allocate a portion of seized assets to victim compensation. The CAHT has eight full-time attorneys devoted to coordinating the prosecution of all trafficking cases in Thailand. Traffickers lure victims in a variety of ways. Traffickers subject Thai nationals to forced labor and sex trafficking in Thailand and in countries in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. [8], In 2017, the government provided more than 10.2 million baht (US$314,110) to victims and witnesses through various government funds, compared to 9.2 million baht (US$280,980) in 2016. According to Paween, "Influential people [are] involved in human trafficking. Traffickers subject Thai nationals to forced labor and sex trafficking in Thailand and in countries in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. The 2015 report states, "The Government of Thailand does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, and is not making significant efforts to do so. Human trafficking, as defined by the United Nations , is the “recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force … Burmese women and children are trafficked to Thailand, the People's Republic of China (PRC), Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, and South Korea for commercial sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, and forced labor. [34], The Thai government identified 720 trafficking victims of all types in 2015, up from 595 in 2014. The Government of Thailand has policies in place to protect victims of human trafficking. [citation needed]. Thailand is a country of origin, destination, and transit for sex trafficking. [3] In these fields, the migrants are easily subjected to abusive conditions. (87,88) In 2019, Save the Children and the Thailand Association of Social Workers provided training for shelter staff and case managers on how to provide support to child trafficking victims and decrease their risk of being re-victimized during … All have been transferred from their posts. The new law prohibits all forms of trafficking in persons—covering forced labour trafficking and the trafficking of males for the first time—and prescribes penalties that are commensurate with penalties prescribed for other grave crimes, such as rape. For example, Thai Women of Tomorrow (TWT) has created a team of volunteer teachers who teach about the dangers of commercial sex industry and trafficking to local villages. [32], A 2020 documentary film distributed by Netflix, Seaspiracy, also covers the industry's brutal system of slave labor. The discoveries have embarrassed Thailand, which is already under pressure from the United States and the European Union to crack down on human trafficking both on land and in its fishing fleets. Thailand is one of the many places were human trafficking is practiced. Key strategies include more victim identification, as well as normalizing more anti-trafficking policies. [citation needed], In May 2007, the Thailand Attorney General's Office created a Centre Against International Human Trafficking (CAHT). Over the past years, the ILO has joined forces with the European Union and the Government of Thailand through the Ship to Shore Rights Project to support the Thai seafood and fishing industries in complying with international labor standards, offering protection from illegal labor. Thailand is the world's largest seafood exporter, its exports valued at about US$6.5 billion annually. Human trafficking 1. Its motivation was worldwide outrage and the prospect of economic sanctions following the discovery of a mass grave of some 30 trafficking victims in southern Thailand in May 2015. Tier 3 nations are defined as, "Countries whose governments do not fully comply with the TVPA's minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so. Overall, Thailand has strong, thorough legal mechanisms in place to take action against human trafficking. In one instance, a trafficker has provided a series of correspondence between himself and a cop in T&T. Human trafficking, prostitution thrive in Afghanistan Though it is taboo, prostitution is alive and thriving - at the cost of those forced to work in it. Human Trafficking vs. Migrant Smuggling. Corrupt Thai immigration officials secretly supplied refugees from Burma to trafficking rings. These transportation finances include the arrival and return home of employed migrant workers. [3]:366, Previous Thai anti-trafficking legislation that was used during the reporting period defined "trafficking" only in terms of sexual exploitation and allowed only females and children to be classified as victims eligible to receive shelter or social services from the government. [23], The Thai government opposed these actions,[24] but it vowed to do better. TIP Report and Rankings, and Recommendations for Action", "Thailand blocks natural borders following Myanmar coup, bounty for human traffickers increases", "Thailand cracks down on human trafficking syndicates, targeting corrupt police, officials", "Thailand vows to sustain anti-trafficking efforts", "Heads roll in Thailand over human trafficking", "Revealed: Thailand's most senior human trafficking investigator to seek political asylum in Australia", "Fleeing Thailand, Top Investigator of Human Trafficking Says He Fears for His Safety", "Thai general jailed for human trafficking", http://www.thaianti-humantraffickingaction.org/Home/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Thailands-Trafficking-in-Persons-2014-Country-Report1.pdf, "Thailand's human traffickers flout 99% of court orders to compensate victims", Anti-Human Trafficking Act, BE 2551 (2008), Domestic Violence Victim Protection Act, BE 2550 (2007), International Civil Cooperation on Breach of Rights of Custody Act, BE 2555 (2012), http://www.thaianti-humantraffickingaction.org/Home/, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Human_trafficking_in_Thailand&oldid=1020269903, Articles with dead external links from March 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with dead external links from July 2016, Articles with incomplete citations from October 2019, Articles needing additional references from December 2010, All articles needing additional references, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2016, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2015, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2015, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 28 April 2021, at 04:54. In 2018, the MSDHS prosecuted 63 cases from the 161 calls related to possible trafficking crimes. However, Thailand falters in practice. Forced Labor: The International Labour Organisation Convention No. [citation needed], The Ministry of Labour in April 2008 released new guidelines on how it will apply stronger measures in dealing with identified labour trafficking cases in the future. [31], The government of Thailand responded immediately to the HRW report. "The problems of deception, tricking people to work as forced labour or in the sex industry are more prominent," according to Kritaya Archavanitkul, a professor at Mahidol University's Institute for Population and Social Research. Take Thailand, for example. The work also gives children the tools to lift themselves out of poverty. If their relatives did not have money, the refugees would be sent to shipping companies or farms for manual labour. For this reason, Bangkok is the hub for many Chinese human traffickers who transport captives and illegal migrants from Thailand to destinations around the world. [51] In 2017, the court sentenced General Manas Kongpaen to 27 years in prison. In addition, traffickers target homeless and isolated children, hoping to lure them with false promises. [citation needed] In April 2007, a Thai employer was sentenced to more than 10 years imprisonment for forced child labour in the first-ever conviction under Thailand's 1951 anti-slavery law. The government encourages female victims' participation in the investigation and prosecution of sex trafficking crimes. Equipped with knowledge about their legal rights and the skills to pursue a profitable career, vulnerable children can take control of their futures and resist the cycle of trafficking. The project strengthens collaboration among the … The 92 defendants in the trial include politicians, police officers, and Lt Gen Manas Kongpaen, a senior army officer formerly based in southern Thailand. Victims also qualify for legal aid while awaiting trial to give evidence or returning home. The Grays tragedy has shone a new spotlight on the problem of human smuggling from Vietnam to Europe. The second most common form of human [52], Protection is repairing and building up the broken legal system so that it can effectively protect the rights of human-trafficking victims.[53]. Prayut was quoted as saying, "If such abuses of fellow humans continue, I will instruct that they should not be allowed to do any business any longer in Thailand and they must be punished," Gen Prayut said. The anti-money laundering office seized assets worth more than 31 million baht ($950,920) from suspected traffickers in 2017, including in cases involving forced labor on fishing vessels, … However, the government handcuffed and detained other illegal male Burmese migrant labourers at the factory and sent them to a holding cell to await deportation. Despite the new attention from rights groups and NGOs, trafficking continued to play a dangerous role in Thailand’s sex trade. Many of the victims are young teenage girls who end up in prostitution. Another 34 Thai women were rescued later in 2017 from massage parlors and spas in Hyderabad. "Thailand is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labour and sex trafficking. [3] The Thai migrant workers are victims of labor abuses such as excessive work hours, low wages, and an unsafe working environment. The Thai government also cooperated with numerous foreign law enforcement agencies in arresting and deporting foreign nationals found to have been engaging in child sex tourism. Thailand still requires improvements, but one should not ignore its efforts. These workers, who experienced the same exploitation as those deemed "victims" by the Thai government, were reportedly treated as criminals. This threatened an EU ban on Thailand's EU seafood exports if it failed to clean up its fishing industry. Few subjects elicit greater moral outrage than human trafficking. It is the illegal trade of human … The MFA sent psychologists to provide training to Thai volunteers in Taiwan helping Thai trafficking victims, organised a workshop amongst Thai translators under the "Help Thais" program in Singapore, and coordinated translators to assist 36 Thai trafficking victims arrested in Durban, South Africa. The victim, a female domestic worker, worked for the employer for four years without pay and was physically abused. The prevention work Peacework does through the Safe Girls Campaign is crucial in the fight to end trafficking and it currently hopes to expand the campaign to countries around the world. Tier 3 is reserved for those nations whose governments do not fully comply with minimum human trafficking abatement efforts and are not making significant efforts to comply with those standards. Several human trafficking investigations were referred to the Institute for guidance on investigations, prosecutions and victim services referrals. Human trafficking in Thailand is a major national problem. [10], Thailand is the world's largest seafood exporter, its exports valued at about US$6.5 billion annually. 7. Major General Paween Pongsirin says his investigations into human trafficking implicated senior figures in the Thai police and military and he now fears for his life. Labor and sex traffickers … However, protections offered to foreign victims of forced labour in Thailand were considerably weaker, as male victims of trafficking were not yet included under victim protection provisions of Thai law. Significant illegal migration to Thailand presents traffickers with opportunities to coerce or defraud undocumented migrants into involuntary servitude or sexual exploitation. [41], At the same time, awareness-raising campaigns targeting tourists were conducted by the government to reduce the prevalence of child sex tourism and prostituted children. Thailand Is Losing the Fight Against Human Trafficking 12/17/2015 03:10 pm ET Updated Dec 06, 2017 Thailand is known worldwide as a hotbed for modern slavery, something the Thai government has vowed to fix. Although boys and men are victims as well, the majority of individuals identified as trafficked for both labor and commercial sex are women and girls (U.S. Department of State, 2006). 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