The government has affirmed its determination to achieve an upgrade from Tier 2 to Tier 1 in the US’ Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP report), said Boonchob Suthamanuswong, the permanent secretary for labour.
Mr Boonchob made the remark during a discussion with James L Wayman, a political adviser to the US ambassador to Thailand, on Thursday at the Ministry of Labour, according to a press release by Government House yesterday.
More precisely, the Thai government aims to be upgraded to Tier 1 this year, said Mr Boonchob.
Tier 1 means the country is fully compliant with the minimum standards for the elimination of severe forms of trafficking in persons, while Tier 2 is not fully compliant but rather making “significant efforts” to that effect.
Most recently, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, who is in charge of the government’s bid to stamp out human trafficking in Thailand, has appointed Pol Gen Thammasak Wicharaya, a deputy secretary-general of the Secretariat of the Prime Minister, to lead the coordination of human trafficking prevention and suppression efforts by various government organisations.
Pol Gen Thammasak’s appointment was made in order to improve the unity and integration of their work, said Mr Boonchob.
Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin said in the same release that the government has been supporting all agencies and organisations concerned to successfully follow the national plan for tackling human trafficking.
This, Mr Suchart said, is focused mainly on key at-risk groups, namely migrant workers, child workers and workers in the fishing industry.
The government has also initiated a programme closely monitoring Thai people with a tendency to travel to work illegally in other countries while securing more formal cooperation with countries in both bringing in more migrant workers and sending Thai workers to work abroad, he added.