BANGKOK, 27 June 2014 – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is poised to travel to the US and Europe to confirm Thailand’s commitment to eradicating human trafficking and to restore confidence among importers of Thai products.
Director-General of the Department of American and South Pacific Affairs Songsak Saicheua revealed that a letter had been sent to the US to express disappointment with the country’s decision to downgrade Thailand to Tier 3 on its human trafficking watch list. The letter objected to the relegation, saying it failed to take into consideration the fact that Thailand had made continuous efforts to combat human trafficking and much progress had been seen.
The letter also stated Thailand’s determination to push on towards the goal of eradicating human trafficking from the country despite the poor ranking.
Mr Songsak added that the Foreign Ministry as well as other concerned agencies, such as the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and the Royal Thai Police, were planning to pay visits to the US and Europe soon in hopes of clearing up the misunderstanding about Thailand’s labor situation. He said discussions would be arranged with trade organizations and major importers so as to regain their confidence in Thai goods.
