BANGKOK – The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security has confirmed it will continue to address the issue of human trafficking despite the United States keeping Thailand at Tier 2 in its Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report.
Minister for Social Development and Human Security, Pol Gen Adul Saengsinghakaew has responded to the US maintaining Thailand at Tier 2 on its TIP watch list by saying the government has made tackling human trafficking part of its national agenda. Over the past year, the state has enacted programs to stop human smuggling, integrate relevant agencies and apply the civil-state approach to the problem, thus despite the ranking remaining the same, all offices will continue with their efforts to protect and rehabilitate victims of human trafficking in respect for human rights and dignity.
The minister pointed out that in 2016 the country processed 333 cases of human trafficking, prosecuting 54 state officials and seizing 784 million baht from wrong-doers.
