New centre in Thailand aims for tier 1 status in trafficking fight

In a high-stakes move to bolster its international standing, Thailand has opened a new centre aimed at tackling human trafficking, with eyes set on earning the coveted Tier 1 spot in the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) ranking.

The Thailand Victim Identification and Referral Centre, located in Don Mueang district, is part of a nationwide effort to curb human trafficking and forced labour, said Police Lieutenant General Prachuap Wongsuk, Assistant Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police (RTP), during the centre’s opening ceremony.

“The Thai government has great intentions to raise its human trafficking ranking from the current Tier 2 to Tier 1.”

Thailand declared the fight against human trafficking a national priority, with the centre standing as a clear testament to these efforts. It was established following the 2022 National Referral Mechanism, which guides agencies to work together in providing victim support and protection. The RTP, along with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), the Social Development and Human Security Ministry, and the Ministry of Labour, will jointly manage the facility.

Equipped with beds, gender-segregated showers, dining areas, laundry spaces, and counselling rooms, the centre is designed as a haven for victims, said Pol. Lt. Gen. Prachuap.

“The centre is an important effort of the government in preventing and suppressing human trafficking.”

Plans are in motion to open similar centres in other key provinces, including Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Chon Buri, further solidifying Thailand’s commitment to the cause.

The government hopes these efforts will not only protect victims but also boost Thailand’s credibility on the global stage in the fight against human trafficking, reported Bangkok Post.

In related news, police officers from the Anti Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD) of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) triumphantly captured the last suspect in a gruesome decade-old human trafficking case, ending an exhaustive month-long chase.

A sketch of an unidentified woman was the crucial clue, said Police Major General Sarut Kwaengsopha, the ATPD commander after the suspect was arrested in Samut Prakan on September 22.