U.S. Department of State 2002 Trafficking in Persons Report - Thailand

Thailand (Tier 2)

Thailand is a source, destination and transit country for trafficking in women and children for sexual exploitation and street begging. Internal trafficking has reportedly declined, however trafficking of foreigners has correspondingly increased . Victims are trafficked from Burma, Cambodia, China, and Laos. Chinese are trafficked through Thailand en route to the United States and other destinations. Thai women are trafficked to Japan, Taiwan, the United States, Australia and Western Europe primarily for sexual exploitation.

The government does not yet fully meet the minimum standards to eliminate trafficking, but is making significant efforts to do so. Thailand has a law against trafficking in women and children, but investigations and prosecutions have been limited. Evidence of low-level police involvement in facilitating the movement of trafficking victims, accepting bribes and owning brothels seriously hinders law enforcement. The government has undertaken several initiatives to protect victims, including working with NGOs and international organizations to provide shelter and repatriate victims. In-kind assistance is provided to NGOs that work with trafficking victims and limited services, such as counseling, food, and medical care, are available. In terms of prevention, the government has entered into cooperative agreements with industry leaders to promote employment of girls and women outside the sex industry. Police monitor migration patterns and deny departure to suspected trafficking victims. In coordination with NGOs and international organizations, the government has created a working group to combat trafficking in women and children to improve interagency coordination, build law enforcement capacity and draft legislation.