On August 20, 2024, the Ministry of Labour’s Spokesperson, Mr. Phumiphat Mueanchan, said that the Labour Minister, Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, gives importance to raising the standards of protection and care and preventing Thai and foreign workers from becoming victims of human trafficking. Today, the Spokesperson was assigned to preside over the opening ceremony of the project to develop the potential to prevent and resolve problems of forced labour or services and human trafficking in labour for labour graduates and labour volunteers to expand the network’s work in Surat Thani Province for the 2024 fiscal year. The Surat Thani Provincial Labour Officer, Ms. Aree Karthiro, gave a report. Member of the House of Representatives of Surat Thani Province, Mr. Pichai Chompoophon, Heads of Departments under the Ministry of Labour in Surat Thani Province, labour graduates and labour volunteers of Surat Thani Province, and trainees joined in giving a welcome at the Diamond Plaza Hotel, Mueang District, Surat Thani Province.
Mr. Phumiphat continued that human trafficking is a transnational crime that affects the nation’s security and is related to economic and social issues, especially Thailand’s development. Therefore, the government has made immense efforts to solve this problem by preventing and suppressing all forms of human trafficking. The Ministry of Labour is an agency that participates in the fight against human trafficking under the 20-year national strategy on security. It is responsible for preventing human trafficking in the labour sector. It has a vital mission to raise the standards of protection and care, preventing Thai and foreign workers from becoming victims of human trafficking. In the past year, the Ministry of Labour has provided training to officials under the Ministry of Labour and related agencies to enable them to work more efficiently. In the 2024 fiscal year, the Ministry of Labour recognizes the importance of labour graduates, labour volunteers, labour volunteer networks, and related agencies, which are important mechanisms for driving work at the local level in disseminating knowledge, reporting information, and leads about crimes related to forced labour or services, and human trafficking in the labour sector.
“The Labour Minister, Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, sees the importance of increasing the potential in preventing and suppressing human trafficking and forced labour or services for labour graduates, labour volunteers, labour volunteer networks, and related agencies, which are networks to drive such operations, including expanding the network to cover all areas. The efforts will further integrate work in preventing and resolving human trafficking in labour and forced labour or services more efficiently, which will eliminate human trafficking from Thailand as soon as possible,” said Mr. Phumiphat.