The inspection took place on Thursday (July 31), and was led by a multi-agency task force under the direction of the Phuket Provincial Labour Protection and Welfare Office.
The operation was part of Thailand’s ongoing efforts to ensure compliance with labour laws and international human rights standards in the fishing industry, said an official report of the inspections.
Kanchanawadi Sudjai, from the Phuket Provincial Labor Protection and Welfare Office, represented the office on behalf of Provincial Labour Protection and Welfare Office Chief Thanapong Orachar. She joined officials from a wide range of government bodies, including the Third Naval Area Command, Marine Police Division 8, Phuket Immigration and the Phuket Provincial Fisheries Office.
The team inspected four offshore fishing vessels: ‘Lapjiraphan’, carrying 34 crew members (three Thai, 31 Myanmar nationals); ‘P. Natee Thong’, with seven Thai workers; ‘Luk Jiap 89’, with four Thai workers; and ‘S. Ekwaraporn 99’, with 36 workers (15 Thai, 12 Myanmar, and nine Cambodian nationals).
A total of 81 workers were interviewed during the inspections, which were supported by Marine Police Patrol Boat T.706.
According to an official report, no violations were found under the 2014 Ministerial Regulation on Labour Protection in Marine Fisheries or other relevant legislation.
Authorities also reported that none of the working conditions observed on the vessels, or any information gathered from random interviews with workers, indicated any signs of forced labour or human trafficking.
“The findings reflect positively on Thailand’s ongoing efforts to protect the rights of both Thai and migrant workers in the fisheries sector,” the report stated.
The inspection forms part of a national push to address international concerns about labour conditions in the Thai fishing industry, which has faced criticism in the past over exploitation and trafficking.
Officials say regular, integrated inspections such as these are essential to ensuring transparency, accountability, and continued improvement of working standards in one of Thailand’s most scrutinised sectors.