The update followed the US Department of State’s 2024 Trafficking and Child Labour (TDA) Report, released on Sept 29, which ranked Thailand in the “Significant Advancement” category for the first time since 2017.
The 2025 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, released a day later, continued to place Thailand in Tier 2 for the fourth consecutive year, reflecting ongoing cooperation across agencies to protect workers and strengthen labour standards.
Against this backdrop, Phuket Provincial Labour Officer Worawan Waritputtimet chaired a meeting of the Phuket Fisheries Labour Management Center Working Group at the Phuket Provincial Labour Protection and Welfare Office yesterday (Nov 26).
Present were Labour Welfare and Protection Officer Thanapong Onchorn, Provincial Employment Officer Phichit Singthongkam, and related working-group members.
The meeting focused on driving integrated cooperation among agencies to strengthen employment inspections, ensure safe working conditions, and prevent human trafficking in marine fisheries and related businesses.
Officials emphasised proactive coordination, joint inspections aligned with annual plans, and systematic reporting to improve the effectiveness of labour oversight, said an official report of the meeting.
Operational results for two recent checks presented, confirming two integrated at-sea inspections covering eight fishing vessels and 239 crew members ‒ 78 Thai, 132 Myanmar, 26 Cambodian and three Laotian nationals.
Another four vessels with a total of 158 crew members were inspected around Koh Tapao. No violations were found under the Labour Protection Act 1998 or relevant laws.
The working group also discussed measures to increase public understanding of labour protection, prevent trafficking, and eliminate the worst forms of child labour. Strengthening public-relations efforts to ensure accurate communication with workers and employers was identified as a priority.
All agencies affirmed their continued commitment to improving operational efficiency and upholding sustainable labour standards in Phuket’s fisheries sector.