MFA plans US, European visits to clarify Thai labour issue

[Lite Beer]

MFA plans US, European visits to clarify Thai labour issue

BANGKOK, 27 June 2014 (NNT) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is poised to travel to the US and Europe to confirm Thailand’s commitment to eradicating human trafficking and to restore confidence among importers of Thai products.

Director-General of the Department of American and South Pacific Affairs Songsak Saicheua revealed that a letter had been sent to the US to express disappointment with the country’s decision to downgrade Thailand to Tier 3 on its human trafficking watch list. The letter objected to the relegation, saying it failed to take into consideration the fact that Thailand had made continuous efforts to combat human trafficking and much progress had been seen.

The letter also stated Thailand’s determination to push on towards the goal of eradicating human trafficking from the country despite the poor ranking.

Mr Songsak added that the Foreign Ministry as well as other concerned agencies, such as the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and the Royal Thai Police, were planning to pay visits to the US and Europe soon in hopes of clearing up the misunderstanding about Thailand’s labor situation. He said discussions would be arranged with trade organizations and major importers so as to regain their confidence in Thai goods.

-- NNT 2014-06-27

[The stuttering parrot]

Hang on wasn't Thailand just telling the world to mind there on business?

And certain posters on here saying we don't need the outside world this is Thailand and stay out of our business!

Funny how things change when the money flowing in looks like it might drop!

[terryp]

from this loss of face Thailand needs to really see something ...Thai officials can use all this effort to try and smooth over the face issue ..BUT after 4 years of warnings of the tier 3 downgrade you did NOTHING ...you are complete dumbfunks

All this focus on shrimp WHAT ABOUT .....the massive problem with Thai P R O S T I T U T I O N

[davehowden]

"Foreign Ministry as well as other concerned agencies, such as the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and the Royal Thai Police, were planning to pay visits to the US and Europe"

Obviously never heard of email!

[Bender]

seriously as soon as this clown set up a foot in Europe, they should catch him

and bring upfront La Hague International Court of Justice, and charge him for organizing modern slavery.

Someone have to be accountable for this... seriously!

[NongKhaiKid]

"Foreign Ministry as well as other concerned agencies, such as the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and the Royal Thai Police, were planning to pay visits to the US and Europe"

Obviously never heard of email!

For official visit read ' chopping ' trip.

[EyesWideOpen]

Looks like another junket trip. Thailand needs to carefully study the report, and start making

changes to address its concerns. Then after a reasonable time period has passed where

things are changing to the better , THEN send officials abroad to attempt to persuade

America and the EU to change back to tier two. After years of lip service and doing

nothing, thus bringing the downgrade to themselves, Thai officials will look like complete

fools going abroad now. Well hopefully they can get some shopping done...

[lemonjelly]

Will they be stopping by any Reuters offices on their tour of 'clarification' ? .........

[englishoak]

Do something to get the ball rolling THEN when youve made a start with some results go and talk.... do it now and itll be seen for what it is, stalling and doing nothing... Begging and posturing isnt going to cut it.

Jeez someone bang their heads together please.

[noitom]

The Thais are headed to EU to "sell" them that Thailand is being viewed unfairly. Thailand is always being treated unfairly, in the view of Thais. They are special and deserve special consideration. Separate and apart from everyone else. The Thais will "sell" the EU officials on this at Thai taxpayer expense.

[ChrisY1]

from this loss of face Thailand needs to really see something ...Thai officials can use all this effort to try and smooth over the face issue ..BUT after 4 years of warnings of the tier 3 downgrade you did NOTHING ...you are complete dumbfunks

All this focus on shrimp WHAT ABOUT .....the massive problem with Thai P R O S T I T U T I O N

What is the massive problem with Thai prostitution.....you think you can stop the oldest profession there is..??...You want to close Pattaya and Phuket......??

[Commander Tamson]

Uneducated, illiberal, insular, Lilliputian, narrow-minded, parochial, petty, picayune, provincial, sectarian, small-minded and last but not least retarded

Definition of Thainess

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited June 28, 2014 by Commander Tamson

[jpeg]

from this loss of face Thailand needs to really see something ...Thai officials can use all this effort to try and smooth over the face issue ..BUT after 4 years of warnings of the tier 3 downgrade you did NOTHING ...you are complete dumbfunks

All this focus on shrimp WHAT ABOUT .....the massive problem with Thai P R O S T I T U T I O N

What is the massive problem with Thai prostitution.....you think you can stop the oldest profession there is..??...You want to close Pattaya and Phuket......??

Typical Thai Monger remark. I've lived on Phuket for 17+ years and the ridding of prostitution would at least allow me to walk some of the areas here without having to witness the fugly sight of pissed up old farts and tattooed up young knuckledraggers fiddling with farm girls down from Issan in rows of hastily thrown up beer bars blasting out 'boom boom boom I want you in my room' and may just give the locals pause to attempt to try to provide something they'll have to put some imagination and work into. Having said that, having returned just yesterday from the sleaze pit that is Sukhumvit with it's row upon row of beer bars and pavement stalls showing placards in English with 'Sex Toys' writ large (so they know their market) I doubt the average Thai would have any idea what to provide as an alternative and would continue to cater to those who visit because of the Thais' baser, uneducated, unsophisticated understanding of what 'entertainment' actually means. Much like many of the farang run bars here . 'Close down Phuket'?! Idiot.

BTW Please stop calling lying on one's back spreadeagled for five minutes whilst some old man deposits his junk into one, a 'profession'

[Commander Tamson]

All this focus on shrimp WHAT ABOUT .....the massive problem with Thai P R O S T I T U T I O N

What is the massive problem with Thai prostitution.....you think you can stop the oldest profession there is..??...You want to close Pattaya and Phuket......??

Typical Thai Monger remark. I've lived on Phuket for 17+ years and the ridding of prostitution would at least allow me to walk some of the areas here without having to witness the fugly sight of pissed up old farts and tattooed up young knuckledraggers fiddling with farm girls down from Issan in rows of hastily thrown up beer bars blasting out 'boom boom boom I want you in my room' and may just give the locals pause to attempt to try to provide something they'll have to put some imagination and work into. Having said that, having returned just yesterday from the sleaze pit that is Sukhumvit with it's row upon row of beer bars and pavement stalls showing placards in English with 'Sex Toys' writ large (so they know their market) I doubt the average Thai would have any idea what to provide as an alternative and would continue to cater to those who visit because of the Thais' baser, uneducated, unsophisticated understanding of what 'entertainment' actually means. Much like many of the farang run bars here . 'Close down Phuket'?! Idiot.

BTW Please stop calling lying on one's back spreadeagled for five minutes whilst some old man deposits his junk into one, a 'profession'

You could always move to Bournemouth

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[jpeg]

All this focus on shrimp WHAT ABOUT .....the massive problem with Thai P R O S T I T U T I O N

What is the massive problem with Thai prostitution.....you think you can stop the oldest profession there is..??...You want to close Pattaya and Phuket......??

Typical Thai Monger remark. I've lived on Phuket for 17+ years and the ridding of prostitution would at least allow me to walk some of the areas here without having to witness the fugly sight of pissed up old farts and tattooed up young knuckledraggers fiddling with farm girls down from Issan in rows of hastily thrown up beer bars blasting out 'boom boom boom I want you in my room' and may just give the locals pause to attempt to try to provide something they'll have to put some imagination and work into. Having said that, having returned just yesterday from the sleaze pit that is Sukhumvit with it's row upon row of beer bars and pavement stalls showing placards in English with 'Sex Toys' writ large (so they know their market) I doubt the average Thai would have any idea what to provide as an alternative and would continue to cater to those who visit because of the Thais' baser, uneducated, unsophisticated understanding of what 'entertainment' actually means. Much like many of the farang run bars here . 'Close down Phuket'?! Idiot.

BTW Please stop calling lying on one's back spreadeagled for five minutes whilst some old man deposits his junk into one, a 'profession'

You could always move to Bournemouth

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Yeah, you're the type I'm talking about. I fully expect more of you along making inane ignorant remarks shortly. Sad 'man'

BTW Learn how to multiquote.

Edited June 28, 2014 by jpeg

[chooka]

Do something to get the ball rolling THEN when youve made a start with some results go and talk.... do it now and itll be seen for what it is, stalling and doing nothing... Begging and posturing isnt going to cut it.

Jeez someone bang their heads together please.

If certain branches of this current Junta ie: the Navy dropped their defamation writs against the media and stop trying to cover it up then people may just give them 5 minutes to hear what they have to say.

[Baerboxer]

from this loss of face Thailand needs to really see something ...Thai officials can use all this effort to try and smooth over the face issue ..BUT after 4 years of warnings of the tier 3 downgrade you did NOTHING ...you are complete dumbfunks

All this focus on shrimp WHAT ABOUT .....the massive problem with Thai P R O S T I T U T I O N

Do you think there is no prostitution in the US and EU?

India has vast amounts of prostitutes. I attended a lecture there several years ago and they said at least 25% were HIV positive. China, Russia and its CIS "allies" all have massive sex industries with girls exported all over the world.

Other countries have been happy to let the connection between Thailand and prostitution be built up whilst sweeping their own issued under the carper, away from the limelight.

Go to a country like the Netherlands where prostitution is legal. Drive around in the south and see just how many brothels there are - you'd be surprised. Do you think all the staff are trafficked?? That country deals with prostitution differently.

Prostitution is a complex issue that contains the additional problems of trafficking, forced labor, and exploitation. Many other workers are exploited, treated as slaves, bonded and kidnapped too. The solutions are not necessarily the same.

[FangFerang]

"The letter objected to the relegation, saying it failed to take into consideration the fact that Thailand had made continuous efforts to combat human trafficking and much progress had been seen".

Really? What measurable progress?

This directly contradicts a public statement made by the military on the Bangkok Post yesterday. A general stated that "graft was probably at the center of human trafficking, and one-stop centers at border crossings would be setup to prevent recurring graft" (sic).

If the people in charge are singing one song, and the diplomats go overseas singing a different song (or songs), foreign nations can only conclude that the choir has no director or direction. Or they are simply lying.

What measurable progress? Arresting journalists with substantial graphic evidence of military involvement in the Rohingya debacle?

Pretending there is no military corruption by not arresting military suspects is its own form of corruption, now certainly transparent as granite with the current administration.

[tagranados]

18 organizations working on behalf of people, not the US government, asked for this downgrade...

"As a group of human rights and labor organizations concerned with this issue, we were pleased to see you address it in your remarks. We write today to ask that you ensure the U.S. Department of State takes the next step to putting an end to this practice and downgrade Thailand, whose labor and immigration policies allow trafficking to flourish in the seafood industry and others, to Tier III in the 2014 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report."

There are some interesting suggestions here….

http://laborrights.org/publications/letter-secretary-state-john-kerry-regarding-human-trafficking-thailand

Edited June 28, 2014 by tagranados

[Thai at Heart]

Clarify what exactly?

The EU is I am.quite sure, able to.interpret any reports given.

[Thai at Heart]

18 organizations working on behalf of people, not the US government, asked for this downgrade...

"As a group of human rights and labor organizations concerned with this issue, we were pleased to see you address it in your remarks. We write today to ask that you ensure the U.S. Department of State takes the next step to putting an end to this practice and downgrade Thailand, whose labor and immigration policies allow trafficking to flourish in the seafood industry and others, to Tier III in the 2014 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report."

There are some interesting suggestions here.

http://laborrights.org/publications/letter-secretary-state-john-kerry-regarding-human-trafficking-thailand

Note that one of the articles being cited in this letter refers to the couple being sued by the navy right now. If they are found guilty I would suggest that any efforts from.thailand should result in the creation of a tier 5 for idiotic govt.

The army must stop that case.

[tagranados]

I didn't know that, thank you. I'll read further. All this Thai stuff is hard to wrap one's head around. While trying to grasp onto all of this, I try to remember that I am just part of the masses the same as many of the people I rub elbows with here everyday. I hope I keep my "give-a-damn-bone" intact.

[tagranados]

In my opinion, it would be brilliant if Thailand decriminalized (not legalize, decriminalize) sex work and became actively involved in sex workers rights. March 3rd is International Sex Workers Rights Day and December 17, 2014 will be International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, for what it's worth to the people on all of the threads related to this topic. If Thailand actively worked to aide what is happening in their own front yards, it would be one of the most significant shifts of the century. Just because a person is a sex worker; they do not deserve abuse by the customer or their country.

Edited June 28, 2014 by tagranados

[Traveling Sailor]

Please General - Don't let these people go anywhere outside of Thailand. Make them stay here and do their jobs. Let correct actions speak louder than empty words.

[Stradavarius37]

If the EU and US stop buying the damn food, the problem will get sorted ASAP. Money talks -

[tagranados]

18 organizations working on behalf of people, not the US government, asked for this downgrade...

"As a group of human rights and labor organizations concerned with this issue, we were pleased to see you address it in your remarks. We write today to ask that you ensure the U.S. Department of State takes the next step to putting an end to this practice and downgrade Thailand, whose labor and immigration policies allow trafficking to flourish in the seafood industry and others, to Tier III in the 2014 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report."

There are some interesting suggestions here.

http://laborrights.org/publications/letter-secretary-state-john-kerry-regarding-human-trafficking-thailand

Note that one of the articles being cited in this letter refers to the couple being sued by the navy right now. If they are found guilty I would suggest that any efforts from.thailand should result in the creation of a tier 5 for idiotic govt.

The army must stop that case.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[tagranados]

Sorry for blank reply with quote only. IPad is touchy. What case were you referring to?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[peterb17]

from this loss of face Thailand needs to really see something ...Thai officials can use all this effort to try and smooth over the face issue ..BUT after 4 years of warnings of the tier 3 downgrade you did NOTHING ...you are complete dumbfunks

All this focus on shrimp WHAT ABOUT .....the massive problem with Thai P R O S T I T U T I O N

What is the massive problem with Thai prostitution.....you think you can stop the oldest profession there is..??...You want to close Pattaya and Phuket......??

Typical Thai Monger remark. I've lived on Phuket for 17+ years and the ridding of prostitution would at least allow me to walk some of the areas here without having to witness the fugly sight of pissed up old farts and tattooed up young knuckledraggers fiddling with farm girls down from Issan in rows of hastily thrown up beer bars blasting out 'boom boom boom I want you in my room' and may just give the locals pause to attempt to try to provide something they'll have to put some imagination and work into. Having said that, having returned just yesterday from the sleaze pit that is Sukhumvit with it's row upon row of beer bars and pavement stalls showing placards in English with 'Sex Toys' writ large (so they know their market) I doubt the average Thai would have any idea what to provide as an alternative and would continue to cater to those who visit because of the Thais' baser, uneducated, unsophisticated understanding of what 'entertainment' actually means. Much like many of the farang run bars here . 'Close down Phuket'?! Idiot.

BTW Please stop calling lying on one's back spreadeagled for five minutes whilst some old man deposits his junk into one, a 'profession'

You are spot on.

Some on TV think that 99% of classy tourists come here to sit in bar beers and ogle the " lovely " girls on offer.

In reality the mongers only account for a small proportion of tourists, but unfortunately get the most attention.

It's going to take a while to clean up Thailand's image and the bar scene- it will happen. Then the men who choose to use prostitutes and exploit women can move on to Cambodia or just kerb crawl in their own countries.

The only drawback in the loss of jobs for house builders in Isaan and probably Western Union will go bust.

[crudski]

Sorry for blank reply with quote only. IPad is touchy. What case were you referring to?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Fourth paragraph in the labour rights link.

[wealth]

for the huge sex and massage parlours you can legally acquire a licence for 150,000,000.00 Baht from the gov here.

Considering the high numbers of these establishments it seem to pay off,- still.

They're behind walls with all kind of nationalities. A few sitting in show windows and so forth. But there are estimated thousands employed in each of them, legally and illegal.