BANGKOK – The Royal Thai Police (RTP) has promised tougher action against human trafficking nationwide, with a clear focus on child abuse, sexual exploitation, and offences driven by online platforms. The move comes as organised groups become more skilled at targeting vulnerable people, including teenagers who are groomed or tricked through social media and messaging apps.
Deputy National Police Chief Pol Gen Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, also chief of the Anti-Human Trafficking Centre, set out the stronger approach during a recent briefing. He said the RTP will push hard on child sexual abuse, sextortion, online exploitation, and trafficking linked to high-risk work sectors. He also pointed to a clear change in how many cases now start online.
Anti-Trafficking in Persons Centre Steps Up
The RTP has expanded its capacity through the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Centre, previously known as the Anti-Human Trafficking Division (ATPD). The specialist unit coordinates national responses to serious abuse involving children, women, and workers.
The centre began in 2005 as the Child and Women Protection Division. Over time, its role widened to cover trafficking cases and problems in sectors such as fisheries. It now acts as a central point for investigations, victim rescues, and joint work with other agencies.
In 2025, the centre handled 279 trafficking cases, down 22.5% from 360 in 2024. Police arrested 366 suspects and rescued 317 victims. Online activity featured heavily. A total of 170 cases were tied to online platforms, which was more than half of all incidents. Most cases involved sexual exploitation (246), while forced labour cases stood at 33, including 15 connected to scam operations.
The centre has also supported specialist teams such as Thailand Internet Crimes Against Children (TICAC), which looked into dozens of online child exploitation cases.
Police spokespeople said operations now combine border checks, online monitoring, and coordination with international partners to disrupt cross-border networks. Pol Lt Gen Trairong Phiwphan, RTP deputy spokesperson, said the centre is helping police raise the pace and scale of suppression work.
Worrying pattern as teenagers are targeted
The Mirror Foundation’s Missing Persons Data Centre has flagged a troubling pattern affecting teenagers aged 15 to 18. The Chiang Rai-based NGO said it is seeing more cases where young people go missing after being misled into dangerous situations.
In 2025, the foundation received reports of 256 missing children and youths. Many reports linked to deception are tied to scam centres or exploitative work abroad. Foundation staff described cases where minors, including some aged 14, were offered what looked like well-paid jobs. They were then taken across borders and forced into criminal activity or sexual exploitation.
The pattern mirrors earlier concerns. Between 2023 and 2024, more than 11 children and teens were tricked into call centre gangs. The Mirror Foundation, which has long traced missing persons in northern Thailand, has urged stronger awareness at home and in the community, with extra care during busy public events.
Thailand’s trafficking picture remains mixed. RTP data shows fewer cases in 2025 than in previous years, yet internet-facilitated crime continued to grow.
The U.S. Department of State’s 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report kept Thailand at Tier 2. The report noted higher investigation numbers in 2024 (381), including 316 sex trafficking cases, as well as 644 identified victims that year. It also recorded rising prosecutions, with 647 suspects charged and 360 convictions, mainly linked to sexual exploitation.
Chiang Rai sees the sharp edge of child abuse and exploitation
Cases involving children remain deeply concerning. TICAC investigated 76 internet-facilitated child trafficking incidents in 2024. Across the country, sexual exploitation remains the most common form of trafficking. In many situations, it connects with forced labour in scam centres, which have expanded in border areas.
Chiang Rai, close to the borders with Myanmar and Laos, continues to face serious trafficking risks. The province can be a source area, a transit route, and a destination, which increases danger for hill tribe communities and stateless children.
One major case in 2025 saw the Chiang Rai Provincial Court sentence the owner of an unregistered children’s shelter. The case involved the sexual exploitation of underage girls aged 6 to 17, as well as forced labour. Authorities and NGOs worked together to rescue 11 victims. Investigators also found electronic evidence that pointed to hidden abusive material.
Other reports in the province have included rescues of teenage girls trafficked into Myanmar and exploited in karaoke venues. Police have also made arrests linked to online scam networks that preyed on local young people.
NGOs and charities form a front line in Chiang Rai
Alongside police operations, local NGOs and charities in Chiang Rai play a major role in prevention, rescue, and long-term support for victims. The Mirror Foundation, based in Mae Yao, tracks missing persons and runs public awareness work that often links disappearances to exploitation risks.
Other groups in the area include the Development and Education Programme for Daughters and Communities (DEPDC) in Mae Sai, which works to prevent sex trafficking among hill tribe girls through education and community programmes. The Freedom Story provides scholarships, mentoring, and support for children at risk, with a focus on prevention and safer choices.
Friends of Thai Daughters runs safe houses such as Sunflower House, providing shelter and education for girls at risk of trafficking. The Center for Girls Foundation offers life skills, leadership training, and human rights education. Destiny Rescue carries out undercover work and rescues, while Not For Sale Thailand supports stateless children with housing and schooling.
Many of these organisations work with the RTP’s Anti-Trafficking Centre, sharing information and helping victims access care and protection.
As Thailand faces these continuing threats, the RTP’s renewed push signals stronger enforcement. Long-term safety will still depend on steady cooperation between police, NGOs, and local communities, especially in high-risk areas such as Chiang Rai.
