The US State Department will soon release its annual report on human trafficking around the world. The benchmark Trafficking in Persons Report has been used almost exclusively by the government to measure its progress or, in the two years after the coup, lack of progress, in cracking down on the problem. For two years, Thailand was rated among the few "worst in the world" countries for its performance. This year, the regime is hoping for a second promotion in the rankings, and at least a spoonful of praise.
The goal is to return Thailand to the respectable position it maintained throughout the first nine years of the century. At present, the US report places the country halfway between respectable (Tier 2 on the ranking system) and Tier 3, the worst you can be. Tier 2 (Watch List) is pretty much a holding position. Thailand and 44 other countries place here, in something of a limbo.
Tier 2 is where the greatest number of countries currently sit. The definition of this position is "governments do not fully comply with the TVPA's minimum standards, but are making significant efforts". TVPA is the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, a US law designed to warn and then enforce bans on products made by victims of human trafficking. For a couple of years, for example, seafood from Thailand came close to violation of that Act.
