Human Trafficking in Thailand: Current Issues, Trends, and the Role of the Thai Government

Tables, notes, bibliog., index

Few subjects elicit greater moral outrage than human trafficking. Media reports of dehumanizing practices such as slavery, abduction, child prostitution, and torture, along with shocking statistics, form the basis of public knowledge. Those who work closely with victims acknowledge the complexity of the issue, and it is this complexity, rather than loose statistics and conjecture, that deserves our attention.

With sensitivity and candor, this book addresses the reality of human trafficking in Thailand, dissecting studies, presenting facts, and dismissing stereotypes. It focuses on the areas of fishing, agriculture, domestic work, sex work, and the trafficking of children, weaving individual narratives and official studies into the wider history of Thailand’s changing economy and labor situation. It also details how the Thai government has addressed the issue, reflects on the roots of human exploitation, and suggests a way forward.

This book raises much-needed awareness of commonly held misconceptions and clarifies what we know and what we have yet to discover about the trafficking of persons to and from Thailand.

What others are saying

“With pastoral wisdom and philosophical breadth, Sorajjakool exposes the face of human trafficking in Thailand. Shaped by need, greed, power, and structural violence, this face calls forth hope and compassionate resistance. Sorajjakool encourages us to move beyond the stereotypes we hold of trafficked persons. He helps us to become global citizens living sustainable lives and striving for a sufficient economy in a world of inequality and exploitation.” —Jaco Hamman, PhD, associate professor of religion, psychology, and culture, Vanderbilt University

Highlights

Concise and accessible study of the reality of human trafficking in Thailand
Thorough critical analysis of current policies and public discourse on trafficking
Details relevant Thai and international laws
Discusses the relationship between the modern economic system and exploitation
Analyzes the changing face of the Thai labor market and the impact of industrialization on the Thai population

About the Author

Siroj Sorajjakool, PhD, is professor of religion, psychology, and counseling at Loma Linda University, California. He is the author of Child Prostitution in Thailand: Listening to Rahab.