HumanTrafficking.org | Thailand International Organization: UNICEF Thailand

A web resource for combating human trafficking

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Thailand

UNICEF Thailand

Address

UNICEF
P.O. Box 2-154
Bangkok 10200, Thailand

Contact Information

If calling from Thailand:

Tel: 02 356 9499
Fax: 02 280 3563

If calling from overseas:

Tel: +66 2 356 9499
Fax: +66 2 280 3563

Website

http://www.unicef.org

Email

thailandao@unicef.org

Alternate Address

UNICEF
19 Phra Atit Road
Chanasongkram, Phra Nakorn
Bangkok 10200, Thailand

Activities

UNICEF supports programs in Thailand (and the Greater Mekong Sub-Region) which overlap on the prevention aspects of trafficking. In 1993, UNICEF initially began assisting with a hotline, equipment for a rescue police unit for children, and the overtime salaries for police working after hours to rescue children. UNICEF aided in police raids on brothels in Bangkok.

However, UNICEF adopted a more holistic approach to assisting children by employing prevention strategies. DEPDC in Mae Sai was the first NGO that UNICEF assisted for prevention activities. Innovative and extensive outreach to girls in provinces where there is a high rate of trafficking is being supported through the Saema Life Development Project in Thailand with the Ministry of Education. Girls are supported to continue school beyond grade seven and acquire life skills and career development opportunities. This program provided three to four thousand scholarships to children per year for them to remain in school. Furthermore, UNICEF became mobilized with the private sector in Thailand in 1995 in a prevention project. In an expression of social responsibility, a new hotel in Bangkok agreed to provide training for a small number of young adults of working age to work in the hotel industry.¹

The Youth Career Development Program launched by UNICEF in partnership with the Pan Pacific Hotel currently enjoys the partnership of some 20 other leading hotels, welfare schools under the Ministry of Education and some NGOS in Thailand and is one of the most successful preventive programs.

Support given to girls at high-risk of being trafficked or sexually exploited enable them to receive state-of-the-art training and expand the opportunity to find good jobs in hotel industry in Bangkok, receiving additional nine-month training in nurse-aide and work in the international hospital (Bumrungrad International) or opt for training in the financial institutional (Standard Chartered). At the end of these various courses, most of the girls get jobs.

Many are enrolled in the open universities for higher education while working. UNICEF works with the Royal Projects Foundation, an NGO founded by His Majesty the King, in a project to promote development and protection of hill-tribe youth in Thailand, and also works with the Ministry of Labor which focuses on the promotion of skills for young women.

UNICEF has also supported Fight Against Child Exploitation (FACE). UNICEF works with ECPAT and ESCAP to monitor Thailand's implementation of the Yokohoma Agreement to fight against CSEC. UNICEF has been developing models for community level monitoring and response for children and families at risk such as Child Rights Volunteers Training Programme. Child Friendly Schools are being promoted throughout the region. These programs have been set up to keep children in schools. UNICEF supports training for teachers in Bangkok schools on counseling for children with a focus on high-risk behaviors as well as trains social development and welfare staff on child protection skills and family therapy. Thailand's new Child Advocates initiative supports people who work to reform existing laws, follow through the amendment process, and monitor the implementation of new legislations and amendments.²

UNICEF provides support to the National Trafficking Committee and TRAFCORD together with the Governor's Offices of nine Northern provinces to develop the MOU for effective cooperation and coordination against trafficking as these provinces are trafficking routes within Thailand.

In terms of Regional Initiatives, UNICEF is a key partner in the UN Project on Trafficking of Women and Children in the Mekong Sub-region initiated by UNDP, now UNIAP. Since 1998, UNICEF has been a key supporter for implementation of the Mekong Region Law Center Project on Illegal Migration: the Case of Trafficking in Women and Children. UNICEF supported the development of the first bi-lateral MOU against trafficking in the sub-region. The Cambodia-Thailand MOU for the Coordination and Cooperation against Trafficking was signed by both countries in 2003.

UNICEF currently supports implementation of activities under the Plan of Action that was developed jointly. As a regionally based organization, the project focuses on promoting bi-lateral co-operation to eliminate trafficking and promotes improved legislation, prosecution and procedures to address the issues. Improved solidarity among the countries is a priority for improved protection of women and children in the sub-region.³

Articles:

"In a Thai-Cambodian border town, protecting trafficked children and women", UNICEF, 2006.

"UNICEF supports initiatives to tackle trafficking of women and children in Thailand", UNICEF, 2006