The Anti-Human Trafficking Act and other related laws are being revised in response to Thailand's relegation in the most recent Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report.
Department of Special Investigation (DSI) director-general Chatchawan Suksomjit said amendments to the laws would include stiffer criminal penalties against traffickers as well as "administrative punishments", such as the revocation of operating licences, for businesses found using illegal labour.
The new laws will also mandate compensation for victims, he added.
The DSI is working on the revision with other concerned parties such as the Social Development and Human Security Ministry and the Labour Ministry, and will submit their proposed amendments to the National Legislative Assembly "soon".
In June, the United States downgraded Thailand to Tier 3, the lowest level, on the TIP report after holding the country on the Tier 2 warning list for four consecutive years. The US president has 90 days after the report's release to determine whether to apply trade or financial sanctions.
Pol Gen Chatchawan said financial compensation for victims would be derived from asset forfeitures in human trafficking cases which would normally go to the state.
"Those assets come from human exploitation, so the victims should have a right to that money as well," Pol Gen Chatchawan told a public forum on human trafficking, held yesterday by the Social Development and Human Security Ministry.
Another problem that needed addressing was the frequency with which suspects in human trafficking cases get released on bail and then flee the country, he said.
"There should be stricter measures to prevent escape, especially for those involved in severe cases. In the most serious cases, an electronic device or tracker could be used to pinpoint the location of a suspect," he said.
Department of American and South Pacific Affairs director-general Songsak Saicheua said there were 23 countries ranked in Tier 3 on the TIP report, but Thailand had been highlighted due to its larger economic role on the world stage.
He said the downgrade had not yet affected the country's exports to US markets pending a presidential decision on possible sanctions.
But some European countries, such as France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain, have already banned the import of certain products from Thailand.
"In October, we will visit buyers in the EU to explain what we have already done to tackle the human trafficking problem," Mr Songsak said. "We are willing to work closely with any foreign company to run a project or programme to visit Thai suppliers in order to regain confidence."
According to the TIP report, corruption among authorities was a key reason for Thailand's drop to Tier 3. Deputy police chief Pol Gen Aek Angsananont said 10 cases were being examined where police were alleged to be involved in human trafficking.