Despite efforts by the junta and companies to deal with child labour and slavery allegations, it is highly likely Thailand will remain at the lowest level in the US human trafficking report next year.
Cambodian workers sort fish at a market in Rayong province. A Thai official believes despite progress, Thailand will not be upgraded in the 2015 US report.
"We're not really confident of an upgrade, as several countries such as Brazil have taken more than three years to address the issue," said Panjit Pisawong, deputy director-general of the Foreign Trade Department. "However, we're preparing to submit documents to the US State Department next March showing Thailand's progress in hopes we will rise from the lowest level."
The State Department downgraded Thailand to the lowest Tier 3 status in its 2014 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report for not fully complying with minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. Thailand joined Syria, Iran and North Korea and 17 other nations on Tier 3. Thailand did sit at Tier 2 for four years prior.
The TIP report does not contain any mechanism to impose trade barriers, and states any US opposition to assistance for foreign governments must exclude trade-related assistance.
But the report could affect lending to the country. The US could decide to put pressure international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank not to lend to Thailand.
The allegations mainly centre on the shrimp, fish, sugar cane, garment and pornography industries.
Ms Panjit said the National Council for Peace and Order prioritised cracking down on human trafficking and other problems related to the exploitation of illegal labour.
One of the junta's measures was to set up a one-stop service centre to register migrant workers. The centre is supposed to speed up the documentation of workers, mainly from neighbouring countries, as part of security measures to ensure their access to labour rights and benefits.
The private sector, especially small operators, agreed to a code of conduct regarding labour standards.