Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2024, published 113rd ILC session (2025)

Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - Thailand (Ratification: 2001)

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (b). Use, procuring or offering of a child for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that, there have been three arrests for the offense of possession of child pornography under the Criminal Code. The Committee takes note of this information, which addresses its previous request.

Clause (d) and application of the Convention in practice. Hazardous work in the agricultural sector. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare (DLPW) is actively engaged in promoting knowledge and awareness of good labour practices (GLP), Thai labour standards, and Labour Social Responsibility within business establishments, including in the agricultural sector. The Government adds that, in 2022, the DLPW undertook 1,459 labour inspections in agricultural undertakings, employing a total of 543 children and that one establishment was found in violation of child labour laws. The Committee further notes the Government’s indication that, between 2019 and 2022, 66 children were withdrawn from hazardous work. However, it also notes that this information does not specify if this relates to hazardous work in the agricultural sector. The Committee requests the Government to pursue its efforts to protect children working in agriculture from hazardous work. It once again requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken to this end and the results achieved, in terms of the number of children prevented or withdrawn from undertaking hazardous work in the agricultural sector.

Article 6. Programmes of action to eliminate the worst forms of child labour. National Policy and Plan to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labour. The Committee notes with interest the Government’s indication that the DLPW formulated the new National Policy for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (2021–22), and its Action Plan 2023–2027, with the primary objective of completely eradicating the worst forms of child labour. The National Committee for the Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour, chaired by the Minister of Labour, is responsible for the implementation of the National Policy and its Action Plan. Among the measures taken, in the framework of the National Plan, the Committee notes: (1) measures to promote the education of children in vulnerable groups or in situations of poverty and to improve the quality of life and welfare for poor families; (2) implementation of various projects in favour of children such as the Child and Youth Protection System Development Project; (3) the appointment, in October 2020, of a sub-committee to drive, monitor and evaluate performance in accordance with the National Policy and its Action Plan; and (4) measures to raise awareness across all sectors and promotion of mechanisms for cooperation across all sectors and levels to prevent and eliminate the worst forms of child labour.

The Committee takes notes of the data provided by the Government on the number of children withdrawn from the worst forms of child labour between 2019 and 2022, disaggregated in 4 categories: (1) slavery, trafficking, debt bondage and forced labour; (2) sexual exploitation of children; (3) producing and trafficking of drugs; and (4) hazardous work. The Government declares that a total of 10,054 children were withdrawn from the worst forms of child labour. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on: (i) the measures taken within the framework of the National Plan for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour and its Action Plan; (ii) the activities of the above-mentioned sub-committee in monitoring and evaluating results under the National Policy and Action Plan; and (iii) the results achieved in eradicating the worst forms of child labour.

Ship to Shore Rights Project on Combating Unacceptable Forms of Work in the Thai Fishing and Seafood industry 2016–19. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that, within the framework of the Ship to Shore Rights Project, it trained 95 labour inspectors, both new and experienced, in the detection and prevention of forced labour and child labour in the fishing industry. The Government further indicates that it is continuing to implement the Good Labour Practices (GLP) Programme in the shrimp and seafood industry, which aims to institute good labour practices at the fishing boat, farm, primary processing and factory levels. Within the framework of the Programme: (1) GLP Guidelines were developed, setting out guiding principles based on Thai labour laws and regulations, Thai Labour Standard (TLS‐ 8001‐2010) and core International Labour Standards, including on child labour; and (2) trainings on GLP Guidelines are provided to all stakeholders, namely employers and industry associations, Trade Unions, migrant workers associations and NGOs working on labour related issues. The Committee requests the Government to indicate if a new programme of action will be adopted to combat the worst forms of child labour in the fishery, shrimps and seafood industries.

Article 8. International cooperation and assistance. Regional cooperation and bilateral agreements. The Committee notes with interest the Government’s continued efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labour through international cooperation, including: (1) the implementation of the Project Attaining Lasting Change for Better Enforcement of Labor and Criminal Law to Address Child Labor, Forced Labor and Human Trafficking (ATLAS Project), financed by the United States Department of Labour, under which a series of trainings for labour inspectors and investigative officers was undertaken between 2019 and 2022; (2) the establishment of a Trilateral Cooperation Project (USA, Thailand, and third-party country), in August 2021, to facilitate trilateral cooperation projects in areas of mutual interest, including human trafficking; (3) a cooperation project to establish a Centre for human trafficking victims and at-risk groups in Cambodia, with the establishment of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to assist in repatriating and facilitating the reintegration of victims of trafficking back into society; (4) in May 2023, the Government participated in a Workshop on the Implementation of the ASEAN Roadmap on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour by 2025, to serve as a forum for discussion and exchange of knowledge between representatives of government agencies, employers, workers, and civil society of ASEAN member countries in raising awareness and promoting the elimination of worst forms of child labour in the ASEAN region by 2025; (5) in 2022, the Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding concerning trafficking in persons with Australia; and (6) instances of initiatives with neighbouring and other countries to combat trafficking. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on: (i) its efforts to cooperate with the neighbouring countries with a view to eliminating child trafficking for labour and commercial sexual exploitation, including through the ATLAS Project and ASEAN Regional Cooperation; (ii) the measures taken to ensure the rehabilitation, social integration and repatriation of child victims of trafficking; and (iii) the results achieved.