While the official US sanctions are relatively minimal, the double whammy Thailand received this year
from the European Union on illegal fishing and its use of forced and slave labour carried with it serious
economic threats.
The warning is clear: Clean up the fishing industry, or face a trade ban on Thai seafood products.
To be fair, the military regime's efforts to crack down on human trafficking syndicates and to regulate the
fishing industry are unprecedented. While credit must be given where it is due, the longaccumulated
problems still hang heavy over the country.
The global focus on Thailand's human trafficking and modern slavery in the past few weeks speaks to the
many pressing challenges. Food giant Nestle stunned the world by admitting that Thai seafood in its supply
chains is linked with forced and slave labour.