Ⅴ. Bilateral level,
MOUs signed bilaterally focused on two issues, i.e., migrant labor and children and
women.
∙ Migrant Labor : Three MOUs between Thailand and its neighboring countries have
been signed. (1) Thailand and Lao PDR on Employment Cooperation signed on 18
October 2002 in Vientiane, (2) Thailand and Cambodia on Employment Cooperation
signed on 31 May 2003 in Ubon Ratchatani, and, (3) Thailand and Myanmar on
Employment Cooperation signed on 21 June 2003.
∙ Children and Women : MOUs between Thailand and Lao PDR and Thailand and
Cambodia on Trafficking of Children and Women were signed in 2003. However,
MOU between Thailand and Myanmar was signed more recently in May 2009. The
objectives are to identify collaboration efforts between policy and implementing
agencies in each country. The efforts to rescue, repatriate, and re‐integrate returning
individuals back to society. However, research reports indicate that despite the MOU,
the process has not been very successful. The re‐integration process turned out to be
the most complicated process.
These two MOUs are signed bilaterally after attempts to develop an MOU for the
Mekong Sub‐regional level failed.
In addition, Thailand is country or origin for trafficking of women and children into
countries in the North which are destinations of the women. At present, Thailand has signed
MOUs with Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Ⅵ. Multi‐country or regional level,
There are different forms of agreements initiated at multi‐country level. Here are some
examples:
∙ Migrant Labor : Thailand Nationality Verification Project: In order to solve the issue
of undocumented migrant workers from the neighboring countries, Thailand required
migrant workers to register which means that they need to have a clear nationality.
Since many migrant workers who have been trafficked and are involved with criminal
organizations and corrupt officers, the process met with resistance. The Lao PDR and
Cambodian governments collaborated with the Thai Government to assist their migrant
workers and agreed to establish registration offices at the border towns. The Myanmar
government did not provide such service in the beginning; but after some negotiations,
92 ❙ Seoul International Conference Against Human Trafficking in Migrant Women