STF Expands Advanced Training Program for Thai Government Inspectors on Human Trafficking and Forced Labor Identification - Sep '25
Nakhon Si Thammarat, 19 September 2025
The Seafood Task Force ('STF') successfully conducted an expanded three-day training program for Thai government PIPO (port-in-port-out) inspectors focused on enhancing their capacity to detect human trafficking in seafarers. The comprehensive training, held at Grand Fortune Hotel in Nakhon Si Thammarat on September 10-12, 2025, was a significant expansion of the initiative originally piloted a year ago in Bangkok.
This latest program brought together 55 PIPO inspectors representing 17 PIPO centers across 12 coastal provinces throughout Thailand. The training was delivered in partnership with the Thai Department of Fisheries (DOF) and the Thai Department of Labour Protection and Welfare (DLPW), demonstrating continued government commitment to combating human trafficking in the fishing industry.
The program was designed to enhance the skills of Thai PIPO inspectors in detecting human trafficking when executing their inspection checklists and conducting interviews. The curriculum combined comprehensive theory with hands-on practical application, featuring lectures from experienced lawyers and social auditors alongside interactive elements including pre-tests, post-tests and role-playing exercises.
The training was delivered by expert facilitators specializing in human trafficking law and social compliance auditing, providing participants with a solid foundation for enhancing their inspection capabilities.
The event featured an intensive curriculum covering essential legal frameworks on forced labor and human trafficking, advanced observation and interview techniques, and discussion of case studies involving human trafficking and forced labor in the fishing industry. The program emphasized the development of critical observational and interview skills through hands-on exercises designed to improve the inspectors' abilities to detect subtle signs of trafficking and to conduct effective, compassionate interviews with potential victims.
This expanded training program builds upon the success of the original pilot program held in Bangkok in August 2024. The STF's commitment to scaling this initiative demonstrates the organization's dedication to working with governmental and private stakeholders for continuous improvement in shrimp and tuna supply chains in Thailand, and soon in India, Vietnam and Indonesia.
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About the Seafood Task Force:
The Seafood Task Force (STF) was established in 2014 to restore global confidence to trade, following concerns about social and environmental abuse in global tuna and shrimp supply chains. It is made up of over 50 major retailers, brands, food service companies and their supply chain partners.
The STF drives supply chain oversight at scale, pioneering a pro-competitive approach that makes it easier for its members to meet international standards and growing due diligence requirements.
The STF is a US-based, not-for-profit trade association established for the seafood industry by the seafood industry. Its vision is a future where its members’ seafood supply chains are fully traceable, free from the risk of human rights violations and free from environmental degradation.
For more information: https://seafoodtaskforce.global/